It was a wise choice for the rising senior.

Straight was part of district champion basketball team, where he averaged 2.5 points and nearly a steal per contest.

He was even stronger on the baseball diamond, as he hit .400 with four doubles and led the team with a .602 on-base percentage and 1.075 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Now, thanks to the return of some teammates, Straight is back on the gridiron.

“Some of my childhood friends came back to play and some coaches came back this year, so it was an easy decision,” Straight said.  “I thought it would be a good opportunity.”

Straight thinks that even though he has been away from the game, he will pick up right where he left off.

He credits his time in basketball and baseball with helping him stay in shape.

“It definitely helped to stay active and be in the weight room,” Straight said.  “I have been working on a lot of different areas, mostly in my lower body to get stronger.”

Straight is taking nothing for granted going into his final year.

“I have one last chance,” Straight said.  “I just want to go out there and have fun.  I want to win it all.”

It should be an easy transition for Straight back into football as he will play running back and linebacker, the same positions he played earlier in his career.

“I remember everything for the most part,” Straight said.  “I am glad to be back.  It will be great to be on the field.”

Straight is also excited to share the backfield with running back, Calvin Wilks III and transfer quarterback, Justin Baldwin.

“We are definitely going to throw the ball more this year,” Straight said.  “Calvin is a great running back.  We are going to make a great 1-2 punch this season.”

While he continued playing, the turning point for Hardin was not until the summer after his freshman season.

“The season did not go as I wanted to, so I went to work,” Hardin said.  “I got into the gym and worked on all aspects of my game.

The extra time spent in the gym culminated with him knocking down seven three-pointers in a scrimmage later that summer.

“I realized that if I keep shooting, good things will come,” Hardin said.

That momentum carried him into solid seasons during his sophomore and junior campaigns.

Hardin had a solid sophomore season which was followed by an even stronger junior year where he averaged 10.4 points and three rebounds per game.

His biggest improvement happened with his jump shot.

Hardin finished the season with 28 made three-point field goals and a 38 percent three-point field goal percentage.

He also shot 48 percent from the field.

“I knew that I always had the skill to be that kind of player,” Hardin said.  “But last year, I became a more confident player.  Everyone trusts me now because they know how well I can shoot the ball.”

At a recent camp held at the University of West Florida, Hardin showed off his shooting skill.

He averaged 19 points per game across five contests as the Gators faced teams from across Northwest Florida and Louisiana.

His success does not come as a surprise to his head coach, Chad Martin.

“He is a non-stop worker,” Martin said.  “I must kick out of the gym sometimes.  He is always here getting shots up, even when we have off-days.  Cole loves the game.”

For the Crestview softball team, they finished the regular season with a 6-17 record.

Even in the middle of the tough season, the Bulldogs have kept fighting hard.

This perseverance showed in tight, 5-4, win over Choctaw on April 21.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first, Crestview added one run in the third and three in fourth to take the lead.

Although Choctaw battled back to cut the deficit to one in the fifth and tied the game in the sixth inning, the Bulldogs never panicked.

Crestview responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to re-take the lead and eventually shut the door on the Indians in the seventh.

Moriah Keith had a triple, while Ava Secor had the other extra-base hit for the Bulldogs with a double.

Julian Forrest also had two hits and an RBI in the victory.

Cambell Toolan struck out five batters in six innings in the circle for the Bulldogs.

Izzy Voisin and Riley Copeland contributed two hits in a loss against South Walton a night later, April 23.

Crestview opened their district tournament against top-seeded Pace on April 29.

Two teams in North Okaloosa County have seen their seasons extend in basketball.

Both Crestview High School and the Baker school, will continue on into the regional tournament and now they know when are where they will be playing.

The Bulldogs earned the sixth seed in class 6A, and they will travel to Forest High School on Feb. 12 with a tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

Crestview finished the season at 19-5 overall, falling in the semifinals of the district tournament to eventual champion, Milton, who earned the fifth seed in the region.

The Bulldogs and the Panthers were the only two teams in the district to earn spots into the regional, as Crestview narrowly edged out Gulf Breeze, who entered the week ranked higher than both programs.

Forest (Ocala) comes into the match-up at 21-5 overall on the year, winning eight of their last nine games with the one loss against Tocoi Creek who is the top overall seed in 6A.

Either Crestview or Forest will play the winner of Lake Howell and Oakleaf on Feb. 17 in the regional tournament semifinal.

Second-seeded Baker, meanwhile, will face third-seeded Chipley at home on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

The Gators are fresh off of a district championship win and are 20-4 on the year.

Chipley stands at 15-7 overall and lost in their most recent game to Graceville.

The winner of the Baker/Chipley match-up will face the winner of Bethlehem/Graceville on Feb. 17.

Due to graduation and other players departing the Gators, there was a need for frontcourt players to play big minutes.

That is where Reed has stepped in to.

“The season has gone well so far for me,” Reed said.  “I am beginning to see more playing time and I am growing more confident in myself.”

Reed has become a consistent contributor for Head Coach, Chelsea Medley, as the Gators try to navigate the season and earn a spot in the state playoffs.

Another reason that Reed has made a bigger impact this season for the Gators is how she is playing defensively.

Reed’s goal during the off-season was to improve her knowledge of Baker’s defensive scheme.

“Being able to talk more to my teammates on the defensive end has really helped me improve,” Reed said.  “I learned how to play the help side of our defense better.”

With Reed having a bigger role on the team, she has also seen her role in practice become larger, which has made her more confident in game situations.

Medley has seen the impact Reed has made on the Gators this year.

“She is a fierce competitor and defender,” Medley said.  “She has a great work ethic in the gym.  She also works hard in the classroom and is always respectful to her peers and teachers and coaches.”

Her work in practice has helped her offensive game too.

One thing that Reed worked on was her shooting, specifically in the mid-range as Medley knew that would help her play against taller defenders.

With the Gators having a win percentage under 50%, Reed knows the team needs to come together quickly to have a chance at postseason play.

“We need to communicate more as a team and that will help us win and be successful,” Reed said.