AUBURN, Ala. – When their 6A championship hopes hung in the balance, the Daphne Trojans gave the ball to junior running back T.J. Yeldon.

Yeldon had the ball in his hands for Daphne’s two most important run plays of the game. His touchdown run came with 10:57 left in the fourth quarter and the subsequent extra point gave Daphne the lead for good.

“It was our jumbo offense, we got all our big guys in there to block down,” Yeldon said. “It was only half a yard. I knew I was going to get it. Roderick Tate told me to follow him. I just got in the hole and got the touchdown.

Yeldon iced the game on a first down run on third-and-9 with 51 seconds left in the game. His first down run almost came with a price, as he had to recover his own fumble at the end of the play.

“I was just really trying not to fumble the ball,” he said. “I got kicked in my leg real hard and had to make a guy miss. I had the field wide open then fumbled but it came back to me. That was a blessing. Thank God for that blessing.”

Yeldon finished with 13 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown, leading all rushers in the championship game.

“It is amazing,” he said about winning the 6A championship. “Really amazing.”