ORANGE BEACH - Winning its first two games by a combined margin of 80-14, Orange Beach came into this week with plenty of momentum and confidence.
But the Makos faced their toughest test to date …
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ORANGE BEACH - Winning its first two games by a combined margin of 80-14, Orange Beach came into this week with plenty of momentum and confidence.
But the Makos faced their toughest test to date in the form of the Vigor Wolves, who were also undefeated and looking to make a statement of their own as a traditional powerhouse at the 4A level.
With these two unbeatens colliding under the lights of Friday night, a two-point margin of victory seemed fitting for such an evenly matched affair, but it took plenty of twists and turns to get there.
Despite missing a couple key players due to suspensions, Vigor jumped on the home side early.
In fact, things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Makos to start. The first play from scrimmage saw sophomore quarterback Tucker Wade get blindsided in the backfield, causing the ball to flutter in the air and land in the hands of a Wolves defender.
The visitors quickly turned the turnover into seven points, stunning Orange Beach with not even two minutes having been taken off the clock.
Following a Mako punt, some strong defensive plays from the likes of freshman nose guard Amarie Trammell and senior linebacker Luke Reed prompted Vigor to give the ball right back, and Wade’s unit broke through during the ensuing possession.
The possession began with highly touted 6-foot-7 tight end Lee Steele juking and bulldozing his way deep into opposing territory, and Wade followed that up with a well-placed pass that pushed Orange Beach to the Wolves’ one-yard line.
Wade proceeded to find the end zone on a quarterback sneak, tying the contest at seven with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter.
The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second before Vigor eventually mounted a promising drive and set itself up in a goal-to-go situation.
But after the Makos came up with three stops to force a fourth-and-goal, the defense strung quarterback Anthony Gill out to the sideline and gave him a less-than-gentle nudge to end the possession.
Orange Beach did punt shortly after, but all that did was lead to another defensive highlight for the home side.
This time, senior Verchaun Simms essentially ran a go-route for the Wolves’ receiver, as he tracked a deep pass and easily intercepted it for another momentum-swinging play.
The Makos took advantage of the sudden change, as after senior receiver Cayden Fitzgerald picked up a third-and-long, it was Simms providing another standout moment.
The speedy receiver beat his man downfield as Wade was rolling to his strong side, and the lefty dropped the ball right in Simms’ waiting arms. The transfer out of St. Augustine High School (LA) proceeded to blaze down the sideline and give Orange Beach a 14-7 advantage.
Having given up 14 straight points, Vigor appeared a bit shellshocked offensively, and it showed when Simms picked off yet another pass thanks to a deflection by senior Sam Creel.
The half concluded with the home side still ahead by seven, and even when the Wolves manufactured a promising drive coming out of the locker room, junior Devin Gause came up with the game’s fourth interception at the one-yard line. And to no surprise, it was a deflection from Simms that caused the turnover.
But the Makos were forced to punt after not moving the ball, and with favorable field position, Vigor managed to cross the end zone. However, a missed extra point kept Orange Beach ahead by a single point.
Wade nearly led a scoring drive in response before it resulted in a turnover on downs, although the Wolves mimicked that exact result as the game entered its final frame.
And in crunch time, it was junior punter Evan Crochet who became the first hero, as he launched a punt from his own 25-yard line to the Vigor 19, completely flipping field position.
The Makos smelled blood in the water at this juncture, and junior linebacker John Gentry showcased that when he picked off another pass for the home side, placing Orange Beach deep in Wolves territory.
A moment of déjà vu hit the stadium at this point, because another tough catch-and-run from Steele was followed yet again by Wade sneaking his way into the painted area, pushing the lead to 21-13 with just under five minutes left.
Vigor proceeded to fail on a fourth-down try, but Orange Beach still gave the visitors another shot after punting the ball with three minutes remaining.
And the Wolves made good on their second chance, because Gill found a receiver over the middle and watched him race past multiple defenders for a stunning touchdown.
However, Vigor still needed to convert the two-point conversion, and when Trammell batted down Gill’s pass in the backfield, the nail was placed in the coffin.
The Makos proceeded to recover the ensuing onside kick, capping a monumental district-opening win for their program.
“From spring ball to summer camp into the fall, I saw that every time we hit a low, our guys found a way to respond,” head coach Wade Waldrop said. “I don’t know if we did it every time tonight, but we did it enough to win. And I’m just very proud.”
Here’s a breakdown of how Orange Beach stymied a traditional powerhouse, what was said after the game and who each side will square off with next:
Verchaun Simms
Orange Beach | Wide Receiver/Cornerback | Senior
Notable Stats: 2 interceptions, 1 receiving touchdown, 1 deflection leading to an INT
Just in case you hadn’t heard Simms’ name enough already, he’s also one of the top performers from this game.
Everywhere you looked, on either side of the ball, Simms was there. Whether he was locking down Vigor’s best receivers, coming up with an interception or evading defenders after catching a pass, the senior was a problem that the Wolves just couldn’t seem to figure out.
“Our biggest thing coming into this game was talking about how we were gonna respond,” Simms said. “And I feel like we did well at that. Nobody put their heads down and we just fought.”
Amarie Trammell
Orange Beach | Defensive Tackle | Freshman
Notable Stats: Game-sealing deflection, 3+ tackles for loss
Already holding offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas as just a freshman, Trammell showed why that’s the case Friday night.
Against one of the tougher opponents Orange Beach will face all season, Trammell virtually lived in the visitors’ backfield and even came up with the game-sealing play.
I counted at least three tackles for loss from the youngster, but he very well could have had more. Case in point: this freshman is playing at an extremely high level.
John Gentry
Orange Beach | Linebacker/Running Back | Junior
Notable Stats: 1 interception, a plethora of tackles and some tough running
Wade or Steele could have easily gone in this final spot, but I opted to go with more of an unsung hero.
Gentry’s interception certainly stands out as his highlight of the night, but the junior made plenty of key tackles and even picked up a handful of pivotal first downs on the other side of the ball.
Trammell’s game-winning deflection (4th Quarter)
Impact Rating (1-10): 9.0
Despite having held the lead for much of the night, Orange Beach found itself with its back against the wall late in the game.
Vigor had just stolen all the momentum in the world with its shocking touchdown, and all the Wolves needed was a successful two-point try to knot the score at 21.
Trammell had other ideas.
The monstrous nose guard burst through the line and forced Gill to get rid of the ball early, and he raised one of his mitts up to bat it down and save the victory.
“The only chance we’ll have is to play as a team,” Waldrop said. “Offense has to feed off the defense, defense has to feed off the offense, and our kicking game has to be lights out.”
Simms’ explosive touchdown (2nd Quarter)
Impact Rating (1-10): 8.0
While Orange Beach’s offense was able to find success early in this game, it came in a methodical fashion without many explosive plays.
Enter Verchaun Simms.
With Wade’s picture-perfect pass hitting him right in stride, Simms was able to cruise to the end zone and give his team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the night.
Orange Beach’s early response (1st Quarter)
Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5
Among the many memorable moments from this contest, the Makos’ early scoring drive may not be remembered all that much.
Despite that, it was certainly one of the most impactful sequences from the evening.
The Wolves came into this game with a championship pedigree and plenty of people that believed they would walk away with a victory. So when the favorites immediately intercepted a pass and scored, the outlook appeared bleak for the home team.
But to their credit, Orange Beach’s players refused to blink, and they took control of the game from there on out.
“We had the mindset going into this that we were going to win this game instead of just trying to hold them off,” senior wide receiver/cornerback Michael Ashley said. “Our first play was a mess up, but we bounced back from that.”
Orange Beach (3-0): @ LeFlore (3-0) | Friday, Sept. 11
The Makos will next hit the road to battle a surging LeFlore squad in another marquee matchup.
Vigor (2-1): vs. Citronelle (2-0) | Friday, Sept. 11
The Wolves now return home to face another regional contender in Citronelle.
