‘Home sweet home’ is the name of the game at Bayside Academy, as after the school unveiled a new turf playing surface at Freedom Field in late August , the football team began its season with a …
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‘Home sweet home’ is the name of the game at Bayside Academy, as after the school unveiled a new turf playing surface at Freedom Field in late August, the football team began its season with a five-game homestand.
Thus, the new digs are already getting plenty of use, and fourth-year head coach Barrett Trotter’s team will fulfill the third leg of that homestand when it welcomes St. Luke’s Episcopal to Daphne this Friday.
The Admirals will be aiming to remain undefeated after jumping out to a 2-0 start this season, as they’ve beaten Jackson and Bayshore Christian by a combined margin of 78-25.
Those dominant performances have been all-around efforts, as veteran quarterback Davis Barnett is leading an efficient offensive attack while the Bayside defense has maintained the standard that enabled the unit to allow roughly 13 points per game last fall.
And after they came agonizingly close to securing the school’s first state title during that 2025 campaign, the Admirals are focused on completing the job this time around.
“We just want to finish,” Barnett said during fall camp. “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.”
Of course, the visiting Wildcats would love nothing more than to play spoiler as they look to get above .500 on the year across the bay.
Here are the players to keep an eye on, keys to the game and other notes to know ahead of kickoff:
Davis Barnett
Bayside Academy | Quarterback | Junior
Notable Stats: 580 passing yards, 80% completion, 8 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Barnett came into this season as one of the top quarterbacks in the state regardless of classification, and he’s more than lived up to that hype thus far.
Completing 80% of your passes with an 8:0 touchdown-interception ratio is already impressive, but the 6-foot-1 signal-caller is coming off an absurd performance against Bayshore Christian that saw him complete a sizzling 19-of-20 passes for 356 yards and six touchdowns.
After he threw for 3,642 yards and 45 touchdowns last season, Barnett is somehow already on track to eclipse those numbers.
Ladd Powers
Bayside Academy | Tight End/Defensive End | Senior
Notable Stats: 8 catches, 162 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns, 6 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack
One of the top targets Barnett looks to get the ball to is Ladd Powers, and with a name like that, it’s fitting that the senior is a bruiser who can impact the game in a variety of ways.
At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Powers is nearly impossible to take down with just one defender, and he doubles as a ferocious defensive lineman on the other side of the ball.
Already holding multiple collegiate offers, Powers notably visited the University of Louisiana for its game against Lamar last Saturday.
Jathan Richardson
St. Luke’s | Quarterback | Junior
Notable Stats: 86 passing yards, 183 rushing yards, 5 total touchdowns
The Wildcats’ offense starts and stops with Richardson, who is a dynamic dual-threat talent in the backfield.
Combining with senior tailback Talon Safiran to form a solid one-two punch on the ground, Richardson is coming off a three-touchdown performance in his team’s win over Snook Christian last week.
At just 5-foot-8, St. Luke’s quarterback may have trouble seeing over Bayside’s length, although that may also make him harder to find in the pocket.
1. Has the Bayside run defense made improvements since Week 1?
Giving up 25 total points through two weeks is certainly laudable, but there is always room for improvement in this sport.
And with the Admiral defense facing a dynamic rushing attack this week, the unit will likely be keying in on its work in the trenches.
Bayside gave up 206 yards via the ground against Jackson in Week 1, and with St. Luke’s having attempted just 16 passes compared to 56 runs through two games, the visitors will certainly be looking to test the Admirals’ rushing defense.
2. Will Davis Barnett be able to keep his hot streak going?
Posting the numbers Barnett did last week is impressive regardless of level or competition, and many fans will be eager to see what the junior can produce for an encore.
Bayside’s star quarterback seems ready to handle the expectations in all facets, but as opposing teams gain more film of the offense, Barnett and company will have to continually adapt.
3. How will the Admirals handle life as the “hunted” rather than the “hunter?”
This was an overarching theme for Trotter’s squad entering this campaign, and through two games, it’s safe to say that Bayside has experienced no form of hangover from last season.
Instead, an experienced group has taken care of business as one of the favorites at the Private 1A level, although doing so will only get more difficult as the wins keep coming and teams continue to give the Admirals their best shot.
“We want to earn the first state championship that Bayside has ever had,” Powers said during fall camp. “And that’s not out of reach.”
The good times should keep rolling at Bayside Academy this week.
While the reality of this being the first meeting between the schools may play a bit of a factor, it’s hard to imagine that the Admirals won’t take care of business Friday.
St. Luke’s is a quality team that will fight hard as an underdog, but Bayside’s superior size and toughness will prove to be the difference as Trotter’s team advances to 3-0 on the season.
The back half of the homestand sees Daphne’s own welcome Northside Methodist Academy before St. Michael pays a visit for a marquee matchup Friday, Sept. 25.
But first, the Admirals (2-0) and Wildcats (1-1) will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday.
