Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  In the opening round of the AHSAA Class 4A playoffs at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, the Orange Beach Makos secured a 21–20 victory over the top-seeded Charles Henderson Trojans. The win marks Orange Beach's first postseason victory and makes head coach Wade Waldrop the program's winningest coach.

The Makos set the pace early in their opening drive. Quarterback Tucker Wade connected with two-way standout Verchaun Simms for the game's opening touchdown, giving Orange Beach a 7–0 lead. The Makos' defense quickly followed up by forcing a three-and-out, led by defensive tackle Amare Trammell.

Orange Beach expanded its lead later in the first quarter when 6-foot-6 tight end Lee Steele caught a pop-pass from Wade and sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown, making it 13–0. Early in the second quarter, freshman tailback Jace Kidd capped another scoring drive with a short touchdown run. A successful two-point conversion pass from Wade to Simms extended the Makos' advantage to 21–0 with 9:24 remaining before halftime.

Charles Henderson shifted momentum right before the break when defensive back Amari Wingard intercepted a deep pass in the end zone and returned it over 100 yards for a Trojan touchdown.

Dense fog blanketed the stadium in the second half, creating challenging conditions for both passing attacks. Although Charles Henderson led a rally to cut the deficit to 21–20, Orange Beach sealed the victory with a critical late defensive stop and effective clock management on offense.

With their historic first playoff victory secured, the Makos now turn their attention to Round 2 of the AHSAA Class 4A postseason. Orange Beach will remain on the road next week, traveling to face the winner of the Andalusia-Sipsey Valley game.