DAPHNE — Daphne wasted no time setting the tone in the Week 4 Gulf Coast Media Game of the Week en route to a 38-7 win, finding themselves up multiple scores before Foley had any time to respond.

After the game, Daphne head coach Kenny King credited new strength coach Rick Rosano for getting the team ready to close games out more efficiently this season.

“I always felt like at the end of the day we didn’t finish games,” King said. “We came with the same mentality of going in and finishing, and we made it hard in the offseason. We brought him (Rosano) in to make sure he took them to the limit, and they kept responding. To have games that we completely finish under our belt, he is definitely a part of making that happen.”

Trojans quarterback Christian Segar threw four touchdown passes with three of them going to senior wide receiver CJ Gardner in the first half alone.

The Trojans struck first on the opening drive when Segar hit Gardner down the seam for a score. After forcing a Lions punt, Daphne doubled its lead with another Segar-to-Gardner connection that looked very similar to the first one. By the end of the first quarter, the Trojans had all the momentum.

Segar had thrown five touchdowns on the year coming into the game, almost matching his season total in the Week 4 victory. King explained that the gameplan was always taking what the defense gives you.

“It was just the opportunities they gave us,” King said. “We tried to hunker down and saw some opportunities in the passing game so we tried to take advantage of it.”

Gardner’s third touchdown grab came early in the second quarter, and running back Jamir Alcius added another score to make it 28-0 midway through the frame. Foley struggled to find offensive rhythm in the first half, punting five times and missing a field goal attempt as the clock expired on the half after a holding penalty wiped out the first touchdown.

Segar stayed sharp after the break, hitting wide receiver Jaecyn Myles for a long touchdown on a crossing route that pushed the lead to 35-0. Myles’ score capped an efficient night for the senior quarterback as backup Paul Cash checked in to finish the blowout victory. Running backs Alcius and Izick Johnson helped control the ground game for the remainder of the night, while kicker Malachi Norman added a third-quarter field goal to extend the lead.

Foley’s lone bright spot came in the fourth quarter when quarterback Makai Holmes found wideout Jaxson Dixon on multiple occasions during a drive that ended with Dixon punching in a short touchdown run to avoid the shutout.

Dixon was a huge part of the Foley win over Robertsdale a week ago and has proved to be a valuable playmaker all season. King said he knew the Trojans had to limit the big plays from the Lions best weapon.

“You knew he (Dixon) was going to get the ball and they were going to find ways for him to get the ball,” King said. “He is a heck of a player. They have a great coaching staff that kept him all around the field. They had a good plan but we were keying in on him to make sure we got those stops.

Daphne’s defense set the tone throughout, led by linebacker Trey Kyles, defensive back EJ Williams, defensive end Malique Franklin and defensive tackle Jaysean Willis. Foley’s offense found only brief sparks from Dixon and Holmes, despite efforts from the running back tandem of Dominic Martial and Demetrius James.

The win gave Daphne its first 7A Region 1 victory and puts the Trojans at 3-1 on the season as they prepare for a road game against Baker next week. Foley (2-2) looks to regroup as region play continues next week for them as well with a road matchup against Mary G. Montgomery.

“It feels good man, I am excited for our team,” King said after the win. “You want to come out and compete. We dropped one last week, so, to come out and get our first region win, we are excited.”