MOBILE, Alabama - In a game with nothing on the line, the Fairhope Pirates proved Thursday night they were more motivated than the Davidson Warriors to carry a winning streak into the playoffs, which both teams are headed to next Friday. The Pirates defeated the Warriors 45-24 at Lipscomb Field.

Fairhope held Davidson to a three-and-out on the opening possession and scored first with a 22-yard field goal. But Davidson responded with a touchdown on the ensuing possession, putting together a seven play, 80-yard running drive capped by a 3-yard scramble by senior running back Juvaris Young. It took less time for Fairhope to score their first touchdown, with a 74-yard bomb from quarterback Chase Domino to wide receiver Nathan Andrews two plays later.

After the kickoff, the Pirates recovered a Davidson fumble on the Warrior’s 19-yard line, which set up a three-play scoring drive, this time with Andrews running it in from the wildcat formation. It’s become a familiar strategy this season for the Pirates to rely upon its upper classmen to deliver a multi-faceted offense that often runs, sometimes throws and occasionally relies on an effective wildcat near the end zone.

Less than a minute into the second quarter, the Pirates were holding a 17-7 lead, but on their next possession, Davidson drove 83 yards in 12 plays to score on a Kendyl Williamson quarterback keeper. Both teams were unable to capitalize on their next possessions but Fairhope had one more chance before halftime, and after a timeout, Domino connected with Andrews again for a 42-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone as time expired. Andrews, who’s listed at 5’11” on the roster, grabbed the ball over two Warrior defenders.

Fairhope would get the ball back after the half, but Domino was unable to find open receivers and the Pirates were forced to punt. The Pirates’ defense got lucky on the next drive, as Davidson wide receiver Aaron King dropped what surely would have been a 45-yard touchdown pass on a 3-and-15. The Warriors held the Pirates to a 3-and-out on Fairhope’s second possession of the third quarter and then returned the Pirates’ punt 40 yards for a touchdown, narrowing their lead to three points.

Less than two minutes later, Davidson would tie the game after Fairhope wide receiver Alex Sealy dropped the kickoff and the Warriors recovered on the Pirates’ 10-yard-line. Despite the field position, Fairhope’s defense was able to prevent a Warrior touchdown, leading to a field goal and the 24-24 new game with 3:33 to play in the third.

But after that it was all Fairhope, with Andrews scoring twice more; once on another wildcat formation from 5 yards out and again on an 8-yard pass from Domino. Junior running back Devin Odom also scored with a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been constantly preaching all year mental toughness and physical toughness and scratching and clawing and finding a way,” Fairhope coach David Faulkner told reporters after the game. “Tonight we finally showed up and did that.”

The Pirates (8-2) head to Auburn next Friday in the first round of the playoffs.

“I know they are talented on offense,” Faulkner said of the matchup. “Over the next week we are going to take it one day at a time and prepare the best we can.”