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ECHS to begin region play next week

Escambia County’s William Bradley scored two touchdowns, and Jacob Hammac accounted for an additional pair as the Blue Devils beat Wilcox Central 41-0 in their season opener Friday night in Atmore.

ECHS scored on each of its five possessions in the first half en route to a 34-0 lead at the break, and its first early in the third quarter after a turnover. The Blue Devils’ defense shut down WC’s run game throughout the contest.

This game marks the first regular-season victory for first-year ECHS head football coach Scott Mason.

Mason said the team followed the game plan.

“We came out and did what we set out to do,” Mason said. “We moved some pieces, and that’s made the difference. We just had to have an adjustment.

“It worked well,” he said. “Jacob threw the ball well tonight.”
Hammac set up the Blue Devils’ first score with a 47-yard pass to receiver Allen Patterson early in the first quarter. Bradley then took it in from 9 yards, and with Aaron Calvis’ extra point try, the Blue Devils led 7-0.

Less than 3 minutes later, Bradley punched in his second touchdown of the night from 3 yards after Hammac connected with Patterson for a 29-yard pass.

Bradley’s stellar night would soon come to a close a short time later after an altercation between him and Wilcox Central’s Jaylin Jones occurred.

Mason said after the game that Jones pulled Bradley’s helmet off, and his running back retaliated.

“The kid snatched Trae’s (Bradley) helmet off and caught him in the eye with his finger nail,” the coach said. “He caught him under the eye, and blood few. He cut him pretty good. They’d been doing it and I already warned the referees.

“We retaliated and got in trouble,” he said. “Both of them got ejected, but it’s how you respond to that. Our kids have got to learn that a team that doesn’t have anything to lose or they were already behind, they were going to do that.”

Mason said Jones was ejected for pulling Bradley’s helmet off, and Bradley was ejected for throwing a punch at Jones’ head.

“We’ve got to be smarter than that,” he said. “I’m teaching my kids that’s it’s OK to be violent, but we’ve got to have controlled rage. Controlled rage, that’s our moniker. That’s what we go by.”
Bradley will have to sit out a few minutes of next week’s game at home against Monroe County because of the ejection. Additionally, a fine of $300 will be assessed on the school, but through completion of the STAR Sportsmanship Program with the Alabama High School Athletic Association, the fine will be reduced to $100, Mason said.

Other scoring during the contest included:

• Hammac connecting with Tyson Moorer from 5 yards out with 25.8 left in the first quarter;
• Hammac punching the ball in from the 1 with 9:30 left in the first half;
• Willie Banks scoring from 6 yards with 2:38 left in the second quarter; and,
• Craig Brown scampering into the end zone from 1-yard out with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

Hammac was 10-of-14 for 178 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions; Patterson had two receptions for 81 yards; and Moorer caught four for 52 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Craig Brown had four carries for 28 yards and a score; and Bradley had four carries for 24 yards and two scores.

Calvis went 5-for-6 on extra point tries, and the Blue Devils’ junior varsity squad moved the ball well, Mason said.

The Blue Devils gained 404 yards of total offense against Wilcox Central.

Next week, ECHS hosts Monroe County to begin Class 4A, Region 1 play.