Orange Beach Makos Rout Holtville 50-14 to Finish 8-2, Carry Momentum Into Playoffs

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — The Orange Beach Makos rout Holtville 50-14 in their regular-season finale on Friday, Oct. 30, taking control early and pulling away from the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball. The win closed an 8-2 regular season for the Class 4A Makos and sends them into the playoffs on a high note.

Orange Beach seized the lead early and never let Holtville back into the game, a welcome result for a team that had dropped two of its previous three games before the trip.

A bounce-back finish to the regular season

The Makos needed a strong finish. Orange Beach opened the season 6-0, the best start in school history, and climbed into the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A rankings. But a loss to Williamson and a 38-7 setback against Citronelle on Oct. 23 dropped the Makos to 7-2 and 4-2 in Class 4A, Region 1.

Friday’s win at Holtville, a non-region game, did not change Orange Beach’s playoff position, but it gave the Makos a convincing performance to carry into the postseason. Orange Beach finished the regular season with just two losses.

Makos’ offensive leaders

Team statistics show an offense built on efficient passing and big plays, with a sophomore quarterback leading the way:

• Tucker Wade, quarterback (sophomore): 67.1% completion rate, 18 touchdown passes and a 117.0 quarterback rating, plus 2 rushing touchdowns.
• Anthony Hawkins, wide receiver (senior): 73.0 receiving yards per game and 3 touchdown catches, leading the team in receiving production.
• Verchaun Simms, receiver and defensive back (senior): a team-high 9 total touchdowns, including 8 receiving touchdowns.
• Deundrea Gray, running back (junior): 46.7 rushing yards per game and 3 rushing touchdowns.

Wade’s numbers are especially notable for a sophomore. Completing more than two-thirds of his passes while throwing 18 touchdowns gives the Makos a quarterback who could lead the offense for two more seasons after this one.

Simms has been the team’s most versatile player. In addition to leading Orange Beach in total touchdowns, he has been a difference-maker in the secondary.

A defense that lives in the backfield

Defensively, the Makos have consistently pressured opposing quarterbacks and created turnovers. The team’s defensive leaders include:

• Turner Tillman, outside linebacker (senior): 5.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries and an average of 7.7 tackles per game, leading the front seven.
• Lee Steele, tight end and outside linebacker (junior): 5.0 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries.
• Luke Reed, inside linebacker (senior): a reliable tackler in the middle of the defense.
• Verchaun Simms (senior): a team-leading 6 interceptions.

Tillman and Steele have combined for 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries, giving Orange Beach a pass rush that can make life difficult for opposing offenses. Steele has contributed on both sides of the ball; he caught Orange Beach’s only touchdown pass in the loss to Citronelle.

Region race and playoff picture

Orange Beach plays in Class 4A, Region 1, one of the most competitive regions in the state this season. Vigor, which rose to No. 1 in the ASWA Class 4A poll in October, earned the region’s top seed. Williamson, which had held the No. 1 ranking earlier in the season, and Citronelle also finished near the top of the standings alongside Orange Beach.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s playoffs begin next week. This year’s postseason follows a major overhaul, as the AHSAA reclassified its member schools and separated public and private schools for championship play. The five-week tournaments will end in Mobile, where all of the state championship games are scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus.

A big fall for Orange Beach athletics

The football team’s strong season comes during a memorable fall for Orange Beach High School. The Makos’ volleyball team reached the AHSAA Class 4A state championship match for the first time in program history this week, falling to defending champion Guntersville in Birmingham and finishing the season 41-13.

For the football team, the goal now is to extend its own season as deep into November as possible. With a sophomore quarterback, a deep group of senior playmakers and a defense that has been among the area’s most disruptive, the Makos head into the postseason with plenty of reasons for confidence.

By the numbers

• Final: Orange Beach 50, Holtville 14 (Friday, Oct. 30)
• Regular-season record: 8-2
• Region: Class 4A, Region 1
• Passing: Tucker Wade, 18 TD passes, 67.1% completions
• Touchdowns: Verchaun Simms, team-high 9
• Sacks: Turner Tillman and Lee Steele, 5.0 each
• Interceptions: Verchaun Simms, team-high 6