Week 5 did not disappoint. Headlined by Choctaw earning its second straight win over Niceville and Walton picking up its most impressive victory of the season, it was a fun week of football.
Here’s the recap.
Choctaw 49, Niceville 28
Choctaw raced out to a 28-0 first-half lead and never looked back in a 49-28 win over Niceville. Carter Marracco opened the scoring with a 59-yard rushing touchdown, and Von’Tavious Keller delivered an 80-yard touchdown run, while Isaiah Matthews returned an interception for a pick-six to cap the first-half surge.
Niceville fought back behind Deegan McCoy, who connected with Caleb Leonard for two second-half touchdowns, but Keller answered each time, finishing the night with three touchdowns. The Indians rushed for over 350 yards as a team.
“Von’s starting to come into his own, we’ve got three really good running backs,” Choctaw Head Coach Frank Beasley said. “Von took the lead tonight, Carter had a big run in the first quarter that started the scoring, then Dante had some really big tough runs.”
Choctaw begins district play next week against Milton, while Niceville hosts Tate in its second district game.
Walton 47, Fort Walton Beach 24
Walton improved to 4-0 with its most impressive win of the season, pulling away from Fort Walton Beach for a 47-24 victory. The Vikings became the first team to avoid a running clock against the Braves and pulled within two at 19-17 early in the second half after Lavin McDaniel connected with Cannon Wilbur for a touchdown. But Walton responded with 21 unanswered points, sparked by Sincere Williams breaking free for a 53-yard touchdown run. Rodney Clinch added his third touchdown of the night during the run, and Elijah Odom contributed a pick-six in the second quarter.
Walton faces district rival Freeport next week, while Fort Walton Beach travels to Gulf Breeze.
South Walton 50, Arnold 12
The Seahawks improved to 4-1 on Friday night. Max Madden turned in a hat trick, while JD Brown also had a three-touchdown night as the duo combined to lead South Walton to a running-clock victory. The Seahawks carry momentum into upcoming matchups against Pine Forest and Walton.
Baker 30, Central 8
On Thursday, the Gators earned a crucial bounceback win at home to improve to 3-2. Baker jumped out to a 15-0 lead after Rylan Hayslette recovered a Jaguars fumble and took it all the way for a scoop and score, followed by Calvin Wilks III finding the end zone. The score held through halftime.
In the third quarter, Dawson Mitchem took it in himself to put the Gators up 23-0. Then, following an interception by Ray Rentz, Mitchem connected with Bridger Noffke for a touchdown to push the lead to 30-0. Central added a late touchdown, but it was not enough as Baker closed it out 30-8.
Coffee 47, Crestview 6
The Bulldogs fell to 0-5 after Coffee controlled the game at Jack Foster Stadium on Friday night. The Trojans built a 33-6 halftime lead, and despite a touchdown scramble from Brock Spears, Coffee’s defense held firm and its offense added two more touchdowns to secure the 47-6 win.
Franklin County 36, Rocky Bayou 7
The Knights fell to 0-4 as Franklin County took charge on Friday night. Franklin County raced out to a 30-0 lead, and while Isaiah Gayle added a late touchdown for Rocky Bayou, it proved to be too little, too late, as Franklin County tacked on another score to win 36-7.
