Choctaw continues to get hot at the right time, rolling past Gulf Breeze 49-7 in its homecoming game at Joe Etheredge Stadium.
- The win was the 50th for Head Coach Frank Beasley at his alma mater, and the Indians also honored former great Richie Grant with a pregame jersey retirement ceremony.
“It was good our guys came out and really executed on all the possessions we had offensively and defensively, knocking the rust off. We haven’t played in 24 days. It felt like fall camp all over again,” Beasley said.
The Indians jumped out and never looked back. Von Keller took the opening handoff into Gulf Breeze territory, and Dante Whidbee followed with his first rushing touchdown of the night.
The Dolphins’ offense picked up several first downs on the next drive, but it stalled and Choctaw got the ball back. Whidbee then broke a long touchdown run, his second of the night.
“He’s a good player, he’s starting to come on. Our offensive line is starting to play really well,” Beasley said.
- “It’s amazing. I can’t thank the offensive line enough. It can’t happen without them,” Whidbee added.
The Choctaw defense forced a three-and-out, and Amir Reese returned the ensuing punt for a touchdown, making it 21-0 before the first quarter ended.
On Gulf Breeze’s next drive, Andrew Duzinski strip-sacked Beckett Smith, and Raequan Hawkins recovered the ball deep in Dolphin territory. Quarterback Baker Giles then hit Carter Marracco for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead.
Gulf Breeze turned it over on downs on its next possession, and Giles and company went to work. Giles hit Ryne Burks for a first down, then found Rives Brown for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 35-0.
The Gulf Breeze offense came up short again, giving Choctaw another opportunity. The Indians overcame multiple penalties on the drive, and Giles hit Marracco for his second touchdown to put Choctaw up 42-0 at halftime. The margin triggered a running clock, and Choctaw emptied its bench.
“He’s starting to get really comfortable with his receivers, which is good. Obviously that’s a good thing. He’s spreading the ball around really well. We have a bunch of guys that can do good things with the ball, and he’s doing a good job of trying to be the point guard on offense,” Beasley said.
- “Keep on getting on the same page. They’re still like a young receiving corps, but we’ve been working hard and getting better at it,” Giles added.
The score stayed 42-0 through the third quarter and didn’t change until the fourth, when the Dolphins put together their best drive of the night. Hoyt Gurney had two solid runs, Smith hit Caleb Carter for a first down, and Smith then found a wide-open Kai Kael for a 28-yard touchdown that made it 42-7.
Choctaw responded right away when Isaiah Matthews took the ensuing kickoff all the way back for a touchdown, setting the 49-7 final.
The win was the first of three games Choctaw will play in 13 days because of the effects of Hurricane Isaias. The Indians host Booker T. Washington on Thursday and then play Fort Walton Beach on Nov. 4.
“We’re ready. We’re excited about it. Getting through the district games, continuing our momentum moving forward is critical,” Beasley said.
