Only two teams across Baldwin County remain standing in the Alabama state football playoffs as the St. Michael Cardinals and Bayside Academy Admirals look to make history at their respective programs.

Both the Admirals and the Cardinals are playing in the third round of the playoffs for a second consecutive season, this time looking for different results. 

3A: Bayside (11-1) vs. Montgomery Academy (11-1)

A win for Bayside would mark the second time the program has reached the semifinals and the first since a 2015 run to the state championship game. The Admirals have won 11 games several times throughout the program’s history, but a victory this Friday would mark 12 wins for the first time ever.

Returning home to Freedom Field after a dominant road win in Round 2, Bayside will host the 11-1 Montgomery Academy Eagles. The Eagles are a perennial 3A powerhouse with 13 10-win seasons and 11 region titles since 2000. The Admirals are 1-2 in the series with the last matchup in 2017 being their only victory, also coming in a playoff game.

Both offenses will air it out behind the arms of their sophomore quarterbacks. Bayside’s Davis Barnett has 2,761 yards and 39 touchdowns while Montgomery’s Reid McBride has tossed for 2,304 yards and 30 scores. On the defensive side of the ball, both squads will be led by fierce pass rushers in Will Allen (Bayside) and Braden Gordon (Montgomery). 

4A: St. Michael (12-0) vs. Bullock County (9-3)

A win for St. Michael would send the Cardinals to the semifinals for the second straight year and set a new single-season program record with 13 victories. The Cardinals enter at 12-0 after a historic regular season, while Bullock County looks to tie its school win mark and reach 10 victories for the first time since 1956. This is the first-ever meeting between the programs, with the Hornets making their first third-round appearance.

St. Michael continues to lean on one of the state’s most explosive offenses behind junior quarterback Gunner Rivers, who has thrown for 2,813 yards and 44 touchdowns. Defensively, Nick Russo, Cam Kerbal and Abraham Rogers lead a steadily improving unit.

Bullock County counters with a run-heavy attack that has produced 3,373 rushing yards this season. Junior quarterback Tyekelis Wallace leads the way with 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns, supported by senior Caiden Ivey and sophomore Jadorion Mack. On the other side of the ball, Mack leads the team 15.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

Both playoff games will be played Friday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.