The Erie Red Devils played their first-ever 8-man football game Friday night against the Cair Paravel Lions, falling 46-0 as head coach David Pitts begins to adapt to a new format.

 

With enrollment numbers leading Erie to make the move to 8-man football this year, the Red Devils are adjusting to a game with three fewer players on the field.

 

The Red Devils started on solid ground, trailing just 8-0 after the first quarter, and their offense put them in position to score but missed out on finding the end zone. Pitts says he liked what he saw from his team settling in before an injury to running back Quincy Brown took some of the momentum away.

 

Pitts says the Red Devils showed some fight after falling behind by a few scores, but he knows they’ll need to become more aggressive moving forward.

 

The Red Devils will face Pleasanton this Friday, as the Blue Jays are coming off a 38-30 win over St. Paul. Pitts will look to secure his first 8-man victory in a district matchup on the road.