FWB's Carper named NWF Daily News Athlete of the Week

FORT WALTON BEACH — Quinn Carper is a finisher.

Shorts or long runs, middle or final third, left or right touchline, in the box on corners or free kicks ... regardless of where he's attacking from, the Fort Walton winger's job is simple: Put the ball in the back of the net.

How's that going for the junior? Just ask Niceville and Choctaw.

Carper scored the game-winning goals against both rivals last week, leading the Vikings to a 1-0 victory over the Eagles and a 2-0 triumph over the Big Green.

It was just a continuation of that finishing touch for Carper, who leads the Vikings with 13 goals while also finding ways to facilitate.

"I would say I'm the guy who makes all the runs," Carper said. "My teammates, we just have the chemistry where they know how to find me wherever I'm at. Or I'm running down a long ball over the top."

The effort hasn't gone unnoticed by his coach, Mario Rodriguez.

"Quinn is an outstanding team player who has showed up against very good teams," Rodriguez said. "He showed up last week scoring or assisting in every game."

The clutch efforts also caught notice of the Emerald Coast as Carper earned 40,199 votes in this week's Athlete of the Week poll to edge Choctaw wrestler Chase Pelfrey.

"It feels great," Carper said. "To know we have a ton of people voting and to feel that support means a lot. And without my teammates, none of this success would be possible."

Carper's path to front-page, headline-producing stardom began in infancy, the young lad glued to the game right out of the womb.

"Any type of ball, you name it and I was kicking it," he said. "I was a very active kid."

He had company on the youth scene — most notably the guys he still calls teammates.

"I've played with most of these guys for years," he said. "The chemistry we developed early on does play a huge factor. We've grown up together. We've had our offs and ons, but the chemistry always comes back."

The result this season is a 11-3-1 record, five clean sheets and a 51-14 margin of victory, the lone setbacks all decided by a goal against 16-1-1 Arnold, 9-2-3 Booker T. Washington and 14-2-2 Gulf Breeze.

Fittingly, the Vikings currently rank 30th in the nation and No. 3 in 6A and are the No. 2 seed in the District 1-6A Tournament, where they open up against Pace in a lauded field that includes No. 1 ranked Niceville (12-3-1), sixth-ranked Booker T. Washington (9-2-3) and seventh-ranked Tate (12-0-3).

Carper credits the season sweep over Niceville — state champ in 2020 and state runner-up in 2021 — as a game-changer.

"That was a big confidence booster for us. It set us off," Carper said. "We know we can win a state title if we put it all together."

As for the leap this year following last year's Sweet 16 appearance, Carper praised Rodriguez's guidance, the program's shift to a positive culture and the vocal leadership of teammates Christian Gomez, Henry Endt, Jake Purvis and Zeke Oswald.

Added up, the Vikings' present a balance of an aggressive attack on the final third without sacrificing their stout back line.

"It's definitely a mix of both," Carper said. "Our defense plays a huge factor, but we also have to score some goals. We like to work hard on both ends."

Playing football helps Carper stay in year-round shape. As does running and lifting weights constantly.

"I'm getting to be the player I want to become," he said. "It's really nice, because I'm a junior, I can look to (those leaders) now and see what I should be doing as a senior.

"But right now I'm just doing everything I can to help this team win."

Quinn Carper: The Finisher.

Follow sports editor Seth Stringer on twitter at @SethSnwfdn.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: FWB's Carper named NWF Daily News Athlete of the Week