State title or bust: Niceville boys soccer makes sure its expectations are known

NICEVILLE — More often than not, coaches toe the line of putting undue pressures on their team. The result is what the media likes to call "coach speak" — regurgitating cliches without saying anything at all.

"Take it one game at a time" ... "We can't afford to look past this team." ... "We're not where we need to be yet, but we're getting closer."

This is not Niceville boys soccer coach Wes Nelson.

The man does not speak in generalities or temper expectations. Rooted in a storied 23-year run of success at his alma mater, he speaks from the heart. And his belief in the Eagles reached a lofty crescendo Thursday after their 1-0 win over Chiles at Twin Oaks Soccer Complex to capture the District 2-6A title.

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"I want you thinking about being in DeLand on March 2nd trying to win a state title," he said in the postgame huddle, "because that's what we do here at Niceville High School: We go win things. And we're going to do it again this year."

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Thirty days away from the state championship. 6A bracket yet to be released. Five opponents still to beat.

Yet, coming from Nelson, nothing about the bulletin board material felt premature. If anything, it needed to be said. And in that moment, Niceville players would've run through a brick wall for their coach.

"He's been talking about it since preseason," said junior keeper Tanner Boxberger, whose diving save in the waning seconds against Chiles secured Niceville's 14th clean sheet in 21 games. "His trust and belief in us just motivates us,"

"He's pretty intense," senior Adrian Pearson said with a laugh. "Talk about DeLand gets the adrenaline pumping quite a bit."

"It hypes everyone up," echoed senior Frank Lupella, whose right-footer in the 10th minute proved to be the game-winner against Chiles. "That's the goal: To get back to DeLand.

"Back to" refers to the Eagles' trips in 2020 and 2021, the former producing the program's first state title. Last year, the Eagles had their chance in the Final Four against Fort Myers, but squandered multiple one-goal leads in a eventual 3-2 loss.

"Before the season, a lot of hard work was put in, " Pearson said. "We knew how good we were, but we also knew we needed to get better. No one likes to do it, but it gets the job done."

Ever since, the pitch has proven a scorched earth for the Eagles, currently No. 2 in the Sunshine State and ninth in the nation for winter teams by MaxPreps rankings.

A 55-13 goal disparity will do that. As will 12 straight wins, the 18-2-1 Eagles unbeaten in the new year while sporting a who's who of marquee wins. That includes a pair of 1-0 shutouts over the nation's third- and 13th-ranked teams, Clinton, Miss., and Booker T. Washington, and a season sweep of playoff-bound rivals Fort Walton Beach and Choctaw. Of their 18 wins, 12 have come against teams still alive this postseason.

That's why, as Thursday indicated, top-seeded Niceville will have a target on its back with regionals set to kick off Tuesday at 7 p.m. against eighth-seeded Forest. Like 2020, when the Eagles went 4-0 at home to advance to a 7-3 championship win over South Broward at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, Niceville has earned the right to call Twin Oaks home through the first four rounds.

A home where the Eagles are 8-0-1. A home with bleachers intimately parked right by the north sideline. A home where opposing coaches beg refs to issue yellow cards to the rowdy sea of maroon and black fans, who were there for that postgame huddle against Chiles — family, classmates, teachers, coaches, administration hanging on every word of Nelson.

"We know a state title takes a lot of work, maybe a lucky bounce here or there to get there, but I think winning a district title and being able to stay at home, just like we did in 2020 when we got to stay here and play in front of these special fans, it helps us out tremendously," Nelson said.

Added Boxberger: "They just motivates us to be better."

Better? Or the best? After all, only one result will make Nelson and Co. content.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville boys soccer enters FHSAA playoffs ranked No. 1