Superpowers Niceville, Dwyer to meet for 4A state title (VIDEO)

NICEVILLE — This is it.

Going as far back as summer workouts in early June, football teams throughout the state — from Armwood to Mainland to Okeechobee to Wolfson — have long had this day circled on their calendar. For each of the state’s 71 Class 4A football programs, today’s 4A state final at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl is the pinnacle, the summit, the end-all be-all of the sport they have spent each and every day since June toiling away at in hopes of reaching.

But only two could make it. For top-ranked Niceville (13-0) and No. 2 Dwyer (13-1) of Palm Beach Gardens, that climb is complete. But only one winner can be declared.

“Before, it was all about putting yourself in position to play for (a state title),” Niceville coach John Hicks said. “Now, you’re there.”

Kickoff for today’s state championship is set for noon central.

Both teams come in riding 13-game winning streaks and each has shown a propensity for the big play in averaging an identical 44.7 points per game this season. But in a game that appears to be so evenly matched, it’s the little things that could spell the difference between going home a state champion or wondering what could have been.

Today’s contest not only matches the state’s very best in 4A, but, according to Rivals.com, pits two of the premier teams in the country against one another as the latest Rivals 100 listing tabs Niceville as the No. 12 team in the nation and Dwyer No. 17. The national site tabs today’s game as being perhaps “the best game in the country” this week.

On the surface, the Eagles’ top priority would seem to be finding a way to hem in Dwyer running back/safety Matt Elam, Florida’s Gatorade Player of the Year, who has gashed opposing defenses for over 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns as a first-year running back.

But beyond Elam, there are a horde of other players worthy of special attention, from fellow University of Florida verbal commits Gerald Christian (tight end/defensive end) and Robert Clark (receiver/cornerback) to defensive tackle Mike Fleurizard, it’s a Panthers team loaded with potential pitfalls for the Eagles.

“The problem with them is it’s not one guy,” Hicks said of scouting Dwyer. “They have 15 guys that will be recruited by Division-I schools. You just have to play very, very well.”

Still, for a Niceville team that has won big and won close, there was a sense of unfinished business permeating throughout the Eagles’ locker room as they readied for the game. No longer is simply playing for a state title good enough. Now, the only satisfaction would come in winning one.

“It would mean everything,” senior running back Roy Finch said. “We’ve worked so hard. People don’t understand how hard we work in the summer, waking up those hot summers and lifting and coming out and doing sled work. It was tough but we’ve come together as a team. To complete the season would be phenomenal.”