By By Matthew Nascone
After a loss to T.R. Miller last Monday, the last thing the Escambia County Blue Devils wanted to do Tuesday was lose again. If they did lose it would extend their already season high losing streak to three games.
Well, they snapped the drought with an 86-67 thumping of Jackson High School. Big Blue (19-4, 4-1 in Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 4A Area 1 play) played hard and rebounded from the two-game losing streak they were in.
Before losing to UMS-Wright and T.R. Miller the Blue Devils had not lost more than one game in a row all season.
"We came back and regrouped after the loss to T.R. Miller," ECHS head coach Jerome Antone. "Collectively, the guys regrouped and played well Tuesday."
Antone said he was having his own worries about where his team that had won 18 games had gone. Antone said he was happy with how his team played last Tuesday.
"They showed me that they are capable of playing the Blue Devil basketball we have played all year," Antone said. "The UMS-Wright game took a lot out of my guys because they played hard and barely lost. But they came out firing Tuesday and it was good to see."
The Devils did not have much time to regroup as the Miller game was Monday and the Jackson game was Tuesday. But Antone said he was able to tell his guys what he wanted.
"We talked about how to get back on track after the two losses and we did it successfully," he said. "I feel we are headed in the right direction and I am hoping to get to the big dance."
The "big dance" will be played in Birmingham at the Jefferson Civic Center from Feb. 28 to March 4.
Before the state championship, Big Blue traveled to Gulf Shores High School for their final area game and they will travel to Monroe County and Hillcrest-Evergreen before starting the area tournament on Feb. 7.
In girl's action
The Lady Blue Devils (13-6, 3-2 in AHSAA Class 4A Area 1 play) defeated Jackson 63-51 for their third area win.
Tinekka Lett led the scoring for Lady Blue with 16 points. Anushka Banks added 14 points, Jasmine Sanders poured in 11 points and Ashanti Jones, Courtney English and Ashley Kidd added six points each.
Lady Blue traveled to Gulf Shores High School for their final area game and they will travel to Monroe County Jan. 31 and Hillcrest-Evergreen Feb. 3 before hitting the area tournament on Feb. 6.