FAIRHOPE — After years of walking high school and college sidelines in Alabama and around the Deep South, Caleb Ross decided maybe it was time to step away. He was wrong.

"I was in administration," the new Fairhope coach said. "I thought I may want to do that and just realized I'm a football coach."

Up until last year anyway. Ross stepped aside from hands-on coaching to become the director of football and baseball for the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

The lure of the sideline was just too much, so Ross decided to move back to coastal Alabama in the high school ranks where he coached McGill-Toolen to back-to-back Class 7A championship game appearances. McGill won it all in 2015 for the school's only football championship and lost in the finals in 2016. He left after that season, but McGill-Toolen made another championship game in 2017 and a consecutive runner-up finish.

Offense has been his focus as a coach — he was the offensive coordinator for state championship teams at Spanish Fort in 2012 and Prattville in 2008. Stepping in for 11-year Coach Tim Carter, Ross inherits an experienced quarterback from an 8-4 team that made it to the second round of the playoffs with a loss to Central-Phenix City.

"Trey Garner, who started for them last year, is a really good football player, had a good year last year for them, and he's coming back," Ross said. "We're definitely excited about him. Obviously, we're going to build a lot of stuff around him."

But after Garner, only three other starters are coming back, and all of his receivers from 2025 are gone.

"That's been a big key, a big issue, is trying to find guys that will buy a receiver that can go make a play," Ross said. "We've been really focused on that."

A backfield mate, senior running back Nic Ronsisballe, a 700-yard rusher from last year, is coming back.

"He's a really good football player, a good leader, kind of what you want," Ross said. "Now, after that, we lost a good bit."

Two returning starters will anchor Ross' offensive line but after that are new faces at remaining offensive positions.

"The center, a kid by the name of Gibson DeLaFosse, he's coming back," Ross said. "He's a really good football player, steady, solid leader. The left tackle, Nehemiah Barnett, he started last year, and he's back. So, really, we only have four returning starters from last year's team."

It's much the same on defense with only five starters returning, with the bulk of experience being in the defensive backfield including safety Cooper Bell and cornerback Dylan Gilbert, both seniors.

Fairhope is also returning second team all-state selection and Tulane-commit senior linebacker Gus Faulkner.

"He is probably our best player, but we've got good players," Ross said.

Two other returning starters on defense are Nash Gearhart, a junior at linebacker, and Jamison Stevens, a senior at linebacker/defensive end.

As far as a focus for fall camp, Ross said "it's everything."

"There's really not one area that we're, hey, we've got to get better here," Ross said. "You're trying to establish your culture and identity and what you're trying to do. After that it's trying to find different positions, who can play, who's going to be your starters, who can be a quality backup."

Ross' first Fairhope team will plan in Region 1 of Class 6A, now the division with the state's largest 32 schools, most formerly in the old Class 7A.

Four of the schools in Region 1 are in the last five of that 32 in enrollment with Fairhope at No. 28 followed in order of enrollment by Foley at No. 29, Davidson at 30 and Robertsdale at 31. Buckhorn from Madison County is the smallest Class 6A team. Others include Baker at No. 8, Mary Montgomery at No. 14, Alma Bryant at No. 17 and No. 20 Daphne.