MOBILE, Ala. — Baker coach Eric Scott had been telling his players for weeks that they needed to play a full 48 minutes. At Fairhope last Thursday night, they finally did. Quarterback Tate Graham threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns as the Hornets rallied from a third-quarter deficit to beat the Pirates 31-21, snapping a three-game losing streak and earning the Baker Team of the Week honor sponsored by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
The win, in a Class 6A, Region 1 game moved up a day because of Hurricane Isaias, lifted Baker to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the region. It also ended a five-game winning streak for Fairhope, which had climbed into the Class 6A top 10 the week before. The Pirates fell to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the region.
A comeback on the road
Baker arrived in Fairhope on a three-game skid and in need of a region win to protect its playoff position. The Pirates had not lost since a season-opening loss at Pace, Fla., and were in the hunt for a region championship.
Fairhope led 21-14 in the third quarter before the Hornets took over. Gavin Wood’s 18-yard run early in the fourth quarter put Baker ahead 28-21, and the Hornets did not trail again. Turnovers helped: Baker produced a fumble return for a long gain and intercepted a pass late in the game to put it away.
Fairhope running back Nic Ronsisvalle ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 14 rushing scores this season, and quarterback Trey Garner added a 29-yard touchdown run for the Pirates.
Tate Graham’s big night
Graham, a senior, completed 29 of 41 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns, and ran four times for 21 yards. He spread the ball between two receivers who each topped 100 yards:
- Tate Graham: 29 of 41, 351 yards, 3 TD passes; 4 carries, 21 yards
- Jamien Pryor: 8 catches, 120 yards, TD catches of 12 and 19 yards
- Tyrek Brown: 11 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD
- Gavin Wood: 18-yard go-ahead touchdown run early in the fourth quarter
It was a sharp turnaround for the Baker passing game. In the Hornets’ 20-10 home loss to Mary G. Montgomery earlier this month, Graham completed 10 of 22 passes for 98 yards, with his lone touchdown going to Pryor.
‘We’ve got to learn how to win’
Scott said the Fairhope game was the complete performance he had been waiting for. “I saw a group that put a full team game together in all three phases,” he said. “The offense was definitely doing good stuff all night and moving the ball and putting up scores and matching Fairhope. The defense played well at times but gave up some scores. I thought they played well enough to win, and I’m definitely proud of them for getting the win. Definitely, they played a lot better and more focused, and I’m definitely proud of everyone.”
The coach also credited the special teams units. He said the theme of his message to the team has been finishing games, after a stretch in which Baker played well in spurts but came up short. The Hornets’ earlier losses this season included a 22-19 defeat against Daphne decided on the final play, a 48-45 shootout at Foley and the loss to Mary G. Montgomery.
“I saw a group that came out and played good ball, but it didn’t quite finish well [earlier in the season],” Scott said. “I was telling the team we’ve got to learn how to win. In learning how to win, sometimes you’ve got to learn how not to lose. And sometimes when you plan not to lose, the pressure can be a lot.”
“I think those guys understood what big games are like and were able to perform at a high level for 48 minutes [against Fairhope],” he continued. “And that’s been my message for the last three to four weeks is that we’ve got to see how to play for 48 minutes. We play good ball for usually about three quarters in every game that we’ve lost.”
Team of the Week banner presented
The Team of the Week award is sponsored by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Before practice on Wednesday afternoon, Scott, his assistant coaches and the players were presented with the Team of the Week banner. Deputy Kendrick Ligon and Detective Shawn Wood of the Sheriff’s Office took part in the presentation.
Earlier this season, Daphne earned the same honor for its last-play win over Baker, and Williamson received it after its 42-0 victory over Orange Beach.
Better on the road than at home
One oddity of Baker’s season: the Hornets have been more successful away from home. They are 3-2 on the road and 0-2 at Clem Richardson Stadium. That will be tested over the final three weeks, because Baker closes the regular season with three straight home games.
- Friday, Oct. 16: vs. Alma Bryant (Class 6A, Region 1)
- Friday, Oct. 23: vs. Robertsdale (Class 6A, Region 1)
- Friday, Oct. 30: vs. McGill-Toolen (non-region)
Scott said the first two are the priority. “I know the first two are the important ones because they are the region games,” he said. “I feel like we need to focus and take every opportunity in these next few weeks to get better, but we’ve got some tough opponents, and we’re going to prepare for them and not overlook them and try to take it one week at a time and continue to get better. We need to make sure that we are in a position we want to be in at the end of the season and playing good football.”
Baker has had the upper hand against Alma Bryant recently. The all-time series is tied 14-14, but the Hornets have won the last six meetings and 12 of the last 14. Bryant enters 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the region after winning 27-20 at Robertsdale last week.
How the Class 6A, Region 1 playoff race works this year
Baker is in fourth place in the region, which would put the Hornets in the playoffs if the season ended today. The math in Region 1 is unusual this fall. Starting this year, the Alabama High School Athletic Association gives six playoff berths to each Class 6A region, while other public school regions still receive four.
Mary G. Montgomery is banned from the postseason this season because of AHSAA sanctions against the school over recruiting violations, and none of MGM’s games count in the region standings. That leaves seven eligible teams competing for six spots, so only one will miss the playoffs. Davidson, at 0-4 in the region, is currently the team on the outside, while Alma Bryant and Robertsdale are each 1-3.
That makes Baker’s next two games, both against 1-3 region opponents, critical. Wins would all but lock up a berth, while losses could pull the Hornets back into the pack.
What’s next for Fairhope
Fairhope, in its first season under coach Caleb Ross, remains in strong position in the region at 3-1 and hosts Davidson on Friday. After the loss to Baker, the Pirates dropped out of the Class 6A top 10 in this week’s Alabama Sports Writers Association poll but are still receiving votes.
If you go
- Game: Alma Bryant at Baker, Class 6A, Region 1
- When: Friday, Oct. 16
- Where: Clem Richardson Stadium, Baker High School, Mobile
- Records: Baker 3-4 (2-2 region); Alma Bryant 2-6 (1-3 region)
