“Defensively, we had three third (down) and longs– third and 15 or more that we gave up scores (on the plays),” Gator coach Barry Gardner said . “You can’t do that against a good team. If it’s third and 12 or more, you have to get off the field.

“It doesn’t matter how good you are. If they convert on third and 12 it is bad because it gives them a boast and you have a let down. On third and long, you have to get off the field.”

Baker won the toss and elected to receive.

Starting on their own 42-yard line, the Gators moved the ball 53 yards to the Seahawk 5-yard line. South Walton kept Baker out of the end zone on a fourth down a seven from the Seahawk 8-yard line. Judah Morse took an inside handoff and made it to the 5-yard line ending the Baker drive.

The Gators ran 15 plays on the drive and took almost 10 minutes off the clock.

It didn’t take long for the Seahawks to show it wasn’t going to be a game where slow and steady won.

A false start penalty moved the ball back to the South Walton three. One play and 16 seconds later, Seahawk senior quarterback Carson Hawk had covered 97 yards around left end for a touchdown.

South Walton’s three touchdowns on third and long would come later, but the Gators had their first taste of the Seahawk firepower.

The first of the third and long South Walton touchdowns came less than a minute into the second quarter when Hawk connected with senior wide receiver Jaden Robinson from 32 yards out.

The Seahawks scored the touchdown on a third and 21 play.

Grant Joyner’s 15-yard touchdown with 3:34 left in the first half extended the South Walton lead to 21-0.

A touchdown pass from JD Brown to Cannon Page less than four minutes into the third quarter made the Seahawk lead 28-0.

With three minutes left in the third quarter, Brown hit Joyner with a 46-yard touchdown pass to close out the Seahawk scoring and start the running clock.

The Gators continued to battle. Connor Hamman capped a 9-play, 65-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. The score came with about 7:30 left in the game.

Hamman had three carries for 21 yards on the drive. The big run during the possession was Riley Renfro’s 23-yard scamper. Unfortunately for Renfro, he was forced to leave the game with leg cramps following the long run.

Along with the touchdown and being stopped at the South Walton five, the Gators had one other drive where they were moving the ball well before a lost fumble brought things to a halt.

As for how the first drive ended, Gardner took full responsibility.

“I messed up,” he said. “I should have called the speed sweep and I didn’t. I’ve got to do better.

The Gators finished the night with 185 yards of total offense, all on the ground.

Wyatt Straight led the Gators in rushing with 43 yards on 10 carries. Morse had 40 yards on 13 carries, Hamman 32 yards on five carries, Tyler McBride 27 yards on five carries, Layne Brewer 26 yards on six carries and Renfro 23 yards on two carries.

Baker had a number of players getting their first taste of varsity action in a real game and, at times, it showed.

“The kids played hard, which is good,” Gardner said. “But we have to fix alignment. We had 17 blown assignments as far as alignment goes, just from me watching it.

“We have to do better.”

“We just made too many mistakes,” Bulldogs coach Thomas Grant said. “We are too inconsistent on offense. We have to get first downs.

“We had a very bad spell in the second and third quarter when we couldn’t move the ball.

The first Bulldog play from scrimmage of the 2023 season was a dandy. Jaden Appleby took off an a 63-yard romp moving the football from the Crestview 16-yard line to the 21-yard line of the Raiders.

Three plays later, Bulldog quarterback Turtle Nocher hit Lazarius Parks with a 15-yard touchdown pass giving Crestview the early 7-0 lead following the extra point by Ethan Myers.

With 7:50 left in the second quarter, Appleby fielded a blocked Raider punt and took it in for a touchdown from about 40 yards out. With two minutes left in the half, a swarming Bulldog defense trapped Henry in the end zone for a safety.

Timely defense and special teams coupled with a couple of nice plays from the Bulldog offense had Crestview primed for the possible season-opening win.

Rickards’ star running back Kemarrion Battles had some nice runs in the first half, but the Bulldogs kept him out of the end zone.

Crestview’s relentless pressure on Henry seemed to leave the Raider quarterback confused as he twice was flagged for intentionally grounding.

The first two quarters might have belonged to Crestview, but the Raiders wasted no time changing the narrative of the game in the second half.

A 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the third quarter put the Raiders on the board for the first time.

Battles finally found pay dirt with 7:42 left in the third quarter as he scored from a yard out. Rickards made the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 15-15.

Things went from bad to worse for Crestview early in the fourth quarter. Nocher threw an interception that led to a Raider field goal. With 5:43 left in the fourth quarter, Rickards led for the first time in the game at 18-15.

Nocher quickly put the bad throw behind him as he led Crestview on a 71-yard touchdown drive. Having Parks to carry the ball and catch passes didn’t hurt.

Parks had a runs of seven and 17 yards as well as a catch good for 34 yard. Vili Tolutau had a 10-yard run as a change of pace.

Nocher hit Parks from nine yards out with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter and Patrick Rodgers scored the two-point conversion to put Crestview up 23-18.

As it turned out, the Bulldogs needed to take another five seconds off the clock in their final drive to keep Rickards out of the end zone as time ticked off.

The big plays from the Bulldogs offense were nice and included nice catches and runs by Rodgers, Karson Kolmetz, Zy Tasin and Braylon Phillips. What was lacking was the consistency Grant mentioned and an inability to sustain drives and take time off the clock.

Grant had no problem with the Bulldog defense.

“I thought the defense played a hell of a game,” he said. “They only gave up two touchdowns. The difference in the game was special teams tonight.”

If a player is on the Baker varsity they will probably see plenty of playing time on one, if not both sides of the ball.

For the last few seasons Baker relied on record-setting running back Kayleb Wagner to lead the way. Wagner is now at Southern Illinois. That doesn’t mean Gardner doesn’t have talent on his team, even if it isn’t at the standard set by Wagner.

Kase Armstrong saw plenty of time at quarterback last season sharing time his sophomore year with senior Colton Weekley. And just like last season, the Gators will split the quarterback duties with Armstrong sharing time with Judah Morse.

“You will see both of them (at quarterback),” Gardner said of Armstrong and Morse. “Judah plays a little DB (defensive back) as well. Those are our two quarterbacks for sure.

“Judah is a senior and has played varsity for a while. Last year he played DB and didn’t play much quarterback, but he got reps at practice. He’s going to play wing for us as well.”

Armstrong is the son of former Baker offensive coordinator Rob Armstrong, who retired at the end of the last school year.

Gardner said Kase Armstrong knows the offense and what plays to call and his strength is his consistency.

Kase is the younger brother of senior lineman Kurt Armstrong, who is one of the top college line prospects in the area. Gardner noted that Kase will never has the size of his brother, but he continues to grow and that will help him be better equipped to handle the contact associated with being a Wing-T quarterback.

Joining Kase Armstrong or Morse in the backfield will probably be Tyson McBride and Wyatt Straight. Jacob Beckworth and Riley Renfroe will also have a chance to carry the ball.

Straight and Beckworth can play wingback.

Joseph Blackshear will play tight end and Williams Lindros receiver.

The strength of the Gators will be up front on the offensive and defensive lines.

Kurt Armstrong is the biggest Baker linemen in recent years and will man one offensive tackle.

Kurt Armstrong will be joined up from by Dustin Clark, Leeroy Pierce.

“Those three are very good down blockers,” Gardner said. “They are very strong, especially Dustin Clark.”

Makani Abdon is just a sophomore, but he has year of starting on the varsity under his belt.

“Makani Abdon is a great player,” Gardner said. “He’s very strong.”

Beau Brackin, Maddox Smith and Logan Ward will see plenty of time on both sides of the line as well. Colin Kelly, a sophomore, has worked his way into the rotation too.

Don’t expect many changes when the Gators are on defense.

“The defensive line is basically the same as the offensive line,” Gardner said. “Kurt and Dustin have played the most snaps on defense.

“The same exact kids play the defensive line for us, we are just going to rotate them through to try and keep them fresh.”

Baker runs a basic 50 defense with a five-man front. At times the Gators will play with three linebackers and three players in the secondary. At other times, depending on the offense, they will use two linebackers and four defensive backs.

Straight, Lane Brewer and Maddox Smith will get the most time at linebacker. Connor Hamman, a senior, brings additional experience to the Gators at linebacker.

Moving to the secondary, Gardner started with a familiar name.

“Judah Morse is by far the person that has started the most games for us at DB,” the coach said. “He did very well for us in the spring.”

McBride, Straight and Renfroe and Hamman will see action in the secondary as well. Beckworth worked at cornerback in the spring and will help there.

Gardner’s biggest concern with his young defensive backs is how well they will adjust to the speed of the varsity game.

Morse will handle punting and kicking duties.

The faces change at Baker with players and coaches as well, but the goal is always the same.

“Our expectation is to be play at Thanksgiving,” Gardner said. “That never changes and that what we expect this year. That means you made it to the third round of the playoffs and you have a chance (for a state championship).”

The Bulldogs are coming off a 2022 season in which they finished with a 7-5 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Head coach Thomas Grant was in his first season last year and feels as if he is better prepared to lead a young, but talented team.

“I’m pleased with how we responded to adversity,” Grant said. “I want to continue to build the culture because coach (Tim) Hatten did a great job or I wouldn’t be in this position without him.

“We lost three games by a total of eight points in our first five games. It was good seeing the players stay together and to continue to listen to the coaches.”

It’s difficult to determine if the Bulldogs are rebuilding or reloading. Several key starters from 2022 are now playing college football, opening the door for a new crop to take the reins.

Nathaniel “Turtle” Nocher has been named the starting quarterback, replacing Jerome Brazan.

“Turtle is going to get the first opportunity (at quarterback),” Grant said. “In the practices, he’s looked really sharp. Zy Tassin is a freshman that will get some snaps back there. There are a couple other you Wildcat options with (Lazarius) Parks, (Jaden) Appleby and Vili (Tolutau).”

Parks will be the first option at running back with a pack of talented ball carriers ready to fill in when he needs a breath in the high-octane offense.

“The lead dog is Lazarius Parks,” Grant said. “He’s one of the few returners we have on offense. He’s looked very sharp with this fall camp, really explosive. After that, we have Jalen Appleby that would get some time back there.

“We have Vili to get some time back there,” Grant continued. “He’s really a change of pace to the other two at 230 pounds but he can still run. And then we got some younger guys like Patrick Rodgers that could get some you know top back there.”

When Rodgers isn’t at running back, he’ll be a part of talented corps of receivers led by Braylon Phillips and Karson Kolmetz. Appleby, who played receiver last season, will also see action catching the ball when not at running back.

Jace Green and Tolutau will be the sweeper/tight ends for the Bulldogs.

Michael Foley is the lone returner on the offensive line and will be at center. He’ll be joined by Isaiah Brooks at left tackle, Zach Contri at left guard, Peyton Simmons at right guard and Taurean Easter at right tackle.

Izel Burton and Andrew Russ will be the first guys backing up the line. There’s also a good chance that freshmen twins Chase and Chance Washington break into the rotation.

Grant said the line will have adequate size, but it won’t be as big this year as it has been the last few seasons.

Malcolm Haynes and Reece Killian will start at defensive end. Ethan Myers and Reid Fleming will be in the rotation at end as well. Jordan Stoudmire, Maddox Reeves and Julian Roper will play the interior defensive line.

Amir Kirkman, a junior, is a wildcard on the Bulldog line.

“Amir Kirkman is probably our third down specialist,” Grant said. “He gets better every day. He might have the best motor (energy level and intensity) in the entire country.  I’m really excited about him. He still needs to work out some kinks to play on early downs. But I would not be shocked if he has double-digit sacks.”

Keishawn Smith will be at inside linebacker along with Tolutau, Will Mowery and Elijah Boyd. Appleby will be joined by Max Anderson and Ruben Martinez.

Smith, who wears many hats on the Bulldog defense, will see action at safety and cornerback as needed. Sophomore Sean Johns has been the most consistent cornerback and will get a start there.

Gabriel Gottlieb and Manuel Robinson will join Johns in the secondary. Gottlieb, like Johns is a sophomore. Robinson is a freshman. Damien Dodson will also play in the secondary.

Nocher and Myers will probably be the Bulldog kickers.

The Bulldogs will again be in a tough district with Niceville, Mosley, Leon and Chiles. Winning the district is even more important with only one the district champion being guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. The at-large bids are determined by power rankings.

Grant isn’t counting anyone out of the district race.

“We have one of the toughest districts in the state of Florida,” he said. “Niceville and Mosley are going to be some be some of the best teams they area. Coach (Tyrone) McGriff at Leon is doing a great job of turning that program around and he brings a lot of energy to the to the program. It’s a district where anybody could be anybody on any given day. It’s going to come down to who is executing the game plan, who is not turning the ball over.”

South Walton is perhaps the largest school on the Baker schedule. The Seahawks will dress almost three times as many players as the Gators on Friday.

Baker coach Barry Gardner knows the South Walton will challenge his team with its depth and team speed.

The depth might be the biggest story though. Gardner has a plan to get his players as much rest as possible.

“We will rotate as much as we can until the fourth quarter,” he said.

Conditioning will be the key for the Gators if the game is close in the fourth quarter. Baker players, though fewer in number, are more accustomed to the inland heat and humidity of North Okaloosa than the Seahawks.

South Walton, located in Santa Rosa Beach, consistently gets a sea breeze that won’t be felt Friday night.

The Gators have reason to be optimistic after last week’s Kickoff Classic at Northview. Baker was able to control the ball against the Chiefs and limit the Northview offense to one big play.

Gardner said he was pleased with his team’s effort against a talented Northview team that was in the state championship game last year.

A similar showing against South Walton and a limited number of Baker mistakes such as fumbles and costly penalties, could lead to a Gator win. But even a perfect game by Baker doesn’t guarantee a win.

“Consistency is my biggest concern,” Gardner said. “We have to be locked into our alignment and assignments with some of our younger players.

“On offense, we have to stay on schedule (move the ball and control the clock) and take what they give us. Our defense has to tackle in space and can’t have any busted plays.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. but arrive early as the Bulldog football seniors will recognized in a ceremony before the game.

The Raiders are reining district champions in the Suburban Class 3, District 2. Bulldog coach Thomas Grant knows they will test his young team.

“They’re very, very fast, very athletic,” he said. “All of their guys look the part at each position. Their line looks like D line and linebackers look like linebackers and they can all run through the football.

“Their running back (Kemarrion Battles) is probably their most dynamic player on offense. We can’t let him get loose or he will take it the distance.”

Temperatures are expected to be in mid to upper 90s at game time. Grant knows the heat will make it difficult on both teams.

Thursday’s game will be the first time many Bulldogs have suited up in a varsity game. Grant is still trying to find the right combination of players for the different game situations.

“We need to have success in the running game which we did not get done against the Escambia (in the Kickoff Classic),” Grant said. “You have to give them all the credit in the world because they are really good up front.

“We are just trying to get some confidence up front (on the offensive line) to be able to better.”

Only seven Bulldogs players that participated in the Kickoff Classic had taken a varsity snap. A few veterans that sat out against Escambia will be in action against the Raiders.

Grant believes the team has talent, but sometimes the youth of the squad will present problems.

“We’re continuing to build the culture and to grow the culture here,” he said. “I feel like we are moving in the right direction even through this youth movement right now. There’s going to be highs and lows this year. We’re extremely young, but I think our guys are hungry.”

In one half of varsity action the Chiefs came out on top thanks to a long scoring pass late. The last score by the Chiefs didn’t dampen the optimism of Baker coach Barry Gardner.

“Offensively, we did OK,” he said. “We had a penalty on the first drive and a fumble on the second drive, but the effort was great and that’s always encouraging. We have some things we have to fix, and we will fix them but the kids played hard, and that’s what matters.

“We played hard. We have to get in a little better shape. We’ve missed some days outside because of the weather, but no excuses.”

To say the Gators controlled the ball to start the varsity portion of the game would be an understatement.

Baker’s offense held the ball the entire 12 minutes of the third quarter with Connor Hamman doing a large part of the work at running back. Hamman consistently pounded the ball inside picking up four, five, six and seven yards each run.

Jacob Beckworth ran hard on the drive when given the opportunity as well.

A holding penalty inside the Northview 10-yard line cost the Gators the chance to end the drive with a touchdown. Baker came away with points though as Judah Morse connected on a 29-yard field goal.

Northview scored the only varsity touchdown of the night late in the fourth quarter when Austin Dunsford hit Wyatt Scruggs with a 48-yard touchdown pass.

“We made two mistakes on defense,” Gardner said.  “Seventeen (Scruggs) has been playing forever. I feel like he has scored on us on that same play about four times in four years.

“He’s a good player. He’s a very good receiver, a very good route runner and we have to do a better on him.”

The Gator first-team running backs looked good behind the Baker offensive line.

Gardner mentioned Wyatt Straight, Riley Renfroe and Hamman for their good effort running the ball. Judah Morse also looked good with the ball in his hands in a limited number of carries.

“We don’t have Kayleb (Wagner the team’s record-setting running back who graduated) obviously, and we are going to miss Kayleb,” Gardner said. “But we have some kids that, I feel like as the season goes on and they get more reps under them, will be get more confidence in themselves.

“Once they get accustomed to the speed of the varsity game, they will be OK.”

The Gators now turn their attention to a talented Seahawk team and Gardner is ready.

“They do a great job over there,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.”