FOLEY - A festive evening at Snook Christian Academy was highlighted by the school celebrating its first Homecoming at its new on-campus stadium.

Constructed over the summer, the Eagles’ nest initially hosted a game on Sept. 4, and the home side was eager to secure the first win in its new digs Thursday night.

But another group of Eagles were hoping to spoil the party, because Bayshore Christian visited town for the first meeting between these smaller private-school programs. Each of these schools have been playing football for less than 10 years, making this a pivotal contest for their continued growth.

With a jubilant scene surrounding a game that was moved up a day due to the weekend’s inclement weather, it was the visitors who jumped out to a sizable halftime lead and held off a late rally to secure a 40-20 win.

“I thought our effort was great, and I thought that in the first half our execution was really good,” Bayshore Christian head coach Jacy Todd said. “But I gotta give it to our Snook friends, they made two great plays in the second half with their interceptions and really kept fighting.”

As mentioned, Todd’s side struck early and often during the opening half.

Snook junior Lukas Merchant managed to pick up a first down for his team across two plays, but a leaping interception by Bayshore’s Jack Rainer brought the home side’s opening drive to an abrupt halt.

And soon after, Matthew Weaver took a sweep deep into opposing territory. Chase Harris capped the drive by rumbling for a 30-yard touchdown that saw him go nearly untouched into the end zone.

“We practiced running the whole week, we knew that’s what we were gonna do,” Harris said.

Snook blocked the ensuing point-after attempt, but Bayshore had still jumped out to a 6-0 lead with three minutes not even having gone off the clock.

Looking to respond, the hosting Eagles again manufactured a promising drive thanks to a facemask penalty and a first-down carry from senior Dallion Blake, but they were eventually forced to punt.

Those visiting Eagles proceeded to produce likely the longest drive of the game, and it all started with senior quarterback Samuel Van Cleave keeping a read-option to move the chains.

Aided by a facemask penalty from Snook, Harris and company continued to churn out yardage on the ground. And just after the game moved into the second quarter, sophomore Bricen Turner waltzed his way into the end zone, although the home team again blocked the ensuing kick, keeping the score at 12-0.

Another quick Snook punt set Bayshore up near midfield, and this time it struck through the air, as sophomore Gaines Gilliver lofted a pass over the defense and hit sophomore Casen Whiteside in stride for an explosive touchdown.

Facing a 19-0 deficit roughly halfway through the second quarter, junior quarterback Aaron Ashley provided a spark for his team when he linked up with sophomore Bryce McNellage for a chunk gain.

But Bayshore’s Pierce Boyett picked off a deep pass from Snook soon after, and that led to more points off turnovers for the visitors.

Harris muscled his way past midfield for a large gain, and Van Cleave continued to move the chains when he ran for the needed yardage on a fourth down.

That all set up another touchdown from Turner, with this one requiring a bit more muscle to score.

Looking to execute a two-minute drill to steal back some momentum, Snook got exactly what it needed when Merchant returned the ensuing kickoff past midfield and was pulled down by his facemask.

Ashley connected with sophomore Emmitt Arnold to convert a fourth down later in the drive, but another interception kept the score at 26-0 heading into halftime. Fittingly, Turner continued his stellar half by being the one to pick off the throw.

“First half, quite honestly I was very disappointed with our performance,” Snook Christian head coach Keith Smith said. “Offensively we had a couple of chances to make plays but didn’t, and defensively we couldn’t get off the field.”

Coming out of the break, Smith opted to get tricky and attempt to light a fire under his team by trying an onside kick, but the visitors quickly recovered the loose pigskin.

And after Bayshore grinded out some more yardage on the ground, Ace Hensley took a screen in for a score that pushed the lead to 33-0.

But Snook refused to go down lightly, as Ashley led a gutsy drive to answer with his team’s first points of the night.

It began with the longtime Eagle rolling out and finding Arnold for a first-down gain. Then, a completion to 6-foot-5 sophomore Colton Givens moved the chains again before Ashley and Arnold linked up for another solid pickup.

But it was Merchant who produced one of the most impressive plays of the night right after, as he took a handoff, hit the edge and tightroped down the sideline before fully extending for the pylon.

With the home crowd beginning to make some noise in response, Snook continued to creep back into the game.

Bayshore mounted a quality drive, but freshman Jacob Dunlap impressively ripped the ball away from a receiver in the air to give it right back to Ashley and company.

A defensive pass interference allowed Snook’s offense to pass midfield, and Merchant continued his stellar second half by rushing for another first down.

Ashley did the same before he found the aforementioned Merchant for a completion that moved their team into the red zone.

Snook did eventually face a 4th-and-9 as the game moved into the fourth quarter, but Ashley connected with Arnold for a clutch catch, and the quarterback then snuck his way into the end zone to make the scoreboard read 33-12 with 10:19 left in the contest.

The magic of Homecoming seemed to seep into the game at this juncture, because the next Bayshore possession saw Dunlap break up a pass to allow freshman Kyler Merchant to run under the ball for yet another forced turnover.

With the wind at their backs, the hosting Eagles got right to work offensively. The Ashley-to-Givens connection converted an early fourth down, and the dynamic signal-caller picked up another solid gain with his legs.

Another completion–this one to sophomore Phenix Dicksey II–placed Snook in a goal-to-go situation, and Givens used his large frame to box out a defender on a slant and score a touchdown.

“They went with more quick game in the second half and did well with that, but I’m happy we didn’t give up any explosive plays,” Todd said. “I just think we maybe had lost a bit of focus in the second half, and you can’t do that.”

Ashley proceeded to bowl someone to convert the two-point attempt, making this a two-score game at 33-20 with just over three minutes left.

But Snook’s star signal-caller suffered an injury during his last run, and with Bayshore determined to run out the clock, the visitors did just that before tacking on another touchdown in the closing moments.

Here’s a breakdown of how Bayshore picked up a road win, what was said after the game and who each side will square off with next:

Primetime Performers

Bricen Turner

Bayshore | Running Back/Defensive Back | Sophomore

Notable Stats: 2 rushing touchdowns, 1 interception

There were plenty of Bayshore Eagles who stood out in this game, but Turner may have stolen the show in the stat sheet.

He capped two lengthy drives with scoring runs and also kept Snook from scoring before halftime with his leaping interception.

Samuel Van Cleave

Bayshore | Quarterback | Senior

Notable Stats: A plethora of critical first downs gained

Van Cleave may not have accounted for a touchdown on the night, but his impact can be measured far beyond the box score.

The senior signal-caller expertly managed his offense throughout the game, displaying efficiency through the air while picking up key first downs with his legs when his team needed them.

Van Cleave also deserves credit for leading a clock-draining drive in the closing moments that prevented the home side from maintaining its momentum.

“We were definitely hungry coming into this one,” Van Cleave said. “Coming off a three-game losing streak, we were chomping at the bit, and we were rested coming off the bye week. So coming out here and dominating in a good, physical game, it just means a lot to us.”

Lukas Merchant

Snook | Wide Receiver/Running Back | Junior

Notable Stats: 1 rushing touchdown, 1 40-plus yard kick return

Wherever one looked Thursday night, it seemed like Merchant was making a key play.

Whether he was returning a kickoff for a big gain, moving the chains with his legs or opening the scoring for Snook, Merchant continually made an impact in more ways than one.

*Merchant’s teammates told me that he’d be a breakout star when I visited their practice during the preseason. Safe to say their claims have been backed up.*

Defining Moments

Ace Hensley’s touchdown to open the second half (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 8.0

In the history of football, plenty of halftime deficits have been overcome by those trailing.

But far, far fewer of such rallies occur after the leading team scores to begin the third quarter, and Bayshore did exactly that to push its advantage to an insurmountable 33-0 at that stage.

Snook certainly mounted an inspired rally, but that deficit is a steep hill to climb, not to mention the momentum the visitors gained.

Jack Rainer’s opening-drive interception (1st Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5

While Bayshore did jump out to the commanding halftime lead, Snook had a chance to alter that script during its very first possession.

But Rainer stepped up for his defense with an interception and even showed off some return skills by navigating his way to almost midfield.

Snook’s tipped interception (4th Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 6.5

Legitimately anything can happen in high school football.

And when Snook picked off Bayshore for a second straight drive with just under 10 minutes left in the game, individuals on both sidelines began to believe that a comeback could actually occur.

The home side likely needed to score quicker during its ensuing possession to fully capitalize on the moment, but the late turnover was just another example of how hard Smith’s players fought to get back into the game.

“I was proud of the kids for not quitting,” Smith said. “We had some guys step up and make big plays in the second half. I wasn’t sure how we’d react after halftime, but our kids showed a lot of heart and guts.”

Quotes To Note

• “We’ve got a lot of work to do to get better, but we’re healthy and getting ready to play a tough Cottage Hill team this next week. So our focus is going to be celebrating this, but we’ve got to go and clean up the mistakes.” — Jacy Todd, Bayshore Christian Head Coach
• “Coach Todd and his staff do such a tremendous job, which we saw on film. They’re not the most talented team around, but they’re one of the best-coached.” — Keith Smith, Snook Christian Head Coach
• “They [Snook] came back and hit us in the mouth. So we just had to buckle up, lock back in and finish out the half.” — Samuel Van Cleave, Bayshore Christian Quarterback
• “I told them [O-line] that I just need them to block for me, and I’ll find a hole and hit it. And then I told them that I love them after the game.” — Chase Harris, Bayshore Christian Running Back
• “It’s nice to have some people in Baldwin County that we can play. It’s a lot more fun to have these kind of local rivalries, and Snook is also a lot closer in size to us.” — Todd speaking on schedule changes due to recent reclassifications
• “It’s a dream come true for me. Having such a beautiful facility and the environment we had, I couldn’t have seen it in my wildest imagination. And there’s a lot of people behind the scenes who do an awful lot for our team and school, so I’m very appreciative of what they do.” — Smith speaking on the new stadium and first Homecoming atmosphere

Obscure Observations

• This was the first time Bayshore and Snook Christian met on the gridiron.
• Bayshore did plenty right Thursday night, but two things stood out to me. The first was that its defense set the edge really well against a quarterback in Ashley who likes to bounce runs to the perimeter. And the second was the play-calling from Todd and his staff, as they really managed this game well and spiced things up at just the right moments.
• The new stadium is just the first phase of Snook’s athletic renovation plans. According to Athletic Director Bob Gabel, the school hopes to have an on-campus baseball field functioning before its next season begins in the spring, and both a fieldhouse and concessions building are also set to be added to the football facility.

Up Next

Bayshore (2-4, 1-2): @ Cottage Hill (4-1, 2-1) | Friday, Oct. 9

The Eagles will remain on the road when they visit Cottage Hill next week.

“This definitely gives us a momentum boost, but we’re still hungry,” Van Cleave said. “We have a couple tough opponents coming up, but we’re gonna have a good week of practice and give it our all.”

Snook (1-4, 0-4): @ Northside Methodist (0-6, 0-3) | Thursday, Oct. 8

Meanwhile, these Eagles will hit the road for a Thursday-night battle with Northside Methodist.