It was a year filled with memories and milestones that stopped the scroll — from Orange Beach's massive new athletic complex to playoff records and a return to the NFL, these were GCM's top five sports storylines on social media.
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It was a year filled with memories and milestones that stopped the scroll — from Orange Beach's massive new athletic complex to playoff records and a return to the NFL, these were GCM's top five sports storylines on social media.
This was years in the making, but when it debuted in early October, the Orange Beach athletics complex was something many in the high school realm had never seen. The Makos unveiled a $46 million college-style, multi-sport facility that ushered in a new era for Mako athletics.
Built with durability in mind to withstand major storm events, the complex included a football and soccer stadium with grandstands, video board and eight-lane track, a 1,200-seat competition gym, a state-of-the-art weight room with Division I-level tracking technology, a covered 60-yard indoor training field, and expanded team meeting, classroom and lounge spaces.
The St. Michael head coach teased it with the media during the season, but no one would have thought Philip Rivers returning to the NFL was on the 2025 bingo card. The 44-year-old signed with the Indianapolis Colts in early December, becoming the league's oldest active player and making his first NFL start in nearly five years in a narrow Week 15 loss to Seattle.
After working out for the Colts earlier in the week, Rivers was elevated from the practice squad, completing 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception in an 18-16 defeat. Rivers last played in the 2021 playoffs before his return and is a current 2026 Hall of Fame semifinalist. And this storyline isn't done just yet.
In the middle of summer on the Alabama Gulf Coast, the greatest show in sportfishing took over The Wharf. Grocery Isle etched its name into Gulf Coast sportfishing history, landing a 124-inch, 746.2-pound blue marlin to win the 2025 Blue Marlin Grand Championship and nearly $406,000 in prize money at The Wharf Marina.
Angler Donny Rouse boated the tournament-winning marlin, which was officially weighed during a weekend that featured 66 boats, 411 anglers and more than $1.8 million in payouts. Devotion, captained by Jason Hallmark, captured the Gulf Coast Triple Crown title for the second time, while the event produced 82 total catches and raised more than $220,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, once again blending elite competition with a high-energy dockside spectacle.
In Round 1 of the Class 4A playoffs, St. Michael running back Noah Moss delivered a record-breaking performance. Fresh off completing the first 10-0 season in program history, Moss and St. Michael took down Pike County 49-21 as the Cardinals advanced to the second round.
Moss rushed for 368 yards and six touchdowns on just 16 carries, setting a Class 4A playoff record for rushing yards in a single game, accounting for nearly all of the Cardinals' offensive production.
Back in November, Orange Beach softball once again took center stage on National Signing Day, headlining Baldwin County's ceremonies with five signees — including three SEC commitments — that reminded everyone the program is one of the South's premier college pipelines.
Arkansas signees Katie King and Ava Hodo, along with Mississippi State commit Teagan Revette, headlined a class that also included Kenlie Williams (Faulkner) and Addy Oldham (Northwest Florida State). Nearly a month later, the Makos were honored with their fifth consecutive state championship ring.
