When the Milton High Panthers step on the field on Aug. 22 against the Crestview Bulldogs, it will have been 658 days without picking up a win.

But with renewed optimism in the halls, led by a new head coach, Ronnie Douglas, the expectations for Milton High may not be vying for a district title, but winning close games and not being known as an “easy win” on anyone’s schedule.

New Year, New Coach

After three years as head coach and going 6-24, former head coach Kelly Gillis is out at Milton High. In 2025, enter Ronnie Douglas, a former head coach at Tate High and Pine Forest High.

It’s fair to say that wherever he went, Douglas has taken programs from obscurity and turned them into regional contenders.

Before Douglas took over at Tate High, the 2012 campaign was abysmal for the Tate Aggies, going 1-8. The following year, the Aggies went 8-3 and took a trip to the playoffs, losing by two points to Lincoln in the 7A regional quarterfinals.

The 2014 season concluded with another trip to the playoffs, reaching the 7A regional semifinals, and losing to Niceville 34-0.

After stepping away from coaching following that year, Dogulas returned to the sidelines in 2020, taking over a perennial playoff contender with Pine Forest High in Pensacola.

In three seasons with Pine Forest, Douglas went 28-8 and led the team to the 6A football championship game, coming up short to Jesuit in a 35-29 loss.

In a news release from Milton High School late last year, the school praised Douglas for his wealth of experience and noted his ability to turn a fledgling program into a powerhouse.

“His strategic vision, dedication to player development, and commitment to building winning cultures make him an exceptional choice for Milton High School,” said officials in a news release. “With a focus on strong fundamentals, teamwork, and community engagement, Coach Douglas is set to inspire both players and fans alike. We are excited to welcome Coach Ronnie Douglas to the Panther family.

Offensive Preview

Leading the Milton Panthers at quarterback will be junior Cade Pierce, who took over after Tate Williams, who graduated last year, went down with a season-ending injury.

In a six-game stretch to end the year, Pierce completed 47% of his passes on 86 attempts, throwing for 631 yards and having five touchdown passes, along with four interceptions, according to MaxPreps.

Protecting the junior quarterback are three standout offensive linemen — Senior Bryce Baxley and Juniors Beau Browder and Jaxon Strickland.

Among the weapons that will cause opposing teams headaches in the 2025 campaign is Kaiden Hall, a four-star Florida commit and senior. As a two-way player, Hall missed a good portion of the 2024 season due to injury.

In seven games played, Hall caught eight passes for 80 yards, along with 161 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns.

Adding to the Panthers’ offensive unit is three-star wide receiver and Southern Miss commit, David Aboya. In 2024, Aboya was Milton’s second leading receiver, having recorded 23 catches totaling 376 yards and two touchdowns.

Bolstering the offensive line and helping the Milton receiving corps is senior tight end Brandan Farish. Standing at 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds, Farish was the fourth-leading receiver for the Panthers, hauling in 12 catches for 122 yards.

On special teams, junior Boone Sanborn will hold the kicking duties for the Panthers in 2025. Last year, Sanborn went 9-for-12 on extra points, while going 1-for-4 on field goals, with the longest being 32 yards.

Defensive Preview

For a Milton defense that gave up an average of 30 points a game, a lot of questions surround the Panthers in 2025.

A few questions that have already been answered are who the players to watch out for are in 2025.

We start with two-way player Kaiden Hall, who not only showed flashes of prominence on offense but was the defensive standout in the Panthers’ secondary in 2024 with 32 tackles.

Joining Hall again in the secondary is senior RJ Coleman, who recorded 22 tackles in 2024, along with a tackle for loss and the only interception on the Panthers’ defense last year. Coleman is also expected to have snaps on offense in 2025.

Moving on to the linebacking corps, the Panthers’ field general and leading tackler in 2024 is senior Aiden Spratt, who had 77 tackles and seven tackles for loss.

Also returning in 2025 is the Panthers’ second-leading tackler, Lorenzo Davis. Jr.

Anchoring the defensive line is senior I-Ryn Fleming, who in 2024 recorded 36 tackles, with four of those being for a loss. He also recorded one sack, caused and recovered one fumble.

2025 Schedule

The 2025 schedule remains unchanged from the previous year, with the only change being the venues for the games.

The schedule opens for 2025 with a home opener as the Panthers host Crestview on Aug. 22.

Milton then goes on the road for its next two games, traveling to Pensacola High on Aug. 29 and Booker T. Washington on Sept. 4.

Milton has a pair of home games in September, with battles with Tate on Sept. 12 and the Navarre Raiders on Sept. 19.

Milton will begin district play on Sept. 26, with a trip to Mosley, while hosting division rival Gulf Breeze after a late bye week on Oct. 9.

Milton hosts its last home game against West Florida Tech on Oct. 17, followed by a pair of away games, starting with Niceville on Oct. 24, and concluding the year with a rivalry game against Pace on Halloween.

Collin Bestor is a reporter for Mid Bay News and a Milton High alumnus. He can be reached at collin@midbaynews.com