DAPHNE - Fresh off an opening-round bye, second-seeded Daphne welcomed a familiar foe to Jubilee Stadium on Friday night as it kicked off a highly anticipated postseason run.

Third-seeded Carver-Montgomery paid a visit to the Eastern Shore for a rematch of an Aug. 28 contest that saw the Trojans emerge with a 21-7 victory. Thus, revenge and familiarity were major factors in a game that featured far greater stakes than the earlier meeting between these sides.

Those details combined with a raucous crowd to create an electric playoff atmosphere, and the Daphne faithful were able to celebrate a 23-15 victory for their team in the end.

Advancing to the AHSAA 6A Quarterfinals required the Trojans to withstand plenty of ups-and-downs, as the Wolverines challenged the home side for every inch.

“I’m just proud of the guys for fighting,” King said. “Because sometimes you get in these situations, and you give it [a lead] up. I’ve been there before, but these guys fought and got what they deserved.”

That tone was set on the opening drive, as a first-down completion from senior quarterback Christian Segar to sophomore Royal Leacock was all Daphne could manage before punting the ball away.

The Trojan defense answered in kind by forcing a 3-and-out, and its offensive counterparts began to develop a rhythm right after.

A 4th-and-1 conversion got the drive going while giving Segar and company confidence, and some methodical running advanced the ball past the 50-yard line.

But a fumble stalled the promising possession, and even when Carver managed to string together some successful plays and move inside the red zone, a muffed snap on 4th-and-goal kept the score knotted at zero.

And that margin remained through the early moments of the second quarter, as both defenses showcased their dominance, especially in the trenches.

But as the clock dipped under six minutes left before halftime, the Trojans broke through with a touchdown at long last.

Leacock got things going with a pair of first-down gains, which was a sign of things to come as the young tight end became a security blanket for Segar throughout the evening.

Soon after, sophomore Landon Forrest took a reverse inside the 20-yard line, and that set things up for star tailback Tay Young. The shifty senior received a direct snap and knifed his way through the line to produce the game’s first touchdown at the 5:33 mark of the second quarter.

A quick punt from the Wolverines put the Daphne offense right back on the field, and the unit remained red-hot.

Young moved the chains via the ground before Leacock struck yet again. The 15-year-old hauled in a screen pass and rumbled his way to the end zone from over 20 yards out, capping a standout opening half from the Trojans’ tight end.

Senior receiver Carson Leverett orchestrated a successful two-point conversion to push his side’s advantage to 15-0, and that margin remained as the teams jogged into the locker room at half.

Carver opened the second half with another drive that reached midfield, but per the theme of the night, the visitors stalled at that stage. This time, a swat at the line of scrimmage by bruising defensive tackle Jaysean Willis got the Daphne defense off the field.

However, high school football does have a tendency to throw curveballs at teams, and King’s squad endured two of them during its ensuing drive.

First, dynamic junior Karson Lacey returned a punt for a touchdown from deep in his own territory, but the play was called back due to a flag.

Segar and his offense were unfazed, moving the ball into Wolverine territory soon after. But just when it appeared that the home side was set to go up three scores, Carver pounced on a fumble in the end zone to remain within striking distance.

The visitors failed to take advantage of the momentum swing, in large part due to an emphatic sack by freshman Trey Kyles, but the Trojans punted the ball right back.

And as the fourth quarter entered its early stages, the Wolverines mounted a strong drive and managed to finish it with points this time. It occurred in spectacular fashion, as a pair of Daphne defenders tipped a pass before an opposing receiver snagged the ball in the corner of the end zone.

Feeling real game pressure for the first time all night, Segar and Young didn’t show it. The latter ripped off an explosive run to convert a 3rd-and-1 early in the drive, and that allowed Segar to roll out and find (guess who!) Leacock wide open in the end zone for a rapid response.

“He’s [Leacock] an up-and-coming guy that has great potential,” King said of his tight end. “He had kept getting hurt throughout the year, but now he’s healthy and getting better and better.”

The extra point extended the lead to 23-7 with 9:07 left, but all that did was prompt a three-minute scoring drive by Carver, and a successful two-point attempt kept the visitors within one score at 23-15.

Looking to drain some clock as it dipped under six minutes, Young picked up a pair of first downs, forcing Carver to begin using its timeouts.

“We got some things fixed up front because they did some different things with moving guys around early,” King said. “Once we got back into halftime, we talked about some of our different blocks and who is supposed to stay on or come off. After we did that, we were able to run the ball in there, so I’m just happy, happy, happy.”

But that happiness was temporarily delayed, because disaster struck for Daphne when a runner fumbled the ball. The Wolverines quickly smothered the loose pigskin to claim possession trailing by eight.

Carver had plenty of wind at its back as it looked to potentially force overtime with a clutch drive, but the Trojan defense had other plans. Junior linebacker John Hill provided some ferocious pressure off the edge to force an errant throw, and fellow ’backer Mikey Meier dove under the fluttering ball to fully swing momentum in the opposite direction.

Despite that turn of events, the visitors still managed to regain possession with 12 seconds left…but they needed to drive 99 yards to score following a well-played punt by King’s special-teams unit.

In the end, Carver ran out of time, clinching a hard-earned win for Daphne.

Here’s a breakdown of how the Trojans held the Wolverines at bay, what was said after the game and what’s next for each team:

Primetime Performers

Royal Leacock

Daphne | Tight End | Junior

Notable Stats: 2 receiving touchdowns

There was no other choice for the first player on this list.

King revealed postgame that Leacock had battled injuries all season but possessed plenty of potential, and that was on full display Friday night.

‘Breakout game’ seems like a fitting term for the tight end’s performance, as he became the go-to target for Segar amongst plenty of other high-caliber weapons.

“He [Leacock] ain’t doing nothing but getting better,” Young said of his teammate.

Mikey Meier

Daphne | Linebacker | Senior

Notable Stats: 1 interception

Meier’s late interception proved to be critical (more on that later), but the veteran flew all over the field and made plenty of other impactful plays during the game.

And overall, the entire Trojans front seven played like men possessed, as they constantly pressured Carver’s quarterback while bottling up the visitors’ rushing attack for much of the evening.

Tay Young

Daphne | Running Back | Senior

Notable Stats: 1 rushing touchdown

When Daphne needed someone to pick up some tough yardage, Young was the answer.

His touchdown and handful of explosive runs and receptions may be the highlights, but there were also plenty of occasions in which the senior picked up just a couple of important yards.

“We started to be more physical and hold on to the ball tighter," Young said of the rushing attack’s second-half success. “And the more physical team won.”

Defining Moments

Meier’s late-game interception (4th Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 9.5

It didn’t necessarily ice the game entirely, but Meier’s fourth-quarter interception prevented Carver from truly taking a strong swing at tying the game.

Hill gets an assist for his pressure, and his teammate made an athletic play to fall under the ball just before it hit the turf.

“When you become an upperclassman, you have to step up,” Hill said. “I feel like we have one of the best defenses around, and so we just communicate and talk through everything together. We’re all just one.”

Daphne’s end-zone fumble (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 8.0

If there’s something that the Daphne coaching staff may harp on after this game, it’s the ability to finish in the playoffs.

The Trojans had a chance to take a 23-0 lead early in the third quarter and really put Carver behind the 8-ball, but a fumble in the end zone threw the Wolverines a lifeline that they took advantage of.

Segar-to-Leacock off a rollout (4th Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5

With how the game progressed through much of the first half, it appeared that whoever hit 20 first would come out on top.

Well, Segar’s deep pass to Leacock put Daphne above that mark, and it proved to be the winning score in a grueling affair.

Quotes To Note

• “This started last week. Our preparation was great.” — John Hill, Daphne Linebacker
• “It’s [the defensive front] like a brotherhood. We all grew up together and are just fighting hard, looking out for each other.” —  John Hill, Daphne Linebacker

Obscure Observations

• This result moves the all-time record between the schools to 3-2 in favor of Daphne. The Trojans have now won two straight over the Wolverines after dropping the previous pair of meetings.
• Temperatures touched the low 40s during the latter stages of this game, but a large contingent of Carver fans still took the trek from Montgomery and made their presence known through their avid support.
• Daphne’s cheerleaders were honored pregame for winning the AHSAA Small Varsity Co-Ed Division competition on Monday in Birmingham. The Lady Trojans are back-to-back state champions as a result.

Up Next

Daphne (8-3, 5-2): @ Prattville (11-0, 7-0) | Friday, Nov. 20

The Trojans will hit the road to battle top-seeded Prattville in the quarterfinals, while Carver’s (7-5, 5-2) season has now come to an end.

“We’re excited about the opportunity, we can’t take it for granted,” King said. “As we know, it gets tougher, but we’re up for the challenge and will just get back to work.”