With the athletic calendar having now officially kicked off, Gulf Coast Media’s first Athlete of the Week poll is currently live on our website.

Four athletes from Baldwin County will be included in the voting each week, which will open at noon on Mondays and close at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Individuals can only vote for their chosen athlete once, with the winner being announced on GCM’s website and social media pages soon after polling concludes.

This week, we have a trio of football players and a volleyball star making up the list of candidates.

Spanish Fort’s Jaylyn “JJ” Thibodeaux got the party started with a standout performance Thursday night. Against his former school Daphne, Thibodeaux willed the Toros to an 18-15 win with both his arms and legs, and his game-winning touchdown drive will be remembered for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Foley receiver Jaxson Dixon had the Midas touch against T.R. Miller this past Friday, as three of his four receptions went for touchdowns. The explosive target averaged just under 30 yards per catch and was virtually unguardable all night.

Elsewhere, Orange Beach’s Izzy Wall helped guide the Lady Makos to a Smith Lake Classic Championship, which was hard-earned considering the team had to play until 12:29 a.m. Sunday morning to emerge victorious.

And lastly, Baldwin County’s Ray Johnson delivered a performance to remember in his team’s 40-22 win over B.C. Rain on Friday. The junior accounted for over 300 yards of offense and a whopping six total touchdowns as the Tigers won their first opener in five years.

Vote at the link below to support your favorite local athlete, and be sure to share the poll with family and friends!