It’s a new era at Snook Christian Academy, and the Eagles will be putting that reality on full display this Thursday.

The school completed construction of its new on-campus football stadium over the summer, and after hosting its first game on Sept. 4, Snook is set to celebrate its first true Homecoming this Thursday in Foley.

In his ninth year at the helm, Keith Smith is looking to continue building this program from the ground up. After playing eight-man football last fall, the Eagles gained numbers this year and thus were able to rejoin the 11-player ranks.

Now with its own stadium, Snook believes that the facility will be another stepping stone in the development of its athletic programs, and securing the first victory at the new digs is the goal for Thursday.

However, visiting Bayshore Christian will do its best to spoil the party.

Also claiming an Eagle as a mascot, Bayshore is amid just its third season of competing in football, with the Fairhope-based private school being led by second-year head coach Jacy Todd.

Both sides claim one victory coming into this matchup, making this a pivotal swing game for two young football programs who would love to generate some positive momentum.

Here are the players to keep an eye on, keys to the game and other notes to know ahead of kickoff:

Players To Watch

Aaron Ashley

Snook Christian | Quarterback/Safety | Junior

For Snook, everything starts and stops with quarterback Aaron Ashley.

A veteran within the program, Ashley does it all for his team, leading the group in both passing and rushing as a dynamic dual-threat talent.

The junior signal-caller will have the ball in his hands plenty during this game, and he figures to put on a show for Homecoming.

Samuel Van Cleave

Bayshore Christian | Quarterback | Senior

The opposing quarterback is accomplished in his own right, as Samuel Van Cleave is another experienced athlete who drives everything his team does.

Primarily, Van Cleave and his fellow upperclassmen are focused on creating a standard for this still-young Bayshore program, and they accomplish that through both their words and actions.

“We really want to set a good example for the future of this team, because we’re trying to set a foundation,” Van Cleave said during the preseason. “So as seniors, we want to create the tone for what practices should look like with our standards, as well as being examples of how Christian men should act.”

Dallion Blake

Snook Christian | Linebacker/Running Back | Senior

Ashley may be the on-field leader for Snook, but do-it-all senior Dallion Blake is certainly the vocal pacesetter.

Always keeping smiles on his teammates’ faces, Blake loves to joke around but is also one of the fiercest competitors on the squad. He’ll play on both sides of the ball and is a physical force no matter where he lines up.

“The thing about football is, if you care about the sport, then you care about everyone who is involved in it,” Blake said regarding getting new players up to speed this offseason. “So whether it’s teaching them plays, the game of football or whatever, I would talk to a lot of them after summer workouts.”

The X-Factors

1. What tactics will Bayshore employ to slow down Ashley?

At the top of the visiting Eagles’ scouting report will be Ashley, and Bayshore will likely test out a variety of strategies to contain Snook’s signal-caller.

The visitors will need to effectively set the edges in order to not let Ashley bounce runs to the perimeter, but winning this game will also require an inspired effort in the trenches.

2. How does Snook Christian handle the energy and excitement of this contest?

With this being the school’s second game at its new stadium and first true Homecoming, there will be plenty of emotions and anticipation accompanying this matchup.

That’s great for the fans, but while the players can use some of that energy to their advantage, Smith will likely advise them to keep their attention between the white lines as much as possible.

“There’s a lot of excitement on the campus. This has been something that has been in the works for three years, and it’s taken a while to clear all the red tape and bring it to fruition,” Smith said of the new stadium. “And we have such great kids with a lot of character. They put their heart and soul into this, and I’m very appreciative of that.”

3. Which side can win in the fine margins?

In an evenly matched game like this one, the details will prove to be the difference.

More specifically, the field-position, turnover and penalty battles will be key stats to monitor as this game progresses, because whichever offense can stay on schedule and set itself up with short fields will enjoy success.

Notes To Know

• This will be the first meeting between Bayshore and Snook on the gridiron.
• Both of these teams won their first games of the season. Snook ventured over to Mississippi to beat Christian Collegiate Academy, 23-6, while Bayshore visited Fruitdale and emerged with a 14-6 victory.
• Snook and Bayshore also have a common opponent this season. St. Luke’s beat the former 42-14 in early September before defeating the latter, 14-7, two weeks ago.

Parker’s Perspective

A festive evening in Foley should give way to a hard-fought football game between these growing programs.

The Snook Christian community has had this contest circled for months, and with Bayshore looking to start up some regional rivalries due to recent reclassifications, this could be the beginning of an annual meeting between the schools.

Overall, I expect a physical, grindy kind of game from these Eagles. Both teams want to establish their rushing attacks early on, and they’ll rely on their quarterbacks and a committee of tailbacks to accomplish that.

As discussed above, an evenly matched, emotion-filled contest such as this one generally comes down to the details. Whichever team can steal a couple of possessions and give itself some short fields will likely emerge with the win.

In the end, I’ll side with Bayshore to come out on top, although I don’t expect the margin of victory to be more than seven points either way.

The visiting Eagles (1-4, 0-2) and hosting Eagles (1-3, 0-3) will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, with the game being moved up due to inclement weather.