Fort Walton Beach boys basketball defeats Choctaw, improves to 16-7

Adversity on the hardwood can break pretenders and make contenders.

Fort Walton Beach, in the midst of a 16-7 transformational campaign soon to be under the February microscope of postseason ball, experienced the ultimate adversity earlier this month in a 66-65 loss at crosstown rival Choctaw that at the time marked the program's 17th loss in the previous 18 tries.

But a fire was lit. Mediocrity was abandoned. Belief was born.

"I want you to remember what happened the last time we faced them," Viking coach Chris Carswell told his players before Friday's rematch.

They remembered, and the Vikings found redemption.

Xy Childres scored 10 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, Rodric Starks and Christian Coley shined on both ends of the floor and the Vikings fought back from a 13-point second-half deficit and a premature celebration from its rowdy student section to defeat a hobbled Choctaw squad (9-12) and reclaim King of Fort Walton Beach.

"This is a rivalry game. It don't matter what your record looks like, everybody is going to come in with high emotions and ready to get after it," Carswell said. "Everybody wants to be king of the city. (Choctaw) fought hard and No. 1 (Kedar Washington), he's a great kid and we knew we had to take the ball out of his hands. We fought back and we didn't give up."

Fought back from an 8-0 deficit in the first quarter, a 20-8 hole in the second quarter and a 25-12 uphill climb to begin the third. Now they've won four straight wins since the loss to Choctaw (9-12), the Vikings winning at Gulf Breeze, routing Niceville, and avenging a loss to 19-3 Milton to set up Friday's thriller, a thriller that came in spite of Choctaw suiting up just seven players due to illnesses and ultimately saddling all five starters with 32 minutes of time on the court.

It wasn't until the final play of the third quarter did Fort Walton's comeback bid feel like it was taking root. After a pair of free throws from Kedar Washington, who dropped a game-high 27 points, Childres took the ball up the court with less than 4 seconds left and was freed up by a screen from Starks at the top of the key. Childres buried the 25-footer at the buzzer to close the lead to 34-28, and what ensued over the final eight minutes was an offensive outpouring of 27 points that nearly matched the previous 24 minutes.

Coley, who scored eight of his 13 points in the final frame, opened the fourth with a traditional 3-point play and back-to-back 3-pointers from Childres cut the lead to 38-37. Later, following five straight points from Washington and a Michael Collins leaner in the post to put Choctaw up 45-41, FWB scored eight unanswered on a four of Starks' 13 points, a layup from Childres and a pair of free throw from Coley. Collins answered with a traditional 3-point play, but Coley responded with an easy kiss off the glass and then forced a turnover, setting up a Starks free throw with 18 seconds left and a two-possession lead at 52-48.

"My role is to bring the energy and support this team and contribute to the best of my ability," said Coley, whose five steals were accented by five blocks from Starks. "And that's what I had to do. I did what I had to do and filled my role."

Childres tacked on two more free throws with 13 seconds left to seemingly put the game away, but Washington answered with two free throws of his own. Coley was fouled in the waning seconds, but a technical foul was issued to Fort Walton Beach after a premature celebration from the student section resulted in toilet paper being thrown onto the court and delaying the game.

Down 55-50 after a Coley free throw, Washington sank two free throws to make it a one-posession game and Choctaw ball with .4 seconds remaining and the inbounds on their side of the court. But Sean Simon stole the inbounds to seal the win, improving Fort Walton to 16-7 and strengthening its top ranking in District 1-4A and place as the third-highest ranked team in Region 1 as district tournament play looms beginning Feb. 3. Based on Friday's win, home playoff games seem very likely.

"Last year was our first time going (to the playoffs) in awhile, so we got that taste in our mouths," Carswell said. "We have the ability to do something special, and I feel it. I feel it. Something special is about to happen with this group."

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Fort Walton Beach boys basketball scores comeback win over Choctaw