Orange Beach boys basketball added a major trophy to its collection with a tough‑nosed victory over St. Michael Catholic in the Class 4A Area 1 championship game, 33‑19. The Makos relied on their defense to control the tempo and never allowed the Cardinals to find a rhythm. Coaches praised the team’s focus and effort on both ends of the court. Players and fans celebrated the title as another significant step for the growing program.

The championship matchup was played at Orange Beach High School on Tuesday, February 10th, where the Makos entered as a top‑10 team in Class 4A. The low‑scoring final stood in sharp contrast to the teams’ previous meeting, which Orange Beach won 38‑36 in late January. This time, the Makos’ defense tightened even more in front of their home crowd. St. Michael, which had opened tournament play with a win over Satsuma, could not repeat that success in the title game.

The 33‑19 victory clinched the 4A Area 1 championship for Orange Beach and kept their strong season rolling. School officials publicly cheered the group, writing, “Congratulations to our Mako Basketball Team on their 33-19 Victory over St. Michael tonight in the 4A Area 1 Championship Game.” They also added, “Great Job Players & Coaches!!” as fans shared the news across social media. The posts highlighted the community's pride in the boys’ varsity squad.

Head coach Chris Laatsch said the team knew to expect another nail‑biter after those earlier thrillers. “We also played St. Michael on Jan. 9 and won 37-36. The other game went into overtime, so we expected a close game. Our boys executed the defensive game plan so well! With the win, we are Regular Season Area Champs and Area Tournament Champs. Our record is now 25-6. We host Geneva on Saturday night at 6:00 pm.”

The win also continued a recent trend of success against St. Michael for the Makos. Before the area tournament, Orange Beach had edged the Cardinals 38‑36 in a tight regular‑season contest that hinted at another close battle. Instead, the Makos’ defense held St. Michael to under 20 points in the championship game. That performance helped Orange Beach improve its overall record while securing a key postseason banner.

Orange Beach now turns its attention to the next stage of the playoffs with a subregional game on the schedule. The Makos will be back in action Saturday, February 14th, at 6 p.m. in a subregional matchup at home in Orange Beach, and school leaders are urging fans to fill the stands.