DAPHNE — Bayside Academy had two chances to construct a game-winning drive in the final minutes of Friday’s Class 4A Region 1 game against T.R. Miller, but both resulted in turnovers and points for the Tigers to help the visitors notch a 31-17 win on Freedom Field.

“We’re a team that has proven we’ll fight and they did that all night. We came back from deficit early and I’m proud of our guys,” Admiral head football coach Barrett Trotter said. “I know there are things that we can correct the mistakes that we made and that’s why I’m glad this team is continuing to get better every week. Now, all those mistakes are correctable and we’ll be ready to go next week.”

Bayside Academy took a four-point lead just before the fourth quarter on a 46-yard pitch and catch from sophomore Sammy Dunn to senior Tait Moore. T.R. Miller started its go-ahead drive with 6:50 left in regulation and used a fourth-and-inches conversion to help take a 19-17 lead with only 1:32 to play.

On the second play of the Admirals’ ensuing drive, they were moving the ball past midfield when Dunn hit classmate Damien Tate over the middle in space. As the receiver neared the sideline, however, he was stripped of the ball and the Tigers returned the fumble 52 yards for a touchdown.

A missed point-after try left Bayside Academy’s deficit at one possession, 25-17, with only 1:08 left to play. Dunn and the Admirals were once again moving the ball into T.R. Miller territory only for his final attempt to be intercepted and returned 65 yards for a touchdown as time expired.

Missed points come back to haunt Admirals

Trotter noted that junior Burk Brown stole an interception at the end of the second quarter that set up the Admirals on the Tigers’ 40-yard line but that possession did not end in points for the hosts.

“I thought we controlled the ball really well until the end of the game where the turnovers, obviously, were the difference. But we gave ourselves a chance to win at the end which we just have got to finish those,” Trotter said. “We had the ball on a turnover that we didn’t get any points on and that would have been a really, really big one. We’ve got to get points every time we cross the 50.”

Fourth-down gamble pays off

Bayside Academy’s second drive of the second half was nearing midfield when the Admirals were faced with a 4th-and-inches from their own 44-yard line. Trailing 13-10 in the third quarter, Trotter decided to go for it.

“We knew we had to score. That’s really what it came down to,” the head coach said. “We had a play that had been working most of the night and felt really good about it and our guys came up with it.”

After Tate’s rush extended the drive on fourth down, Bayside Academy faced a 3rd-and-11 opportunity just two plays later.

Trotter: Get the ball in Moore’s hands and good things happen

With their backs against the wall, it was Moore who came up with the Admirals’ go-ahead touchdown and Trotter said he knew exactly who to lean on with the game on the line.

“Every time you watch Tait Moore play football, he’s going to give you everything he has,” Trotter said. “He’s normally going to have one game-changing play when he has the ball in his hands if we give him enough opportunities, and he always continues to do that.”

Another big conversion and this one goes for six! @SamuelLDunn11 finds @MooreTait who does the rest and completes a 46-yard touchdown on 3rd and 11. With only 25 seconds left in the third, @Bayside_Admiral takes a 17-13 lead over T.R. Miller #ALHSFB pic.twitter.com/Kf5nn7ugo8

— Gulf Coast Media Sports (@GCMSportsAL) October 7, 2023

Moore also scored Bayside Academy’s other touchdown on the night with a 1-yard rush in the second quarter. Senior classmate Thomas Cunningham opened the scoring for the Admirals with a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Life lessons learned on the gridiron

Still, that effort was not quite enough to lift Bayside Academy Friday night and Trotter said that’s just fine. It’s the team’s answer to the game that will tell him the most.

“We’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to be ready to go next week,” Trotter said of his message to the team. “Win, lose or draw we’re blessed to play this game; and that’s life. You don’t win everything in life but how you respond ultimately determines what kind of person you are and what kind of team you are.”

Up next

The Bayside Academy Admirals fell to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in region play with an away contest against the Orange Beach Makos (0-6, 0-4) set for Week 8. The T.R. Miller Tigers improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the region standings with an away game against the Escambia County Blue Devils (5-2, 2-2) on tap for next Friday, Oct. 13.

Money quote

“We’ll get them next year,” Trotter closed.

Other Week 7 finals

Foley 21, Fairhope 17

No. 1 Gulf Shores 45, Williamson 13

No. 3 Jackson Academy 48, Snook Christian 26

McGill-Toolen 34, Baldwin County 23

Murphy 39, Robertsdale 27

Spanish Fort 35, St. Paul’s 6

St. Michael 49, Orange Beach 3

UMS-Wright 55, Elberta 13