School Spotlight: Orange Beach High School, Orange Beach, Alabama.

Orange Beach High School is an innovative K-12 public high school located in Orange Beach, Alabama, a resort city with approximately 8,095 residents’ residing a part of the Baldwin County School District. Home of the Makos, Orange Beach first opened its doors to the public on August 10, 2020, sustaining two beautiful campuses with the Prekindergarten- 6th grade elementary campus and the 7-12th middle and high school campus. Orange Beach has a total enrollment size from K-12 of approximately 1,250 students, remarkably a smaller and more personal learning atmosphere. With a student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 and the extensive academic opportunities given such as AP, Dual-Enrollment, and Career Tech courses, Orange Beach is very successful in providing a student-learning environment that produces academic achievements inside the classroom. Orange Beach High School is only in its third year of existence while in the midst of experiencing continuous growth by adding new facilities and resources for the future, making football head coach Jamey Dubose’s experience really special in hopes for what’s to come. With endless amounts of support and financial commitment received from the small community of Orange Beach, in both academics and athletics, the atmosphere creates a safe haven to Orange Beach High School as football head coach Jamey Dubose would describe it as “paradise”. Repping orange and blue, the Mako’s football program initially competed as a 2A school with strictly 10th grade and under during the first two years under Coach Smith, current Spanish Fort Head Coach, finishing 3-6 in the first season. However, the Makos second season led a 9-2 record with a first-round playoff appearance. But with the hire of new head coach Jamey Dubose, the Orange Beach Makos made a jump in ranking from 2A to 4A classification, made top 10 at a point in season, finished second in the region, and created history with the program’s first Division I signee in school history, Chris Pearson. It is thrilling to see what Coach Dubose has in store for this program in taking it to the next level.

Coach Dubose graduated from Opp High School in Opp, Alabama, and is a Troy graduate. Dubose has been coaching for a total of 29 years, including 27 years in Alabama where he spent 6 years in Phenix City acquiring a 7A State Championship Title, and 2 years in Georgia at Prattville where he acquired two 6A State Championship Titles. He has been head coach for a total of four schools in Alabama, also mentioning 2 years at Susan Moore and 2 years at Florence. After retiring for two years in Lowndes GA, the timing of an open position was led by fate for Coach Dubose as it was time to come back home to Alabama, closer to his mother after the unfortunate passing of his father. Coach Dubose’s story and originality along his triumphant coaching journey now shines a light for Orange Beach Football Program where he plans to continue having an attacking type of style on the offensive and defensive side for the Makos and apply lots of pressure on the opposing defenses with their unique speed and ambiance. The new opportunity from 2A to 4A classification is a new venture for Dubose who has 2 titles in 6A and 7A classification. In a 1-on-1 interview, Dubose expressed his excitement for the upcoming season and what’s to come for the football program, as they are in the current process of building ground up. With 2023 being the first official graduating class at Orange Beach, Dubose must bring in current 8th and 9th graders who will make up majority of the underclassmen on the football team. Dubose went in depth on the playing advantages on both sides of the ball that crush the opponent’s timeliness whether it’s getting lined up for the ball or running their blitz:

“We don’t sit still a lot; we try to create some havoc and try to cause some confusion for the opposing team whether it be on defense or offense.”
Makos Head Coach, Jamey Dubose

As mentioned previously with Coach Dubose, the town of Orange Beach obtains a sense of pride and dignity to help serve the community to upkeep its beauty overall. Dubose goes in depth how this contributes to the foundation of his program whether it is financial commitment such as offering food, clothing, or facilities. This outlook and perspective on the community goes hand-in-hand with Coach Dubose’s current mission to really build the core values for the program with an emphasis on hard work and discipline,

“Discipline is what we’re teaching our kids. You know we’re really in the infant stages of our strength and conditioning programs and it is going to be something that is very special, but it is great to be a part of the growth.”
Makos Head Coach, Jamey Dubose

In the past 29 years of Coach Dubose’s successful coaching career, he has had the honor in mentoring many young talented men in the past leading to three overall titles in his career. Now, behind the scenes of the forthcoming Orange Beach High School football program are the stars themselves who produce great work ethic day in and day out. Not to mention, Coach Dubose has 20 graduating seniors in his program with hopes to overcome that rebuilding challenge with spring training for young men to come out and earn a position on the team. Honorably referenced by Coach Dubose are 7 key players who have made a significant impact on the early stages of the program including OL Charlie Edgeworth, OL Sam Fetner, OL Logan Kruse, WR Grant Bilbo, TE/DE Chandler Wilson, CB Carter Green, and D1 commit WR Chris Pearson.

Charlie Edgeworth is a 6’7 315 lb. Class of 2026 Offensive Lineman for the Orange Beach Makos serving as a dominant force on the field for opponents.

Sam Fetner is a 6’3 270 lb. Class of 2026 OL out of Orange Beach High School.

Logan Kruse is a 5’11 175 lb. class of 2025 OL from Orange Beach with the honorable mention by Coach Dubose.

Grant Bilbo is a 6’3 175lb. Class of 2024 WR and All-County Athlete for the Makos Football program and also a multi-sport athlete as a basketball player. Bilbo delivers unique speed and route running

Chandler Wilson is a 6’4 225lb. Class of 2024 TE and DE for the Orange Beach Makos. Wilson is the face of the program as the current top recruit with schools such as Indiana, Troy, and South Alabama. Wilson delivers great hands, great speed, great motor, and a good takeoff on the Defensive Line, as Coach Dubose describes.

Carter Green is a 5’8 165lb. Class of 2023 prospect playing at CB for the Orange Beach Makos.

Chris Pearson is a 6’3 205lb. Class of 2023 star and tremendous athlete playing at WR and SS with 8 kickoff returns in the past season. Pearson is committed to Houston and created history as the first D1 Signee at Orange Beach.