By Daniel Evans

The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Saints routed the Ellwood Christian Eagles 54-14 Friday night at Memorial Stadium to finish the regular season at 7-3,  their best season since 1994.

Selma’s Davian Brantley — one of 17 seniors playing their final home game for the Saints — returned the opening kickoff 82-yards for a touchdown to set the tone for the entire evening.

“We got off to a good start on them,” Selma head coach Leroy Miles said. “We were able to have some success on them early on the game. We got the momentum and it was hard for them to get back in the game.”

Miles said earlier in the week that he hoped his team would give next week’s playoff opponent — No. 1 ranked Spanish Fort — something to look at on film.

“They do know we have a slew of running backs that can run the football,” Miles said about what tape of this game might show. “They will see that we can run the football.”

With running backs Adam Bruno, Davion Dubose, Cinque Coles and Charvis Woods carrying the bulk of the load, the Saints ran for 275 yards.

If Spanish Fort turns on tape from this game to see what they might face next week, it will show a hungry defense that recorded two safeties and a hot start that saw the Saints score four times in the first six minutes of the game.

Following the opening kickoff return, the Selma defense converged on Ellwood quarterback Jalen Furlow and sacked him in the end zone, resulting in a safety that gave Selma a 9-0 lead.

Two plays later — following a 47-yard halfback pass by Marquell Moorer to Ernest Gunn — Bruno ran in for a 8-yard touchdown run to make the lead 16-0 Selma with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Following an Eagles punt, Davion Dubose scored on a 22-yard run to extend the Saints lead to 23-0 with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the rout continued. Bruno, Dubose and Trivonne Allen ran for touchdowns to extend Selma’s lead to 45-0 at halftime.

The third quarter was shortened to six minutes, but Selma still found a way to add to its lead. The Saints sacked Furlow in the end zone for another safety with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter. Minutes later, Charvis Woods scored on a 1-yard run to extend Selma’s lead to 54-0.

Ellwood Christian found the endzone twice in the closing minutes. Furlow threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Cordarius Hayes to make the score 54-6. In the fourth quarter — which was shortened to four minutes — Furlow threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Rayford Mitchell.

“We fought and we fought and we fought,” Ellwood Christian head coach Mikes Stokes said. “That’s a 5A school with 2,000 kids and we have a school with 200. We didn’t give up. We fought and I appreciate that from the kids.”

The Eagles finish the year at 2-8, while Selma prepares for next week’s playoff game at Spanish Fort.