Niceville's ground game too much for South Sumter: 5 takeaways

Eagles' running back Connor Mathews led the way with over 200 yards rushing

RB Connor Mathews escapes a tackle on the sideline during the Niceville South Sumter football game at Niceville. / Michael Snyder / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Niceville's season ended last year at the hands of Bartram Trail, it looked like another woulda, coulda, shoulda type year for the Eagles.

Now with the team reloaded, especially in the backfield, Niceville now has its sights set on becoming a serious Class 5A state championship contender.

On Friday night, they validated those thoughts as the Eagles edged out South Sumter 35-28 at Eagle Stadium.

Down below are 5 takeaways from the game:

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Niceville's Connor Mathews is a problem for opposing defenses

When running backs Connor Mathews and Eddie Love Jr. (East Carolina commitment) both transferred in over the off-season, it made a statement that the Eagles won't be going anywhere when it comes to top programs in the Florida Panhandle region.

Mathews, a Massachusetts commitment, had himself a huge first game as a Eagle, rushing for 233 yards and scored two touchdowns.

With Love Jr. also in the fold at Niceville along with a slew of other athletes, the Eagles have one of their most talented offensive units since 2020.

Question now is will Mathews break 2,000 yards by season's end at the rate he's going at?

South Sumter travels out of its comfort zone and plays well

Getting uncomfortable to become comfortable is what South Sumter wanted to get out of this Week 1 matchup with Niceville.

They had heard all about the crazy crowd atmosphere at Niceville and that turned out to South Sumter wanting to challenge themselves against a quality opponent just over five hours away.

The Raiders have a nice, small town game vibes at the friendly confines of home, but a game like this can only help you down the road in the postseason. South Sumter's expectations are they'll be playing deep into November.

The Eagles are a legit contender in Class 5A

The proof is in the proverbial pudding.

Coming off the disappoint of the last couple of seasons, Niceville head coach Grant Thompson has been trying to recreate what the Eagles did in 2020 and that was reaching the Class 7A state semifinals.

Now playing in Class 5A, the Eagles are reloaded with talent all over the field. Quarterback Kane Lafortune leads an offense that features a two-headed monster at running back.

With a solid defense behind them, the Eagles are making it be known that they will be a serious contender for the 5A crown.

Don't let this loss make you think any differently of the Raiders

Just because South Sumter lost on Friday night, doesn't mean that the Raiders are not still a team to keep a close eye on when it comes to Class 3A.

South Sumter Ty Lawrence knows he has one of his best teams in recent memory and thus created a tough 2024 schedule along with that. Scheduling teams like Bradford, Hawthorne and Niceville was all part of the plan for South Sumter.

This might not be the only loss of the season for the Raiders, but expectations are to face a tough egular seasn slate in order to be prepared for November and December in meaningful playoff games.

Can we get more of these matchups, please?

Being all the way in the Florida Panhandle makes for a difficult road trip for any team looking to play the Niceville Eagles.

This was a nice treat, though, for whomever made the trip from Bushnell to Niceville on Friday night, making for an exciting high school football game.

It's of course just wishful thinking, but seeing region powers take each other on is good for Florida high school football. A game like this proves that and it ended up being one the better ones in Week 1.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl