By By Matthew Nascone
In 2006 the Escambia County Blue Devils football team had their best season in 11 years. The Devils went 5-5 in the regular season and entered the playoff picture for the first time since 2001.
To honor this accomplishment, the ECHS Booster Club will bring a former graduate to speak at the annual football banquet on Feb 23.
Don McNeal, a 1976 graduate of ECHS, will speak at the banquet and he will sign his new book, "Home Team Advantage," before the banquet at the north branch of First National Bank &Trust from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
"Don is from here and we were glad he said he would come talk to the team," a Booster Club member said said.
Incoming executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, Steve Savarese, will also speak to the team and all in attendance at the banquet.
The booster club wanted Savarese to come and talk to the team about the situation with the ineligible athletes.
Mainly the banquet will be an avenue for all in attendance to see how much the Blue Devils accomplished on the field in 2006. Head coach Kyle Davis and his staff took a team many thought would go nowhere and took them to the playoffs. Many Booster Club members have said Davis stayed humble throughout.
"He (Davis) is an admirable guy," one member said. "Through all of this, we were all telling him how great of a job he has done and he would always say 'We have done a good job.' He would never take any of the credit, he would let us know it was the entire staff that got the team where they are today."
The banquet will start at 7 p.m. The Booster Club has purchased steaks and they will cook them and David's Catfish House will provide the side dishes.