By PAOLO GORME
News Sports Writer
The Escambia Academy Cougars bounced back from a loss the week before to Tuscaloosa Academy. In their first region game, Friday, Sept. 7, they defeated the Clarke Prep School Gators 41-7.
The Cougars’ ground attack was on full display headed by Pat McGhee. He rushed for 251 yards on 15 carries. Despite turning the ball over 4 times, EA still dominated the game.
It took a couple of drives from each team to get points on the board. EA scored a rushing touchdown by Jason Davis with 5:46 left in the first quarter. Orlando Medina’s extra point was blocked and EA was up 6-0. That was the lone score of the first quarter.
After 20 seconds of the start of the second quarter, Pat McGhee broke on a 61-yard rushing touchdown. The Cougars attempted a 2-point conversion and the score was 14 to nothing. With less than a minute after the touchdown, Daughtry McGhee picked off a pass and took it back to the house for 78 yards. The extra point by Medina was no good and the score was 20-0.
Shannon Wheat added on to the score for EA with a 7-yard rushing touchdown with 5:32 left in the first half. The extra point by Sam Martin was good and the score was 27-0. Another score for EA’s defense came from Chase Bell. His 60- yard pick 6 and Martin’s extra point with 51 seconds left put the Cougars up 34-0 at halftime.
The lone score by Clarke Prep was a 2-yard pass with 5:23. The score was 34-7. Pat McGhee scored the last touchdown of the night when he rushed for 65 yards to take it home for EA. With Martin’s extra point good, the final score was 41-7.
“I was really proud of our run game tonight,” Head Coach Hugh Fountain said after the game. “Before the game, we really wanted to bear down and run the ball tonight and that’s what we did.”
The Cougars are back on the road to face Patrician Academy Friday, Sept. 14.
Go, Cougars!
News photo by Ditto Gorme