Escambia County’s football team competed in its third 7-on-7 competition of the summer on Thursday, with the Blue Devils traveling to Citronelle High School for a tournament.

The Blue Devils were in a tournament with nine other teams looking not only to win, but also to improve their passing offense and defense as well.

The tournament began with pool play and then moved into a elimination-style format, Escambia County head football coach Mark Heaton said.

“Citronelle hosted a 7-on-7 that had 10 teams competing,” he said “We had a chance to play three or four games in pool play, and we were then seeded into a bracket. Once, the teams were put into the bracket it was single elimination.”

The Blue Devils went head-to-head with several teams before falling late in the tournament to a Mobile school.

Escambia County played well enough to make it to the semifinals of the tournament, Heaton said.

“Our kids competed well in the pool and bracket play,” he said. “All of our games, we won or lost by a touchdown. It was extremely competitive, and once we got into bracket play, we made it to the Final Four losing to Mary Montgomery out of Mobile.”

Against Mary Montgomery, the Blue Devils faced an uphill battle early, but gave themselves opportunities to keep it close.

A costly interception put the game out of reach when the Blue Devils were driving ot tie the game, Heaton said.

“The Mary Montgomery game was in the semifinals,” he said. “We fell down 14-0 after a couple of drives that we turned over the ball on downs. We scored on our third series to cut the score to 14-7, and we were moving the ball on our next drive after a big interception. We had a chance to tie the game, but made a wrong read and their defensive back made an interception and they scored on the next play. We just ran out of time, but Mary Montgomery played really well and made some big plays against us.”

Despite not winning the tournament, the Blue Devils continued to show the effects of Heaton’s coaching.

The sportsmanship displayed by his team is something that Heaton is most proud of, he said.

“We are proud of the way our kids went out there and competed,” he said. “They exemplified the character and class that we want they hold to on and off the field.”

Fighting adversity is something Heaton looks to instill in his players, and it showed in his first season with wins over T.R. Miller and Jackson.

This year’s group of players is taking the adversity and fighting it as a team instead of one-on-one, Heaton said.

“I told our guys that the thing I was proud of was the fact that the kids we have this year play harder when they face adverse situations,” he said. “That says a lot of our group of players. We are a lot closer this year as a team and our kids are closer to each other and enjoybeing around each other. We have a unique group here, and they are continuing to play competitively. Being able to play against an opponent from a higher classification just makes us better and makes us fight harder. We want our guys to face that type of team, so they can learn what it takes to be successful against the best.”

Through three competitive 7-on-7s, the Blue Devils have received repeated work.

These compeetitions give players a challenge they do not receive in normal practices, Heaton said.

“They have definitely gotten a ton of reps, so things are sinking in with every player,” he said. “These 7-on-7s have given our guys the opportunity to learn how to overcome challenges in a competitive atmostphere. Those are things that cannot be learned anywhere except in a competitive atmosphere. Having that opportunity puts our guys ahead of the eight ball.”

Despite improvements, more work is needed for the Blue Devils to be at their best when the season starts.

A consistent result is one of the main things the team has to get better at, Heaton said.

“We have a lot of work to do everywhere,” he said. “We have improved, but we still need to see some things get better. I would like to see some mor e depth in our secondary. We are making big plays offensively, but we just need to find more consistency.”

Monday marks the final 7-on-7 for ECHS with three teams coming to Herbert Barnes Stadium.

For the final competition of the season, the coaching staff wants to see a competitive spirit to end the summer on before fall practice, Heaton said.

“We want them to come out and compete every down,” he said. “We want to get this over with because we are ready to start fall practice. We are tired of these 7-on-7s and ready to get to the nuts and bolts of things.”