Dwyer And Niceville Title Preview

     The Dwyer Panthers will attempt to win their second state title on Friday night at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando as they face the Niceville Eagles in the FHSAA Class 7A championship. The Panthers had won a Class 4A state title back in 2009 over Niceville 42-14 with current Florida State University tight end Nick O'Leary and Baltimore Ravens defensive back Matt Elam.
     Dwyer(14-0) is undefeated with their best record in school history and scored at least 30 points in every game this season. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 587-127 overall this year. They hosted their first three playoff games in which they pounded Boyd Anderson 35-8 in the regional quarterfinal, routed Blanche Ely 49-7 in the regional semifinal and ousted the defending Class 7A champion St. Thomas Aquinas 35-28 in the regional final. Dwyer played their closest game of the year as they went on the road for a state semifinal and stopped East Lake 31-24 in overtime.
     Quarterback Daniel Parr leads the way for the Panthers as their quarterback. Expect most of the carries to be made by running back Alonso Smith along with Gearld Hearns and Cornelius Smith to be used in short-yardage situations. The talent in the wide receiver core is deep with Johnnie Dixon, Ezra Saffold, Clint Stephens, Shawun Lurry, Eddie Giles and Nick Martinsen.
     Niceville(13-1) rides a five-game winning streak into this game and have scored at least 26 points in every victory this season. The playoff schedule has been in their favor as they have hosted every postseason game. They routed Leon 62-14 in a regional quarterfinal, defeated Lincoln 38-17 in the regional semifinal, handled Fletcher 38-17 in the regional final and squeezed by Osceola 31-30 in the state semifinal.
     The Eagles, who have not traveled outside of the their home field for the past month, has to make a long trip from the Florida Panhandle. Quarterback Ashton Hooker looks to execute their offense through the option. Running backs Tayjon Culley and Shi'Kim Coward will attempt to rush beyond the line of scrimmage. Tyre McCants is their lone threat at wide receiver for the team.