DAPHNE — Bayside Academy wasted no time making a statement to the rest of the 3A postseason field, overwhelming Houston Academy in every phase to earn a 46-7 victory in round 1 of the playoffs. 

Sophomore quarterback Davis Barnett led the charge for Bayside, tossing five touchdown passes in a near-perfect outing. Athlete Noah Cain shined as well with an all-purpose performance, rushing for a touchdown, catching one and racking up plenty of return yards. 

The Admirals’ first drive set the tone immediately — Barnett connected on a shovel pass to Monroe Partin to move the chains before Brennen Yamane powered through the red zone. Moments later, Barnett found Cain for a touchdown just three and a half minutes into the game to give Bayside a 7-0 lead.

Houston’s offense, led by quarterback Judson Bailey, struggled to find its footing early. Back-to-back penalties left the Raiders facing 2nd-and-32 on their first drive, forcing a quick punt. Cain’s return past midfield gave Bayside another short field, and though an overthrown pass and penalty stalled the drive, the Admirals added a field goal to make it 10-0.

Following the win, Bayside head coach Barrett Trotter bragged about the offense but also noted that costly penalties have to be cleaned up. 

“We just got to play smarter,” Trotter said. “We have to keep our hands inside, line up the right way when we shift and motion. All those little details; we have to keep getting better at them and do the little things right.” 

The Raiders showed a brief spark late in the first quarter, but defenders such Partin, Billy Neill and Will Allen closed the door time and time again. The Admirals opened the second quarter with a strike from Barnett to Ladd Powers before a fumble by Caid Lyons briefly halted the momentum. Houston couldn’t take advantage, and after another quick punt, Bayside responded in a big way.

Cain took a handoff and sliced through the defense for a 78-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 17-0. Moments later following a Raiders three-and-out, Cain’s long return set up another scoring drive capped by a Barnett touchdown pass to Partin that made it 24-0.

The Admirals’ defense continued to swarm the backfield, with Allen and Neill combining to stuff Houston’s rushing attempts and force yet another punt. With only seconds left in the half, Barnett eluded pressure and found Lyons short of the goal line — Lyons made multiple defenders miss before punching it in for a score as time expired. On the extra point, a mishandled snap turned into a successful two-point conversion when Neill scooped the ball and pushed his way into the end zone, giving Bayside a commanding 32-0 halftime lead.

With a team full of upper classmen, it’s clear when watching Bayside how mature and experienced they are. Trotter explained why the maturity of this team has helped them excel. 

“We have a great defense,” Trotter said. “They play hard every single play and they don’t love giving up a yard. Offensively, we have done a great job of finding explosive plays and running the ball really well. The offensive line is playing great, and when we do throw it, it can be a touchdown on any play.”

Houston opened the second half with promise, picking up a first down before a tackle for loss killed the drive. After being pinned deep, Bayside’s offense struck again in a hurry — Barnett found Walker Collins over the middle, and the receiver followed blocks for a 79-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 39-0 midway through the third quarter.

Bailey connected with Wilson Parrish for a 77-yard touchdown to give Houston its only points of the night immediately after that, but Bayside answered again. After Barnett briefly left when his helmet came off, Bo Miller stepped in and found Collins for a key first down on third-and-long. The drive carried into the fourth quarter, where Barnett returned to throw his fifth touchdown pass — this time to Ward Hix — making it 46-7.

With the game in hand, Bayside began subbing in backups and punted for the first time all night late in the fourth quarter. Although the young core of players did not produce a ton at the end on the ending drives, Trotter was excited to see the future of Admiral football hit the field for a playoff game. 

“We got 8th graders out there that are playing,” Trotter said proudly. “They are getting to play in a playoff game as an 8th grader. I think that experience is invaluable and I think it will pay off in the future for our program.”

Although having a 10-1 record, the Admirals will hit the road next week for round 2 to take on Randolph County in Wedowee, Alabama. A win in that game would tie the program record for wins in a single season at Bayside. Kickoff is set for Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.