Baker, Freeport, Walton highlight Week 2 high school football wins

South Walton football shuts out FWB, improves to 2-0

It's really impressive what's going on in Walton County.

South Walton and Walton's defenses have yet to allow a touchdown, Freeport is running down people's throats and is a couple of flags away from being 2-0 and the three are a combined 5-1. Meanwhile in Okaloosa County, Choctaw and Crestview's tough schedules have resulted in 0-2 starts, and Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Baker and Niceville are each 1-1, the latter two bouncing back this past week with wins.

Here's a rundown of the week (with links to FWB-SoWal, Niceville-West Florida below):

Dylan Louthain rushed for five touchdowns to match a program record, and Freeport got its first win of the Bobby Johns era on the road.

Louthain had four touchdowns alone in the first half following a Dylan Molstead touchdown plunge to begin the night. Out of the halftime locker rooms leading 34-20, Carter Nunes connected with Talen McElyea for a 22-yard touchdown, and then Louthain capped off his prolific night with a 32-yard touchdown run to break the 200-yard rushing mark. According to Blake McCormick, Louthain joined Keith Williams (1993) and Brandon Siples (2019) as the program record holders with five touchdown runs in a game.

To cap things off, Colin Spiva scored his first varsity touchdown. Freeport (1-1) travels to winless Gulf Breeze next week.

Calvin Wilks piled up 176 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, Dawson Mitchem ran for 106 yards and two scores and had 179 overall yards and the Gators embraced home field and routed a Destin program coming off a 53-13 win over Port St. Joe.

Now 1-1, Matt Brunson's crew travels to 2-0 Holmes County Friday, Sept. 4, while Destin hosts winless North Bay Haven in a game in which the Sharks will be heavily favored.

Buying into the 6:30 a.m. workouts, none of which a varsity play has missed all year. Buying into the coach's veteran leadership. Buying into the collective thought that last year's 4-7 rebuild left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Two games in, Walton has two redemption wins and a 93-13 margin of victory, the latest a running-clock win at home over an Arnold team that just beat district rival Freeport.

Eli Odom found the end zone, Whitton West and Rodney Clinch each had two touchdowns and Tristian Powell also scored for the Bulldogs, who have an off week before hosting Taylor County (1-1) on Sept. 11.

Everybody knew Choctaw's early season schedule was brutal. An 0-2 start has affirmed that for the defending Region 1-4A champs, who have yet to put it all together in the wake of graduating most of their vaunted defense and dealing with a quarterback change.

Friday saw all three quarterbacks play at Joe Etheredge Stadium, Carter Marracco flashing his speed with two touchdown runs (68, 12) and Isaiah Collins replacing starter Baker Giles in the second half with a touchdown toss. The switch was not enough to come back from a 21-7 halftime deficit.

It doesn't get it any easier next week when the Big Green host Pace (1-1), which lost 51-33 to Pensacola Catholic Friday night.

The Bulldogs' strength of schedule is showing early on, the Bulldogs still in search of their first win after being humbled by the same Enterprise team that handed Choctaw its lone regular-season loss last year.

The Bulldogs look to right the ship Thursday, Sept. 3, when they host 1-1 Pine Forest (1-1), which shut out Escambia 8-0 Friday night.

The Raiders fell to 0-2 but will again have a winnable contest Friday, Sept. 4, against 0-2 Milton at Bennett C. Russel Stadium.