AUTAUGAVILLE — The Ellwood Christian Academy Eagles successfully bounced back from their first loss of the season, as they defeated Autaugaville 26-12 on the road Friday in a region game.

Mike Stokes, head football coach of Ellwood Christian Academy (3-1, Class 1A-Region 3), said his team showed a lot of perseverance in Friday’s win.

“We didn’t give up. We really didn’t,” Stokes said. “We didn’t give up, we played hard, we played good defense, and we had a few letdowns, but we just kept playing. I’ve got to admit, Autaugaville is a dang good football team. Autaugaville was one of the better teams we played, if not the best team we played.”

The Eagles got a pair of defensive touchdowns on the night, as Deriaun Glenn scored on an 80-yard interception and Devonte Cleveland scored on a 90-yard interception.

The Eagles also scored twice through the air on offense, as Cleveland caught a 60-yard touchdown and Quintravis Johnson scored on a 22-yard touchdown catch.

Stokes said it was a good region win for the Eagles, led by strong defensive play.

“It was good for us. It just shows the character of the team. We just didn’t give up on ourselves and we just kept fighting until the end,” Stokes said. “I think our defensive performance was great. Offensively, we’re getting better every week, but we’re still a step or two behind.”

Ellwood returns home Friday to face A.L. Johnson with kickoff at 7 p.m.