ORANGE BEACH – In the words of Orange Beach head football coach Jamey DuBose, the "hay is in the barn."

DuBose, along with other football coaches and players from public and private schools across Baldwin County,  are ready to kick off the 2022 season.

Local teams stopped by the Orange Beach Event Center at The Wharf throughout the day Tuesday, Aug. 16, to preview their team’s first game, talk about the players whom readers should keep an eye out for this year as well as answer fun non-football-related questions.

You can find all the videos, which initially streamed live on Gulf Coast Media’s Facebook page, as well as highlights on Instagram (@GulfCoastNews and @GCMSportsAL). For a more in-depth look at Baldwin County’s football teams, stay tuned for the Fall Sports Preview tab scheduled to publish in The Baldwin Times on Aug. 26.

Until then, here are five takeaways from the inaugural Gulf Coast Media Day featuring the head coach and two-three players from nine teams.

1. Is a hot dog a type of sandwich?

No: 12
Yes: 8

Although many said they do not consider a hot dog a sandwich, Snook Christian’s Philip Butts said the food falls more into a category of subs. Still, most agreed it is its own type, including Baldwin County’s head coach, Scott Rials.

“No because when I think of a sandwich it’s two pieces of bread together with ham, turkey, cheese, things like that,” Rials said. “If it was a sandwich, they’d call it a sandwich and not a hot dog.”

2. Who wins in a fight, one 500-pound duck or 500 one-pound ducks?

Team of Ducks: 18
One huge duck: 9

This question elicited the most aligned answers from coaches where all but one head coach took the 500 one-pound ducks in a hypothetical fight against a singular, 500-pound duck. Most of the answers mentioned the preference to be on a team. Head to Gulf Coast Media’s Facebook page to see which coach provided the outlier answer.

“I kill a lot of ants with my foot,” he said.

3. Does pineapple belong on pizza?

No: 12
Yes: 8

This question had the most visceral reactions. Teammates looked ready to no longer be friends with another teammate who did or did not allow pineapple on his pizza. Daphne’s Stephon Blackshear quickly said no and his head coach, Kenny King, instantly looked at him, shocked.

“Absolutely," King said.

“That’s not pizza," Blackshear responded. "That’s a mess up."

4. Is cereal a type of soup?

No: 14
Yes: 2

Only Robertsdale lineman Mecca Yost and Butts, from Snook, agreed that cereal can be considered a type of soup, even after both of their teammates disagreed just before them.

Out of the two who were asked, Butts and Daphne’s Cam Long both provided the correct answer, according to me, of Cinnamon Toast Crunch being the best cereal.

5. Are boneless wings still wings, or are they grown-up chicken nuggets?

Not wings: 14
Still wings: 0

The only unanimous answer came from players – skill players and linemen – and coaches alike: boneless wings should not be considered wings. While still highly regarded among the ways to consume chicken, boneless wings were considered by all 14 respondents asked as not wings but rather grown-up chicken nuggets.