By Tim Fleischer Editor-in-Chief

From the get-go, Salado Eagles took control of their non-district rivalry with the Academy Bees played Sept. 7 at John Glover Stadium, leading off with Wrook Brown recovering his own on-side kick near midfield.

Nine plays later, Connor Cook dove into the end zone from the 3. Brown converted the first of five point-after kicks on the night to give Salado a 7-0 lead at the 8:38 mark in the game.

Cook carried the ball 25 times for 208 yards and four touchdowns in a domineering ground performance.

Rustin Hale, coming off a pre-season injury, showed his stuff on defense by falling on an Academy fumble at the Bees’ 40 yard line.

Cook carried the ball four times and Hunter Turk carried it twice, including the 4 yard TD from the 4 yard line with 3:44 left in the first.

The Eagles went up 21-0 late in the second quarter after stopping the Bees at the Salado 36 yard line. A sack by #57 on third down gave the Bees a fourth and 19.

Salado then drove 64 yards in nine plays with Cook scoring on a 12 yard jaunt at 1:58 left in the half.

The Eagles opened the second half by driving 85 yards in 10 plays. Hutton Haire, who stepped in at quarterback when Brown moved to running back because  Tate Harvey went out with an injury, completed his only pass of the night, connecting with Brown who made a leaping catch for 31 yards to be stopped just shy of the goal line. Turk dove in from there and Brown’s kick made it 28-0.

Peyton Miller fell on an Academy fumble at the Salado 37. 

Cook took the first down handoff from Haire, dashed  through the hole in the Academy defensive line and outran the defensive secondary for a 63-yard TD, the longest play of the night. Brown made it 35-0 with 3:48 left in the third.

With 1:29 left in the game, Academy’s #74 fell on a fumble at the Salado 46 yard line.

Bee quarterback ran for 11 yards and threw for 9 more before needling his way through the Salado defense for a meaningless 26 yard touchdown with 24 seconds left to play.