Two teams that experienced very different outcomes in Week 1 will square off Friday night, as Baldwin County makes the trek down to Fairhope for a regional clash.

The hosting Pirates are hoping for a bounce-back performance in this one, as they dropped their opener by a score of 41-0 at Pace (FL). First-year coach Caleb Ross would love to see his team right the ship as it begins a two-game homestand against Baldwin County foes.

Meanwhile, the visiting Tigers earned their first season-opening win in five years when they took down B.C. Rain, 40-22, last Friday. A plethora of standout performances on offense propelled Baldwin County to the win, and third-year head coach Andrew Davis is now hoping to ride that momentum as he continues to rebuild this program.

And as is always the case, the environment at W.C. Majors Field figures to be electric for this pivotal intra-county clash.

Here are the players to keep an eye on, keys to the game and other notes to know ahead of kickoff:

Players To Watch

Ray Johnson

Baldwin County | Quarterback | Junior

Notable Stats: 279 passing yards, 27 rushing yards, 6 total touchdowns

Plenty of Baldwin County players posted standout performances last week, but Johnson was the star of the show.

The dual-threat junior diced up the B.C. Rain defense throughout the evening, completing multiple explosive passes while also using his legs when necessary. Johnson figures to be the sparkplug for the Tigers all season long, and his team will need him to produce a similar performance to win this Friday.

“I stayed focused and never let it get to my head, just focused on the next play,” Johnson said following last Friday’s game. “I just want to win, for real. That’s all I want to do.”

Gus Faulkner

Fairhope | Linebacker/Safety | Senior

Notable Stats: 14 total tackles, 9 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss

Faulkner was one of the Pirates’ bright spots in the opening defeat, as the veteran defender flew all over the field and was involved in virtually every play.

After recording a whopping nine solo tackles last week, the 3-star prospect will be counted upon to chase Johnson in the backfield and wherever else the quarterback ends up.

Ashton Cox

Baldwin County | Wide Receiver | Senior

Notable Stats: 5 catches, 144 yards, 2 touchdowns

Of course, in order for Johnson to post those numbers, he needed receivers to make plays.

As one of two targets who finished with over 100 yards in the game, Cox certainly fits that bill. The rangy 6-foot-4 wide out is dynamic in the open field and a nightmare to battle in the air, making it difficult to consistently cover him with just one defender.

The X-Factors

1. Can the Baldwin County offense replicate its opening performance against stingier competition?

The Tigers’ offense was balanced, efficient and explosive on its way to scoring 40 points last week, but that was against a 4A program in B.C. Rain.

Now, Johnson and company will battle a fellow 5A school that features superior depth and size to their previous opponent.

But regardless of the uptick in competition, Davis’ offense will continue to push the pace as it looks to effectively utilize its speed on the perimeter.

“We want to be a hurry-up offense, but that’s predicated off the first-down play,” Davis said. “We have dynamic kids, so if we can stay ahead of the chains we’re going to go as fast as we can.”

2. How will Fairhope’s offense rebound from a tough Week 1?

Getting shut out in your opening game is never desirable, and the Pirates are likely chomping at the bit to get back on the field and score some points this week.

Senior quarterback Trey Garner tossed a pair of interceptions after throwing for over 2,000 yards last fall, but he also didn’t receive much help from a ground attack that manufactured just 85 yards rushing.

The talent is there for this Fairhope offense to be a dynamic unit, and after the Tigers allowed over 100 yards through the air and on the ground last week, this could be a prime chance for Ross’ unit to find its rhythm.

3. What strategies or tricks will each coaching staff utilize to get a leg-up?

While this series has been one-sided as of late, this year’s edition figures to be an evenly matched battle.

The Pirates are still settling in with a new coach, while the Tigers are experiencing momentum they haven’t seen in quite some time during Davis’ third year at the helm.

So in a coin-flip game like this, every detail counts, and it’s safe to assume that each coaching staff will employ some tricks or unique strategies to gain an edge. Ross will look to spark his offense early on, while Davis knows that in order to go on the road and win a game of this magnitude, he’ll need to pull out all the stops.

Notes To Know

• The all-time record between the schools currently stands at 40-37-2 in favor of Fairhope. The Pirates have won 10 straight in the series, although these teams have not met on the field since 2013.

• Mentioned in the ‘Players To Watch’ section, Faulkner committed to further his career at Tulane back in June. The senior is set to graduate early in December and will join the Green Wave in the spring.

• The point total Baldwin County produced last week was just the third time the Tigers have scored 30 or more in a game since 2023.

Parker’s Perspective

The scene is set for another marquee intra-county clash.

With Fairhope in desperate need of a rebound performance and Baldwin County looking to build off the momentum it generated last week, there is plenty on the line Friday night.

In order to emerge victorious, the Pirates likely need to accomplish two goals.

The first is to get the offense on the right foot. Garner is a much better player than what he showed last week, and Ross will look to get the senior some easy completions early to settle him in this time around.

The second goal revolves around containing Johnson as much as possible. The Tigers may not boast the same size or depth as their adversaries, but their speed and creativity can make up the difference. Thus, keeping Johnson in the pocket as much as possible and not giving him time to find Cox and others downfield will be mandatory.

All in all, Fairhope figures to return home and look like a much different team that it did last week. Riding high off the opening win, Baldwin County will certainly come in and put up a strong fight, but the story of the evening will be Ross and company righting the ship.

The Tigers and Pirates will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday.