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As the sun set on Escambia Academy’s campus in Canoe on Monday, the school’s football team was still working.

The Cougars will be playing in their fourth-straight AISA state championship game this Friday in Veterans Memorial Stadium at Troy University.

To make it four years straight is commendable.

Recently, The Atmore Advance published a story detailing EA’s junior varsity football team’s undefeated season. The team hasn’t lost a game since the 2017 season.

Now, that may seem pretty one sided in the grand scheme of things, but it too, is commendable.

When asked why the team has had so much success, JV coach John Fields said coach Hugh Fountain started them in the weight room right away.

And it translated onto the field and in the coming years as the JV players transitioned into their varsity roles.

As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the varsity football team, wearing practice uniforms and whatever kept them warm, were focused on the task at hand.

It didn’t take anything to motivate the players to come to practice, Fountain said afterward.

This is a special time for EA’s varsity football team. This is state championship week.

As they have done the last three seasons, the Cougars will venture to Troy tomorrow for practice, and then return for a pep rally at 6 p.m.

We at The Atmore Advance wish the Cougars the best of luck this Friday as they take on the Generals.