With football season rapidly approaching, get the low-down on your favorite teams from around Baldwin County at the second-annual Gulf Coast Media Day event on Thursday, July 27, at the Orange Beach Event Center.

Presented by Planet Fitness and Columbia Southern University, the event will feature head football coaches and players from the county discussing the upcoming season and highlighting storylines to follow throughout the year.

The event is open to the public to attend but if you can’t make it, the interviews will be streamed live on Gulf Coast Media’s Facebook page for anyone to watch.

The morning schedule is set so make your plans to visit or watch Gulf Coast Media Day throughout the day on Thursday, July 27.

Batting in the leadoff spot will be the Baldwin County Tigers who are primed for a bounce-back season behind athlete Ti Mims and quarterback Preston Kiper. They’ll be followed be the host Orange Beach Makos, head coach Jamey DuBose, linebacker Sam Lee and receiver Grant Bilbo who will be looking for a third straight home playoff game.

Rounding out the morning will be the Snook Christian Eagles, a sixth-year program searching for a second straight playoff berth under head coach Keith Smith, and the Elberta Warriors, who enter their fourth varsity season with Nathan McDaniel at the helm of the program.

The Gulf Shores Dolphins will kick off the afternoon with head coach Mark Hudspeth, defensive end Kingston Lowe and offensive lineman Chase Jennings fresh off the longest season in program history.

While the Bayshore Christian Eagles will debut a football team, their head coach Phil Lazenby is a familiar face around Baldwin County, especially the Eastern Shore. He’s tasked with leading the newest football program in the county and will hit the stage at 1 p.m. alongside Nate Crooms and Brooks Jones.

Fairhope will take the spotlight afterward where head coach Tim Carter and the Pirates will be looking for a seventh straight postseason. He’ll be joined in previewing their season by recent North Alabama commit Ameyr Adams and last year’s Week-1 hero Nolan Phillips.

An area rival follows in the form of the Foley Lions who claimed Class 7A Region 1 for the first time in 15 years in just the third season under head coach Deric Scott.

Bayside Academy will be featured in the 2:30 p.m. slot where first-year head coach Barrett Trotter will discuss his opening stretch as the Admirals’ head man. The former Auburn signal caller inherited a squad with a four-year postseason streak and some budding stars to boot.

Next will be another team from the Eastern Shore in the Daphne Trojans who will be represented by eighth-year head coach and Daphne alum Kenny King, defensive back Al Woodard and receiver John Davis.

The tour will then head north to visit the Robertsdale Golden Bears who enter their fifth season under the guidance of head coach Kyle Stanford.

Also featured will be a region foe of Robertsdale’s in the Spanish Fort Toros who are fresh off a 15th consecutive postseason berth. Head coach Chase Smith, entering his second year at the helm, will be joined by defensive lineman Grey Freeman and offensive lineman Blake Smith.

Rounding things out will be the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals who are set to take on their sixth varsity season and third under head coach Philip Rivers. The squad set a program record for points in a game with region victories of 49-41 over Orange Beach and 49-6 over Wilcox Central.

Features on these teams, plus volleyball and cross country teams from around Baldwin County, will be featured in the Fall Sports Preview magazine set to publish on Aug. 23.

Gulf Coast Media's 2023 Media Day is presented by Planet Fitness and Columbia Southern. For more information about becoming a sponsor, call your sales representative or email advertising@gulfcoastmedia.com.