By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
HAYNESVILLE – What started out as a evenly matched game fell by the wayside as the Escambia Academy Cougars went down in defeat to Lowndes County Bulldogs, 40-22.
On the first series of the game, EA made four plays, recovered their own fumble and had to punt the ball away.
The Bulldogs came back in five plays with a 47-yard touchdown run. The PAT failed and the score was 6-0, Bulldogs.
On the return, EA had three plays and punted the ball away.
So it would go for the rest of the evening, as Lowdes took possession, went 61 yards in three plays, then took the ball into the end zone on a 31-yard run and a good PAT, taking the score to 13-0 in favor of the home team.
EA tried to get things going on the next series, marching down the field in eight plays, only to be intercepted.
LA took advantage of the Cougar mistake and went 61 yards with a 32-yard touchdown pass.
One of the few bright spots in the EA game was Robert Hardy's 92 yard run for six points with 6:41 left in the half.
But LA came right back with 56 yards in seven plays, including a 1 yard run into the end zone.
In the last quarter of the game, EA tried to get the game back on track, and went 90 yards for the score, and made the PAT good for two more points, bringing them within 11 and the score to 33-22 with only 2:43 left.
But Lowdes came right back and answered with six of its own, going 54 yards in four plays, and adding on a 5-yard run for the TD. The score was 40-22, and although EA had one more possession on the night, it was four plays and out for the Cougars.
Lowdes took a knee on its last possession and the game ended 40-22 in a heartbreaker for Escambia Academy.
The Cougars play at Monroe County next week. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m.