By By Chandler Myers
As storms rolled through the Gulf Coast Friday night, the Escambia County Blue Devils faced a tsunami as the Gulf Shores Dolphins hung 42 points on the board in a 42-6 victory.
The Blue Devils (1-6, 1-4) fought an uphill battle as a superior Gulf Shores team moved the ball up and down the field the entire game.
Blue Devils head coach Kyle Davis said the first few minutes were key because his team did not come out with intensity.
"The first few minutes we didn't play with any heart," he said. "The guys went out and played like a team without any ambition."
Offensively, the Blue Devils made plays here and there, but could never keep any of their drives moving consistently.
Davis said two good drives in the first half were stalled due to turnovers. He added that moving the ball was never the problem in the game.
"We moved the ball really well," he said. "We had a couple of fumbles in the first half, which they were able to score because of. That helped them go up 28-0 by halftime. We had good drives, but could not punch it into the end zone."
Defensively, the Blue Devils were outmatched by the air attack that Gulf Shores presented.
Davis said coverages were a problem that plagued his team throughout the game.
"Gulf Shores' offense is really good," he said. "They have a good quarterback, and we just were confused in our coverages, and they took advantage of it."
One difference in the Blue Devils game Friday was the appearance of several younger players on the roster.
Davis said allowing young players to get experience is key if the team is to improve. He added that playing younger players will continue during the remainder of the season.
"We let a lot more of our young players get in the game tonight," he said. "They really played with heart, and did a great job for us. We aren't going to pull everyone out of the game, but we are going to give our young guys more opportunities to get in and get game experience."
Next Friday, the Blue Devils host Citronelle at Herbert Barnes Stadium. Kick off is at 7 p.m.