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Episode 5 - Gulf Shores Dolphins Head Coach Mark Hudspeth · The Gulf Coast Sports Pulse with Gulf Coast Media

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: You are listening to the Gulf Coast Sports Pulse.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: All Baldwin County athletics all the time.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, and welcome back to the Gulf Coast Sports Pulse.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: My name is Parker Gillen.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm the sports editor here with Gulf Coast Media.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'm thrilled to be joined by special guests on the podcast today, is Gulf Shores head coach Mark Hudspith, who's graciously agreed to hop on for an episode just to kind of recap the Dolphins' undefeated campaign thus far and look ahead to kind of what the back half of the season might entail.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: So uh coach, again, appreciate you coming on.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: And uh just first want to ask about, you know, give give the fans a bit of insight, just kind of how does a head coach uh spend spend the bye week?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: You know, is it uh are you still focused on the on everything between the wide lines or kind of taking a bit of a step back?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's it's been another you know big week of preparation for us, although uh typically a normal week for us looks like uh our kids come in at 7 a.m.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: and we have them until about 9.30.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh then they come back after school and practice.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: So in the mornings we're all position meetings, film from the day before, installation meetings, walkthrough, and uh if it's a lifting day, obviously a lift.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh since we're an open date, we're just doing everything in the morning.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: So we're giving them the afternoons off in the open, open date.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: So they've come in this morning or this week, and we've had two practices in the morning on Tuesday, Thursdays of the days have been film and uh and lifting, Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: So they've been able to get out of here much early, and the staff has been able to leave much earlier, also.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Although it's still the you know, the preparation is the same and and those type of things.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: The the things that hadn't changed for me is my days are still on because I co also coach the uh the Gulf Shores 12U football team.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're up here from uh 545 till 745 and getting those guys coached up also because we play on Saturdays, and so we're off to a good start.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: We're 2-0 also.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: So it's still been nice to get home a little bit earlier, a little more family time in the evenings, uh, but uh, you know, and not as much time uh on the on the field.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that part's been nice, and I think our kids have been able to hopefully recover mentally and physically because we've got the stretch run of the season coming up.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, and kind of that that leads me into it's it's interesting that I mean the varsity team undefeated, and then the it seems like the young kids are also, you know, Gulf Shores has got some uh some future guys to look forward to uh as well.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, I want to ask about just kind of again, the teams, you know, setting the scene for context the fans don't know, sitting at five and oh, first tied for first place atop the region right now.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and just a really impressive start overall for the team.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: So just take me back before the season started.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, did you did you kind of know that you had a team that was capable of being undefeated at this juncture?
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: And if so, just kind of what were those early signs?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, you you always I always come into the season, you know, you always uh anticipate trying to win every football game, you know.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's your always your goal.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh we knew though coming into the season we had 22 seniors, and and uh that's the that's the most seniors we've had since we won the state championship in 2023.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's something to be said when you have a mature football team.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you look at Vanderbilt last year, the season that they had in college football, and they had the oldest football roster in the country.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And typically Vanderbilt hadn't been a very good team, but uh an older team, mature team definitely makes a difference, and we do have that, and we've got some key players at key positions that uh are really I think uh give us a big advantage.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: But with the season, you know, we we got off to a good start.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: We beat a team out of Mississippi called Parkland Academy, who had won back-to-back state championships at the 4-8 level in Mississippi.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that was a good opening win.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: And we started the season 3-0 as compared to last year.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: We started 0-3, even though that that schedule was the was the hardest schedule in the state of Alabama.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of the day, that doesn't change anything.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: You're still 0-3.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now being 3-0, that gave us a little uh well, a little a lot more confidence, I should say, uh, after we'd uh beaten uh Park Lane, came back and uh we'd beaten St.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Paul.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then the big, you know, the probably the big win everybody still talks about was the win on the road at Sarah Land when they had won 41 straight games.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think he had lost a home game since 2020.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh that was a that was a big test for our kids.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and they they definitely passed that test.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: And and the thing I've been most proud about is how we've played in the second half in the fourth quarter.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that game and the blunt game, we just really took over the game in the fourth quarter, and we've outscored our opponents in the fourth quarter something like uh 40 to seven, maybe.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so we've been a very good second half football team, and and we're playing good football right now.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: But the the thing about it, I still think we could play much better.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: And hopefully in if we continue uh preparing and get a little bit of rest and recovery through this open date, but it uh we can continue taking it one game at a time and see what this season could turn out looking like.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: And you you you kind of briefly touched on it for a second, so I'll ask more about it.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: Just um yeah, I first want to ask what the the stars of this team.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, if from Carter Davis, Elijah Malone, Gabriel Urban, plenty of others, just kind of it seems like all the top players coming in this season have, you know, either met or exceeded expectations so far.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and just kind of speak a bit on how those guys, how they've led the team, but also how they've been able to kind of handle the spotlights that that kind of surround them at times.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, everybody, you know, knows about Carter Davis and Elijah Malone.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh those guys, you know, have been just key components to our team in the last three years.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: And and they're, you know, highly recruited and they've uh committed right now to Division I schools, and and you know, they've got a lot of exposure and and they have played at a very high level for us and and have led us to some big victories with some of the big plays they've made.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: But there's a so many other players on this team that have really that don't get the attention in and the fanfare uh that that they deserve.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and that's one of the reasons why we've been successful.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there's you know, when you when you talk about a you know a team, you've got some key players like Carter and Elijah, who's been really what played really, really well.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: But then you got uh our offensive line who coming in this season, we had some question marks on.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they were had uh two three new starters, didn't uh, you know, no those guys hadn't played a lot of snaps, and they have gotten better each week.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: And now uh I think they're turning into one of our uh bright spots on on the team.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and also coming into the season, too, you know, uh our defensive line, we did know they were going to be a tough, tough group to handle, obviously, with Gabe Irvin returning, and he's been just uh such a uh a force on the inside.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he's a kid that's got a lot of power for offers.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, not just Gabe Irvin, the rest of that defensive line with Caleb Williams, Adam Duncan, Kingston, Gardner, uh, Jackson Sermon.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: That that defensive line to me is one of the best defensive line in the state.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that's another reason that uh that we've been very good defensively.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And then on uh the other defensive guy that doesn't get a lot of attention or as much fanfare as he's showed is Jock Prince.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: He's committed to West Florida, and uh, you know, he's really been challenged on a lot of balls this year, and he's really played extremely well.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of good players defensively when you take a Carter Williams who stepped in and took and took Landon Everett's spot from last year and uh has played at a high level.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: So been really proud of the defense and offensively, we talked about the offensive line, Carter Davis on the offensive side of the ball.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: But then Janoy Ferguson doesn't get enough credit for the job he's done at running back, and he's a senior, and he runs extremely hard and and done really well.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: And and then you got Benton Brenton, uh is played played well at the H position, and two new tight ends that came in this year without any experience.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Evan McCreary and Tanner Spires have played awfully well.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then we've got a a new starting quarterback, obviously Major Hudspeth, who's came in and as a sophomore and and played well in in leading the team.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're a we're a team effort team.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I love about this team.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just one guy that makes us go.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Each week somebody differently sort of steps up and makes plays, and but they're all playing well together, and that's the part that I enjoy seeing.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and you kind of took the question out of a mouth I was gonna ask next about just kind of guys, you know, uh a team doesn't get, as you said, a team to echo that point, a team doesn't get undefeated with just a couple of star players.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so it does seem like, to your point, a very team-wide effort, and there really isn't um, you know, I mean, from a personal media perspective, I mean, watching this team, there is no, there's not there's no weaknesses that you really look at and say, oh, that that's where Gold Shores can could get see themselves getting beat.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's really a a um kind of just all around group, it seems like.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um uh the other thing you did kind of mention that I was gonna ask about too, though, um, and I take it, at least from what I gather, that you guys obviously don't like to, you know, make it all about him a lot, but I mean, everything with with your son Major starting at so as a sophomore quarterback, leading an undefeated team, you know, it wasn't necessarily expected to be the full-time starter coming into the season, but just um firstly, just talk about how he's kind of handled that and just everything that's come with being a starting quarterback for this program, but also just kind of how the teams rallied around him through these first couple of weeks.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'll say this, and as a as a dad, you know, you you're sort of proud as a coach.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Head coaches that have coaching sons are always a little leery on bragging too much on their kids.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: And then and uh for some reason, because every other dad certainly doesn't mind it.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but nevertheless, I will say this.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'll I'll give the kid credit because a year and a half to two years ago, he was a wide receiver on our team.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: And we had four other quarterbacks all competing for the starting job.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: And uh all uh three of the four quarterbacks didn't win the starting job, and now they're starting quarterbacks at three other local high schools leading their teams to great seasons that were developed, obviously, and and uh started out here at Gulf Shore.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: So that's sort of something we'd be proud of.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: We're helping out all the other schools with their starting quarterback positions.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but Major, we had to move him to receiver, uh, I'm sorry, from receiver to quarterback uh when they left, and he got thrown into the fire with uh with without being able to go through spring football practice.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: And to be honest with you, he ended up playing awfully well in the fall in some uh mop-up duty.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: And then we got into the playoffs, and our starting quarterback had gotten injured, uh, was out for the season, and Major came in and finished the season out and went into the playoffs against Russell County.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then obviously started the first five games this year.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: And and uh he's still and he's still learning.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: He's uh, but the thing about Major, I'll give him credit, he enjoys the game.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: He loves football.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: He wants to be a college football coach.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: His brother's a college football coach at the University of Florida.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so he that's sort of in his blood.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but he is the first one to give credit to all his teammates.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: Man, he he just wants to win.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll give the guy credit since he's been a starting quarterback.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're he's six and one as a starting quarterback.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that's the number one stat that I look for in a quarterback is not their passing yards, tell me how many games you've won.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's what I look for, and uh, I think that's his number one priority.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and usually, usually all the stats come along with that if you if you won a lot of games for the quarterback.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, it is interesting, and from a personal perspective as well, obviously not knowing him as well, but um, I just having spoken to him that that first after the parkland game and being hearing about him, he does, despite being a sophomore, seems like someone that is mature beyond his ears and also handling this in kind of the the proper way.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: And um, having spoken to teammates to your point, it seems like he is uh they they've really rallied around him or are enjoying him um kind of kind of on the field.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: And he throws throws a pretty ball as a lefty too, you know, lefty quarterbacks, people always uh always love seeing them throw.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: So it's uh it's fun to watch him and see how he uh continues to develop.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I last kind of uh question of reflection, I guess, for you.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: But um, and you touched on some of these, but you y'all have been in some wild ones kind of already this season.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, the the blunt game hasn't even been brought up, and that one was also crazy.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Sarah Land, obviously, just kind of I I know it's only five games, and you don't want to, you know, you still got a lot of ball left to play.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: Just what are some of your favorite memories or moments from the season thus far?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: You know, either on the field or off of it, just just being with this team.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: I tell you, I give you a pretty cool story, and it's it it I'm not trying to be emotional because it's not, uh, because it was it was it was a God thing.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: But uh we're we're getting ready for Saraland, the week we're playing Sarland.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh this will be a memory that will last me forever because it was a it was a terrible week for me.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the Monday or the really the Saturday before we played Saraland, my father passed away.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: And so he'd been awfully sick for quite a while, and we knew this was you know could happen at any any day or any week or any month.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so he he passed away, and obviously I had to go back to Louisville, Mississippi the week of the Saraland game and and bury my dad, and you know, just emotional time, as you can imagine.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: We all at some point have gone through that, or unfortunately one day we'll go through that.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and so I didn't get to be at the Monday practice and uh, you know, putting there with my guys, but I I I just felt them pulling for me and and encouraging me.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: And when I got back, they were just so, so encouraging.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and so nevertheless, we get into the game, and man, it's a it's a it's a slug fest.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's a you know, heck of a game.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: We're hanging in there.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: We got a couple of really bad breaks early in the game, and then uh they ended up stretching the lead out.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then we come back and close the gap in the second half, and we're still down three.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, we're in the fourth quarter, down three.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember sitting there, it was during the timeout, defense on the field, Coach Van Gorders talking to the defense.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm just sitting there observing, sitting there looking and thinking about the game.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I sort of look up in the sky and I see the drone that films our games.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's up there and it's flashing green, green, green.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it made me think of my dad because I'm looking up at the stars, you know, and I see that drone.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and true story, I said, hey, dad, man, if you've got God's ear right now, hey, tell him we sure could use a little bit of help.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: I promise you, it wasn't three plays later, Elijah Malone blocks the extra point or blocks the field goal, and uh Jock Prince scoops it up, runs it back 75 yards for a touchdown.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: We take the lead, get the momentum, and uh ended up, you know, outscoring him, I think 30 to seven, and uh just uh uh ended up playing really, really well.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, a personal memory, that that that game, the Sierra Land game, I don't care.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: And one day if I coach in the Super Bowl, that that can't can't be any more of an incredible memory for me, um, just with the emotional context of the week.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so proud of my team.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I that winning that game meant meant an awful lot.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it was pretty, pretty neat.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, almost, you know, all into one and an answered prayer, a just you know, perfect storm, uh just I mean everything.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: That is really, I mean, the script writers would have a ball with that one.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: They they couldn't do that in the movie if they tried.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_02: That is that is really sweet and kind of kind of gives a bit of background on that that win and y'all being able to come back late in that game.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um last kind of two quick ones for you before before I let you go on as well.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: I did want to briefly talk about um just kind of, you know, obviously coming off of that Sarah Land win and going, you know, hosting Blunt the next week.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_02: And obviously, uh, I mean, yes, the Sarah Land game probably would be considered closer overall, but this was marginally the y'all's closest game of the season.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: Just kind of I first half I heard about, I wasn't there personally, obviously, but I heard about the struggles in the first half, and then second half rallying.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Just kind of what went into that, and then what did you really learn about your team through through a game like that?
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'll be honest with you.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: I I saw it coming a mile away and mentioned it to our team all week long, really addressed it.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, may have addressed it on deaf ears, though.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we come off the Sarah Land game and obviously got a lot of statewide media attention.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: And so a lot of our players and our team is getting all this media attention.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we broke Sarah Land's home win streak, uh, you know, beat the number one team in the state, and we're moving up the rankings in the overall state.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, right now we're ranked 12th on max preps in in the entire state.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but coming off all that, all the attention, and then it's homecoming week.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: And as a head coach, there's not many head coaches out there that enjoys homecoming week.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's just too much going on.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we got our players, they're they're coaching the powder puff team.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: So they're up here till nine o'clock coaching and practicing with the powder puff girls, getting ready for the powder puff game.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they've got all types of homecoming events going on all week long.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure there's a couple of yards being rolled during the week.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, during during homecoming.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just too much, too much outside distractions to get a team out of its normal weekly, daily, hourly routine that is critical to your preparation.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so I saw that combination of both things coming and um uh and it sort of came to fruition there early in the game.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh not taking anywhere thing away from Blunt because they do have a lot of talented players and I think could end up being one of the top four teams out of this region.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um they're very talented, did a really nice job.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: But once we sort of settled down at halftime, we came back in the second half and late in the third quarter and took that game over and ended up playing playing well enough to get get it to overtime.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: We had to c we had to score two touchdowns uh in the last seven minutes of the game and convert to two-point conversions just to get it to halftime.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um sorry, just to get it to overtime.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then we get into overtime, we won the toss deferred, they get the ball scored on the first play.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: But we blocked their extra point, then we scored, and then we made our extra point to have a walk-off win.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so um another exciting win, uh, to say the least uh this year.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been some exciting big time 5-8 football, to say the least, and um just proud of the way our kids keep responding and coming back each week.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: And and we're learning, we're still learning and improving, and and uh I'm anxious to see how we do uh next week.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're uh they're certainly making sure you're not bored uh week to week, I think this this team is, which is uh which is a good thing to have.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I I like I like how the the note of uh special teams two weeks in a row for you guys also coming up big.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see if that uh that trend kind of continues.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um and you kind of lead me into my my last question um here.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: I back half of the schedule, you know, five games remaining, um two road trips, three at home.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um you're looking at Spanish Ford, obviously, will be a big one.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: Theater will be big at home, um, and then Baldwin County on the road, a long road trip kind of out of the out of the bye week.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: So um just overall, just kind of what just what will it take for this group to kind of achieve its goals in your mind?
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then just what what mindset do you think this group will or should take into this this latter stages of the season?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I think they they realize now that we we've got ourselves in a really good position and we've we've started off well.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're right where we would obviously, if you could draw it up right where you want to be, uh coming into an open date.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: We're 5-0, we're number one in the region, uh, number 12 in overall state.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're number six or seven in five eight.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um but once again, none of that really matters.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what really matters is how we do this next game.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: And for us, we've just got to keep chopping wood.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you've heard that old adage, but it's so, so true in so many different ways.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: We've got to continue coming to work each day, continue chopping wood, continue lifting, continue prep uh preparing, and you know, and somewhat have a little bit of chip on our shoulder because you know, not a lot of people gave us any chance of of beating Sarah Land.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: And uh obviously um there's a lot of good teams left on this schedule that we're gonna uh face.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so um we we've just got to continue staying the course and um stay on course and hopefully with our preparation.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: I really believe in our preparation that we do here at Gov Shores.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's probably different than most people uh with the way we prepare.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: We get our kids twice a day.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then with the uh coaching and preparation, some our coaches that we we give them.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we've got uh very fortunate to have to me the big the best staff in in high school football.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: When you look at our with our staff and experience and the and the places they've been and experience that they have.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that gives our our kids a lot of confidence and and and and an advantage on on Friday nights.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: A real quick aside I want to ask about as well, just that that that um that preparation and the the um I guess the system that y'all have in place.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: Is that something you've had since you've kind of arrived at goal?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Shores, or has that kind of developed over the years, or just kind of what what's what's gone into that?
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's definitely just been since I've gotten here because I hadn't been in high school since 1997.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so it's been a minute.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: But what I really did, I just took our college preparation, uh, the way we did things there, and just implemented it into a high school system.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so we ask our kids to do much more than a lot of high schools do.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, a lot of high schools just come in the mornings and get their work done, and man, they're they're off.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that and that's man, that would be great, be honest with you.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as far as all the coaches go home, that'd be great.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: But for us, you know, we're pretty competitive and we like to uh, you know, obviously try to put a great product on the field, and that takes a lot of work.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so it it's a lot that goes into it, but that's something we enjoy, something we love.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: And and for us, for me, it's you know, we're we've been working on this total program, building this program.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, right now we've got the high school team undefeated, we got the middle school team undefeated, my 12U team were undefeated.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh Gov Shores right now is probably looking at about a 14-0 record just with those three teams.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so um we're we're improving.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bright future.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: Our middle school was fixing to bring up about 60 kids, uh, 30 in each class.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so we've got a lot of great numbers coming up in the future.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then obviously the rec program is just bursting at the seams, doing well in all levels, lots of interest out there in 8U, 10U, 12U.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: And and you can't take that for granted because you say, well, that's just rec ball.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: But uh in 12U, you're gonna have those on your team in four years, and so in three years.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, that's important to me.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that's what I love.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I've got probably, I don't know how many, there's a lot, but I've got so many rec players on my varsity team that I coached at some point in rec football.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because I've coached an eight-year team, I've coached a 10-year team, I've coached a 12-U team.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: Every year for the last six years, I've coached one of the rec teams and uh coach them in flag football.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so obviously, it's neat to be able to see all those kids that once couldn't even tie their shoulder pads now playing for me on the varsity level.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just about total program development.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, that's the part I really love.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's it's yeah, and then when you say program, you're y'all's your you guys are implying essentially this isn't just a high school program, this is a Gulf Shores City program.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: And hey, you know, these I imagine it pays dividends also when, you know, you've got, to your point, these kids that start 8U, 10U, but they're still learning a lot of the same, you know, general schemes and coaching philosophies that you coaches have.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_02: So then by the time they get to, you know, early high school, they're they're pretty already with the program.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's not, it's not new for them, I can imagine by that point.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're our 12U team, we run the same offense that we run on the high school.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's the same, no, it's obviously scaled down, but it's definitely the same system.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh these kids are definitely prepared to come up through our program and and improve and get better each week.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I imagine that also for for the high school guys that are being, you know, in a college-like system where they're being prepared like that, that pays dividends when they eventually do go to play collegiate football, potentially.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I imagine their college coaches are are pretty impressed with them when they when they do show up there.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_02: So um awesome.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's uh that's all the main stuff I got for you, coach.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, again, a massive thank you to Coach Hudspith for joining me today.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, as we mentioned, you can catch his dolphins when they travel to face Ballwan County in a region game next Friday night following this bye week.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but if you enjoyed what I heard, be sure to share the episode on the social media platforms and tell family, friends, or just wherever you think may be interested, sports podcasts ball one county twist.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: We'll be back for another episode the same time next week.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_02: So enjoy this weekend Slate of Games.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_02: Catch up with you guys then.