No. 3 Cougars roll over No. 2 Bessemer
By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
Escambia Academy, which came into its regular-season finale as the state’s third-ranked independent school team, rolled to a 33-12 win over second-ranked Bessemer Academy last Friday, October 30, with a 33-12 victory.
EA quarterback Landon Sims scored two touchdowns and kicked two field goals and three PATs to help lead the way.
With 5:05 left to play in the opening quarter, Sims put up the first points with a 1-yard quarterback keeper. A successful Sims extra-point attempt made it 7-0.
The Rebels answered back early in the second period with a scoring drive but were stopped short on a 2-point conversion attempt by the EA defense and trailed, 7-6., until Sims nailed a 30-yard field goal and extended the Cougars lead to 10-6.
The EA signal-caller struck again with another successful 30-yard field goal boot with just two seconds left in the half. That put EA up, 13-6.
Bubba Nettles kept the scoring train rolling for the Cougars, scoring on a 47-yard scamper early in the third quarter.
The Rebels blocked the extra point attempt by Sims, but EA led, 19-6.
With three minutes left in the third, Bessemer put together another scoring drive, but Caleb Davis stopped the two-point conversion attempt, and EA’s lead was down to 19-12.
During the fourth quarter Sims found the endzone for the second time with a 3-yard quarterback keeper. After tacking on the extra point, Sims extended the lead to 26-12.
Despite a strong advantage on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter, the Cougars dug one more trick out the bag of treats and scored a final touchdown on a halfback pass from Nettles to Maliki Haynes. The special Halloween trick play, followed by another Sims PAT kick, sealed the victory for EA.
The Cougars, who closed out the regular season with an 8-1 record, will host Springwood (4-6) this Friday, November 6, in first-round action of the AISA Class 2A playoffs.