Jacy Todd is a retired high school football coach. Todd spent 20 years coaching high school football with stops at Daphne, Fairhope, Auburn, Northridge and Baker. He was defensive coordinator at each of his last four stops. Each week he breaks down one of the state’s biggest games.

This week, Todd focuses on the Eastern Shore battle between longtime rivals Fairhope and Daphne – two places Todd has coached previously.

Fairhope is 5-1 overall, 2-1 in Class 7A, Region 1 and ranked No. 5 in the state. Daphne is 3-3 overall, 3-0 in region play. The game is at Daphne’s Jubilee Stadium.

The Trojans are coming off an idle week. They lost at Spanish Fort in their last game. The Pirates are coming off a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to Foley last week. Tim Carter’s team led that game 38-22 in the second half before falling in the final minutes.

This game has huge playoff implications with just four weeks left in the regular season. Todd has seen both teams live and watched plenty of film on each. In his opinion, Fairhope senior quarterback Caden Creel is one of the most exciting and explosive players in the state.

Here are Todd’s three keys for a Fairhope win followed by three keys for a Daphne win on Friday night.

FAIRHOPE

1. Make Daphne one dimensional on offense. Can the Fairhope defense limit a great run game led by junior Nick Clark and supplemented by senior Michael Scott? The Pirates have struggled defensively all season, giving up an average of 31 points a game.

2. Can the Fairhope offense limit its turnovers and negative plays? As exciting as the Fairhope offense is, the turnover bug has slowed it down at times this year. Creel has been intercepted 8 times, and the Pirates have fumbled four times, losing one.

3. Most importantly in my opinion: Can the offense help a defense that may still be trying to find its footing? I was fortunate to coach defense for a long time. Three and outs are bad, but one- or two-play scores put pressure on a defense as well. In the mind of a defensive coach, the perfect scoring drive is a 15-play drive that takes 10 minutes off the clock while the defense stands on the sideline and cheers the offense on. The Pirates need a few long, time-consuming marches Friday night.

DAPHNE

1. The first key to a Trojan win may be the easiest on paper but the hardest to execute. Kenny King and company need to devise ways to run the ball consistently with Clark and Scott. Clark is the best running back I have seen this year. He runs with power, has great vision and finishes every run falling forward. Daphne running the ball and executing long drives is also the best defense against Creel. As long as Daphne’s offense is on the field, Creel will not be able to make the highlight plays that have come his trademark.

2. Can the Daphne defense limit the big play from Creel? The defense has options to try and slow Creel down with a mush rush, delayed blitz and even a spy for him. Defensive coordinator Atlas Herrion’s squad needs to make him operate from the pocket and then live with the results. Since giving up 43 points in a season-opening loss to Class 6A No. 1 Saraland, the Trojans have improved each week on defense. In their last two games, they gave up just 14 points in a win over Baker and 18 in the loss at Spanish Fort.

3. Win the turnover battle and special team’s game. Daphne’s special teams have been impressive this year with a great kickoff specialist, a great punter and very explosive return specialists. If that continues, it will give them a great chance.

FAIRHOPE (5-1) AT DAPHNE (3-3)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, Jubilee Stadium, Daphne

Last week: Fairhope lost to Foley 39-38; Daphne was idle

Region records: Fairhope is 2-1 in 7A, Region 1; Daphne is 3-0

On the air: NA

The skinny: Daphne leads the overall series 24-9, but Fairhope has won four of the last five. Two of those wins came in overtime and all were by a touchdown or less. … The Pirates are coming off their first loss of the season. Their offense is averaging 41 points a game behind senior QB Caden Creel. Creel has thrown for 1,278 yards and 8 TDs. He’s also been intercepted 8 times. He also has 631 yards rushing and 7 TDs. Qualin McCants has rushed for 467 yards and 11 TDs. Ben Moseley (38 receptions, 490 yards, 2 TDs) is the team’s leading receiver. Tim Carter is one win shy of 150 for his career (149-83). He is 5-2 in seven games against the Trojans. … Daphne is coming off a bye week. The last time out, the Trojans built a 15-0 lead on rival Spanish Fort before losing 18-15. They have scored 142 points and given up 123. All three of their wins are region wins, making them the only undefeated team in Region 1 play. Nick Clark has rushed for 695 yards and 9 TDs on 98 carries. QB Gabe Reynolds is completing 59 percent of his passes for 574 yards and 2 TDs. Stephon Blackshear (22 receptions, 200 yards) is the team’s leading receiver. He also has 2 rushing TDs. Garrett Childress and Jamarion Evans lead the Trojan defense with 62 total tackles. Johnnie Perdue has 2 sacks and 8 TFL.