By By Matthew Nascone
The game may not have meant anything in the record books, but the Escambia County Blue Devils football team wanted to win their scrimmage game against Robertsdale Friday night.
The Blue Devils are classified in Class 4A of the AHSAA system and Robertsdale was 6A, and that was the fuel the Blue Devils used to try and defeat them. That plan did not work, as ECHS lost, 22-20.
However, the game got interesting in the second half. After dropping into a 22-0 hole, the Blue Devils stormed back to pull within two points in the final minute of play.
Running back Katral James raced up the sideline for 79 yards and a score as time was winding down.
"Katral can really run that ball when he gets going," ECHS head coach Kyle Davis said.
James' run made the score 22-20 with the two-point attempt to come, but quarterback Michael Thomas could not find the room up the middle and the game was over.
But before James set up the dramatic finish, the Blue Devils had to rely on their defense in the second half.
"We had a real come to Jesus meeting in the locker room at halftime," Davis said. "We had a lot of things said that needed to be said for a long time. And they came out of the locker with that fire in their eyes, especially the defense."
The Blue Devil defense allowed only two first downs in the second half, Davis said.
This was a scrimmage game and the JV team was allowed to play the entire second quarter of the game, but Davis said the game would have been different if it was varsity against varsity for the entire game.
"Our JV boys battled out there, but there is no doubt in my mind if we would have had the varsity out there the whole time we would have won," Davis said.
Robertsdale scored two touchdowns on the varsity Devils. But Davis said it was a victory for ECHS no matter what.
"I was pleased with the effort out there today, especially in the second half," he said. "We rallied in that second half and the D came up big for us. But so did the offense. Michael (Thomas) did what he does best and we scored some points."
Davis said the game might not have been a win for the Devils, but it showed him what the fall would look like.
"The attitude of the kids was great in that second half and that is what I like to see," Davis said. "And I am looking forward to good things in the fall."
James powered the Blue Devils' offense with 182 yards on 15 carries.