Escambia Academy running backs accounted for 444 yards and seven touchdowns in the Cougars’ 53-26 thrashing of Glenwood Academy on Saturday.

The Cougars improved to 1-0 for the season, following the win at Mark Stallings Field at Faulkner University in Montgomery.

Leading the stable of backs for the Cougars was Tim Finklea with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

“He had a pretty solid night,” EA coach Hugh Fountain said.

J.P. Sawyer ran the ball eight times for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Kris Brown had nine carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Fountain warned his team of Glenwood’s strong kicking game during practice last week, but the Cougars stymied their opponents’ kick coverage. In addition to his ground attack, Finklea added two kickoff returns for a total of 133 yards and a touchdown.

Finklea’s kick-return touchdown stretched 95 yards and came in the fourth quarter as the Cougars were preparing to receive what they thought would be an onside kick, Fountain said.

Punter Garrett Kirk punted three times for a 46-yard average and the coverage team allowed no punt return yards, Fountain said.

In addition, the Cougars blocked two punts during the game.

“I felt like the kicking game was the turning point for us,” Fountain said.

The Cougars forced five turnovers in the win, including three fumbles.

EA scored its first touchdown on a Gordon Brooks run with 8:38 left in the first quarter. Their second score came on a Sawyer run with 4:09 left in the quarter.

Finklea and Brooks both scored on runs in the second quarter at the 6:40 and 1:13 marks, respectively.

Finklea scored the only points for the Cougars in the third quarter before Brown got in on the action with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter.

Finklea then scored on the kick return with 1:30 left and Brown scored again with 51 seconds left in the game.

Escambia Academy travels to Greenville to take on Fort Dale Academy on Friday at 7 p.m.