Things got hairy for the Escambia County Blue Devils in the Class 4A Area 1 Tournament on Friday and Monday.

The Blue Devils faced stiff competition from the B.C. Rain Raiders and UMS-Wright Bulldogs in both tournament match ups, but managed to come away from the scraps with wins.

In earning the victories, the Blue Devils showed two things about their team.

First, they showed they still have some work to do if they want to consider themselves serious contenders for a state championship.

Friday and Monday showed serious issues that could plague the team when it come to playing in the subregional or even the regional tournament should they make it that far.

There were too many errant shots that were missed and turned into points on the other end of the court. An extra pass here or there never hurts, especially if it means finding someone inside the post or someone a little more open.

A little more teamwork will go a long way towards helping this team achieve the goal.

They have done this for a majority of the season and it helped them earn the No. 4 ranking in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.

This is stuff that can be corrected by looking to each other as well as interim head coach Jerome Webster for guidance.

If not, an early exit from the post season is possible.

The other thing the team showed is how talented they are despite the mistakes they made in the area tournament.

They won two games on their way to the championship with less than mediocre play.

In both games, they trailed, but fought back to come away with wins that should have never been close. Playing at their best, they could have won both by more than 15 points.

Escambia County boasts a talented team that needs to get it together for Friday night’s subregional game against Hillcrest.
The Jaguars will not be some slouch coming to town that will bow out easily.

The Blue Devils need to come together and realize this game is more than just about them. This is about a school and a community that is looking for successful end to what has been a great basketball season.

Losing in the subregional will not be the answer.

So, Blue Devils, how about showing the talented team that you are and earn an impressive victory.

We all know that you have it in you. You just have to do it.

Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or by e-mail at sports@atmoreadvance.com.