Merely one game away from claiming the school’s first state title last fall, Bayside Academy aims to use that experience to its advantage in 2026.

“We just want to finish,” junior quarterback Davis Barnett said. “Last year, I feel like we got into it and just hadn’t been in a game like that. So now we know what it takes, and this team can go win a championship.”

Claiming that title was about the only thing the Admirals didn’t accomplish last year, as they finished with a 13-2 overall record while averaging 39 points per game and allowing just over 13 per outing.

Thus, it should come as little surprise that the Alabama Sportswriter Association ranked Bayside as the best 1A private school heading into the season.

But fourth-year head coach Barrett Trotter knows that in order to play deep into December again, his team will need to excel in all facets of the game. 

“Ultimately, you have to want to win. It’s about more than just the X’s and O’s,” Trotter said. “There’s a physical and emotional toll the game will take on you, so we have to be resilient in order to combat that, which is what we had last year.”

The former Auburn quarterback will rely upon a strong group of upperclassmen who are eager to finish what they started last year, but those leaders have also worked on getting the underclassmen up to speed this offseason.

“We’ve just been focused on knowing every play and getting the younger guys to step up and take advantage of their opportunities,” senior tight end Ladd Powers said.

To that point, while the Admirals have plenty of experience, some players will have to grow up fast in order to fill voids left by departed stars.

“It’s an interesting mix of some guys who’ve played a lot and some who haven’t,” Trotter said. “So we’re just trying to get those players a bunch of game-like reps and understanding exactly what we’re trying to do with different schemes.”

One of the guys who has seen plenty of action is Barnett. The junior signal-caller starred as a sophomore last year, throwing for 3,462 yards and a whopping 45 touchdowns while completing 64.3% of his passes.

Barnett is beginning to receive plenty of collegiate attention, but he also has some receiving targets that will demand eyes as well.

At 6-foot-2, 225 lbs., Powers is the headliner, but Barnett also shouted out junior tight ends Ward Hix and Colton Lopasser as guys who are poised for productive campaigns.

“Those are two guys that are stepping up,” Barnett said. “They didn’t get to play too much last year, but they’ll be big-time receivers for us.”

Junior Wells Smith will spearhead a running back room that figures to utilize multiple players throughout the season.

But while the Bayside offense has plenty of potential on paper, the defensive unit may be able to one-up its peers.

The linebacking corps is deep, with both Trotter and senior safety Sam Cunningham tabbing sophomore Kellen Yamane and junior Riggins Hamock as stars in the making at that level.

The head coach also called attention to the work senior River Hannaman has been putting in this summer.

“He’s [Hannaman] just been flying around, and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Trotter said.

Up front, junior lineman/linebacker Grant Yaeger has been a workhorse for the Admirals this offseason, earning the praise of his teammates and coaches.

“He’s awesome,” Cunningham said of Yaeger. “He hits and just does everything else he can for us.”

And of course, Cunningham himself will act as the veteran leader in the secondary, although Trotter did reveal that the senior will see some time on offense as well.

Bayside’s program prides itself on each player learning at least two positions on either side of the ball. So while not every athlete plays both ways, each Admiral at least knows what to do in a pair of spots.

“When you understand the entire scheme and what we’re trying to do, then guys can fill multiple roles,” Trotter said. “And that’s crucial for us to stay competitive and not get too banged up.”

Overall, Trotter expects his team to mimic the traits that propelled his 2025 squad to a state-title appearance, and the hope is that the gained experience from last year will pay dividends in the closing weeks.

“Resilient and explosive are the two things that come to mind for our team,” Trotter said. “Our defense will be resilient, and then our offense has a lot of weapons and a great quarterback who can spread it around.”

That kind of balanced approach aligns with what most championship-caliber teams present, and Bayside is determined to make history as a result.

“We want to earn the first state championship that Bayside has ever had,” Powers said. “And that’s not out of reach.”

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