Cougars top Presbyterian Christian 27-7 in opener
Published 11:06 pm Friday, August 21, 2020
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All Escambia Academy needed was some breathing room.
The Cougars got it in the form of a long touchdown pass from quarterback Landon Sims to Sam Fields in the third quarter, which helped lead the Canoe School to a 27-7 victory over Presbyterian Christian in the season opener on Friday.
Leading 13-7 at halftime, EA needed something to help break the game open.
After the visiting Hattiesburg, Miss. team turned the ball over on downs, the Cougars took advantage with the big play.
Sims found Fields with 4:51 left in the third, and then converted a 2-point conversion to go ahead 21-7.
“All we needed some was breathing room,” EA head football coach Hugh Fountain said. “They were playing us three yards in a cloud of dust. They were playing us in a slow (motion) game. If you’re playing in a slow mo game, and you’re up one touchdown, the game never gets away from you.
“That touchdown was big,” he said.
Sims added another scoring pass in the fourth quarter, a 22-yarder to Daughtry McGhee with 11:07 left in the game.
With the win, the Cougars avenge a 2019 loss to the Mississippi team.
Fountain said he felt like the boys played hard.
“We played physically aggressive,” he said. “I was pretty pleased with the effort. There are a lot of things we can get better at.”
Late in teh third quarter, play stopped because of lightning. Prior to the stoppage, the Cougars were driving and had momentum.
Play resumed some 30 minutes later.
The Cougars held in the fourth quarter, recovering a fumlbe with 3:28 left.
Fountain said playing a caliber team like PCS is good to start the season.
“It was big. Last year, this was a game we lost,” he said. “We made a lot of mistakes last year. We executed fairly well I thought considering this was the first game, and the fact that we didn’t have a spring.
“We have some guys playing both ways, and they sucked it up, and got after it,” he said.
EA hosts Glenwood School next Friday night.
Bayside Academy 26, Escambia County 0
Bayside Academy running back Jay Loper accounted for two touchdowns in the first half to help lead the Admirals to a 26-0 victory over Escambia County Friday night.
Loper scored his first touchdown on a 51-yard pass from quarterback Zachary Kittrell, and his second a short time later in the first on a 5-yard scoot.
In the second quarter, Kittrell found receiver Steadman Jones on a 33-yard pass with 11:43 left, and the Admirals lead 19-0.
Blue Devils head football coach Scott Mason said there were some young mistakes made, but they are fixable.
ECHS hosts T.R. Miller next week. TRM lost 24-22 to Jackson tonight.
