By BY BRUCE HIXON
from staff reports
Most running backs would be happy with the 105 yards rushing W.S. Neal B team member Akeem Green had Monday for a game.
Green accumulated his total in just one half and on only eight carries, as the Blue Eagles notched a 26-12 win over the visiting Escambia County Blue Devils.
Green has been active with the W.S. Neal program less than a week. He made 13 tackles on defense in his varsity debut against Thomasville Friday.
W.S. Neal (1-1) overcame three first half turnovers and four giveaways for the game to pick up its first win of the season. Most of that can be attributed to Green, who had runs of 36, 27, 18 and 12 yards in the first half.
The Blue Eagles missed an early opportunity to score when quarterback Taylor Cash was stripped of the ball at the Blue Devils' six-yard line.
W.S. Neal was able to maintain the good field position, as it pinned the Blue Devils inside the five-yard line to force a punt. The Blue Eagles took over at the Escambia County 39-yard line.
Two plays later Green made his first impact when he broke loose for a 36-yard touchdown run. He also added a two-point conversion that made it 8-0 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.
It took only 17 seconds for Escambia County to reply, as Douglas Oliver went down the right sideline on a 70-yard dash to the endzone. Unlike W.S. Neal, Escambia County came up empty on its two-point play try, which left the Blue Eagles still up 8-6.
A fumble recovery by the W.S. Neal defense at the Escambia County 42-yard in the waning moments of the first quarter set up the Blue Eagles second score.
Cash, who had a pair of completions for 24 yards, capped off the seven-play march with a one-yard quarterback keeper. A failed two-point conversion kept the Blue Eagles' lead at 14-6 with eight minutes left in the half.
W.S. Neal's defense came up with another turnover on an interception at the W.S. Neal 48 that set up another score.
A 27-yard gain by Green helped set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Cash to Donald Peacock. The Blue Eagles' lead remained 20-6 when the conversion failed.
Escambia County came up with a couple of big plays in the waning moments of the half to trim that lead.
First, Deuate Brown picked off a pass by Cash at the W.S. Neal with 23 seconds left. After a 12-yard pass completion, Cody Sprinkle threw an 11-yard touchdown strike to Josh Adams on the final play of the half. A failed conversion left W.S. Neal's lead at 20-12.
The lone score of the second half came in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Jason Bailey's 41-yard run set up a one-yard quarterback keeper by Cash for a touchdown that made it 26-12. The Blue Eagles came up empty on their third straight conversion.
W.S. Neal's next game is Monday at 6:30 p.m. when it travels to T.R. Miller.