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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

GULF SHORES – After starting their trip down south with a pair of 2-0 losses to Spanish Fort and Saraland in a tri-match on Thursday, Oct. 10, the Pelham Panthers finished out the regular season with a 3-2 record at Shrimpfest.

Pelham defeated the Saint James Trojans, Mary G. Montgomery Vikings and the Fairhope Pirates at Shrimpfest in Gulf Shores on Oct. 11-12.

In the first game of pool play against Saint James, the Panthers dropped the opening set in a tight 25-22 fashion, but they bounced back to win the next two sets and claim the match win.

Pelham surged to a dominant win in the second set by a score of 25-15, and it carried that momentum over into the third set to win it 15-10.

The Panthers then looked to close out the first day of pool play strong against Class 7A opposition in the Mary G. Montgomery Vikings.

Pelham grabbed hold of the lead in the opening set and never looked back en route to victory, taking the first set 25-14 to go up 1-0 in the match.

The Panthers then won the second set in identical fashion as another 25-14 set win gave them the 2-0 sweep to finish out the day on Friday.

That next morning, Pelham’s difficult slate of 7A opponents continued with a matchup against the Daphne Trojans.

The Panthers faced a test right out of the gate as Daphne claimed the first set 25-18 to take command of the match.

However, Pelham fought to make the second set close and got out in front, winning the set 25-22 to send the teams to a third and final set to decide the match.

In the end, the Panthers were unable to overcome Daphne and fell 15-10 to the Trojans for their first loss of the tournament.

Pelham then moved on to bracket play to face its third Class 7A opponent in a row–the Fairhope Pirates.

This time, the Panthers got off to a big start in the match, using a commanding double-digit lead to take the opening set 25-12.

While Fairhope made the second set a closer affair, Pelham still remained in control down the stretch and claimed a 25-17 win to sweep the Pirates and advance to the next round.

There, the Panthers faced the Trinity Presbyterian Wildcats out of Class 5A and found themselves in a close battle.

Pelham got within a couple of points of tying the opening set, but Trinity saw out the 25-22 first-set win to get the upper hand early on.

The Panthers continued to keep it close in the second set, and this time, the set came down to extra points. After splitting the first two extra points, Pelham grabbed the next two to stay alive in the match with a 27-25 win.

The Wildcats ended the Panthers’ run at Shrimpfest with a 15-11 victory in the third set, but Pelham still finished the tournament with three wins over two days.

The Panthers finished the regular season with a 31-12 record, and they will now put their perfect 6-0 area record to the test in the Class 6A, Area 8 tournament. Pelham will host Helena on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m. at Pelham High School in the semifinals.

If the Panthers win, they will clinch a spot in super regionals and play in the area championship that same night at 6:30 p.m. for the top seed.