Blue Devils close season on positive note
By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
After falling just short of making the playoffs, the Escambia County Blue Devils closed out the season on a high note, defeating the Rams of Francis Marion High 24-6 last Friday, November 1.
The win ended the season for the Blue Devils with an overall record of 5-5.
Jacob Hammac scored a touchdown, passed for another TD and notched a pair of two-point conversions to spark the win over its Class 1A opponent.
FMH kicked off the scoring in the first quarter as the Blue Devils fell into an early, 8-0 deficit. The Rams scored once more during the second quarter and ECHS trailed 16-0 at halftime.
With an energetic halftime message delivered by head coach Scott Mason, ECHS finally made headway with 10 minutes left to play in the second quarter as Blue Devils’ Trevon Lambert returned a fumble for a touchdown. Hammac tacked on the two-point conversion and ECHS trailed, 16-8.
With less than five minutes to play in the third, Hammac connected on a series of passes with Ja’Colby James, the first for 34 yards and the second for 46 yards.
The pass completions set up a Hammac dash into the end zone.
Hammac followed up the score with a two-point conversion and the Blue Devils were even at 16-16.
With just over one-minute left to go in the contest, Hammac struck on a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Moorer. Moorer’s score was followed up with a James two-point conversion, and ECHS captured the win.
Mason, first-year head coach of the Blue Devils, stressed that the game marked a positive end of the season for ECHS, despite falling short in the playoff picture.
“We have had a good season,” Mason said. “We have become more wide-open and have improved offensively. We are striving to tune our style of play and we have become more dangerous all around.”
Mason stressed that this season was a building year for the Blue Devils as last year offered a major loss in senior numbers.
“We will struggle with senior losses again next season,” said Mason. “Jacob Hammac will be among the losses, and he will be replaced with Anthony McCants. McCants has been outstanding on the junior varsity squad this season, and I am looking for him to do some great things next season as a varsity player.”
According to the Blue Devils 2019-2020 season roster, 17 players will depart the team as high school graduation ends their high school careers.
“I am proud of every single senior,” Mason said. “They have laid the foundation for the future, and each one is a winner in my eyes.”