Paul Tripoli
GCAC Meeting September 14, 2026
The meeting was called to order just before 7:00pm by George Autrey who thanked the group for sending in RSVPs for the meeting. It’s always helpful to give Craft Farms and Chef Zach an accurate number of people to prepare for and we were right at our number, which ended up being 50 guests. George jumped right into the meeting agenda and talked about our new high school facility in Gulf Shores. Coach Watts then got to the podium and gave the Dolphin Report. The 2026 football season is off to a great start with a 4-0 record. The Dolphins defeated area rival Blount this past Friday in an overtime thriller, 30-29. The crowd and fan support Friday and all Homecoming week was amazing, and Coach Watts thanked everyone for their support and for sticking around through the first 3 quarters which were a little sloppy. Once the fourth quarter started, the conditioning of this year’s team started to come through when the other team started to cramp up. The Dolphins also won the week before versus another area rival, Saraland, who was on a 41-game home winning streak. The Dolphins play Murphy this week in Mobile and will then have their bye week. Swimming starts tomorrow for GSHS swim team. Go Dolphins!
George got back to the podium and introduced the guests in attendance, which he failed to do to begin the meeting. Nice to have a Longhorn fan in attendance, along with another Auburn fan!
Zach Estes came up to give the Pick’em pool update. We have 35 people in the pool this year and we are now in two weeks. After Week 1 Dr. Akin and George were leading the way, but Week 2 was not so kind to Dr. Akin who fell off and was near the bottom in the standing. Week 2 leader was Greg Edmonds followed by Pat Wiley and Eli McKee. Overall Eli McKee is leading the way, but Greg, Pat, George, and Randy Harkins are all one pick behind Eli. This should be another close race all season! Thanks to all who joined and looking forward to the rest of the season.
GCAC favorite Team Reporter Dec McClelland was back this week and updated the group on his trip to Lambeau Field when he attended the Notre Dame – Wisconsin game two weeks ago. Dec told stories of the new friends he met at the ‘condo’ where he stayed and the fine business establishment attached. Dec always brings the laughter to the room!
The season is still very new and there are not a whole lot of upsets so far, so the crying towel this week was very difficult. All the teams represented at the meeting were from
teams that all won this past week, so it’s hard to give a crying towel to a fan base that won their game. It was decided by the group to give this week ‘s ‘crying towel’ to the Blount football team!
Our guest speaker was introduced by Dr. McCollough. Paul Tripoli is a former University of Alabama football player who also spent some time in the NFL playing for the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Paul also played one season in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
Paul comes from a football and sports family, as his dad was a football coach. Paul came to Alabama from New York and walked on to the football team. Coach Bryant saw something in Paul after a few seasons and decided to put him on scholarship and began to get more and more playing time in games. Eventually becoming a starter and was a Captain on the 1984 Alabama team. Paul now lives in Pensacola and has worked as a youth, middle and high school coach as well as now running his own podcast, The Coaches Corner. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl69RscuOsS2j8-rxvpHhTQ)
The meeting was adjourned around 8pm but not before George reminded everyone of the upcoming GCAC Golf Tournament that is coming up on Friday, October 23rd at Craft Farms Golf Club. More information on this years tournament can be found at www.gcathleticclub.com/golf.
Minutes submitted by Kimberly Ray.