Latest / The Gulf Coast Sports Pulse with Gulf Coast Media / Episode 10 - An instant classic on the Eastern Shore and is Philip Rivers headed to NC State?

Transcript

Episode 10 - An instant classic on the Eastern Shore and is Philip Rivers headed to NC State? · The Gulf Coast Sports Pulse with Gulf Coast Media

• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, and welcome back to the Gulf Coast Sports Club.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: My name is Parkman Gillen, the sports editor here with Gulf Coast Media, and I'm joined as always by local athletics guru John Mullen as we discuss all the recent happenings of Baldwin County High School football as we approach kind of the final weekend of the regular season and the playoffs certainly loom for everybody.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: So plenty of uh storylines for us to kind of go through uh today, both kind of on the field and off of it.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um but we'll start as we kind of always do looking back at the uh past weekend slate of games.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, I think we we first certainly have to start with um, you know, the uh Daphne and Fair Hope, just instant classic that those two really played.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: 38th meeting between the Eastern Shore rivals, uh region title was on the line, um, only adding to kind of the many emotions that are generally associated with this one.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: And and in the end, this it really more than lived up to the hype.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, the Trojans and Pirates traded Haymakers throughout the evening and began with a pick six by two-lane committee, Gus Faulkner.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Daphne responds, teams trade field goals, it's close going to half.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: And then the fourth quarter, they literally just traded touchdown after touchdown until Fairhope had the ball last.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: Trey Garner finds Hayden Woodford for game winning touchdown in the corner uh to win it literally with uh, I believe three seconds left on the clock to win a 20 27-24 game.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh matchup that you know they're they're gonna be talking about in that area for for years down the line in terms of um just just the uh beating, taking on the rivals, region title, I mean, doing it on the road as well was so impressive with the crowd.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: So um just just a lot to unpack from that game.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, obviously, Fairhope now takes the top seed um in that region over Daphne, who will finish in second place.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um so I mean, John from afar, just just what what were your initial thoughts on on seeing how this game played out and you know how the the pirates were able to pull it off?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, it was a really wild fourth quarter.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um really a lot of fun to watch.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Three seconds left.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's hard to believe, you know.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Not many high school games win with three seconds, you know.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's usually two or three minutes.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: Because it takes them a lot longer to get down the field than usually than you know, bro.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Three seconds, it was it was really incredible.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um It was a classic and uh they will be talking about it for a long time.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um get buys, but um I think they'll do well in a round or two.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think they can play with the Thompsons and the Prattbals of the world.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: I guess we should talk about that later though.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say we'll we'll you know, we'll we'll have plenty, probably we'll do a full kind of playoff preview episode next week.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, Fairhope, both of them get buys off of that.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I think Fairhope has Theodore in their way, uh or excuse me, not Theodore Thompson, um, and then Daphne has Prattville, I believe.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: That would they would be, I believe it'd be a quarter final matchup or something around there that they'd have to take.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: So um regardless, they will still be hosting playoff games um just with opponent TBD after the first round.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so you know, highly successful seasons for both programs.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think they would say obviously Daphne left with a little bit of bitter taste, losing your final two games.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: So it'll be interesting to see kind of how they can, or two of their final three, excuse me.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: Or no, their final two, yes, they lost to Mary Montgomery, then to Fairhope.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um so it'll be interesting to see kind of how they're they're able to bounce back.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Meanwhile, Fairhope taking a ton of momentum into the playoffs.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so definitely uh definitely one to remember on the Eastern Shore.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but uh elsewhere in the in the region, uh Foley was welcoming Mary Montgomery to town.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: And with the Vikings kind of being you know, ineligible for the postseasons, obviously had an impact on Daphne and Fairhope finishing one and two.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, none of their contests have counted towards regional standings this season.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: And yet still the visitors came in looking to make a statement fresh off that aforementioned upset one over Daphne, and and they certainly did that.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I think Foley had plenty of opportunities early, um, a couple touchdown passes, you know, either dropped or just missed Q's kind of um, you know, stalled out drives.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then MGM's ground game just really controlled things, um, you know, for the most part from start to finish.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: Foley uh fully struggled to keep them off the field.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they were able to chew up clock um and really kind of own the tempo and the um just the just the flow of the game really was was in their favor.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so um foley did end up kind of uh mounting a late rally, got within one score on two different occasions in the second half, and um, you know, really showed a lot of fight to get back into it.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: But, you know, as Brian Moore, uh first year head coach of Foley said after the game, you know, this is this is a Mary Montgomery team that's been dominating this region for four plus years now.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_02: You know, this is this is kind of the standard in the area, you know, obviously the off-the-field kind of you know recruiting violations, what have you, um, you know, impact them in the postseason, but they've still made, you know, only one loss to region play, which was at Fair Hope very early in the season.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, that they've they've been able to take down everybody in this region.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: So definitely Vikings deserve a shout out for um, you know, obviously the kids and coaches still, you know, playing coaching hard, you know, even with the postseason not being an option for them, um, and then being able to finish out their season like that.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh for Foley now um sit at five and four, um, you know, with a date with St.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: Michael that we'll talk about later on, uh, looming this week.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so I, you know, I think it's it's been a you would say wildly roller coaster ride up and down of a season for for Moore in his first year at the helm, you know, which with first year head coach, especially in high school ball, it's kind of to be expected.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think it's a team that has a ton of potential.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I think you've seen it in certain games.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean, they went back and forth with Daphne, their shootout victory over Baker was incredibly entertaining.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: They beat, you know, a good Spanish 14.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: But um I just think, you know, obviously defense has been the talking point for them throughout the season, but just the consistency week to week, I think, on both sides of the ball, um, is probably what Moore will hope to work on more in the offseason, I would imagine.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, coming off of this game, John, just how do you think um you know fully sets up for the playoffs um and also the St.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: Michael matchup this weekend in terms of you know how they can you know ch and play to their strengths maybe and you know potentially go on a on a deeper run?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: Because again, it's a team that that has potential if they can put it all together.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um Coach Moore said at the beginning of the year before they play the game, he he believes in his talent, he's got talented players and um and he's getting them in the right positions.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: It takes you know, like I said, it's his first year.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: And it takes a while to get your all your things in, your culture, your plays, your how you're gonna do things.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: And with the athletes he's got, you know, they show like you're saying they show promises a lot a lot of times, you know, they feel just a lot of more.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: I take that down to the uh you know first season more, you know, he'll get a bit he'll be uh they'll get a little bit better, you know, as they go on.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I've seen a lot of people that you know play those nine games and be really good all of a sudden.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: And and that wouldn't surprise me if that happened to them because they do have the talent, it's just a matter of you know, getting it all together.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and so that's uh yeah, I think a all things considered, I think a solid year one, I think, in terms of where the program was when he got there to to where it is kind of right now.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think it really set a standard for kind of what what the future can be.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of the younger kids are kind of looking at this team and you know, seeing a lot of the stars like Jackson Dixon, Judah Spencer, um, Cameron Page, some of those guys, and you know, see saw some guys really look up to.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so I I do think it's it's a sign of um, you know, the Lions program being on the up and up.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but we'll just have to see, again, with them being a lower seed in that region, um, they will uh I believe they will host their round one game, but then more than likely have to go on the road for round two if they were to emerge victorious.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um but last but not least, uh the team that Fully will actually be playing this week that we talked about, St.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Catholic, uh, they were the talk of the town for a variety of reasons uh this past weekend.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um first off, with uh with on the field, uh Star quarterback Gunner Rivers was shut down for the remainder of the regular season after coming back and appearing in two games uh in the middle of the season.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so even without him, though, the Cardinals didn't miss a beat.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: They took down a tough Montgomery Catholic team by a score of 38-31, which made it six wins in a row for Phillip Rivers' team after it dropped its first three contests of the season, really um, you know, kind of showing that they're you know one of, if not the hottest team in the county.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, Marshall Petriot quarterback has really seemed like he settled in.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: Nigel Mitchell, our running back, is pretty much averaging almost 250 yards a game at this rate.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: I believe he's second in the state in rushing yardage up to this point.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so just really all good vibes around the program.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then some some more news comes through Saturday, not necessarily bad news, but um North Carolina State football program announces that uh it's parting ways of 14-year head coach Dave Dorn, one of the longest tenured uh coaches in uh the sport.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, that that starts the rumor mill, you know, hey, there's a pretty high-profile alumni who's had a pretty successful high coach, uh high school coaching career uh, you know, over in Alabama, who also has a son who's committed to to go play at the school next year.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: So uh yes, obviously uh Philip Rivers, um, you know, his name has been kind of swirled around uh with with that uh opening.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_02: And so many people are talking about, you know, will Phillip end up joining his son there, as well as you know, former player Noel Moss and a c handful of other you know guys from Baldwin County, Ronnie Royal, AJ Prim, um, you know, that are currently on that NC State roster too.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: So um a lot to unpack.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um I I'll throw it to you first, John, and just your opinions.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_02: You've been down here a lot longer.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_02: I'm only I've only been here for a couple months.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: I've you know, unfortunately not covered Philip for for all too long.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: So just your perspective of kind of you know seeing and hearing him over the years, you know, where where do you stand right now on you know if he's likely to leave and what that might look like.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think that um there might they would be making a really good move in that if they've been down here for six or seven years looking at high school talent and knowing high school talent and knowing all the coaches and stuff.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, they've already had success getting players down here, and I'm sure that that has something to do with any other county, all the county there's a lot of players.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, you've been right in the middle of all those players in the last eight or seven years and all the coaches and everything.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter if he wants to do anything like that.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: He's had a really good decision like last year.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'll go like I think he would do a really good job.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um his dad moved to Raleigh and started a high school program at a school there.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know the name of the school.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: That's why he moved there so he could you know watch the Philippine play all through college.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean he's he stayed there a few years.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: But um so maybe you know Philip's gonna do follow his dad in those footsteps too.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: Except he's gonna be the coach of his son when he goes to Raleigh.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: That would that would be very interesting to note, actually, that he uh that he yeah, could be almost kind of mirroring him in that regard.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, it's interesting.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: As you kind of touched on, just to just to lay it out, you know, Philip obviously played there 2000, 2003, um, I mean, through for I wrote about this week, I think over 1,300, 13,000 yards, um, you know, multiple all ACC honors led them to four bowl games um while he was there as well.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you then of course obviously had a legendary NFL career following that.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: But uh yes, tons of history within there.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I think from my perspective, you know, my my two cents that you know probably anybody can take with a grain of salt around here.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: But um, you know, I I again I don't think anything at this juncture is is a yes or no.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: I is way too early, even in this current realm of college athletics where you know the timeline is usually accelerated when you're hiring coaches because you need to hit the portal hard, you need to start talking in the IL, you know, you need to start doing all that stuff.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I I would be stunned if I I think it's almost impossible that he has not at least had a conversation with them.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um NC State and Phillip, you know, at least setting down some groundwork on, you know, here's my interest level, here's what I might need, you know, here's, you know, I guess, you know, other coaches we want to pursue players, you know, here's what it looked like, here's the financial commitment I'd want.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: That's a big thing that Doran talked about during his exit.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, is that the uh expectations do not match the financial commitment from the school with the football program, which is something else that would be a big talking point for a place like NC State that, you know, is still technically a football school and has, you know, a very passionate fan base, but it just might not have the finances to contend with the top dogs in the ACC, such as Miami, Florida State, Clemson, et cetera.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um that being said, I do I almost lean, again, just personally, I probably lean a greater than 50% chance that he's gonna take this job.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: It just it's it seems like he's been he's been coaching for long enough in the high school ranks.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, obviously Gunnar's going there, and the opportunity to be able to coach your son is very appealing.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: And to your point, this family um A loves Raleigh in the school, B, has shown the willingness to move in the past.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I do think that the yes, having a lot of other kids here being so well established in the, you know, in Fair Hope, St.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Catholic could be a reason he stays.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's something that, you know, obviously he'll be considering.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I just I can certainly see it happening.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's the it's an exciting move for an NC State program that's needed uh Spark for a while.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: Doran is obviously a legend and you know was uh you know one of the longest-term coaches for a reason.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but they just could never break through, never were able to uh eclipse that nine-win mark under him.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think you'd see a lot of uh, you know, donations from boosters if Philip takes the job.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think recruiting would take off.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: I just it would be very positive.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the last point I kind of want to make on this is I did see a lot of people talking about in the past when high school coaches have gone directly from high school to college and just how different that can be and how many have struggled.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, there's definitely many examples of ones that have.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I'll also point out, I mean, there's a recent example.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_02: Granted, he wasn't taking a power four job, but uh Jeff Traylor over in Texas, he was a legendary longtime high school coach over there.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: He ended up uh taking over at Texas San Antonio UTSA, um, which is in the FPS, and they have been, for the most part, an incredible, you know, contending for conference championships every year he's been there.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_02: So it can certainly work.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_02: I think it can.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: I think obviously filled up with his background, I think it even makes it more likely that it could work.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think another thing you're seeing is that he's already, when he's talked to the past about taking, because remember, obviously he interviewed, you know, briefly for the Bills job as well recently.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_02: And um, he talked about just making sure he would want to be surrounded by people that have been there, done that.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, he he would really need a strong staff around him, you know, as a potentially first-time college coach.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: So all that is to say, um, I do consider it somewhat likely.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, he is also the type of person, though, that is going to put this team and this, you know, St.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Catholic and his players first.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so I highly doubt we're going to see any form of you know formal announcement from either side until after this high school football season is over at the minimum.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: But that's not to say that they already haven't been having conversations.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we'll see.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: Any other kind of final thoughts though, on just, you know, what you think about that?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think what you said about boosters coming out a little more if he shows up, you know, especially with all his recruiting connections.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: And uh maybe they'll lose up the upper strings and they'll have a little more MI on what you uh knowing that they can get some really good players through him.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's doing it.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: Unlike anybody else, you know, you know what I'm saying about his play that in an NL game for 14 years, you know, that's not the highest level an offense as you know, and as a quarterback for all those years and all those yards, and I think I don't think that would be that hard, but uh as far as the X's and O's and stuff, he's not gonna have to learn a whole lot there.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and going off of that, yeah, I think it also, I mean, just it recruiting wise, I mean, I think it could immediately bolster an NC State program.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I bar anything else.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, think about uh a 16, 17, eight-year-old, 18-year-old quarterback, you know, would love to go learn under Phillip Rivers for three to four years.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that you're you know you're you got a pretty good shot of going to the league, A, with that school's track record of quarterbacks in the NFL, but B, just working under him.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so I just it makes a lot of sense.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I will also say there's a lot of other names out there that are potential that, you know, either kind of have connections um or that, you know, certainly could uh be options for NC State.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I by no means think Phillip is just the only guy they're going after at this juncture.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: He's just he's probably option 1A, 1B, 1C, one of them.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um so it'll be it will be interesting to monitor um throughout these coming weeks um as that kind of develops.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: But obviously they still got a season season to finish up as we touched on uh St.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Michael vs.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Foley this week, which we'll touch on just a second.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but first, real quick, we'll uh kind of want to go through our latest uh takeaways from this last slate of games, uh, the the final week of regional action it was.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I'll go ahead and shout out a team that we haven't even touched on yet, that we usually talk plenty about.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um Golf Scores capping a flawless run through regional play with a dominant victory over Theodore.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I just really like to talk a lot about the development of this team.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, yes, they for the most part started outlooking the part this fall, but um Mark Hudsmith has continually emphasized how much this team has grown since that first week of the season, and the proof is in the pudding, you know, from the defensive line play and really that front seven as a whole to how much major Hudspeth, a sophomore quarterback, has grown.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, it's just across the board, this it's a championship caliber team because they they are so much better than they were in week one, and they were already a pretty good team in week one.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, again, you know, the the teams that win titles don't hit their ceiling in October, they hit their stride when they want to in November, and it looks like that's what Gulf Shores is doing at this point.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: So be interested to see how they close out the season this Friday, which another one that we're gonna touch on in just a second.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_02: But uh just your uh your takeaway from uh kind of wrapping up regional play, and as we kind of are starting to peek ahead to the postseason.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: Well, with Gulf Shores, I I really do.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we talk about it too much.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: The blunt game was really a like a flip switch for them.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like, hey, we can't just show up and win these games.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: We got to really get out here and play every time, every night.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we're good, but we can't just show up and win it out.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: And um I like their talent of I like a bunch of like they have like a lot of hard bag and hardly they have a bunch of guys in that range of eyes.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: On both sides of the ball, and I think those guys are translating that over to the way I actually play really well on both sides of the body really good years.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: John Prince, I missed his name.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: That's another name I wanted to be.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: He's one of those guys that's kind of like uh an aggressive D bows around all the time trying to find something to to make happen.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's helped them, you know, that that's kind of their attitude now, I think.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it really is like the the you know, to your point, stars have stolen the show.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, Elijah and Carter Davis could talk to it plenty, but it's really I mean, the reason this team is undefeated is because they they top to bottom, they have the depth, there really isn't many weak points on this roster, um, that that you would say.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, I mean, just you know, like I said earlier, that when they get off the bus, they look the part of a state title team.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, we'll talk a lot more about their playoff pathway next week.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, from what I can tell so far, they will be hosting Ramsey uh for their first uh opening round game.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, with uh them, if they win that game, they would take on the victor of uh Russell County and I'm assuming Makadorie, something along those lines is how you pronounce that.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um the one city that they would have to play in the quarterfinals that that goes through would be Homewood, um, a school line personally not all that familiar with at 8-1 on the season.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, obviously Sarah Land would uh loom um potentially in a in a semifinal match if they get that far.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: But you also got teams like Hillcrest, you know, Oxford, Florence, um, you know, Clay Chalkville.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's a lot of other teams out there that um could stand in their way.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: So we will have to see how the uh the Dolphins kind of uh handle all that, handle the target on their back um moving forward.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um and kind of their first almost a taste of what a a playoff you know kind of environment and game will will feel like.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: And they've had plenty of games like that so far, but um they will get to host Bayside Academy this weekend uh Friday night for a unique private risk public matchup.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh again, final week of the regular season, no, no more region games really in the area.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: So a lot of teams are kind of playing some non-region games, some opponents they usually wouldn't take on.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so um Dolphins looking to close out their second ever undefeated regular season, with the other occurring in 2023 when they last won a state title.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: While the Admirals would love nothing more than spoil that party and take some positive momentum into their own playoff run.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so one thing I didn't want to touch on before I throw it to you, John, um, is another interesting storyline with this game that I was told about at the weekend is um just there's there's a lot of connections between the teams.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: For instance, Bayside Star quarterback Davis Barnett uh actually began his high school career at Gulf Shores after his family had moved down from the Oxford area.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um he played, you know, seven on seven growing up and his freshman year, uh, but then he ended up moving to the Daphne area and rolling out.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Bays side prior to his sophomore season.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: But he grew up with guys like the Dolphins, Elijah Malone, who's one of his best friends from Oxford.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, their families traveled to each other's games when they're on bye weeks.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, they've they've stayed close friends throughout this all this time.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: So all that being said, there's gonna be plenty of emotions and extra meaning to the game on the field Friday night as well between the fan bases and the players.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: So a lot to watch out for in this game.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, John, obviously, you know, both teams, I mean, a combined one loss in the season, you know, I yeah, I think the you know, there's a size difference and there's a you know uh depth difference, I think, between these teams.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: But just how how do you see these two kind of you know powerhouses in their respective classifications facing off this week?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think that um the Gulf Shores are have a little bit too much for them.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um they're really good and it's gonna be a lot of fun watching them play.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: You know you want to beat your best buddy, you know, you want to beat his team for sure.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: So you know Barnett's wan wanted to get over all the lunar.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I just think um overall um that defensive line of the Gulf Shores and their offensive line, I think it'll be much bigger than Bayside.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: Bayside can get the ball away from them and throw it up, you know, they can get in places to where they can uh uh get away from all that uh beef in the middle, you know, like Alex and run around that beef.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think it'll be close for a little while, but uh I just think it's got I mean Gil Shores has way too much everywhere.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: I was talking about those all those short little guys buzzing around everything and you know most teams have one or two of those guys, and Gil Shores has got like a handful, you know, five or six of them.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that'll make a difference.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I do to that point, yeah.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_02: I I it was interesting.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_02: I was there for Bayside's game against St.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_02: Michael, which was probably the only other team they played this season that was um you know a bigger, more talented team than they were per se.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_02: And it, you know, um, like you said, Bayside hung with them early on and you know actually scored the first points in the game, and then St.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: Michael was really able to lean on them you know late as the game wore on, especially on the ground.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, I do wonder if Golf Short is going to take uh page out of the Cardinals book in that regard.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um it just simply it's it's not even a it's not even a bad mark on any of Bayside's players or coaches, it's just simply that they they're a lot of the guys are playing both ways, they just don't have the bodies.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_02: Fourth quarter comes around that you know, Golf Shores is playing, I don't know if they play anybody both ways on the offensive and defensive line.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_02: I really think there might maybe some guys coming off the edge, but um that that's really about it.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: And so I just I do think the fatigue factor will play a play uh play play some kind of impact in this.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_02: But um I am really interested to see, like I said, you know, Davis Barnett going up against a lot of his former teammates.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, does he throw some touchdowns over Elijah Malone?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_02: Does Elijah pick him off?
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, Bragg and Rights are gonna be on the line, you know.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: I I think it'll be it'll be really fun to watch how how those two kind of match up.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I think the perhaps the main thing each team can probably take out of this is is base side, you know, getting so close to stay taught last year.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: This is kind of this will show you what it what it takes to really win one.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_02: How you if you're able to go toe-to-toe with a team like this and you know, not even potentially win it, but just play a competitive game, you could take a lot of confidence in.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_02: Meanwhile, Gulf Shores, I think you say, hey, if we're able to slow down this base side passing attack, we feel pretty good about being able to you know go up against a lot of the the aerial souls that we'll play in the the 5A playoffs.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, I think momentum, yeah, that's a big thing that that each team can take out of this one.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but kind of going off that, another uh kind of public versus private uh intercounty matchup this weekend, another one we've touched on already.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: St.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: Michael's gonna be hosting those Foley Lions.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um and kind of given the track record of these two teams, points should be uh should not be hard to come by uh for either side.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: St.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: Michael's obviously, as we said, won six in a row.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_02: Marshall Petrie primarily at the helm for that.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um and you know, Tilburg, Nigel Mitchell, receiver, Braden Walton, Anthony Howard.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they've just been they've been putting up points in bunches as of late.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so Foley's gonna need to put some points up um on the board of their own.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know, obviously they only managed 13 against Mary Montgomery last week, but uh that that foley offense this whole season has been incredibly explosive.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: And so the the at least initial outlook should suggest, you know, a high scoring game that you know comes down to the final moments.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I think it's it's it's a really tough one to pick for me.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: I think the lean is St.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_02: Michael, um, you know, despite Foley being the public school with higher enrollment, I really like St.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: Michael's talent.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: And St.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_02: Michael, the trenches has been able to hang for the most part with everybody they've come across this year outside of some moments early in the season.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: So I just I don't see Foley's not the kind of team I just could see running them over or dominating the line of scrimmage against them.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so um I could see St.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: Michael coming out on top, but it, you know, similar to that Daphne Farrow game last week, it could be whoever has the ball last in this one.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_02: So uh it should be a really entertaining one.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_02: I guess John I'll ask as well as someone who hasn't been down here that much recently.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: Has St.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Foley have they played a lot?
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Has St.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Michael played a lot of the public schools in the region, or is this kind of a really rare matchup?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't I don't remember them playing many public school games, but I'm sure they have they've had some.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they were with um in the region with Orange Beach for a while.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh a couple of few years there, so they had to play them.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um I just um I think that if um they couldn't stop and run very well against Mary Montgomery, they're gonna they're gonna have a problem with Nigel.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be a challenge for him, I believe.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_01: He's really good and I obviously don't have a lot for it, you know.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: He doesn't get all that I think it'll be an interesting game, but I don't I don't like you.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'll be like a back and forth you know the ball ass in the end um throw the ball all over the place.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: It'll be exciting and um just like another warm-up for the playoffs and and you're playing a good team before you go to the playoffs on both sides there, just like the Gulf Shores and the Bay Shore Bayside game.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna tune up for you uh before you go into that next phase.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I think that I imagine that's what both coaches, um, coaching staff kind of are using this as, and probably when they made the schedule initially is kind of was the main idea is that this is a gonna be a playoff preview in terms of environment and caliber of opponent, and you know, it's gonna be, you know, hey, this is this is when stuff starts getting real.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: You might as well just treat this as a first-round game in in a lot of ways.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but uh lastly, before we kind of wrap up as well, um, one more kind of game.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: Not a lot of teams at home this week.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: And again, those are the only two intra-county matches we have, but there's a really interesting one also.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Fair Hope fresh off that incredible one over Daphne.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the Pirates Reward is to play against one of the state title favorites at the 4A level, um, you know, Viger with with tons of D1 talent on both sides of the ball, especially defensively.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, only loss in the season was a two-point loss at Orange Beach, a game that they were missing a lot of um, you know, their top playmakers.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: And they would love to be able to go on the road and make a statement against a big 6A opponent and you know, really show that, hey, we're we're not just one of the best teams in 4A, we're the best teams in the state.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um well, Fairhope could really prove that's what it takes to win a championship in its own regard if it can pull off the right results.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, it's it's I expect a very physical, I mean, tough battle of attrition between these teams.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't see there being a lot of points more than likely scored.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm just I'm really interested.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, after Fairhope took down Daphne last week, it's it's weird to think that a four-year school is almost like a step up in a proven ground, but but Viger might just be that good.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so I just I I it's really interesting.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: I think this will show, you know, if Faroe is able to, if they're able to beat Viger, I I can at least start to believe in uh somewhat of a you know a Cinderella run maybe at the 6A level, and maybe they are able to take down one of those big dogs.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but just yeah, what John, how much of a, I guess, how much of a chance doesn't sound like a positive thing to say, but just what how do you like their chances, I guess, this Friday for Fair Hope?
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: Well, like you said, it's a really good uh tune-up for because they're gonna see that kind of defensive talent, you know, in the 6A playoffs the further along they get.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: And those guys are really good.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be a great matchup between the Bigger's defense and then Garner and their running back, you know, for Fair Hope.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: And they're whatever receiver like that.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be fun to see how that works out, you know.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um they can kind of get uh failing and get their hope a defense retired, you know, they might run out of game 20 to 17 or something like that kind of game.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: That could go either way, you know.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: Depending on how well uh Pharaoh can handle that that crazy defense.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: They have a really good defense.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: That class their defenses would be a top 10 in any class, I would think, that's how it wise.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be fun to watch those guys play because they are really good.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, when they did what they did to Williamson, um, what was it, the final score that I think it was three to zero?
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: What was it 12-0 is what it was.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, that's what it was.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they shut out a Williamson team that was previously considered to be the state title favorite at the 4-A level.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, I mean, just it not much more than can be said about Weiger.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um they're they're probably gonna go down as one of the better teams in the state, regardless of class, uh, which is really impressive for 4A.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, we'll we'll have to see how Farrope's able to handle them um and just kind of how how they're able to take that momentum into the playoffs.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_02: But um, yeah, as we kind of wrap up here, I mean, it is the the end of the regular season.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_02: Does it feel like I mean, uh every year it flies by, does it does it feel like it's it should be the end of the regular season where we're at Halloween already?
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it feels like that uh yesterday you called me and said, Hey, what do you think about doing a podcast?
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: And this is number 10.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it has flown by.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_01: It has really uh been a good year, but a lot of fun uh uh first one I've immersed myself in in a while.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, there you go.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm glad I'm glad I've been able to pull you back into the the deep and high school football.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: Then there we go.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, no, it's it's been a yeah, I mean, overall, I mean, to to give our two cents, it's been an incredible season.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, for me moving down here and being new, I mean, just so many um incredible games and moments.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, teams have been awesome to cover.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, players and fans and coaches have been all very open to being interviewed and you know, all that stuff.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's it's really been a great experience and you know, hoping for uh for a lot more uh good good memories throughout the the month of November as um, yeah, as just to kind of lay out that schedule.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, first week of first round of pretty much all playoff brackets will take place next Friday, and then we'll go week by week up until state title games.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I believe the last week in November, unless it would be the weekend prior, but I believe last week in November, and then moving, I think it crosses over to December, those early dates.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: This weekend in December is when the games are.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, yeah, yeah.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_02: I've still that this this is gonna be my me getting uh up to speed with Alabama high school football playoffs.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_02: I've mastered Mississippi, um, and now I now I gotta get up to speed with with this one.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_02: So um should be good, plenty to look forward to.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, that's that's about all we have for you guys today.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed what I heard, as always, be sure to share uh the episode on social media platforms and tell family, friends, or just whoever you think may be interested in sports podcasts, Ball and County Twist.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um we'll be back for another episode at the same time next week to preview all those playoff games.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_02: So enjoy this final weekend of the road season, and I'll catch up with you guys then.