Bayside routs Satsuma, Phil Lazenby wins No. 200
When Bayside Academy coach Phil Lazenby looks back on his 200th career victory, it won’t be cliché to call it a team win.
Wills Norton had two touchdowns, one on special teams and another on defense, Brennen Yamane, Damien Tate and Noah Cain also had touchdowns on the ground, and Joey Jones added two field goals to give Bayside Academy a 41-7 region victory over visiting Satsuma.
Lazenby shrugged off his involvement in the milestone.
“If you stick around long enough,” he said, “you get there.”
Bayside Academy has been the longest stop in Lazenby’s 26-year head coaching career.
He’s piled up a 115-70 record with the Admirals in 16 seasons with what will soon be 13 playoff appearances. He also had stints at Benjamin Russell, Southside-Gadsden and Guntersville, in each instance guiding those teams to the postseason.
Bayside Academy (6-3, 4-3) led 38-0 at halftime as Yamane scored on the Admirals’ first possession on a 64-yard touchdown run with 10:20 to go in the first quarter. When Bayside got the ball back, Tate scored on 1st-and-goal from the Satsuma 5 to make it 14-0. On third-and-6 from their 37, Satsuma quarterback Randal Barefoot’s pass deflected off of Brayden Williams into the hands of Norton, who took it back 50 yards for the 21-0 lead.
“Defense played extremely well, a couple of touchdowns. We played really good, proud of the whole team,” Lazenby said. “We didn’t punt once. The assistant coaches did great.”
After a three-and-out for Satsuma (1-8, 1-6), Norton returned the punt 54 yards and it was 28-0 Bayside Academy with 11:40 left in the second quarter. Cain scored his first career touchdown on his only first-half carry, a 1-yard run, to get it to 35-0. Jones’ 45-yard field goal on fourth-and-1 at the Gators’ 28 made it 38-0.
In the second half, Jones added another field goal, this one from 35 yards out, to make it 41-0, before Satsuma answered with their only score, a fumble that went up in the air into the hands of KJ Austin, who took it back 70 yards, as the Gators got to 41-7.
After Jones missed a 54-yard field goal attempt near the end of the fourth quarter, Palmer Angermeier picked off Barefoot for the second Admirals forced turnover on the final play.
Bayside Academy outgained Satsuma, 302-106, despite having fewer possessions and plays overall and in both halves against the Gators
Bayside Academy finishes at home against Alabama Christian and Satsuma travels to Chickasaw.