By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
It is said that football is a game of inches. For Escambia County High’s Blue Devils last Friday (September 13), it was a game of about 16 yards.
The Blue Devils, heavy underdogs to the sixth-ranked (state class 4A) Mobile Christian Leopards, launched a field-length drive that came up just that short as time ran out in a 13-6 Region 1 setback.
ECHS Coach Vincent Harris was disappointed in the outcome, but proud of the way his team hung with its highly favored opponent.
“I was disappointed in the end, but proud of the way our kids played,” Harris said. “We were really physical, and we beat them up pretty good.”
The ECHS team’s physicality was most evident on defense. The Leopards managed just two touchdowns after having posted a 40-point effort the previous week against Satsuma.
“Our defense played lights-out,” Harris said. “They did a good job, especially our defensive line (Gabe Hooks, De’Andre Hooks, Jaylen Taylor and Miro Crenshaw). Cleo Bolar played a good game, too.”
He also cited the play of safety Cali McCants, defensive back Jalyn James, who had a pass interception, and linebackers Devin Riley and Jeremiah Brown. Brown came up with a big fourth-down stop that set up the final drive, a series that carried from the ECHS 5, to the Mobile Christian 16 before it ran out of steam.
“Our offensive line played a little bit better this week,” said the ECHS coach. “We made some changes, and they really played well. We were able to run the ball really well. Also, (quarterback) Jamarion Robinson really grew up and showed some real leadership.”
Tai Henderson scored the lone Blue Devils touchdown, bursting in from the 3-yard line in the third period to make it a 13-6 game.
The final Blue Devils drive carried into the red zone, but from that point it was plagued by four penalties, at least two of them highly questionable according to the game video. A touchdown was called back, and two of Robinson’s passes slipped away from receivers who were open in the end zone, bringing the ECHS upset bid to an end.
Next on the schedule is a road game this Friday night at Mobile’s St. Michael Catholic, which was ranked 8th in the state in last week’s poll.
“This will be a big matchup for us, against (former NFL quarterback) Philip Rivers and his team,” Harris said. “We played the state’s number-one team (Jackson), then the state’s number-four team, now we’ll play the state’s number-eight team. That’s a tough 3-game stretch.”
The third-year ECHS coach said his players are eager to make up for last week’s tough loss with another strong showing against the Cardinals.
“They’re heart-broken about losing (to Mobile Christian), but their morale is fine,” he said.