Baldwin County’s championship programs are not limited to the gridiron as a Blue Map trophy returned with the Bayshore Christian boys’ cross country team thanks in part to the individual champion, Caden Phillippi, who will return to defend his crown for his senior season.

The biggest change is on the volleyball court, however, as Bayside Academy’s state championship streak ended at 21 years in the 2023 Class 6A semifinals. The Admirals were still one of four local schools recognized by the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association.

Spanish Fort also reached the Class 6A state semifinals in 2023 and will be looking an eighth trip to the Final Four in the last nine years.

The Central Christian Saints also made noise on the volleyball court after they won their first Panhandle Christian Conference championship since 2012. Lily Wright was named conference tournament MVP and will return for her final season with Central Christian this year.

Back on the cross country course, Annie Midyett from Bayside Academy and Beck Montiel from Gulf Shores joined Phillippi in racing to individual sectional championships and all three will return to defend their crowns.

Midyett finished fourth, just behind Catherine Doyle who finished as state runner-up, to help the Admirals claim a Red Map trophy as state runners-up. Doyle is also gearing up for her senior season this year.

At the swimming and diving state championships, three recent graduates collected gold medals as individual state champions. They were joined by seven more individuals and two relay teams in taking home hardware with podium finishes. The Gulf Shores Dolphin boys’ team claimed a Red Map trophy as state runners-up.

Gavin Cobb and Gray Bias earned silver medals last year and return for one more season in the pool for Gulf Shores. Also for the Dolphins, Hope Moyers is gearing up for her junior season fresh off three bronze medals, two on relay teams and one as an individual.

From Daphne, Dane Goodman will look to defend his silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke and bronze medal in the 100-yard butterfly as a senior. Similarly, rising senior Suzanne Rainer from Bayshore Christian earned bronze medals in the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley.

Revisiting reclassification

2024 will look a little different for some regions with a few schools on the move in the biennial reclassification of the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

Despite coming up short of a second-straight volleyball state title in Class 6A, Bayside Academy are still stepping up to Class 7A due to the Competitive Balance Factor. The Admirals will branch off with Fairhope, Foley and Robertsdale to create an all-Baldwin Area 3. Daphne will remain in a three-team Area 2 with Davidson and McGill-Toolen.

Also due to the CBF, cross country teams from Bayshore Christian and Bayside Academy will be stepping up a classification. The Eagles are set to join Orange Beach and St. Michael Catholic in being local representatives in Class 4A Section 1.

The Admirals will now be with Baldwin County, Gulf Shores and Spanish Fort at the Class 6A Section 1 level with Elberta as the lone local team in Class 5A Section 1. Daphne, Fairhope, Foley and Robertsdale are Baldwin’s teams in Class 7A Section 1.

The swimming scene remained mainly unchanged following reclassification with only Gulf Shores moving up from Class 1A-5A to Class 6A-7A due to enrollment.