In the Destin Sharks’ fourth season as a program, they will have something more to compete for. After going through a long and grinding process, head coach EG Green’s team will now compete as an FHSAA-sanctioned team for the first time.

The Sharks applied for admittance into the FHSAA after a stellar second season but were denied. Now, at the second time of asking, Destin football has found its home in FHSAA’s 1A classification.

On top of their FHSAA runaround, the Sharks had an eventful summer in terms of personnel. One of the biggest questions was whether they would be able to retain head coach EG Green after he was offered the head job at his alma mater, Fort Walton Beach. Green turned down the Vikings and will lead the Sharks yet again into another season

The Outlook on Offense

A key player returns for the Sharks in Hampton Woodham. The rising senior started eight of nine games last season at the quarterback position and brings experience to the Destin offense. Woodham totaled 697 yards across 75 completions for five touchdowns in the 2024 season.

With eight interceptions a year ago, the second-year starter will hope to improve his ball security heading into the new season. Working with quarterbacks coach Josh Woodham this offseason has led to a stellar summer that the veteran field general will hope bleeds into the regular season.

The man who received the bulk of the carries last season, Will Bruckner, has graduated from Destin, leaving the starting spot up for grabs. A strong candidate is all-around athlete, Junior Harris. Harris had the second-most touches among backs a season ago with 44. The rising senior rushed for 222 yards on those carries and scored once.

Other than Harris and the occasional quarterback rush from Woodham, no returning Destin running back had over 15 yards rushing. With Harris slated to play elsewhere on the field as well, it will be interesting to see who steps up and gets a substantial amount of carries to take the load off of the talented multi-position athlete.

In terms of returning receivers, Destin has less production coming back than what they likely desired. After various transfers and graduations, no one with over 100 yards receiving will return to EG Green’s offense this season. Charlie Frankfurt and Shadaine Hibbert are set to feature as the main receivers, with the duo accounting for 150 yards in 2024. Roger Harris Jr, class of 2028, also appears to be an athlete who has made a step up this summer and could help his quarterback tremendously.

A Summer of Coming and Going

While the Sharks were able to retain Coach Green, they were not as lucky in other areas. The Sharks dealt with a brutal offseason saga as the scope of transfers in high school football continues to change.

To begin the summer, the Sharks were on the right side of incoming transfers. They were slated to add star power at multiple positions, including receiver, safety and defensive back. 

Wisconsin receiver commit Zion Legree announced he would be moving from Niceville to Destin with teammate Brody Brechtel. From Choctaw, the Reese brothers, Amir and Alante, also began the summer at Destin.

Not long after, all four found themselves at Choctawhatchee High School on Frank Beasley’s roster. Outgoings like this are certainly rare and extremely unlucky for a team set to compete as an FHSAA-sanctioned team for the first time.

To make matters worse, the Sharks’ top receiver has also left the program. Nick Latson, who started eight games and hauled in 381 receiving yards last season, will also be playing his football for the Indians in 2025.

The Outlook on Defense

The Sharks’ defense will look fairly similar heading into 2025. Their top two tacklers return for the senior years in Junior Harris and Julian Farrow. The pairing had 98 of Destin’s 373 total tackles last year, as well as 15 tackles for a loss.

Rising freshman Josiah Whitfield is another defensive piece who could see a lot more production in 2025. In his seven games played last season, the freshman had 16 total tackles and a sack. 

Shadaine Hibbert, a true two-way player, was a solid corner in 2024. Bringing in four interceptions and two fumble recoveries to go along with his 27 tackles, returning a player of his caliber and versatility should prove to be crucial for Green and company.

A ton of players contributed to the defensive statsheet for the Sharks in their last campaign, as 19 returners had a tackle. With lots of production on a small scale, the battle to see who takes hold of each starting position will be one to keep an eye on.

The Schedule

With Destin’s schedule already in place before the news of their FHSAA approval, they will not face their new district foes, Maclay, North Florida Christian and Florida A&M DRS.

They will open at home against Northview in Week 1 before hosting small-school powerhouse Baker in Week 3. Amid four consecutive road matchups, the Sharks will have to take on Pensacola Catholic in Pensacola. That matchup is sure to be a good measuring stick for Destin’s progression as a program. After two more away contests, the final stretch includes games against Booker T. Washington and Port St. Joe.

After a tough summer in terms of losing personnel and production, Destin High School will have to regroup quickly as it looks to make the playoffs in its first opportunity to do so.