The Choctaw Indians may have just come off a Final Four appearance that electrified Fort Walton Beach – but Frank Beasley isn’t a nostalgia man.
Last year’s ride had all of the ups and downs of a high speed roller coaster. An amazing nine-game winning streak, followed by a freak loss in an unimaginable last-second fluke to a top ranked Alabama team. Then another climb as Choctaw pushed through the gauntlet of North Florida’s best teams, with some of the best players in the country lined up against them.
The momentum from that deep postseason push has transformed Joe Etheridge Stadium into a focal point of local pride in the last half-decade. It’s momentum the Indians will zealously guard and plan to use against their foes in 2026.
That being said, the Spring Game is important for everything except the numbers on the scoreboard. “I don’t think I’ve ever won a spring game,” Beasley quipped with a grin. Instead, Beasley wants to use it for what he believes it’s intended – shaping the team, adding toughness, and trying new tactics and players.
Beasley traces 2025’s success back not to August, but to January.
“It was a lot of work that went into that; it started last January,” Beasley reflected. “It’s refreshing and fun to watch your kids reach some goals and milestones, but those milestones aren’t reached on Friday nights in November. They are reached at 6:00 AM on a Tuesday in February when nobody is watching. That’s when the foundation for a Final Four is actually poured.”
The payoff came under the lights. The Final Four game at Choctaw, along with the two earlier home playoff games, turned Joe Etheridge Stadium into one of the most intense environments in the Panhandle. Beasley described the atmosphere as “electric”, especially highlighting the playoff clash with Lake City, a game he called “unreal” and a showcase of his team’s resiliency.
Those nights weren’t just about football — they were a cultural phenomenon for the city. The stands were packed to capacity, the student section was a sea of green and white, and the local businesses around the stadium felt the surge of energy. For Beasley, seeing the community rally around the team was a validation of the culture they’ve spent years building. Choctaw football became a point of pride for Fort Walton Beach, proving that when the program is humming, it serves as the heartbeat of the town.
A big part of that run was a defense that was almost impossible to score on in meaningful moments. During the regular season, South Walton was one of the only teams to put points on the board outside of garbage time. Several Choctaw defenders went on to Division I programs, including standouts like Alonte Reese, Mario, and Ellis Alloway.
Beasley credited defensive coordinator Terrence Brooks and the rest of the defensive staff for creating a unit that was both physically and mentally prepared.
“It all starts in the weight room,” Beasley said. “Making sure that our kids are physically fit and ready to go and can tackle in space. We don’t just lift to look good; we lift to be functional. Our guys have to be able to absorb a hit and deliver one without losing their technique. That physical durability is what allows our scheme to actually work when we get into the fourth quarter of a close game.”
From there, the scheme takes over. Beasley believes his staff does “as good a job as anybody” in putting players in position to succeed in big games. The result: a defense that looks fast, confident, and prepared every Friday night.
While the defense drew headlines, the offense was hardly an afterthought.
Quarterback Tamen Zabetakis graduates in May and willmove on to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, but Choctaw returns a power running game headlined by Vontavius “Vaughn” Keller, Carter Maracco and a stable of running backs the Indians can rely on for yardage at any time.
“He’s a leader of people,” Beasley said of Maracco, “an outstanding kid, and I’m extremely proud and glad that he’s in our football program,” Beasley said of Morocco. “Whether he’s at quarterback or receiver, he changes the game because of his high football IQ and his competitive nature. Having players like him allows us to be creative with our play-calling because we know he can handle the mental load.”
Dante Whitby is “finding himself this spring,” and young backs Tyshaw Montgomery and Keyson Stover, both sophomores, are emerging as threats. Up front, offensive line coach Allen Plott has developed a “pretty tough” unit, giving Beasley confidence that the offense can be effective both on the ground and through the air — assuming the team can stay healthy.
If Choctaw looks battle-tested by playoff time, it’s by design.
This year’s schedule includes Bay, Mosley, Pace, Escambia, Niceville, Milton, Fort Walton Beach, Washington, Gulf Breeze, and an out-of-state matchup against Thompson High School in Alabama — the defending 7A state champion.
Beasley doesn’t flinch at that list.
“I love playing a tough schedule. It gets us ready. It gets our kids prepared. We don’t shy away from anybody,” Beasley stated emphatically. “If you want to be the best in the state of Florida, you have to find out where you stand against the elite programs. You can’t hide from the truth on the football field. We’d rather lose a tough game early and learn from it than go undefeated against easy teams and get exposed in the second round of the playoffs.”
He points to his early years at Choctaw as proof of his philosophy. In his first season, Niceville beat Choctaw 39–0. Some programs might quietly drop a powerhouse from the schedule after a result like that. Choctaw did the opposite — they kept Niceville on, year after year, determined to close the gap by improving rather than retreating.
The same story played out with Mosley, which “kicked our teeth in the first year we played them.” Beasley’s answer wasn’t to find softer opponents. It was to get better.
“You don’t ever back down from great programs,” he said. “You just keep fighting and trying to figure out a way to get better. Those losses aren’t failures; they are data points. They show us exactly where our technique broke down or where our conditioning wasn’t high enough. Every time we play a team like Niceville or Thompson, we come out of it a better football team, regardless of the scoreboard.”
College recruiters have taken notice of what’s happening at Choctaw. One of the most striking examples is freshman defensive end/edge TJ Franklin, who already holds an offer from Florida State. At 6’4″ and 220 pounds with a reported 3.8 GPA, Franklin represents the kind of complete player Beasley wants to produce.
The recruiting timeline has accelerated in recent years, with major programs now offering high schoolers earlier than ever. Beasley says that hasn’t changed the locker room dynamic in a negative way — if anything, it has pushed players to work harder.
He and his staff commit to promoting their athletes, sending hundreds of texts each week to college coaches with film and updates about prospects at every level — Power Four, Group of Five, FCS, and Division II.
But while individual goals matter, Beasley is adamant they must fit within the program’s broader mission.
“We love our kids having personal goals—we want them all to get scholarships and play at the next level—but we have to make sure that we meld that really nicely with our team goals,” he explained. “At Choctaw, the logo on the helmet always comes before the name on the back of the jersey. If we win as a team, everyone’s individual stock goes up. It’s a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ mentality.”
Leaders like Keller and Carter set that tone. Beasley praised them for cheering on teammates who share their position, celebrating others’ success rather than resenting it. In a football world he says is often marked by entitlement, he sees that as a clear sign the culture is working.
Asked what Choctaw needs to do to be successful this year, Beasley kept it simple: stay healthy and find consistency on both sides of the ball.
Spring football, he explained, is less about winning a one-off scrimmage and more about setting the stage for the season. He breaks it into three main priorities:
Beasley freely admits spring game results have never been his focus.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever won a spring game as a head coach,” he said with a chuckle. “And honestly, I don’t care. The scoreboard in May is irrelevant. The goal is to play a bunch of guys, put them in uncomfortable situations, and let the chips fall where they may. We want to see how a sophomore handles the pressure of a third-and-long when the stadium is watching. That’s the real value of the spring.”
From there, Choctaw will head into summer, including a key trip to Coffee County OTAs in Georgia, where they’ll line up against some of the best high school programs in that state. The idea is simple: if you want to be one of the best in Florida, you don’t get there by avoiding the best elsewhere.
Choctaw will host FSU High School in their spring game at Joe Etheridge Stadium, a change from the original plan that had Choctaw traveling to Tallahassee. For Beasley, it’s another chance to evaluate, teach, and build — not just for the fall, but for the long-term health of the program.
He closed the conversation with gratitude for the coverage and support from the local community and from outlets like Mid Bay News, emphasizing that Choctaw’s success is about more than one coach or one season. It’s about a growing program, a committed staff, hardworking players, and a fan base ready to pack the stands again for another memorable run.
As the Indians transition from the weight room to the practice field, the message is clear: the path back to the Final Four is paved with “contact courage” and collective sacrifice. With a roster that blends veteran leadership and explosive young talent, Choctaw is no longer just a participant in the Panhandle football scene; they are one of the programs setting the pace. The community is ready, the stadium is waiting, and if Frank Beasley has his way, the best is yet to come.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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