ROBERTSDALE, Ala. – The Gulf Shores Dolphins varsity football team scored on the team’s opening drive of the contest, then held off a late charge by the Robertsdale Golden Bears to win the season opener for both teams 9-6. The home team hasn’t won in the series since 2008.

After missing the extra point on the opening drive, Dolphin junior Josh Carroll booted a 37-yard fieldgoal with 24.1 seconds left in the third quarter, which would prove to be the game’s winning score.

Gulf Shores quarterback Brandon Silvers capped a 56-yard scoring drive on the Dolphin’s opening possession with 8:01 remaining in the opening period to put GSHS up 6-0.

Robertsdale’s lone score of the game came on a 75-yard interception return by Demetrius McKinney with just 8.3 seconds remaining in the half. Chandler Cordova’s extra point attempt also missed the mark, leaving the score at 6-6 at the half.

After holding Robertsdale to three-and-out on its first drive including a sack for a six-yard loss by Michael Hanich, the first of five sacks of Bear quarterback Hunter Vaughn in the game, the Dolphins would take over just inside their own territory at the 44.

Silvers completed two passes for 22 yards on the drive and ran for eight yards, while Carroll picked up a 12-yard run and Chris Brown ran for seven.

A Bear penalty on first-and-goal at the seven put the ball just outside the Golden Bear three, and Silvers marched in from there to strike first with just over eight minutes remaining in the opening period.

Robertsdale had a chance to even things up on its next drive, starting at its own 36 and marching all the way to the Dolphin three-yard line. Vaughn and running back Sammie Tolbert carried the load on the drive for the Bears. Tolbert rushed four times for 14 yards and caught a pass from Vaughn for 10 yards, while Vaughn rushed for 20 yards.

But Tolbert was stuffed on first-and-goal for a loss of two yards before Vaughn was sacked again, losing nine yards, then his pass on third down went through the hands of the receiver, leaving the Bears with fourth down at the Dolphin 14-yard line.

Cordova’s fieldgoal attempt with 3:20 remaining in the quarter was blocked, leaving the score at 6-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

The Golden Bear defense kept RHS in the game, stopping Gulf Shores four times deep inside enemy territory.

Gulf Shores drove from their own 20 all the way down to the Golden Bear 20 on their next drive, but an incomplete pass follow a run for just three yards by Carroll and Silvers next pass to Chris Tilley netted no gain. Silvers’ pass then sailed out of bounds, giving Robertsdale the ball back.

Robertsdale gained a pair of first downs on its next drive and threatened to encroach on Dolphin territory at the 49, but penalties and another sack, this time by junior Tyler Stargei, who turned in a stellar performance on defense for the Dolphins in the contest, left the Bears having to punt from their own 33.

The two teams traded drives without gaining a first down until Gulf Shores took over with just over a minute remaining in the first half.

The Dolphins drove from midfield down, converting a fourth-and-one at the Bear 41 with a three-yard run by Silvers, but on the next play, Silvers’ pass was picked off by McKinney, who raced down the sideline, then avoided a Dolphin tackler near the goalline to go in for the score with 8.3 seconds remaining in the half.

Robertsdale then started the second half with a good defensive stand after Carroll took the opening kickoff and raced 62 yards down to the Golden Bear 36.

The Dolphins were able to convert two fourth down plays, but could not convert a third as Silvers was sacked for a 14-yard loss by Ronald Givens, giving Robertsdale the ball back after Gulf Shores ate up 6 minutes and 19 seconds of the second half on its opening drive.

The lone score of the second half came on Gulf Shores’ next possession as the Dolphins drove from their own 30 down to the Bear 19, but a one-yard loss on third down on a good open-field tackle by the Bears Tyler Powell left Gulf Shores at the 20-yard line. Carroll proved to be unfazed, however, booting a 37-yard fieldgoal with seconds remaining on the clock in the third period, giving the Dolphins a 9-6 lead.

Both teams had one chance to score in the final period as Gulf Shores took a Golden Bear punt and drove from its own 29 down inside the Robertsdale red zone.

But a 57-yard touchdown run by Carroll was called back because of an illegal block call at the Golden Bear six and three plays later, after netting just five yards, Carroll missed a 26-yard attempt, leaving the score at 9-6 with 4:28 remaining in the contest.

Robertsdale took the ball at its own 20 and drove to near midfield. Tolbert and Vaughn again carried the load for the Bears combining to rush for 25 yards and connecting on a 25-yard pass play to encroach into Dolphin territory at the 43.

But Dolphin senior Clay Gates came up with one final big play for the Dolphins, sacking Vaughn for a loss back to the 46 and Vaughn was forced to scramble on fourth down, coming up five yards short of the first.

Silvers was able to take a knee for the final three plays of the contest, giving Gulf Shores the victory.

Carroll led the Dolphins with 115 yards on 16 carries in the contest. Silvers added 60 yards on 19 carries before losing 18 yards in the V-formation to end the contest. Silvers also completed 10 of 19 passes with one interception for a total of 84 yards in the contest.

Robertsdale’s offense sputtered, gaining just 52 yards in the first half before finishing the contest with 136. Taking away the five sacks, Robertsdale ran the ball just 21 times, led by Tolbert, who rushed just seven times for 34 yards. After completing only 5 of 15 passes for 30 yards in the first half, Vaughn finished 5 of 9 in the second half for a total of 80 yards for the contest.

Both teams will start their Regional contests next week with Robertsdale again at home taking on longtime rival Foley at J.D. Sellars Stadium while at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores the Dolphins face the tough task of taking on the defending 5A state champion Spanish Fort Toros coming off a week 1 loss to Fairhope.