​PACE — Sitting 0-2, there was never any panic for Choctaw football.A Final 4 campaign in 2025 and four straight region finals appearances affords a program a certain kind of confidence in its clubhouse culture no matter the graduating seniors and new transfers, and on Friday the Big Green’s patience paid off in a gutsy, come-from-behind 21-14 win at a Pace program ranked sixth in 5A.Choctaw’s defense shined against a vaunted Pace rushing attack, Carter Marracco ran for two scores and both of Choctaw’s new additions at quarterback made plays in a game-winning, 75-yard drive that culminated in Baker Giles’ 42-yard touchdown throw to Oregon State commit Amir Reese with 1:44 left to play.Top Performers: Which Emerald Coast high school football players shined in Week 2?”Our kids are resilient,” Choctaw coach Frank Beasley said. “We understand and our program understands it’s a long season and you have to prepare yourself. We have some pieces that didn’t play much last year, some new people who have come in and people are jelling together and we’re figuring out what we’re good at. You try to do that in summer and you try to do that in fall camp but you can never replicate game reps. It’s so important, and when you get in-game reps against the Mosleys and Auburn, Alabamas and the Paces, there’s not a lot of time to test things out. You gotta figure out quickly what you can do and I’m just glad we came out on top tonight.”This game could’ve gone either way. I was reflecting back earlier, last time we played Pace at our place three years ago they kicked a field goal with no time left to win, and the year before that it came down to the last five minutes of the game, and the year before that we upset them here on the last drive. So we know coming into this place it’s going to be extremely difficult. It’s an emotional night for them and they did an outstanding job. Credit to him. They had a lot of injuries and their kids are really resilient and tough.”The comeback started with 2:42 left to play and Choctaw trailing 14-13 after a Makael Williams’ 60-yard touchdown run. A pair of Carter Marracco touchowns had staked the Big Green to leads of 7-0 and 13-7, but a botched extra point proved the difference. Enter Isaiah Collins, who found Noah Calderon for a 33-yard connection up the right sideline to the Pace 42 yard line. But it came at a cost, Collins limping off the field to set the stage for former starting quarterback Giles to enter the game.Instead of eating the clock for a field goal with a dosage of Marracco, Choctaw put the game on Giles’ right arm. Correction, Giles’ cold right arm that hadn’t thrown a pass all night. Nevertheless, Giles fired a perfect strike to Reese, who high-pointed the grab at the goal line and fell into the end zone to give the Big Green a 19-14 lead.Two plays, 75 yards, just 58 seconds off the clock. A Marracco two-point conversion later, Choctaw led 21-14 with 1:44 left to play. “Our guys are starting to figure it out, which