Gulf Shores awaits AHSAA ruling, but 1 athlete cleared for tonight

Gulf Shores awaits AHSAA ruling, but 1 athlete cleared for tonight

The Class 5A No. 1-ranked Gulf Shores football team will go for a perfect 10-0 regular season tonight as it awaits an official ruling from the Alabama High School Athletic Association following its investigation earlier this week.

Gulf Shores superintendent Matt Akin told AL.com in a text message Friday afternoon that the school had yet to receive any ruling on the case. Attorney Nash Campbell, representing Gulf Shores, said the AHSAA did make one ruling, however.

Here is the statement he released to AL.com:

“As of today, the AHSAA has not made a ruling against Gulf Shores or any of its student-athletes at this time. We were notified today that one Gulf Shores athlete being reviewed by the AHSAA is allowed to play in this evening’s game. We will continue to cooperate with the AHSAA and their staff in any ongoing investigations.

Campbell did not identify the student-athlete.

AHSAA investigators have been in Gulf Shores this week, looking into accusations from another school about the Dolphins football program.

In a story last week, WKRG in Mobile cited documents obtained by their station alleging that a Gulf Shores-based fitness company (Gulf Coast Athletics) paid rent for multiple Gulf Shores High school student-athletes, including several current or former football players, and their families at a local apartment complex over the last few years.

Mark Hudspeth’s team is 9-0 overall and 7-0 in Class 5A, Region 1 entering tonight’s 7 p.m. game against B.C. Rain (7-2, 5-2). The Dolphins are scheduled to host Beauregard in the first round of the playoffs next Friday.

The playoff pairings are likely to be announced by the AHSAA later tonight. Coaches are scheduled to meet in Montgomery on Saturday morning to finalize the first-round schedule.

This post will be updated