July 29 marks the first day of high school fall practice, which of course means one thing: Football is back.
A lot has happened since Choctaw's region finals departure capped the 2023 season.
For starters, the FHSAA abandoned the suburban/metro framework and condensed the fight to seven classes plus one rural class.
Signings (Cole Tabb to Stanford, Maddax Fayard to Navy and more) followed in the winter, and come spring in flew the commitments (Eddie Love to East Carolina, Connor Mathews to UMass, Dante Core to Auburn and more).
Then summer came the transfers (Mathews and Love to Niceville, Core and the Reese brothers to Choctaw and more). All the while, Jay Walls left Navarre and was replaced by the Garrett Bagley, the face of the Raiders' weightlifting dynasty, and Matt Brunson, the man who ended the area's state title drought with a Gators state title run in 2020, returned to Baker.
And let's not forget, high school players now own their name, image and likeness and can profit from it.
But comings and goings and NIL aside, a path has been laid forth for each team. Some a path of eventual riches, some rags. With Aug. 23 approaching quickly, here is the 2024 schedule for the Fort Walton Beach area's 11 football teams.
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Baker (1R)
2023 record: 3-6, missed playoffs
Head coach: Matt Brunson
Aug. 23: vs. FAMU, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: vs. Destin, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. Central, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: @ Jay, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: vs. North Bay Haven, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27: vs. Houston County, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: @ Northview, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11: @ Zion Chapel (Alabama), 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: @ Freeport, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Vernon, 7 p.m.
Choctaw (District 2-4A)
2023 record: 10-3, Elite 8 appearance
Head coach: Frank Beasley
Aug. 23: @ Gulf Shores (Alabama), 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: @ Navarre, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. Crestview, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: at Pine Forest, 7 p.m.
Sept 20: vs. Niceville, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: vs. Arnold, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: vs. South Walton, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 10: @ Rickards, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: vs. Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: @ Enterprise (Alabama), TBA
*District games
Crestview (District 1-6A)
2023 record: 4-6, missed playoffs
Head coach: Thomas Grant
Aug. 23: vs. Milton, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: vs. Walton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: at Choctawhatchee, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: vs. Niceville, 7 p.m.
*Sept: 27: vs. Pace, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: vs. Pine Forest, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: @ Navarre, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18: @ Escambia, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: @ Tate, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: @ Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
*District games
Destin (Independent)
2023 record: 7-3, weren't playoff eligible
Head coach: E.G. Green
Aug. 23: @ Northview, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: @ Baker, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. North Bay Haven, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: vs. Pensacola, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: vs. Port St. Joe, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27: vs. Opp (Alabama), 7 p.m
Oct. 4: vs. Bozeman, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: vs. Chipley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25: @ Booker T. Washington, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: @ Carrollwood Day, 6 p.m.
Freeport (District 1-2A)
2023 record: 3-7, missed playoffs
Head coach: Shaun Arntz
Aug. 23: @ North Bay Haven, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: @ Jay, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. Northview, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: @ Cottondale, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: vs. Vernon, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: @ Pensacola Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
*Oct. 11: vs. South Walton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: vs. Baker, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: @ Walton, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Liberty County, 7 p.m.
*District games
Fort Walton Beach (District 2-4A)
2023 record: 5-5, missed playoffs
Head coach: Bobby Clayton
Aug. 23: vs. Tate, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: vs. South Walton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: @ West Florida, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12: @ Booker T. Washington, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19: vs. Leon, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: vs. Rickards, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: @ Arnold, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: vs. Godby, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: @ Choctaw, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Crestview, 7 p.m.
Navarre (District 1-6A)
2023 record: 7-4, lost in first round of playoffs
Head coach: Garrett Bagley
Aug. 23: @ Pensacola Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30: vs. Choctawhatchee, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12: @ Mosley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: vs. Milton, 7:30 p.m.
*Sept. 27: @ Tate, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: @ Escambia, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: vs. Crestview, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18: @ Gulf Breeze, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: vs. Pace, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Niceville, 7:30 p.m.
*District games
Niceville (District 1-5A)
2023 record: 9-3, lost in Sweet 16
Head coach: Grant Thompson
Aug. 23: vs. South Sumter, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: vs. Escambia, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. Pine Forest, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: @ Crestview, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: @ Choctawhatchee, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: vs. Gulf Breeze, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: @ Mosley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: vs. Lincoln, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: @ Milton, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1: @ Navarre, 7:30 p.m.
*District games
South Walton (District 1-2A)
2023 record: 6-5, lost in first round of playoffs
Head coach: Phil Tisa
Aug. 23: @ Gulf Breeze, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: @ Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: @ Arnold, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20: vs. FSU, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: @ Walton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: @ Choctawhatchee, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: @ Freeport, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: @ Wakulla, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: vs. Pensacola Catholic, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Marianna, 7 p.m.
*District games
Walton (District 1-2A)
2023 record: 11-1, lost in Sweet 16
Head coach: Keith White
Aug. 23: @ Arnold, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30: @ Crestview, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: @ Holmes County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: vs. West Florida, 7 p.m.
*Sept. 27: vs. South Walton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: vs. North Bay Haven, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 11: @ Pensacola Catholic, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: vs. Bay, 7 p.m.
*Oct. 25: vs. Freeport, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: vs. Blountstown, 7 p.m.
*District games
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Florida High School Football: Fort Walton Beach-area schedules
