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Mid Bay News ranks the top ten football games from the 2025 season

In Brief:

  • 🏈 Multiple games were decided by overtime, fourth-down stops, or final-play heroics

  • 🔥 Comebacks and momentum swings defined playoff paths for Choctaw, Crestview, Milton, and Rocky Bayou

  • 🏆 Rocky Bayou Christian capped its run with a state championship, while Choctaw and Niceville endured postseason heartbreak

 

So ever since I came to Mid Bay News in June, I have had the pleasure of covering high school sports in my professional career. 

Over the course of 15 weeks, Christopher Saul has sent me to 16 games. I did two in one night, I visited the Eagles Nest for the first time in my life; and I got to say, I was not disappointed. (There was a reason Niceville won best home atmosphere in the Emerald Coast Elite awards.)

Over the course of the season, we saw upsets, comeback victories and goal-line stands almost every week. Which got us thinking as what games were the best of the best during the 2025 season?

Well, we here at MBN decided to rank our top ten games in a list that may or may not be controversial. 

10. Cottondale @ Freeport

  • A week four matchup that looked more like a basketball game than a football game, our list begins with Cottondale’s visit to Freeport. In the beginning, Cottondale jumped out to a 16-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. As the second quarter began, the scoreboard operator was put to work as each team put up 30 points. Freeport would end the game outscoring the Hornets 21-14, with the Bulldog offense scoring 10 touchdowns. Freeport QB Carter Nunes would end the day completing 58% of his throws for 222 yards and five touchdown passes, while RB Dylan Louthain and Talen McElya would combine for 28 carries, 202 yards and three scores. Nunes also had 80 yards on the ground, with two scores. For Freeport, this win would mark the beginning of a four-game losing skid, ending the season on a 1-5 run. Freeport would end the season 5-5 and go on to the 2A-Region 1 playoffs, yet lose to in-county rival South Walton 42-3.

9. Rocky Bayou @ Glades Day

  • After beating Lighthouse PCA for the first time in school history, the Rocky Bayou Christian Knights punched their ticket to South Florida to visit Glades Day in the SSAA 2A State Championship game on November 15. Both schools seemed evenly matched, as throughout the first two quarters each team would answer the other’s score. However, a missed extra point by Rocky Bayou in the 1st forced the Knights to attempt a two-point conversion in the second. From there, while holding Glades Day scoreless in the third quarter, Rocky Bayou jumped to a seven-point lead entering the fourth. However, Glades Day tied the game late, forcing Rocky Bayou kicker Justus Rossell to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired, giving Rocky Bayou the win and the championship.

8. Niceville @ Ponte Vedra

  • Niceville’s season ended in another overtime heartbreaker to Ponte Vedra, falling 28-27 in the Region 1-5A semifinal. A year after surviving the Sharks in OT, the eighth-seeded Eagles nearly pulled off a repeat comeback despite losing quarterback Deagan McCoy to injury. Backup Thomas Radliff threw three touchdowns, including an 80-yard strike to b to force overtime and a fourth-down TD to Justus Donahoo in OT, but the potential game-tying extra point was blocked. Oliver scored three times, including a 50-yarder that opened the game, but Niceville’s three turnovers helped top-seeded Ponte Vedra build a 17-7 second-half lead. After Niceville tied it at 17 on a field goal, a long Ponte Vedra kickoff return set up a go-ahead score. In overtime, the Sharks converted on fourth-and-goal and kicked the decisive PAT to take the win. Niceville finished 6-5 in coach Richard Morgan‘s first season.

7. Enterprise @ Choctaw

  • For Choctaw, a week eleven matchup was simple: win and earn the #1 seed in the 4A-Region 1 Bracket and finish the season 10-0. But Enterprise, a physical 7A Alabama team hardened by one of the state’s toughest regions, turned the night into a test of resilience. For the first time all year, the Big Green were pushed into real adversity. The game itself delivered the tension to match the stakes. Choctaw moved the ball but repeatedly stalled in the red zone, settling for three Kyler Galkowski field goals while missing key weapons, including touchdown leader Dante Whidbee and sack leader Mario Alloway. Enterprise capitalized behind quarterback Mason Burkhardt, who ran for all three of the Wildcats’ touchdowns, including the game-winner from a yard out with 1.2 seconds left. The loss would end Chotaw’s bid for a perfect season and give Big Green the #2 seed in the 4A-Region 1 bracket.

6. Choctaw @ St. Augustine

  • For Choctaw, it was a game that many looked forward to all year. A rematch with the vaunted St. Augustine Yellow Jackets and a chance to claim the Class 4A Region 1 title, punching a ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2014. But St. Augustine turned the night into a test of grit and resilience. Down 28-17 in the second half, the Indians faced another bout of adversity in the postseason and had to respond under pressure. The game delivered drama every possession. Choctaw answered St. Augustine’s big plays, including a 75-yard touchdown run, with drives led by Tamen Zabetakis, who connected with Zion Legree, DJ Spence, and Carter Marracco. RB Von’Tavious Keller provided critical yardage on the ground, while Ellis Alloway and Jordan Figueroa forced key turnovers that kept the Indians within striking distance. In the end, Choctaw’s offense carried the day. A late 48-yard touchdown pass from Zabetakis to Marracco, followed by a creative fourth-and-inches trick play, allowed the Indians to take the lead and run out the clock. With the 31-28 win, Choctaw secured the Region 1 crown and a home matchup against defending state champion American Heritage, whom they lost to 31-14 on December 5.

5. Crestview @ Milton

  • For Milton, their opening week one matchup was about breaking a year-long losing streak and proving the Panthers could compete under new head coach Ronnie Douglas. Crestview gained early momentum and a 58-yard opening touchdown run from quarterback Zy Tassin, turning the game into a physical, back-and-forth battle. Milton’s defense and ground game kept them in it, but the team needed late heroics to force overtime and finally snap their skid. The game’s tension peaked in the final minutes of regulation. Athlete Kaiden Hall, a four-star Florida commit, orchestrated an 89-yard drive, highlighted by a 28-yard third-down throw to Ezra Jones that set up the Panthers in the red zone. Senior linebacker Aiden Spratt, playing both ways, punched in the game-tying touchdown with 27 seconds left, sending the game into overtime. Once there, Milton struck first with a 10-yard touchdown run by Kyle Paul, and Crestview’s attempt at a two-point conversion to win the game came up short, sealing a dramatic 20-19 win. The victory showcased Milton’s new veer-option offense, which accounted for 192 rushing yards on 45 carries, with Hall contributing 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground, along with 66 passing yards. Milton would go on to start the season 5-0 and finish 7-4, with a first-round playoff loss to Beachside. A stark turnaround for a team that finished 0-10 in 2024.

4.  Mosley @ Niceville

  • In a rematch of a classic one year ago, the 2025 game will probably be remembered as another all-time classic, as Niceville fell at home in OT to Mosley 42-36. Mosley won the game when running back Sammy Chisolm scored on a 10-yard run on the Dolphins’ first possession of overtime. The defense followed with a fourth-down stop to end the game and spark a celebration on the visiting sideline. However, Niceville struck first that night as DB Jayden Tercero intercepted quarterback JP Holsombake and returned it for a touchdown. Holsombake answered quickly, connecting with Ga’Marcus Halstead on a 30-yard scoring pass to tie the game. Tercero intercepted Holsombake again in the second quarter, setting up Jakobe Gilyard’s 1-yard touchdown run and a 13-6 Eagles lead. Mosley responded with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Holsombake to Carson Griffin and took control before halftime. Kicker Maverick Wright converted field goals of 21, 28 and 23 yards, and Chisolm added a 3-yard touchdown run as the Dolphins built a 29-13 halftime advantage. Niceville mounted a second-half comeback behind Gilyard and quarterback Deagan McCoy. Gilyard turned a short catch into an 80-yard touchdown, and McCoy found Teray Geiger for a 25-yard score to cut the deficit to 29-27 entering the fourth quarter. Holsombake added a 30-yard touchdown pass to Adam Land, but McCoy answered with a scoring strike to Robert Oliver. Niceville forced overtime on a 37-yard field goal as time expired. Mosley’s defense, led by a sack from Will Arboleda and multiple pass breakups, held in overtime to preserve the victory and clinch another district title.

3. Crestview @ Niceville

  • Crestview erased a 21-point deficit to defeat Niceville 32-28 at Eagle Stadium, which was led by Crestview QB Zy Tassin, who finished with 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The senior quarterback scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 33-yard keeper on fourth-and-1 with 9:55 remaining, giving Crestview its first lead after trailing 28-7. Niceville scored 28 points in the first 15 minutes behind two Jakobe Gilyard rushing touchdowns and touchdown passes from Deagan McCoy to Max Roche. The Eagles were held scoreless the rest of the way. Crestview’s rally gained momentum early in the second half when RB Manwell Robinson opened the third quarter with a 56-yard touchdown run. RB Che’Shon Cobb added a leaping touchdown on fourth-and-goal to cut the deficit to 28-26. Special teams played a key role, as Trey Hardman recovered back-to-back onside kicks that directly led to 10 points. Hardman also kicked field goals of 27 and 28 yards and extended a drive with a fourth-down scramble late in the game. The Bulldogs sealed the win in the final minutes when Gabriel Gottlieb strip-sacked McCoy, forcing a fumble that Dakota Johnson recovered. Crestview ran out the clock four plays later. Crestview rushed for 324 yards and four touchdowns, with Jayzion McQueen adding 90 yards on six carries. The Bulldogs picked up their first win of the season that night and would go on to finish 6-4 after an opening-round playoff loss to Mandarin.

2. Columbia @ Choctaw

  •  Choctawhatchee scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to defeat Columbia 27-20 in the Region 1-4A semifinal, earning the Big Green a fourth consecutive trip to the region championship game. Choctaw trailed 20-7 late in the third quarter before Jaylen Brazan blocked a punt near the goal line. Jordan Figueroa recovered the loose ball for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 20-13 and swinging momentum. The Big Green defense followed with a stop, setting up a 90-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tamen Zabetakis to Carter Marracco to tie the game at 20 with 5:18 remaining. Marracco and Zion Legree combined for 71 yards on the drive. Amir Reese sealed the win minutes later with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown, his second pick-six of the postseason, giving Choctaw a 27-20 lead with four minutes left. The defense preserved the victory with a goal-line stand in the final moments, stopping Columbia on fourth down at the 2-yard line. 
  1. Rocky Bayou @ Lighthouse PCA
  • In the past two matchups between the two teams, Lighthouse Private Christian Academy has had Rocky Bayou’s number. But in the semifinal round of the SSAA 2A playoffs, it seemed like the Rocky Bayou Christian Knights were a team of destiny. Scoring starts on the very first drive as RB Hartley Register punched it in from one yard out. Lighthouse would answer that score with one of their own on their next possession. However, a 44-yard pick-six by Cardarius Thames would extend the lead to 14-7 at the end of the first. However, Rocky Bayou, on their next drive, converted a key fourth down that eventually led to a scoring run by QB Isaiah Gayle. Rocky would extend that lead by six going into the half. The game then saw its first punts, as Lighthouse scored late in the 3rd to tie the game at 20-all. With 5:41 left in the game, Gayle would get another rushing score on the ground, leaving Lighthouse with plenty of time to either tie the game or win outright before a full four quarters have been played. However, a fourth-down stop by Rocky Bayou gave them the win, which eventually turned into back-to-back state titles one week later as Rocky Bayou beat Glades Day.

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