Daphne’s Trojans continued their late season surge with a 2-1 victory at Northview Saturday night. The Trojans are in unchartered territory making the Final Four in Huntsville two years in a row.

Durand Bailey got the scoring started in the first half with a header off a corner kick from Reed Jackson. A defensive struggle ensued for the remaining first half.

The second half saw Northview control the pace of the game from kick off. They scored on a 30-yard rocket knotting the game at 1-1. That score seemed to energize the Trojans. They challenged every loose ball and began connecting multiple passes to regain control of the pace.

Daphne capitalized on a right cross from Connor Williams to Tres McMurphy at the edge of the six-yard box for a header over the out stretched arms of the Cougar goalie. game a said,

“It’s great to see a play come together that we’ve been working on every practice,” said assistant DHS coach Wes Hudson.

Brandon Bowers made several key saves in the waning minutes and elevated his teammates’ emotions with save after save. The time expired with Daphne’s defense clearing the ball past midfield.

Head coach Cam Williams stepped back to let the boys celebrate their accomplishment. He was happy with the overall effort and the incremental progress the boys are making each game

"We are excited to be heading back to the Final Four in Huntsville,” he said. “We came out and we wanted the game more. When Northview tied the game we didn't panic, the guys just fought harder. And that has been a recipe for our success down the stretch. We avenged a 3-1 loss from earlier this season in the Southern Shootout. We beat a well-coached team in Northview."

The biggest challenges remain, however, with a semi-final game versus the currently top ranked team from Pelham at 11 a.m. Friday. A victory would see them play the winner of Cullman versus G.W. Carver on Saturday.