FORT WALTON BEACH — Fort Walton Beach football coach Josh Pulliam understands his Vikings will only go so far as their offense takes them. So when Ty Montgomery capped a 56-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to knot Thursday's Kickoff Classic at 7-all with visiting Niceville, that offseason emphasis on the run game felt like it was paying dividends. For a moment, it felt reminiscent of last year's 3-0, second-quarter lead over Final 4 qualifier Choctawhatchee. Ultimately, though, it'd be the Vikings' lone score in a 28-7 loss over the second half at Steve Riggs Stadium, which up until kickoff for JV had a good 500 spectators waiting at the gate to get in. The visiting stands were nearly sold out, the student sections went double-digit rows deep with both school's cheerleaders showing out, and easily around 3,000 spectators bear witness to the return of a rivalry that had no business ending in 2023. Niceville's 3 takeaways: Jakobe Gilyard, Deagan McCoy, special teams shine in 28-7 Kickoff Classic win With Fort Walton Beach set to open the season next week versus Pensacola at Steve Riggs Stadium, let's focus on the three takeaways from the Vikings' final tuneup to the regular season. "Chop wood, carry water" true for run game In the offseason, Fort Walton Beach hired Baker legend Joe Brunson to take over the weight room. This wasn't the only significant change to a program starved for stability and looking to grow daily by executing the basic tasks of a successful football program. Cue up the "chop wood, carry water" motto adopted by the team. In high school football, establishing the run game is as basic and essential as it gets. After a 2-8 campaign where the Vikings rushed for a collective 836 yards on 3.3 yards per carry, Friday's preseason tilt against a vaunted Niceville front-seven tested that progress. Montgomery flashed some east-west speed with that 11-yard touchdown and Elijah Donson found a few holes, but still the Vikings' run game struggled on third and fourth down conversions and couldn't keep its defense off the field. "We need more offense," Pulliam said bluntly. "We have one junior and four sophomores back there, so we have to look at that. (Niceville) did a good job of filling all their gaps and getting where they're supposed to be, so we have to look at where we can improve. We have a long ways to go, but we know there's progress being made there." The run game will determine if Fort Walton Beach can approach at least 20 points per game and challenge for its first above .500 campaign since 2012. McDaniel's maturation
Against a blitz-heavy Niceville front seven, FWB quarterback Lavin McDaniel avoided the sack and looked confident on the run. He didn't find the end zone, but the junior scrambled for a few big pickups and threaded the needle a few times on Fort Walton Beach 56-yard scoring drive. His lone interception came on a tipped ball. "Lavin did a real good job of managing the offense and getting rid of the ball," Pulliam said. "Some of the handoffs and stretch reads, he made the correct reads on the pull and, even when we may have not been in the right situations, he was able to make the right decisions." The offseason was about growth, literally and figuratively for the junior, who shot up around six inches in the offseason and packed on muscle to be at his current, 6-foot, 170-pound stature. Now QB1 after taking over midseason last year, he sees an offense that can move the chains and drastically improve on last year's 11.8 points per game. "I love my receiving corps," he said. "I got Dantay (Walker) at wideout, Cannon (Wilbur), Eli Crozier and Logan Smith as a tight end. They're all pretty good receivers, so I think they'll do big things this year. And my line is young, but they've improved over the summer and they're working hard, so I believe they'll get it done. "This is my second year in the system, so I love coach Snyder's system and I'm ready to lead and run the offense." His tight end sees a breakout year for McDaniel. "Lavin is a great guy, a great QB and I trust him a lot," said Smith, a big target at 6-2, 205 pounds. "He's got the talent, he's got the weapons and we believe he's a good guy to run our system and lead our offense." Vikings are ready for Pensacola High Thursday was a win in many regards without getting the actual win. Around 3,000 spectators showed up. A rivalry was renewed. And, most importantly, the Vikings will be at 100% the home tilt against Pensacola High this Friday, Aug. 21. Pensacola went 2-9 last season and appears to be a very winnable matchup. "We're excited for week 1," Pulliam said. "Glad for the Kickoff Classic experience and glad to play Niceville again, and we came out healthy. That's the biggest thing." This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: 3 takeaways from Fort Walton Beach football in Kickoff Classic