By Pat Culverhouse
Minden’s Crimson Tide ran into a buzzsaw on the west side of Shreveport Friday, dropping a 56-0 decision to the Evangel Christian Academy Eagles in a District 1-4A game.
Things went bad for the Tide from the get-go when ECA’s Tyreek Robinson hauled in a 63-yard scoring toss from quarterback Peyton Fulghum on the game’s first play, a score that opened the flood gates for an Eagles’ 35-point first quarter.
After the Tide stopped an ECA scoring march with a fumble recovery at its five-yard line, Robinson took off on a 47-yard scoring run on the second play following Minden’s punt. Leading 14-0 with just under six minutes remaining, ECA put three more scores on the board on a nine-yard run from Josh Isaac, a 25-yard interception return and a 44-yard scoring toss from Fulgham to his brother, Parker.
Minden’s best scoring opportunity of the night came early in the second quarter. After a fourth-down Fulghum pass fell incomplete at the Tide 39, quarterback Hudson Brown hit Cameron Mitchell with a 48-yard pass to set the Tide up at the ECA 11-yard line. But Eagles lightening struck two plays later when Kennedy Calhoun stepped in front of a Tide receiver for an interception and scampered 95 yards to pay dirt and a 42-0 lead.
With a big lead and a running clock, ECA showed no merciful intentions, attempting an unsuccessful on-side kick following the score. But the Tide fumbled one play after recovering the kick and an ECA defender scooped and scored from 43 yards out for a 49-0 lead. ECA tried another onside kick following that score, but an offsides penalty killed that play and ended the half.
A 13-yard Fulghum-to-Fulghum scoring pass, this one in the third quarter, was the game’s final tally.
While the ECA defense put three scores on the board, the offense was piling up 278 yards on just 30 plays. Peyton Fulghum ended the contest with 10 completions on 12 attempts worth 183 yards and three touchdowns. Brother Parker Fulghum had five catches for 86 yards and caught two scoring passes. Robinson had a big night, rushing five times for 72 yards and a touchdown while hauling in four passes for 80 yards and a score.
Minden’s Brown finished the evening with nine completions on 27 attempts for 105 yards, but had three interceptions. Cameron Mitchell led receivers with 57 yards on two catches while Maurice Rabb caught three for 16 yards. Jackson Smith had a pair of catches for 11 yards and Jakobe Jackson caught one for 19.
On the ground, Calen Aubrey had 46 yards on eight tries, Dunovan Robinson gained 14 yards on 12 carries and Jackson carried three times for five yards.
With the loss, the Tide falls to 1-7 for the season; 1-4 in conference play. Next on the Tide schedule is a road trip to Shreveport next Friday to take on the Washington Lions in another district contest. ECA now stands at 5-3 for the year; 4-1 in 1-4A.
