Fort Walton Beach, FL — FORT WALTON BEACH -- Two years into the Frank Beasley era at Choctaw, one truth is evident: The Big Green play their best ball in the second half of the season. Credit the weight room ethic behind Addison Kendrick, or credit the coaching staff for keeping its players fresh. Credit the front-loaded schedule that always features juggernauts like Niceville, or credit the overflowing, projectable D1 talent at every specialty position. However you slice it following Friday's 37-14 Region 1-3S quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Columbia at Joe Etheredge Stadium, third-seeded Choctaw only gets better with time. That was the case last year when the Big Green started off 2-5 only to win five straight and upset the top team in the land. And that's the case now, the Big Green winning their past six after starting out 3-2. "It's our weight room culture. We don't slow down and our kids are getting stronger," Beasley said. "We put a lot of emphasis on how we practice and making sure our kids are fresh. And quite honestly, we have a great coaching staff that figures it out. They figure out what we're good at and say, let's go at it. "We also had a really tough schedule at the beginning, but we came out of it 3-2 and lost to two really good football teams. I'm proud of our guys for going 5-0 in the second half and now we're 1-0 in the (postseason)." The latest dub was impressive. Not just because it avenged last year's 20-14 overtime loss to Columbia in the region finals. Not just because it marked the first win over Columbia since 1990. No, this win showcased it all. Cole Tabb ran for 157 yards and three scores, because, well, he's Cole Tabb. The Stanford-bound senior burst onto the scene with 1,731 yards and 22 scores his sophomore year, posted 2,753 yards and 26 touchdowns last year and now has 1,503 yards and 15 scores in just nine games this year. "Our O-line continues to get better and obviously Cole is Cole," Beasley said. Through the air in the rout, Jesse Winslette connected on touchdown passes of 25 and 57 yards to Isiah Johnson. Beasley knew Columbia was hard to throw on, but the Big Green were persistent in giving Winslette shots downfield to get him ready for Lincoln. Defensively, Choctaw was camped in Columbia's backfield. Tristan Jackson alone had seven tackles for a loss and the Big Green were nearly perfect after allowing an opening score, garnering a safety and continually giving their offense prime field position. Simply put, when Choctaw is at its best defensively, the Big Green play on edge. They hit hard. They make plays. "It's just that effort," Jackson said. "We just gotta give the offense the ball and carry the Choctaw legacy on the only way we know how. Coach Kendrick puts us through hard workouts and we do what we have to do to come out on top." Now Choctaw hits the road for Tallahassee and a Region 1-3S semifinal matchup with second-seeded Lincoln, which beat Niceville 28-14 in Week 2. But, Beasley cautions, don't judge a team by their first half. Just look at Choctaw.