For just the fourth time in school history, the Fairhope Pirates reached the Class 7A Final Four of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state tournament with a chance to make history and advance to its first championship game.

Instead, the Pirates ran into the defending Class 7A champion Hoover Buccaneers and one of Alabama's top-ranked prospects in Jackson Sheffield, falling 53-40 in the semifinals. Hoover would go on to fall in the 7A state title game to Tuscaloosa County.

Despite losing two key starters — senior Jackson Gulley and junior Cooper Gardner — to ACL injuries early in the season, Fairhope still went toe-to-toe with one of the state's premier programs of the past decade. Junior forward and Fairhope starting quarterback Trey Garner held his own in the paint while battling Sheffield, helping turn the contest into a defensive struggle through the first three quarters. Senior guard Reece Olmstead provided much of the offensive spark as well outside of Garner, finding success with jump shots late in the half after a slow start for the Pirates.

Fairhope trailed by just three points at halftime in a defensive battle that saw the teams combine for only 31 total points in the opening half. The tempo picked up in the final two quarters; however Hoover's depth and talent ultimately created separation.

The Pirates closed the season at 26-7, capping one of the best years in program history despite falling short of the program's first state title appearance. Head coach Ralph Watson will graduate seven seniors and four starters from this year's roster, but the veteran coach is expected to return eight players with varsity experience, including the injured Gardner.