DAPHNE, Ala. — Bayshore Christian played Friday night without its head coach on the sideline, but the Eagles made sure Jacy Todd was part of the night anyway. With Todd out due to illness, Bayshore Christian built a 26-0 halftime lead and rolled past Northside Methodist 40-7 in a Class A Region 1 game on Friday, Oct. 16, at Trione Park in Daphne.
The win came on homecoming, and it carried extra meaning for the Fairhope school’s players, who dedicated the effort to their absent coach.
“We did all this for him,” senior Henry Rainer said. “He was gone tonight, but he was still with us when we were out there playing. We used the discipline he taught us out there on that field, and we thought of him every play.”
Assistant steps in, keeps Todd’s game plan
Assistant coach Justin Chappell led the Eagles in Todd’s absence. He was quick to give the credit to the head coach and the system Todd put in place.
“It’s been tough without coach Todd this week,” Chappell said. “This is his team. All the plays we ran tonight are his plays. We just did what he taught us to do.”
Chappell said the players’ focus on one another stood out from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
“This is probably the most energy and positivity we’ve had this year,” Chappell said. “They just focused on each other and kept it up the whole game. I’m proud of them.”
Fast start puts game away early
The Eagles left little doubt about the outcome by halftime. Bayshore Christian scored on drive after drive in the first two quarters and took a 26-0 lead into the break, giving the homecoming crowd plenty to cheer about.
Northside Methodist did not get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, by which point the Eagles had already put the game out of reach.
Near-perfect night for the offense
Bayshore’s offense was nearly unstoppable. The Eagles scored on every possession except the final drive of each half, never punted and never turned the ball over.
They finished with 480 yards of total offense to Northside Methodist’s 150, splitting the work between a 312-yard rushing attack on 27 carries and 168 passing yards.
The lack of punts also had a payoff off the field, according to Rainer.
“No punts!” Rainer said. “That means a pizza party.”
Turner, Harris power the ground game
Bricen Turner was the most efficient runner on the field. He needed only six carries to pile up 78 yards and scored on runs of 10 and 14 yards.
Chase Harris added a pair of short touchdown runs, punching in scores from 3 and 5 yards out. Quarterback Sammy Van Cleave also contributed on the ground, gaining 67 yards on eight carries.
Bayshore used two quarterbacks, and both found the end zone through the air. Van Cleave connected with Aaron Norton on a 6-yard touchdown pass, and Gaines Gilliver hit Hayden Graham for a 33-yard score. Together, Gilliver and Van Cleave completed 9 of 15 passes for 168 yards.
Northside Methodist’s lone touchdown came late, when Maverick Rufli scored on a 1-yard run with 5:58 left in the game.
A first homecoming victory
For Rainer and his teammates, the result also ended a long wait. According to the senior, the program had never won a homecoming game before Friday.
“We never won a Homecoming game ever, so this means a lot to us,” Rainer said.
The win improved Bayshore Christian to 3-5 overall and 2-4 in region play. Northside Methodist fell to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in the region.
What’s next: Mobile Christian closes the season
Bayshore Christian will finish its regular season at home next week against Mobile Christian. Chappell said he hopes the Eagles can bring the same energy into that game.
“Hopefully, we can keep this intensity going to Mobile Christian next week,” Chappell said.
Mobile Christian will arrive with plenty at stake as well. The Leopards are coming off a 27-20 loss at Bayside Academy on Friday, a game in which Bayside scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to clinch the Class A Region 1 title. Mobile Christian is 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the region.
For Bayshore Christian, the matchup is a chance to close the regular season with back-to-back region wins in front of the home crowd.
After a season that has included its share of setbacks, Friday’s performance gave the Eagles a high point to build on: a dominant homecoming win, played in honor of their head coach, heading into the final week.
