By By Chandler Myers
In a battle between schools separated by a state line and approximately eight miles, the Escambia County Blue Devils boys and girls basketball teams proved to have all the right skills to come up big in wins over the Northview Chiefs Monday night.
The Blue Devils routed the Chiefs 68-31 at Northview in the first of two games the teams are schedule to play.
Blue Devils head coach Anthony Hayes said both teams played their hearts out and added he was pleased by the effort that he received from all of his players.
Twelve out of the 14 Blue Devils scored in the game, with three posting double digits.
Eric Davis and Kingston Craft led the Blue Devils with 13 points apiece. James Webster supported their performances with 10 points.
On the other end of the court, Aaron Bellamy who scored 19 points led the Chiefs and posted two assists, one rebound and one steal.
Lance Bushaw’s 10 points assisted Bellamy. Bushaw also grabbed two rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Chiefs.
Chiefs head coach Lorenzo Jones said his team fought hard against a tough opponent.
At halftime, the score was 45-15 with the Blue Devils posting 27 of those points in the first quarter.
ECHS’s Dontae Johnson scored seven of his nine points in the second half, while Nate Davis and Johnathon Gholsby each scored four.
Hayes said the he was extremely happy with the ball movement around the court and the number of players that were able to put points on the board.
Northview’s troubles showed in the turnover margin, with the Chiefs turning the ball over 27 times.
Jones said the turnover issue needs to be corrected in practice, and added his team will work on ball control and movement before their upcoming games.
Colton Sims led the Chiefs in rebounds with five and scored three points with one steal and one assist. Dabney Langhorne scored five points for Northview and recorded two rebounds and one steal. Jocqus Lett and Ladarion White each posted four points for the Chiefs. Lett finished the night with two assists and one rebound as well. White pulled down three rebounds and served up one assist.
Luke Killam and Jody Levins scored two points apiece.
For the Blue Devils, Charles Crook, Mark Watson and Lawrence Arnold all scored three points. Nik Radojicic finished the game with two, and Myles Everett posted one point in the victory.
The Blue Devils next game is Friday at T.R. Miller. The Chiefs play their next game Friday hosting South Walton.
Lady Blue Devils 61
Lady Chiefs 42
The Escambia County Lady Blue Devils dismantled the Northview Lady Chiefs 61-42 Monday night at Northview.
The Lady Blue Devils pushed their way through the game, and Courtney English’s 19 points led the charge for ECHS. English finished the game with seven rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocked shots.
Lady Blue Devils head coach Ray Greer said English had her breakout night.
English’s stats were supported by several of her teammates. Megan Hartley posted a season high with 13 points and also recorded seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jordan Jaye scored nine points for the Lady Devils and grabbed five rebounds and had one blocked shot.
Brittany Martin scored eight points, with three blocks and two rebounds. Jodeci Craft scored seven points for ECHS and pulled down four boards and served up two assists. Latesha Lee scored five points, grabbed six rebounds, gave ou three assists and two steals.
Greer said his team did a good job of shutting down a tough opponent and was proud of the defense his team played.
The Lady Chiefs were led by Timeka Marshall’s 18 points. Marshall who hit 63 percent of her shots also posted three assists, two steals and one rebound.
Lady Chiefs head coach Obreonne Parker-Smith said she was happy with her team’s play against a tough Lady Blue Devils team.
Gabe Wesley scored 11 points for the Lady Chiefs and pulled down seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Lady Chiefs. Shaniqua Jones led Northview in rebound by pulling down 10 boards. Jones also had six points, three steals and one assist.
Brittney Thompson scored four points, grabbed seven rebounds, three steals and one assist. Angela Rodriguez put up three points for the Lady Chiefs and had one rebound. Shakeria White had two rebounds, while Taylor Byrd pulled down one board.
The Lady Blue Devils next game is Friday at T.R. Miller at 6 p.m. The Lady Chiefs host South Walton Friday at 6 p.m.