Hey, Gulf Shores Dolphins, is that your phone ringing?

You might have a text.

Is that a ping for an email?

Maybe it’s a bell ringing in a private message.

Your dream season is reaching out. And, just in the nick of time.

“Guys, that’s a character builder right there,” Coach Mark Hudspeth said to a jovial gathering of his team on the bright turf of Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.

His guys had just finished a thrilling 30-29 victory over Blount, giving them a 2-0 start in region play and 4-0 on the season.

The Dolphins, fresh off probably the biggest upset so far this season in Alabama high school football, a 34-24 win of historic proportions at Saraland, looked early like they were mailing it, going through the motions and getting pushed around a bit.

Blount came to play, effectively controlling the game into the third quarter with a bruising rushing attack, leading to a commanding 17-0 lead. The Dolphin offense sputtered through the first half with only four first downs and opened the second half giving up a pick-six for that three-score lead less than two minutes into the second half.

The same Blount team that lost game one to crosstown rival Vigor, 28-7, survived a 44-43 thriller over B.C. Rain and rolled Murphy 43-0, came into town with something to prove.

Gulf Shores, fresh off its huge upset and a week of homecoming frivolity, was not impressed with its performance.

“Man, I learned something today,” star senior receiver/running back Carter Davis said after Hudspeth’s fiery but uplifting post-game speech. “I learned that we can't underestimate a team.”

Hudspeth wholeheartedly agreed.

“I think we realize we probably didn’t have our best week of preparation, would that be fair?” he asked his team.

“Yes, sir,” came the resounding response.

Hudspeth carried on.

“And it almost cost us,” he said. “But we've got enough character to overcome that tonight. Some nights, you won't be able to do that.

“You stepped up.”

Hudspeth pointed to off-season workouts, summer conditioning, having a bit more gas in the tank and finding a way to block an overtime extra point to make that 30-29 comeback complete.

“Who was in better shape in the fourth quarter?” Hudspeth asked. “We speed rolled in the fourth quarter. They were tired. And that's a testament to you guys for the work you put in.”

The Dolphins answered just in time.

“A wake-up call,” Hudspeth told his players.