Gulf Shores Football Completes Unbeaten Regular Season With 41-0 Senior Night Win Over Bayside

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gulf Shores football finished an unbeaten regular season the way it played much of the fall: in control from the start. The Dolphins shut out Bayside Academy 41-0 on Senior Night on Friday, Oct. 30, at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, completing a perfect 10-0 run through the regular season heading into the Class 5A playoffs.

Before kickoff, the Dolphins honored their senior class in front of a home crowd at the stadium known around town as “The Mick.” Then Gulf Shores took over early and executed in all three phases of the game, never giving Bayside a chance to make it competitive.

A Senior Night statement at ‘The Mick’

Senior Night is a tradition at high schools across Alabama, a chance for players in their final season, along with their families, to be recognized on the field before the last regular-season home game. For this group of Gulf Shores seniors, the celebration came at the end of a regular season without a loss.

The shutout over Bayside, a Daphne private school headed to the Private Class A playoffs, did not count in the region standings. Gulf Shores had already wrapped up the Class 5A, Region 1 championship two weeks earlier. But the Dolphins treated the finale as a chance to sharpen up before the postseason, and the defense finished the regular season the way it had played for much of October — by keeping an opponent off the scoreboard.

How the Dolphins got to 10-0

Gulf Shores has spent the season near the top of the statewide polls, and its results have backed up the ranking. Among the highlights of the unbeaten run:

• A 34-24 win over Saraland in the second game of the season. Saraland, the No. 2 seed from Class 5A, Region 1, went on to win its final eight games and did not trail again until Thursday, Oct. 29.
• A 49-6 road win at Elberta on Oct. 9, when quarterback Major Hudspeth completed all 12 of his pass attempts.
• A 36-0 shutout at Spanish Fort on Oct. 16 that clinched the region title. The Dolphins held the Toros to 10 total yards — 6 rushing and 4 passing.
• A 33-7 win over Theodore on Oct. 23 that completed a 7-0 run through region play.
• Friday’s 41-0 shutout of Bayside Academy.

Head coach Mark Hudspeth, a former college head coach, has built a team that wins with a physical defense and an efficient offense. After the Spanish Fort win, he described a defense that is hard to run against, does not give up big plays and plays together. Quarterback Major Hudspeth has run an efficient offense, and West Virginia commitment Carter Davis has been one of the area’s most dangerous receivers.

A community behind the Dolphins

The Dolphins’ success on the field has been matched by support in the stands. From the opening game, Gulf Shores fans have filled “The Mick” and followed the team on the road.

The school’s award-winning marching band has been part of that atmosphere all season, performing at a high level alongside the football team on every field the Dolphins have visited.

City leaders have noticed, too. Earlier this week, the Gulf Shores City Council recognized the football team for its unbeaten season, along with the school’s fast-rising cybersecurity team, which is ranked among the top 500 of roughly 3,000 teams nationally in the CyberPatriot competition.

Gulf Shores High School is part of Gulf Shores City Schools, the district the city formed in 2019 after separating from the Baldwin County Public Schools system. The school moved into a new $157 million campus, and the football program’s rise has given the young district another point of pride.

Postseason begins at home against Ramsey

With the regular season complete, the focus turns to the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs. As the Class 5A, Region 1 champion and No. 1 seed, Gulf Shores will host Ramsey in the first round next week.

The Dolphins’ goal is clear: bringing home a Class 5A state championship trophy. This season, that trophy will be awarded close to home. For the first time, all of the AHSAA’s football state championship games will be played at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus in Mobile, scheduled for Dec. 2-5.

The postseason looks different across Alabama this year. The AHSAA reclassified its member schools and, for the first time, separated public and private schools for state championship play, creating more classifications and more champions. Gulf Shores remains in Class 5A, where it will have to win five playoff games to claim a title.

Class 5A, Region 1 sends four teams to the playoffs. Along with Gulf Shores, Saraland, Spanish Fort and Theodore all qualified, making the region one of the deepest in the classification. Saraland, which handed the Dolphins their toughest test of the regular season, opens at home against Pelham, while Spanish Fort travels to Helena and Theodore visits Homewood.

Gulf Shores’ season at a glance

• Final: Gulf Shores 41, Bayside Academy 0 (Friday, Oct. 30)
• Regular-season record: 10-0
• Region: Class 5A, Region 1 champion, 7-0 in region play
• Playoff seed: No. 1 from Class 5A, Region 1
• First round: Ramsey at Gulf Shores
• State championships: Dec. 2-5, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile