DAPHNE, Alabama – To go for two—or not? That is the question. It was a game Hamlet would've appreciated. With the game on the line and Daphne leading 26-25 in overtime, Fairhope coach Adam Winegarden went for the gutsy 27-26 win on the road at Jubilee Stadium. 

Fairhope players and fans went wild as it appeared the two-point, option pitch-out pass to a possibly eligible lineman was converted for the one-point margin and overtime victory. But they had not seen the flag. The conversion play resulted in a loss-of-down penalty and the Jubilee Cup stayed at DHS by a point.

PHOTO GALLERY: Fairhope vs. Daphne.

The Trojans had the first series in the overtime phase and scored on a 5-yard touchdown bubble pass from T. J. Fleeton to Horace Johnson in the corner. Tyler Cook then nailed the extra point for the lead. The Pirates scored on a third-down sprint-out from the six to the right-side pylon by sophomore quarterback Grey Jackson to set up the go-for or kick-to-tie dilemma.

"It was my decision," Winegarden said. "I decided to go for two and maybe didn’t have the best play called. They (officials) made a good call. Bry ( Bryan Bell improvised) as best he could, but there just wasn’t anything there.”

Daphne coach Glenn Vickery said it was a good call to make. "They say when your playing away in that situation to go for it. We probably would have done the same thing. We’re proud of our guys for fighting and getting the win. It’s the time of year when quite honestly, you need to be playing your best football. We don’t think we played our best tonight, but Fairhope had a lot to do with that. We’re glad to get out of here with the win.”

Winegarden was also proud of his players. “We made some errors tonight. We’ve made some all year. But our kids did what we asked them to do tonight, and that’s to go out and fight their butts off.  I’m certainly not disappointed about that.”

Daphne improved to 5-3, 5-1 to lead 6A Region 2 with one more week of region play left in the season. Fairhope is now 5-3, 4-2. Fleeton was happy to keep the Jubilee Cup in the Trojan fieldhouse but expressed sincere admiration for the Fairhope competitiors.

"Feels good to keep it another year. Being a senior you don't want to be the class that hands it back. But you know, Fairhope always battles hard and we battle right back. I have to take my hat off to their defense.

"They made it tough for us out there. But I have a lot respect for them. They come at you hard and close fast every play. You have to thank my guys up front and backfield, too, for picking up a lot of those rushers. That J.P. (John Patrick Sherling) kid is good. He can hit hard and deserves a lot credit for what he can do. Seems like he was always in on the play."

Sherling led the Pirates in stops. Fleeton rushed for 89-yards on 12 carries, most of them called draws up the middle, he said. "I'm one of the biggest guys on this offense so I might as well use it and pick up those few, four, five yards when I can."

The Pirates scored the first points in the game on a safety and, therefore, got the ball right back but fumbled at midfield. FHS then fell behind 7-2 after DHS went 55 yards in six plays to score on a double reverse with Horace Johnson sweeping in from the nine and Cook adding the PAT. Fairhope retook the lead 9-7 on their next drive with a six-yard Jackson-to-Andrews TD pass and a John Baxter extra point.

Cook then kicked the 35 yarder to make it a 10-9  game about a minute into the second quarter. Fairhope fumbled again with Daphne's Devin Carroll scooping up the ball and returning it to midfield. The Trojans took the ball 50 yards in six plays with McGaster in the open for a one-yard TD pass from Fleeton. The PAT was blocked but Daphne led 16-9 until the third quarter.

Daphne opened the third with a 72-yard drive to the Pirate five where DHS was stalled. Cook then made a 22-yard a field goal to make it 19-9. The Pirates' David Kirksey then put up six with a 2-yard slide and dive and Baxter made it 19-16. Fairhope answered with an 89-yard drive which stalled at the DHS 3 to force a field goal which Baxter made from 23 yards out to tie it 19-19.

Daphne will host Enterprise next week and Fairhope will travel to Northview.