DAPHNE, Ala. — In a game that may decide the Area 1 title, the Bayside Academy men’s basketball team and their fans showed up in a big way on Friday night for what may be the biggest win in team history.

The Admirals (17-7, 7-1 in 3A area 1) held off a late Clarke County (19-2, 6-1) rally to take down the No. 6-ranked team in the state by a score of 42-37 and take sole possession of the Area lead.

“Our guys played really hard, and that’s a really good team we just beat,” Bayside head coach Ralph Watson said. “They’re 19-1 and sixth in the state.”

He paused for a second, and then corrected himself.

“19-2 now.”

With the game tied 5-5 after the first quarter and both teams playing strong defense, Bayside’s Nelson Newman hit a three-point shot to open the second quarter and ignite the home crowd. Bayside used the momentum to score 11 consecutive points, and the Admirals closed the half with an 8-3 run to take a 24-10 lead into the locker rooms.

“We came out with great energy,” Watson said. “The gym’s small. The gym’s packed…Even if you don’t have a dog in the hunt, you could feel the energy.”

Watson said he told his players at halftime to “keep doing what you’re doing because you’re playing hard and you’re playing smart,” and the speech worked.

With the building and Admiral fans buzzing and the feeling that this could be a special night, Bayside continued where they left off in the second quarter with a 7-4 start to the second half before the Bulldogs called time out. However, the break in play didn’t help Clarke County as the Admirals followed the time out with an 8-3 run to take a 39-17 lead with just under two minutes to play in the quarter.

Bayside held Clarke County to only 19 points through the first three quarters of play, which may be the biggest reason for the victory against the top 10-ranked area opponent. Watson said the balance of aggressive defense and controlled offense — along with the shots falling — helped Bayside get out to the 22-point lead in the third quarter.

“Offensively, we’ve got to calm down,” he said. “Defensively, we’ve got to turn up the volume. Basketball is a two-volume thing. Defense needs to be at volume 10 on a scale of one to 10, and offense needs to be around a five or six.

“I was a little concerned about everyone being hyped,” he said. “You’re so hyped. You’re so jacked. I was worried that shots weren’t going to go down. “

He didn’t need to worry. The big shots fell for the Admirals, and they made the most of their trips to the free throw line.

Bayside hit four three-pointers, with Camp Campbell making two of them. Clarke County only made one three-pointer. Bayside also went six-for-eight from the free throw line while the Bulldogs went 8-for-14 from the charity stripe.

“I’m too tired to even think. It’s one of them,” Watson said about whether this was the biggest win in team history. “It’s one of the top two I would say. Maybe the biggest.”

Campbell and Newman led the way for Bayside with 12 points each, and Dakota Brodie added seven points and five rebounds as Bayside took sole ownership of the area lead.

“We’re a team. We’re not one individual,” Watson said. “We don’t have one guy who can go get us 25 (points) a night. We have a bunch of guys, probably seven or eight guys, that can get us anywhere from four to 12 points a game.”

Clarke County found a way to claw back into the game, going on an 18-1 run that spanned the end of the third quarter to 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

“We had some silly turnovers late,” Watson said. “Well, they’re not silly because of (Clarke County’s) athleticism.”

The mistakes didn’t cost the Admirals the game, though. Newman knocked down two free throws with nine seconds left to seal the deal for Bayside.

When asked what he would say to his team in the locker room, Watson said, “That’s a great win. Go enjoy it.”