Football season 2018 I probably will not keep up with the 1FootIn blog this year, at least I think that is where my head/heart is right now. I do want to capture some thoughts as the season approaches, but then just take it a week at a time. The most excitement for me for 2018 is my high school – the Crestview Bulldogs. Yes I am a 50 something year old guy and it may be questionable at some level that I am still such a staunch supporter of my high school, I’m okay with any crap that may get thrown my way. My dad played for Crestview, uncles, cousins, friends and now that I’m 40 years gone, I certainly don’t feel that “must get out of this little hick town” that I felt constantly at 16 and 17 years old.

Crestview’s football program was a power back in my dad’s day mid to late 50’s. Not so much in the 60’s and 70’s, but when I was a kid, going to a Crestview game (or Choctaw) was EPIC. I was never a star during my playing time, heck I wasn’t even a starTER, but again, my love for the game and school is deep into my DNA/soul. When cuz Larry Josey played, I think Crestview had the 2nd best team in their classification, but had to play Suwanee Live Oak, before the championship game. It was a thriller and the wrong Bulldogs prevailed and then smoked their opponent in the title game. In 2002, Crestview made it to the championship game against Rockledge. Duane and I tailgated before the game at Doak Campbell, on a hot sunny December day. It was so much fun! Matt Brunson was the coach and seemed to get a lot out of the kids, especially on defense. His offenses often were conservative, but perhaps that was due to the caliber of players he had (cousin Mark and I often grumbled ). Enough of the nostalgia. Last season was Crestview’s best in at least 15 years. Coach Hatton had a wide open offense that simply rolled up yardage and points. They ran the table in the regular season and won a couple of play off games before St Augustine ended the run for “us”. In addition to undefeated regular season, beating Navarre and Escambia, beating Niceville for the 2nd year in a row was great. For 2018 most of those kids are back, so there is reason for excitement and optimism. A HUGE veteran offensive line, some of the best receivers we have ever hand and college running back are some of the reasons for the anticipation. I don’t know about QB and that is no small question to have lingering and the schedule is MONSTER’S ROW! WOW! We open this Friday night with the Madison Cowboys, the defending state champs in one of the smaller classification. Madison is a power every year and will play anybody – Valdosta, Lincoln, Apopka, you name it. It is the kick off classic, the preseason game that in Florida does not count as a regular season game, unless you are playing in Alabama or Georgia (OOS) where their season has already started – then it counts. The regular season gets started against Panama City BAY on 8/24. My Sr year, Bay was the 3A champs in Florida.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Week 2 has Crestview traveling out of state to play in Mississippi, against St Martin, a playoff team last year. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Week 3 we travel to Navarre, who along with Niceville has been “the” power in the panhandle over the 10 years. There was no Navarre HS in my day, but now cousin Frank Oatman is a teacher there. The Raiders again will be one of the top team in the north part of Florida and this is a huge showdown. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Week 4 Crestview plays Tampa Catholic. A private school power way down the peninsula. They churn D1 and NFL guys out like a machine and are always deep into the playoff run. The hurricane wiped out this match up last season, which might have helped us run the regular season table. I covered a TC game for the Orlando Sentinel back in 2008 (give or take a season). They had a half a dozen D1 kids and at least 2 that year that went on to the NFL. OH BOY! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Week 5 The West Florida Jaguars. They own Pensacola, along with Escambia. Fantastic program year in and year out now. Crestview beat them last season and somehow the pundits had WF ranked higher than the Dawgs in the “all class” rankings. Boo hiss… ############################################################################################## Week 6 Choctaw – the big green Indians are well coached and a force to be reckoned with. A county rival that I have wonderful memories of watching as a very young boy. Their band is spectacular with the long native American feather head dresses (BTW, the bands in Okaloosa County are tremendous. Even when Crestview’s football team is not good, our band is ALWAYS fantastic). &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Week 7 Milton – the Panthers were a big rival in the 70s and 80s. I don’t know how tough they will be this season, but it will be homecoming and “Lord willing” I will be home for this one. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Week 8 Fort Walton Beach – In elementary school I lived a few blocks away when this school was built. It is also the alma mater of my wife and her siblings. Bro in Law John was quite the player for the Vikings back in the day. They have been over shadowed for a few years by Niceville, Choctaw, Navarre and lately Crestview. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Week 9 is a BYE week to get ready for the rival game and likely the district showdown $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Week 10 is the Fishheads – Niceville Eagles. Long the bitter rivals who have a fantastic athletic program, not just football. Two of the most exciting games I ever witnessed were Crestview – Niceville games with championships on the line, and Cam Sanders at QB for us. Two years ago, I took my dad to his last Bulldog game, and Crestview upset Niceville to win the district and really jump start the momentum that we are enjoying going into 2018. Win or lose, Crestview “should” get a playoff berth, but that is speculation in August. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Week 11 is a week of rest for many teams, as they try to heal up for a playoff run. Not this year for Crestview. Nope. Week 11 Crestview will host Thompson High out of Alabaster (Bham) for their 2nd OOS foe of the season. Thompson is just one of the top 2-3 teams in the entire state of Alabama, a strong high school football state. They are ranked in the top 50 NATIONALLY (ahead of Brentwood Academy – maybe the top team in Tennessee and where Noah Josey will be making his mark) and will battle Hoover for the bull of the ring in Alabama. Their QB is none other than Taulia Tagoailoa, the younger brother of “Tua” who saved the national championship game for the Crimson Tide. Little brother broke all kinds of records in Alabama last year as a junior and had committed to Nick Satan () and the Tide. No resting up for the playoffs, instead a home game against one of the best teams to ever play in Crestview. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Week 12? Playoffs. As far as other big prep games this weekend - in August (why play football games in the hottest month of the year?) there are some good ones. Out in NorCal, where my sons live now, nationally renowned De La Salle plays rising power Folsom (yep, that Folsom that Johnny Cash sang about the prison). One of the top teams in Arizona – Chandler, plays Centennial California. Navarre’s KO classic is against a Mississippi team that I don’t know much about – Louisville.

I have to give some more thoughts to the college season. It is the first time in memory that both “my” Noles and Gators will have new coaches.