Football Recap: Mandarin Beats Pace for Their Seventh Straight Win

Mandarin had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They walked away with a 42-35 win over the Pace Patriots on Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Mustangs sure are getting used to it with their seventh in a row.

Mandarin found their leader in sophomore Knox Annis, who threw for 207 yards and four TDs on only 16 passes, and also rushed for 101 yards and one score on only nine carries. The Mustangs also got a significant boost from Shaunqueze Foster, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 89 yards.

Mustangs

Rushing Yards

11/21/25 vs Pace	342
11/14/25 vs Crestview	312
10/30/25 @ St. Augustine	239
10/24/25 vs Oakleaf	286
10/10/25 vs Fletcher	290
+ 13 more games

Mandarin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 342 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.

When it comes to explaining why Pace lost, don't look at Makael Williams. Despite the final result, he rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. Williams showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 56 yards.

Mandarin's victory bumped their record up to 11-1. As for Pace, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-2.

Looking ahead, Mandarin will head out to face off against Buchholz at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Mustangs will need to watch out since the Bobcats have now posted at least 31 points in their last five matchups. Pace does not have any more games scheduled as of now.