GULF SHORES - Mark Hudspeth and his Gulf Shores team enjoyed an incredibly memorable regular season this fall, finishing with a 10-0 record while largely dominating their opposition.

However, that unblemished mark means nothing now, because with the arrival of the playoffs comes a fresh start for every qualified team, and the top-seeded Dolphins entered the 5A bracket with a sizable target on their backs.

Taking the first crack at Gulf Shores was Ramsay, a team that had narrowly lost its final three games of the regular season to drop to fourth in its regional standings.

And of course, there was another storyline accompanying this matchup. These programs had only met once on the gridiron before, but considering that matchup occurred for the 2023 5A State Title, there was even more on the line in that game.

The Dolphins emerged with a 21-14 victory to cap an undefeated campaign that year, and they hoped for a similar story Friday night while the Rams aimed to exact revenge for that ’23 squad.

With all of those details creating an intense atmosphere at “The Mick,” Gulf Shores defended its home turf by shutting down the visitors’ offense and scoring in all three phases en route to a 33-7 victory.

“It really started in the earlier parts of the week with our preparation,” senior EDGE Jackson Serman said of his team’s performance. “We were ready for everything Ramsay had on offense, so we just had momentum on the defensive side of the ball throughout the game.”

The Dolphins’ offense set the tone first, as star wide receiver Carter Davais took a run off-tackle for a chunk gain before tailback Janoy Ferguson essentially traded places with the West Virginia commit by hauling in a pass to move the chains again.

Davis then took a screen–one of many Major Hudspeth threw on this night–inside the 10-yard line, and fellow senior Elijah Malone punched in a short rushing touchdown to put six points on the board.

A blocked point-after attempt meant six was all Gulf Shores would get out of its opening possession, but its defense bowed up near midfield to give its counterpart the ball right back.

The Dolphins easily moved the ball again thanks to an explosive catch-and-run by Davis and a screen to Ferguson that converted a crucial 4th-and-8. And to cap a dominant opening quarter from the senior, Davis proceeded to muscle his way into the painted area on a stretch play.

Junior receiver Benton Brereton pushed the lead to 14-0 by hauling in a wild one-handed pass over a defender’s back, converting the two-point try and lighting a fire under the home sideline as the first quarter came to a close.

In need of a response, Ramsay did produce a promising drive with the assistance of a pass-interference call, but when Gulf Shores forced a field-goal attempt, senior Travaris Johnson blocked the kick to shut the door on the visitors yet again.

The Dolphins were prompted to kick the ball back soon after, although they downed it inside the Ram’s 10-yard line. The latter ripped off a long run via a quarterback-keeper to again move into opposing territory, but more punting was the end result.

With the second quarter nearing its end, Hudspeth managed an efficient two-minute drill. Sophomore Brayden Lawson took a screen for a first down to start, then Davis ushered his team into the red zone via the ground.

Junior Geer McKee knocked in a short field goal to push Gulf Shores’ advantage to 17-0 heading into the locker room, and the story was much the same during the second half.

Ramsay took its opening possession past midfield but saw the drive stall out yet again, bringing the punt unit back out.

Malone dropped back to receive the kick, and the Jacksonville State commit made it two punt-return touchdowns in as many weeks when he weaved through the coverage for an explosive score.

Facing a steep 24-0 deficit, the Rams came up with exactly the drive they needed, peppering the ball through the air before capping the possession with a short touchdown run.

Gulf Shores took some time off the clock in response, and even after the home side was forced to punt, both a fumble and errant punt snap kept the visitors at bay through the beginning stages of the fourth quarter.

At this stage, the Dolphins turned the ball over deep in opposing territory. But all that did was allow their defense to swarm Ramsay’s quarterback in the end zone, and an emphatic safety became the end result.

Down the stretch, Malone provided another highlight with an elusive kick return, although Davis one-upped him by intercepting a late pass (in part thanks to some heavy pressure on the QB) and blazing down the field for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 33-7.

“I just saw the ball going up and was like ‘Yep, I’m gonna get it,’” Davis said. “Once I got the ball, I was like, ‘Yeah, I have to score.’ But I didn’t even know what my coaches were saying on the sideline, if they were telling me to slide down or not.”

Here’s a breakdown of how Gulf Shores cruised to a Round 1 victory, what was said after the game and what’s next for each team:

Primetime Performers

Carter Davis

Gulf Shores | Wide Receiver | Senior

Notable Stats: 1 rushing touchdown, 1 pick-six

Elijah Malone

Gulf Shores | Defensive Back | Senior

Notable Stats: 1 rushing touchdown, 1 punt-return touchdown

I do feel like a broken record, and there are certainly plenty of Dolphins that deserve praise for their performances Friday night and throughout this season…

…But it’s just really hard to ignore the fact that both Davis and Malone scored in TWO phases of the game. It’s rare for a team to have one player do that, much less a pair. 

The duo yet again proved why they each are committed to Division I programs, although they’d be the first to admit that they can’t accomplish anything without the help of their teammates’ blocking and overall efforts.

“It’s really about the coaching. Coach [Mitchell] Rodriguez has done a really good job here,” senior O-lineman Jack Biggs said of his unit’s performance. “And we’ve been grinding since January, hitting the sled, working the plays…and I’m pretty sure we watch the most film out of any team we play.”

Defining Moments

Elijah Malone’s punt-return touchdown (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 8.5

Gulf Shores already appeared to be well in control during the first half, but Malone’s special-teams score put the proverbial nail in the coffin.

Considering he’s visited the end twice over the past two weeks off punt returns, it’s safe to say that future opponents will not be kicking the ball anywhere in Malone’s vicinity.

Ramsay’s back-to-back miscues (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5

The Rams did steal some momentum at times during the second half, but even when their defense was stifling the Dolphins, they couldn’t take advantage.

A fumble deep in Ramsay’s own end of the field was only overshadowed by a high punt snap that saw the kicker eventually brought down behind the line of scrimmage.

Quotes To Note

• “We go into each and every game with a chip on our shoulder. We tell each other: ‘You scratch my back, I scratch your back.’ And we just do that every game.” — Carter Davis, Gulf Shores Wide Receiver
• “The preparation doesn’t start during the season, we’ve been at it since January. And the bond that the guys have created helps us play better together.” — Jackson Serman, Gulf Shores EDGE
• “He’s [Major Hudspeth] put in a lot of work since the offseason of last year. And we’ve just been trying to give him the most protection we can as an O-line.” — Jack Biggs, Senior Offensive Lineman
• “It’s just an intense program, and we stay on our edge.” — Jackson Serman, Gulf Shores EDGE

Obscure Observations

• This result moves the all-time record between the schools to 2-0 in favor of Gulf Shores. As mentioned, the only other meeting between these schools occurred in the AHSAA 5A State Title Game in 2023, a contest that saw the Dolphins complete an undefeated season with a 21-14 victory.
• The term “bend but don’t break” regarding football defenses is perhaps overused, but it’s a cliché for a reason, and Gulf Shores perfected that strategy Friday night. The Dolphin defense allowed a talented Ramsay team to threaten on multiple occasions, but seven points were all the visitors could manage in the end.
• For the uniform enthusiasts out there, Gulf Shores sported an all-black look in this one, which makes it 11 different jersey combinations in the same number of games for the Dolphins this season.

Gulf Shores captains Gabriel Ervin (90), Kaleb Williams (13), Elijah Malone (1) and Carter Davis (2) stand at midfield Friday, Nov. 6, in Gulf Shores.

Parker Gillam / Gulf Coast Media

Up Next

Gulf Shores (11-0, 7-0): @ McAdory (9-2, 5-2) | Friday, Nov. 13

The Dolphins will hit the road for a second-round date with second-seeded McAdory (won 55-48 over Russell County), while the Rams’ (6-5, 4-3) season has now come to an end.

“We have practice Monday, and we have to keep that edge,” Davis said. “We just played a very good team that showed us what we need to improve on, so we’re gonna keep working.”

“We have to keep grinding, watch film this week and keep Major protected in the pocket,” Biggs added.