Baldwin County football teams playing with playoffs on the line in Week 10

Gulf Shores set for another ranked matchup, St. Michael playing with postseason locked up for first time

BY COLE McNANNA
Sports Editor
cole@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 10/25/23

Time is running out to cash in on postseason dreams as the regular season enters its final two weeks. Big contests will be held in Daphne, Gulf Shores and Fairhope.

The Foley Lions need a win …

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Baldwin County football teams playing with playoffs on the line in Week 10

Gulf Shores set for another ranked matchup, St. Michael playing with postseason locked up for first time

Posted

Time is running out to cash in on postseason dreams as the regular season enters its final two weeks. Big contests will be held in Daphne, Gulf Shores and Fairhope.

The Foley Lions need a win over the Trojans to keep playoff hopes alive, the Dolphins have another ranked matchup on hand and the St. Michael Cardinals will get a taste of what’s to come in their first postseason trip against a team that has missed the playoffs only once since 1984.

Follow @GCMSportsAL for immediate updates from the sidelines and visit gulfcoastmedia.com/sports for full coverage of Baldwin County’s football teams.

Foley Lions at Daphne Trojans: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Both teams will enter 4-4 overall where Daphne enters 3-2 in Class 7A Region 1 and Foley enters 2-3 in region. Last year: Lions won 34-7. All-time series: Trojans lead 20-7.

A rematch of last year’s game that clinched Foley’s first region crown since 2007 also has playoff implications this season.

A Lion win would start a domino effect of tiebreaker rules that ultimately will come down to the team’s wins against non-region opponents within two classifications, according to research from South Baldwin Sports and the WHEP Radio Network.

Since Daphne beat Davidson but the Warriors beat Foley, a Lion win over the Trojans would earn Foley the No. 3 seed and Daphne would take the No. 4 seed. If the Trojans beat the Lions, Daphne would be the No. 3 seed and the Davidson Warriors would draw the No. 4 seed.

T.R. Miller Tigers at St. Michael Cardinals: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: St. Michael will enter 5-4 and 4-2 in Class 4A Region 1, T.R. Miller will enter 6-2 and 5-1 in region. Last year: Tigers won 35-6. All-time series: T.R. Miller leads 3-0.

St. Michael’s first game as a playoff-bound team will also conclude its regular season. The Cardinals have a bye scheduled in Week 11 before the postseason kicks off on Nov. 10.

Freshman quarterback Gunner Rivers has extended his state-leading passing efforts and enters Week 10 with 2,299 yards on 174-of-283 passing with 25 touchdowns against 3 interceptions for a .615 completion percentage according to MaxPreps stats.

He’s thrown multiple touchdowns in all but one of his nine games and has also racked up over 200 passing yards in all but two contests. Rivers has added 41 rushing yards on 14 carries, as well as a 1-yard touchdown catch, where sophomore Brody Jones has been his favorite passing target.

A newcomer to the Cardinals, Jones has racked up 895 receiving yards on 53 catches with 9 touchdowns in seven games where his yards sit tied for sixth on MaxPreps’ rankings as of Wednesday. His highest-production game came against McGill-Toolen with 172 receiving yards on 15 catches with 2 touchdowns.

No. 9 Vigor Wolves at No. 1 Gulf Shores Dolphins: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Gulf Shores will enter 8-0 and 6-0 in Class 5A Region 1, Vigor will enter 6-2 and 5-2 in region. Last year: Dolphins won 37-21. All-time series: Wolves lead 7-2.

Gulf Shores will be coming off its bye week for the third top-10 matchup of the season within region play.

The Dolphins are the top-ranked team for the first time in program history and enter the fourth week as No. 1. Vigor joined the rankings in before Week 5 in the Sept. 26 edition of the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.

Gulf Shores had never recorded multiple wins over ranked opponents in a single season before 2023. The Dolphins beat a third-ranked Faith Academy team and a sixth-ranked UMS-Wright team in back-to-back weeks and outscored them 48-16.

Those marked Gulf Shores’ first wins over top-10 opponents since a 34-14 victory over a 10th-ranked Vigor team in Week 6 of the 2013 season. The Dolphins also have an upset of a top-ranked Linden team under their belt from Week 7 of the 2011 season where Brandon Silvers ran for a touchdown.

OTHER WEEK 10 MATCHUPS

Baldwin County Tigers at St. Paul’s Saints: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Baldwin County will enter 1-7 and 1-5 in Class 6A Region 1, St. Paul’s will enter 6-2 and 4-2 in region. Last year: Saints won 28-14. All-time series: St. Paul’s leads 3-0.

Bayside Academy Admirals at Satsuma Gators: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Bayside Academy will enter 6-2 and 4-2 in Class 4A Region 1, Satsuma will enter 4-4 and 2-4 in region. Last year: Bayside Academy won 41-7. All-time series: Admirals lead 4-1.

Elberta Warriors at B.C. Rain Raiders: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Elberta will enter 2-6 and 1-5 in Class 5A Region 1, B.C. Rain will enter 6-2 and 4-2 in region. Last year: Raiders won 24-2. All-time series: B.C. Rain leads 2-1.

Fairhope Pirates at No. 8 Baker Hornets: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Fairhope will enter 2-6 and 1-4 in Class 7A Region 1, Baker will enter 6-2 and 4-1 in region. Last year: Hornets won 42-10. All-time series: Pirates lead 21-1-2.

Orange Beach Makos at Escambia County Blue Devils: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Orange Beach will enter 1-7 and 1-5 in Class 4A Region 1, Escambia County will enter 5-4 and 2-4 in region. Last year: Orange Beach won 55-19 in teams’ first meeting.

Robertsdale Golden Bears at No. 3 Mary G. Montgomery Vikings: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Robertsdale will enter 0-8 and 0-7 in Class 6A Region 1, MGM will enter 9-0 and 6-0 in 7A-R1. Last year: Vikings won 42-0. All-time series: MGM leads 4-1.

Snook Christian Eagles at Crenshaw Christian Cougars: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Snook Christian will enter 0-8 and 0-4 in Class A Region 2, Crenshaw Christian will enter 6-4 and 2-2 in A-R1. Last year: Cougars won 62-14. All-time series: Crenshaw Christian leads 2-0.

Spanish Fort Toros at Murphy Panthers: Friday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Team records entering play: Spanish Fort will enter 7-2 and 6-1 in Class 6A Region 1, Murphy will enter 2-6 and 2-4 in region. Last year: Toros won 45-6 in teams’ first meeting.