The four unbeaten football teams from the Mobile County-Baldwin County area put their unblemished records on the line in Friday night’s Week 5 slate.
Williamson, Bayside Academy, Orange Beach and Gulf Shores all had region games scheduled, with Bayside and Orange Beach playing at home and Williamson and Gulf Shores on the road.
The Four Matchups
Bayside Academy (3-0 overall, 2-0 in Private Class A, Region 1) took on Northside Methodist of Dothan (0-4, 0-2).
Williamson (3-0, 1-0 in Class 4A, Region 1), the top-ranked team in 4A, faced Satsuma (3-1, 1-1).
Orange Beach (4-0, 2-0 in Class 4A, Region 1) met B.C. Rain (0-4, 0-2).
Gulf Shores (4-0, 2-0 in Class 5A, Region 1) went up against Murphy (1-2, 1-1), which ended a 24-game losing skid the previous week with a win over Elberta.
The Williamson-Satsuma matchup was the most substantial test of the four on paper. Satsuma at 3-1 has already matched its win total from each of the past two seasons under new head coach Jason Phillips, and a road game against a team of that trajectory is a different proposition than a game against a winless opponent.
Murphy’s situation is worth noting as well. A program that snapped a 24-game losing streak carries a different energy into the following week, and Gulf Shores was walking into it.
The Week Opened Thursday
The schedule began Thursday with Elberta traveling to Theodore for a region matchup.
Friday’s Regional Slate
Friday’s lineup of regional matchups included Baker at Foley in Class 6A, while Spanish Fort visited Blount in Class 5A play. In a Class 4A matchup, LeFlore visited Citronelle.
In Private Class AA, St. Michael traveled to St. Paul’s, and in Private Class A, Bayshore Christian visited St. Luke’s.
The MG-M Exception
Mary G. Montgomery played at Alma Bryant in a matchup that did not count toward Class 6A standings, because of MG-M’s ban by the AHSAA from postseason play this season as part of the sanctions associated with its restrictive probation for recruiting violations.
The practical effect is unusual: the Vikings play a full schedule, but their region games count for neither team’s record. Opponents face a genuine opponent with nothing at stake in the standings.
The Full Week 5 Schedule
- Elberta at Theodore
- Baker at Foley
- Bayshore Christian at St. Luke’s
- B.C. Rain at Orange Beach
- Cottage Hill Christian at Providence Christian
- Davidson at Daphne
- Fairhope at Robertsdale
- Gulf Shores at Murphy
- Houston Academy at UMS-Wright
- LeFlore at Citronelle
- MG-M at Alma Bryant
- McGill-Toolen at Faith Academy
- Northside Methodist at Bayside Academy
- Saraland at Baldwin County
- Snook Christian at Mobile Christian
- Spanish Fort at Blount
- St. Michael at St. Paul’s
- Williamson at Satsuma
The Fairhope-at-Robertsdale game carried additional attention this week, as the Golden Bears’ head coach and 10 players were cleared to participate by a judge hours before kickoff following an AHSAA eligibility dispute.