Pace charges to first win over Gulf Breeze in eight years thanks to second-half beat down

Pace football head coach Kent Smith summed up the Patriots' latest triumph pretty quickly: “It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish.”

And it’s safe to say Pace finished strong after a 55-24 victory over Gulf Breeze on Friday at Dolphin Saturday. The Patriots shut out Gulf Breeze 34-0 in the second half to secure victory after starting out a little slow.

Once the second half began, the Patriots’ run game picked up, and the defense established a ton of pressure on Gulf Breeze quarterback Battle Alberson, forcing several passes to be thrown away. Pace snagged three interceptions, forced a couple fumbles and sacked Alberson a handful of times to keep the Dolphins at bay.

PNJ Power Poll: Escambia returns to No. 1 spot, Pace, Pensacola Catholic, Navarre follow

“They did a great job in the second half – both groups did. We played a lot better in the second half on offense and defense,” Smith said. “We didn’t start out too well, but we finished it well. … We’ll take it.”

With the home team ahead 24-21 late in the second quarter, Pace had a prime opportunity to take the lead heading into halftime. What would’ve made it sweeter was that the Patriots, who deferred after winning the opening coin toss, could’ve expanded on potential lead after receiving the second-half kickoff.

Pace had just scored after a 19-yard run from Xakery Wiedner. Just three plays into Gulf Breeze’s ensuing drive, Pace’s Brayden Gates recorded an interception around the 33-yard line, bringing it to the Dolphins’ 5-yard line.

But that’s as far as the Patriots would get. Following a false start, Pace appeared to reach the end zone on a 12-yard pitch from Wiedner, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty. An incomplete pass from Nick Simmons that was broken up, plus a missed 29-yard field goal from Caleb Nelson, gave the hosts the ball back. They wound up killing off the remaining 34.4 seconds of the half.

“Got it down to the 5 and couldn’t get it in,” Smith said. “That’s not usually us.”

To start the second half, it took just two plays and 23 seconds for the Patriots to score. Wiedner had a 17-yard run followed by a 37-yard pass from Simmons to Nash Pires for the touchdown. Then it was all Pace from there.

“We challenged them, and they got it done,” Smith said.

That two-play drive from Pace, plus the pick-six from Gates on the very next drive, was a “back-breaker” for the Dolphins, Gulf Breeze head coach Jeff Gierke said.

“We’re driving. The play was there all day. Then Xakery just sat on it, for whatever reason, broke it up, popped it up in the air and they come back with it and score,” Gierke said. “They were way better than us in the second half. I feel for these seniors. They put a lot of work into it. To play that poorly in the second half, kind of stinks for them.”

The Dolphins (2-3, 1-1 District 1-4S) are hosts to Pensacola Catholic at 7:30 p.m. Friday for the "Battle of the Bay" – a game that Gierke called “the best thing” for the Gulf Breeze squad. Especially as the Dolphins enter the second half of the season, looking to stay in playoff discussions.

“Two of their starters played here last year and transferred when the coach left. It’s personal for some of these seniors that those guys left them hanging. It’s probably good that they’ve got to be locked in for that game because it is such a personal game,” Gierke said. “Getting them back on track next week mentally, a game like that is going to get them focused throughout the week and now dwell on this one – hopefully.”

As for Pace (4-1, 1-0 District 1-4S), Gates said the team is “confident, very confident” going into the second half of the season. That latter half begins at 7p.m. Thursday at Pensacola High.

“We’ve just got to get better,” Smith said. “We’ll get ready for Pensacola High and don’t talk about Tate until the next week.”

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pace football tops Gulf Breeze in Week 6 in key district matchup