Choctaw pulls a stunner, knocks off No. 4 Arnold (with PHOTOS)

PANAMA CITY BEACH – Fourth-ranked Arnold had plenty of Jeremy Hester, but Choctawhatchee had a bit more on Friday.

The Indians rushed for 330 yards and scored on six of eight possessions in a 42-28 victory at the Mike Gavlak Sports Complex. Hester, playing with back and hamstring injuries, rushed for 277 yards and returned a kickoff 93 yards, but it wasn’t enough against the Indians (2-3, 2-1 District 1-3A).

Click here to view a Photo Gallery of the game.

Freddie Gray rushed for 179 yards and two touchdown on 25 carries and Charlie Lott added 117 yards rushing and a score for Choctaw. The Indians scored on three 80-yard drives and none were less than 65.

Choctaw quarterback Jesse Adams was 16 of 21 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns, both to Ryan Born, and he added a rushing TD to open the third quarter. Justin Savage led all receivers with 95 yards on six receptions.

Choctaw answered a 70-yard Hester first-quarter touchdown run with a 12-play, 76-yard drive capped by Gray’s leap into the end zone from the 2. The Indians had no negative plays on the march and received extra help with a pass interference penalty on Arnold (4-0, 2-1) on second-and-3 from the Marlins’ 34.

Choctaw drove 77 yards in the second quarter to Arnold’s 14, but an Adams pass was intercepted by Blake DeBoard and returned 30 yards to end the threat. The Indians averted disaster with a fumble recovery on a botched option pitch.

The Indians picked up where they left off before the interception, traveling 78 yards in 11 plays, the final a 12-yard connection between Born and Adams with less than a minute to play in the first half. The extra point gave Choctaw a 14-7 halftime lead.

Hester touched Choctaw for an 81-yard run and a 93-yard kickoff return to pull Arnold within seven each time in the second half, but Choctaw answered with a pair of 80-yard marches.