Niceville's Finch, Williams have terrorized playoff opponents

NICEVILLE — As far as high school football in the state of Florida is concerned, the month of December is reserved for invitation only.

Starting with the 192 teams that qualify for the postseason, the guest list is narrowed down to a final 16 that will play for the right to call themselves a state champion. And while each team comes from a different backdrop, each brings with it its own identity, a calling card of sorts that has helped it stamp its mark on the football landscape.

For Niceville (13-0), which enters Saturday’s Class 4A final against Dwyer (13-1) in search of its first state title since 1988, that calling card has long been the big-play capability of one of the state’s most feared one-two punches in running back Roy Finch and receiver Kody Williams.

“They have two guys that make you not sleep very well in No. 3 (Williams) and No. 24 (Finch),” Dwyer coach Jack Daniels said. “They’re going to hit their plays, you just have to try to limit the big plays.”

Just last week, Orlando Edgewater coach Bill Gierke uttered similar words when asked about the challenge in slowing down the Eagles’ one-two punch. And while Williams only had two catches, he made them count with two touchdowns. The first came on the fourth snap from scrimmage and saw Williams burn past the Edgewater defense for a 70-yard scamper. It was as if everyone else on the field was trudging through a field of molasses.

Finch, while held without his trademark run of 50 yards or more, finished the night with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

“They’re guys that can make plays versus really good players,” Niceville coach John Hicks said. “That’s hard to find the further you get into the playoffs.”

In four playoff games, Finch has run for 104 yards, 187, 205 and 137 while scoring at least one touchdown in every game and scoring two or more times in three games. Williams has piled up 464 yards and seven touchdowns on 14 catches in that same span.

“They’re just big-time players and they make key plays,” junior quarterback Kyle McDorman said. “They’re leaders on this team and that’s what they do; they’re supposed to step up and they have.”

In a season in which both have eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier by which all great players are judged, Finch (1,506 yards rushing, 26 touchdown runs) and Williams (1,032 yards receiving, 19 touchdown catches) have used the postseason to further entrench their places in Eagles’ lore once their days at Niceville end.

But what will end Saturday at the Citrus Bowl began in earnest last summer, where the two rising seniors made a pact to push each other to another level. According to Hicks, Williams has made huge strides in his downfield blocking in the running game while Finch, initially viewed as a scat back best utilized on the perimeter and on 10 to 15 carries, has taken it upon himself to become a more physical runner capable of carrying the load should his name be called 25 or 30 times in a game.

“We knew this was our last year,” Finch said. “We knew we had an opportunity to be good — we didn’t know how good we could be — but we just knew we had an opportunity and we wanted to bring out the best in our teammates and ourselves.”

Williams credited Finch’s unquenchable desire for having an affect on his own play this season.

“He’s a great football player but his thing is, he throws his heart into what he does on the field,” Williams said. “I haven’t played with anybody like him, ever. I think I probably never will (again). It’s just that strong.”

That mutual respect for the other on the field has carried off it as well.

“He’s the best receiver I’ve ever been around and the best teammate I’ve ever been around,” Finch said of Williams. “He does a great job of going up and getting the ball. He’s a smart player. He’s not just a receiver that goes out and plays, he understands the game.”

Together, the two have helped Niceville to a 22-2 composite record over the past two seasons and have led the Eagles to the cusp of the program’s first title in 21 years.

Playoff Punishers

Roy Finch

                         Rushes    Yards      TD

Pace                   15           104       2

FWB                     6           187        3

Lincoln                  25         205        1

Edgewater             27         137         2

Playoff totals       73         633          8

Kody Williams

                           Rec.         Yards       TD

Pace                      3             141        2

FWB                       2             28          1

Lincoln                   7             204         2

Edgewater              2             91           2

Playoff totals         14           464          7