The 2026 AHSAA state soccer semifinals will feature four local Baldwin County programs that punched their tickets following a dramatic week of Elite Eight postseason action.

Dominant regular finishes are now translating into deep playoff runs as Orange Beach and St. Michael’s girls squads will continue their championship pursuits, while St. Michael and Fairhope’s boys teams also advanced to keep their Blue Map hopes alive. The state tournament begins May 6 and runs through May 9 at the Huntsville Soccer Complex.

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

Orange Beach continued its dominant season with a 3-2 home win over St. James in the 4A Elite Eight, sending the Lady Makos to the program’s first Final Four appearance.

The victory sets up a semifinal showdown with St. Luke’s Episcopal. Orange Beach and the Lady Wildcats split their regular-season series 1-1, and St. Luke’s overtook the Lady Makos for the No. 1 spot in the 4A coaches poll to close the regular season.

Just up the road, St. Michael added another chapter to its postseason success.

The Lady Cardinals defeated the Lady Warriors 3-1 on a rainy night in Elberta to advance to their fourth straight Final Four appearance. St. Michael has won each of its previous semifinal matches during that stretch before ultimately finishing as state runner-up — they will look to change history this time around.

Fairhope’s postseason run came to an end in the 7A Elite Eight with a narrow 1-0 loss to Dothan. The defeat marked just the second loss in more than a month for the Lady Pirates.

BOYS PLAYOFFS

St. Michael’s boys team opened what became a standout week for Cardinals athletics by securing a 5A Final Four berth with a 2-1 home victory over Faith Academy, an Elite Eight rematch of last season’s second-round playoff meeting between the two.

The Cardinals will now travel to Huntsville to face 2025 state runner-up Indian Springs.

Fairhope was the only other Baldwin County boys team to advance. The Pirates defeated defending 7A champion Montgomery Academy 2-0 at home in the Elite Eight to earn a semifinal matchup with Auburn.

Auburn advanced by defeating Daphne 2-0, ending the Trojans’ season in the Elite Eight. Spanish Fort’s season also came to a close with a 1-0 loss to St. Paul’s in the 6A Elite Eight. The Toros fell short of a return to the state championship match after finishing as 6A runner-up in 2025.

All official scores and Final Four matchups are courtesy of the official AHSAA website.