The time has arrived. Only 208 Alabama High School Athletic Association football teams are still playing in Week 12 with the state playoffs kicking off this weekend.

Spanish Fort and Gulf Shores will host first-round contests where Daphne, Bayside Academy and St. Michael Catholic will look to return from road trips with postseason victories.

The Cardinals from St. Michael are in the playoffs for the first time ever, the Dolphins from Gulf Shores enter as region champions for the first time and the Toros from Spanish Fort have recorded a 16th consecutive postseason berth and will look to defend an undefeated first-round record on The Hill.

Below are deeper details on all five of Baldwin County’s playoff football teams with all information retrieved from the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.

Gulf Coast Media will have a representative at each of the first-round home games so follow @GCMSportsAL for immediate updates from the sideline and stay tuned to gulfcoastmedia.com/sports for full coverage.

Class 5A R-4, No. 4: Beauregard Hornets (5-4) at R-1, No. 1: Gulf Shores Dolphins (10-0)

The Dolphins will open the playoffs at home for the second straight postseason but will do so this year as the top-ranked team in their class as well as their region’s champion.

Gulf Shores is in the playoffs for the fifth time overall with a 2-2 overall record in the first round following last year’s 42-0 win over the Carroll Eagles. The Dolphins went 6-0 at home in 2023 for a second straight undefeated campaign at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.

Beauregard will be in its 21st state playoff appearance, similarly a second consecutive. However, the Hornets are 1-10 on the road in the first round where the last win came on Nov. 10, 1995, with a 22-0 decision over Pike County.

Class 6A R-4, No. 3: Bessemer City Purple Tigers (5-5) at R-1, No. 2: Spanish Fort Toros (8-2)

Since Spanish Fort made its first postseason appearance in 2008, the Toros have not missed the state playoffs again.

For the 11th time in what is now a 16-season streak, Spanish Fort will open at home where the Toros have not lost in the first round, outscoring opponents 387-117. This season, Spanish Fort went 3-2 at home but did not lose again after it fell to top-ranked Saraland in Week 4.

Bessemer City went 2-3 on the road and own a 4-10 record in first-round away games in the playoffs. The Purple Tigers are in the postseason for the first time since 2019 and will be making their 29th overall playoff appearance.

Class 4A R-1, No. 4: St. Michael Catholic Cardinals (6-4) at R-4, No. 1: Handley Tigers (9-1), in Roanoke

A single-season scoring record helped St. Michael make more history with its first appearance in the state playoffs.

The Cardinals scored at least 20 points in every contest and used a single-game scoring record to finish the season with a bang in a 55-54, walk-off win against T.R. Miller in overtime. That marked a sixth effort of more than 40 points this season where St. Michael now holds a 16-0 record when scoring at least that many.

In four away games this season, the Cardinals went 2-2. Both St. Michael and Handley will be entering the playoffs after a bye in Week 11.

The Tigers will be making their 33rd postseason appearance where they own a 23-9 record in the first round which features an 18-3 mark at home to open the playoffs. Handley enters on a five-game win streak having last lost 31-6 to Central-Clay County in Week 5.

Class 4A R-1, No. 3: Bayside Academy Admirals (8-2) at R-4, No. 2: Jacksonville Golden Eagles (8-2)

The Admirals wasted no time in helping first-year head coach Barrett Trotter earn his first playoff berth where Bayside Academy has now qualified for its fifth consecutive postseason and 14th overall.

The Admirals are 8-5 in first-round games including a 6-5 mark in away games to open the playoffs. Bayside Academy went 4-1 on the road this season including a pair that helped close the regular season on a four-game win streak after a 31-17 loss to T.R. Miller in Week 7.

Jacksonville will similarly be making its 15th overall postseason appearance where the Golden Eagles have an 11-3 record in the first round featuring an 8-1 mark at home. Jacksonville also extended a playoff streak this season to 11 consecutive qualifications.

Both defenses allowed an average of 16 points to opponents where the Admirals yielded 167 total points to the Golden Eagles’ 168.

Class 7A R-1, No. 3: Daphne Trojans (6-4) at R-2, No. 2: Enterprise Wildcats (8-2)

In two previous meetings, Daphne owns a 2-0 record against Enterprise where the Trojans earned region victories in 2012 and 2013.

Now, the Trojans are in the playoffs for the 26th time in program history where they own a 16-9 record in the first round. Daphne went 4-1 on the road this season and holds a 4-4 mark in first-round away games to open the postseason.

The Wildcats will be making their 35th appearance in the state playoffs where they have gone 17-16 in the first round. Enterprise went 3-2 at home this season and has gone 8-3 in first-round games in its home stadium