Gulf Breeze football season comes to an end after a loss to West Florida High School. At the Breeze stadium on Nov 4 the Dolphins football team took on the Jaguars, which was a non-district game. While the team expectations were high, they fell just short of a victory, only losing by 1 touchdown. 

The Gulf Breeze Dolphins football team faced West Florida after a loss to Navarre a week prior. Currently, the Dolphins are ranked second in the district, with wins over Pace, Tate, and Milton. The team has only lost 1 district game, which was to Navarre in a district title match, the final score ending with a 28-24 loss. The Dolphins have still produced a positive season this year and played West Florida for their last game of the season, which was also their Homecoming. 

Gulf Breeze senior, Dylan Genest, expressed his sadness along with the majority of the senior class experiencing their last game against West Florida. Genest stated “We lost my last football game… The last senior game symbolizes us moving on to college and leaving behind all that we have created and memories we had.” 

While devastation struck most of the student body, many players on the team remained motivated throughout the game. Troy Coughlin, starting running back for GBHS, played a crucial role in keeping the team positive after having a total of 104 yards rushing and a touchdown in the third quarter. 

Cole Young, fellow student at Gulf Breeze, showed immense support for Coughlin’s performance. Young stated “Always a great player, trucking forward no matter what,” And explained that the running back has had a phenomenal season. 

Elijah Wardwell, a corner back for GBHS, explained that the team worked their hardest throughout the season, so it was sad moment when everything came to an end. Wardwell also added “This year was the year for us to win districts and our playoff game.” 

The game against West Florida was a close one and remained in a stale mate for the most part. It was not until late in the third quarter that the Jaguars scored again, which created a tough time for Gulf Breeze as they navigated the defense in the last quarter. The Dolphins still pulled off some amazing stops but ultimately could not connect for their last possession.