Gulf Shores Tops Parklane, Orange Beach Wins at T.R. Miller as Both Programs Open 2026 With New Facilities Behind Them

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the two south Baldwin County programs separated by the Intracoastal Waterway, both opened the 2026 high school football season with wins on Friday, Aug. 21. Gulf Shores held off Mississippi power Parklane Academy 30-21 at home, and Orange Beach won 24-14 on the road at T.R. Miller in Brewton.

Both schools are playing their first season with major new facilities behind them: Gulf Shores opened its new high school campus this month, and Orange Beach is in its first full season at the $46.1 million athletic complex it opened last fall.

Gulf Shores 30, Parklane Academy 21

Sophomore quarterback Major Hudspeth, making his first start as Gulf Shores’ full-time starter, threw one touchdown pass and ran for another as the Dolphins beat the Pioneers of McComb, Miss., in the first meeting between the programs, according to Gulf Coast Media.

Hudspeth opened the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Carter Davis, a West Virginia commit. Junior tailback Kingston Gardner scored on a short run for a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, and Hudspeth’s read-option keeper made it 21-7 with 6:29 left in the third. Senior tailback Janoy Ferguson added a fourth-quarter touchdown run.

Parklane stayed close behind senior receiver Kardez “Dooley” Copeland, who caught three touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Reece Robinson and also intercepted a pass. With Parklane trailing by one score in the final five minutes, Gulf Shores punter Zarek Carris pinned the Pioneers inside their 5-yard line, and senior defensive back Elijah Malone, a Jacksonville State commit, read a slip screen and made the tackle in the end zone for a safety that sealed the 30-21 final.

“I’m just proud of him, because he found out 24 hours ago that he was gonna be the starter,” Gulf Shores coach Mark Hudspeth said of his quarterback. “Sometimes that’s hard, but for him to respond the way he did, I’m really proud.”

Of Parklane, which has won two straight championships, the coach said: “They are a class program. There’s a reason they’ve won two straight championships, and it’s because of how they’re coached.”

It was Gulf Shores’ first season-opening win since 2023, the year the Dolphins won the AHSAA Class 5A state title. Gulf Shores (1-0) hosts St. Paul’s on Aug. 28.

Orange Beach 24, T.R. Miller 14

Orange Beach set the tone on the game’s first drive, going 65 yards in 12 plays with quarterback Tucker Wade completing all four of his passes and J.W. Gentry scoring from 3 yards out, Gulf Coast Media reported. T.R. Miller tied it 7-7 early in the second quarter, but the Makos answered with 17 straight points.

A 52-yard punt by Evan Crochet pinned the Tigers at their own 8, and a bad snap on T.R. Miller’s ensuing punt gave Orange Beach the ball at the Tigers’ 24. Two plays later, Wade hit Sims for an 11-yard touchdown. Crochet kicked a 17-yard field goal with 35 seconds left in the half for a 17-7 lead, and Wade found Sims again on a 57-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 24-7. T.R. Miller scored its final touchdown with 1:18 remaining.

Unofficially, Wade completed 14 of 17 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Lee Steele made key catches, including a 26-yard screen that set up the field goal, and had five tackles for loss, including three sacks, on defense.

Orange Beach (1-0), coached by Wade Waldrop, plays its home opener against Monroe County on Aug. 28.

The facilities behind both programs

Gulf Shores: Gulf Shores City Schools cut the ribbon Aug. 10 on its new 287,000-square-foot high school along the Foley Beach Express north of the Intracoastal Waterway, and classes began Aug. 12. The school is built for up to 2,000 students, with about 1,000 expected this year. Reported costs vary: FOX10 News put the project at $137 million, Gulf Coast Media at $150 million and WKRG News 5 at $175 million. Athletic spaces include a covered outdoor practice field, a separate athletics and NJROTC wing and a new weight room, according to Gulf Coast Media.

Orange Beach: Orange Beach City Schools cut the ribbon in October 2025 on its $46.1 million athletic complex for Orange Beach Middle & High School. Approved in 2023, the project includes a new stadium, Mako Stadium, which hosted its first football game in fall 2025, along with practice areas, a gymnasium, a multi-sport pavilion and a kinesiology building.

Sources: Gulf Coast Media game coverage (Aug. 22, 2026) and reporting on the Gulf Shores High campus; FOX10 News and WKRG News 5 (Aug. 10, 2026); FOX10 News (Oct. 15, 2025) and Bay Business News (Nov. 27, 2025) on the Orange Beach athletic complex.