After beating up on two lesser teams in St. Paul’s and McGill-Toolen to start the ‘09 season, the Fairhope Pirates went to Foley on Friday with something to prove.

The Pirates needed to prove to the state and themselves that they could beat a good football team. Fairhope needed to prove that it was for real. And boy did the Pirates prove it.

The Pirates, led by senior sensation Jamal Woodyard at running back, pushed Foley’s defense up and down the field all night long on the way to improving to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in 6A, Region 2. Woodyard was brutal, crushing Foley with 376 yards and six touchdowns on 30 carries. Woodyard did the bulk of his damage in the first half, rushing for 239 and four scores before the break. But it was what he and the Fairhope offense did in the second half that was impressive. After scoring quickly and at will in the first half, the Pirates slowed things down and controlled the ball. Fairhope held the ball for nine of the 12 minutes in the third quarter and ate up time with a 12-play, 83-yard drive in the fourth quarter.

Most importantly, Fairhope’s offense put Foley in come-from-behind mode the entire half, something Foley’s run-first offense isn’t great at.

Once the Pirates got the lead, they put their cleats on the Lions’ throats and didn’t let up until Foley’s oxygen ran out.

Fairhope doesn’t play another really tough game until it hosts Daphne on Friday, October 16. Other than a matchup with 4A powerhouse UMS-Wright in two weeks, which doesn’t count in the region standings, Fairhope ought to be unbeaten going into the matchup with the Trojans.

If Fairhope beats Daphne, which it should, it finishes the season with games against 0-3 Robertsdale and Mary G. Montgomery.

A 10-0 regular season is well within reach for the resurgent Pirates.

It is clear that Fairhope, under the direction of new head coach David Faulkner, is as real as it gets.

Eric Mann is the Sports Coordinator for GCN.