There's no place like home for Niceville, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. Everything went their way against the Escambia Gators on Friday as they made off with a 27-6 win. The Eagles have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Gators, too.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Niceville to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jakobe Gilyard, who rushed for 112 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 30 receiving yards. Deagan McCoy was another key passer, throwing for 189 yards and two TDs.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Niceville proved: they limited Escambia to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. While two picked up at least nine total tackles, Harper Campbell stood above the rest. He picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made nine total tackles. Niceville's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.3.
Niceville's defense also made the game a nightmare for Billy Dunn., racking up eight sacks. Escambia's QB won't forget Caleb Sartori anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Another thorn in the Gators' side was Campbell, who picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made nine total tackles.
Cashon Downs and Dunn certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Downs picked up 156 receiving yards and one touchdown, while Dunn threw for 174 yards and one TD.
Eagles
| 08/29/25 vs Escambia | 27-6 |
| 11/29/24 vs Lincoln | 31-10 |
| 11/22/24 vs Ponte Vedra | 21-20 |
| 11/15/24 vs Middleburg | 49-13 |
| 10/18/24 vs Lincoln | 38-35 |
| + 4 more games |
Niceville's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 1-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 35.6 points over those games. As for Escambia, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Niceville will head out to take on Pine Forest at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Escambia, they will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Bay at 7:00 p.m. on the 12th.
