FAIRHOPE — The St. Michael Cardinals kept their perfect season alive and were crowned 4A Region 1 champions with a 46-37 shootout victory over Mobile Christian.

Behind a combined six touchdowns from seniors Noah Moss and Brody Jones, the Cardinals kept pace with a Mobile Christian squad powered by explosive tailback Jason Todd Jr., who ran for more than 200 yards and three scores.

St. Michael opened the game with a statement drive, leaning on Moss’s physical, downhill running. The senior tailback capped the opening possession with a 20-yard touchdown burst that put the Cardinals up 7-0.

However, Todd Jr. wasted no time responding as he ran through the teeth of the Cardinals defense on the first Leopards’ play from scrimmage for an 80-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, keeping St. Michael ahead 7-6 five minutes into the first quarter.

The Cardinals went to the air on their second drive, using short passes to Moss and Jones to move the chains. Moss powered inside the goal line again before quarterback Gunner Rivers found Jones in the back of the end zone for the first of their three scoring connections. St. Michael then decided to go for two after a penalty on the extra-point try, and the offensive line pushed Moss across the goal line to extend the lead to 15-6 late in the opening frame.

After the win, head coach Phillip Rivers discussed the emphasis on feeding Jones the ball rather than spreading it around as the offense usually does.

“It just kind of happened,” Rivers said. “We tried to hit Tucker (Tomlinson) on a long ball and missed. There were a couple of things they (Mobile Christian) were doing and it was really just the run game was working for us. Not as many guys touched it as they did last week, but that is just how it goes sometimes.”

The back-and-forth scoring continued into the second quarter, and Todd Jr. again shouldered the load. The Leopards’ back carried the offense into the red zone on a five-minute drive that ended with quarterback Israel Benard hitting Sema’j Law on a slant for six. Todd Jr. would add the two-point run to cut the deficit to 15-14.

Rivers and the Cardinals answered immediately, using quick passes to chip away at the Leopard defense before the junior found Jones again — this time on a jump ball in the end zone — to make it 22-14.

St. Michael’s defense forced the first punt of the night on the ensuing Mobile Christian drive, giving Rivers and the offense another late-half chance. With time winding down, Rivers connected with Jones over the middle of the field on a crucial 4th-and-10 before spiking the ball to set up Patricio Garcia’s field goal as the clock expired, giving the Cardinals a 25-14 halftime lead.

Coming out of the break, Todd Jr. continued to be the centerpiece for the Mobile Christian offense, breaking a long run into St. Michael territory to set up another scoring opportunity. However, the Cardinal defense stood tall and a missed field goal gave the offense a chance to break the game open. 

Moss and Nygel Mitchell rotated in the backfield to push the Cardinals downfield, but a fourth-down stop by the Leopards at the 25-yard line halted the drive. Mobile Christian took advantage on the next series, as Benard’s screen pass to Todd Jr. and a completion to LaDouglas Jones Jr. set up another short touchdown run for Todd Jr. He again added the two-point try to pull the Leopards within 25-22 as the third quarter came to a close.

Coach Rivers said there was really only one message to the defense in the halftime locker room. 

“Just get him on the ground,” Rivers said. “We didn’t tackle very well. We have gone against two of the better backs around (in the past two weeks), anywhere. This guy (Todd Jr.) is the real deal.” 

Moss opened the final frame with a highlight-reel run, reversing field and breaking tackles into Mobile Christian territory. Rivers soon hit Jones again — this time down the sideline and over the top of the defense — for their third touchdown hookup of the night.

Trailing by 10, Todd Jr. kept the Leopards alive with a spectacular 64-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit back to three in a hurry. But the Cardinals’ balanced attack proved too much to contain. 

Rivers continued to find rhythm through the air before Moss and Mitchell took over near the goal line. Moss later ran through a couple of defenders for a 4-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 39-29 half way through the fourth.

Mobile Christian’s final gamble to keep pace backfired when a failed fourth down conversion deep in its own territory gave St. Michael the ball back. Two plays later, Moss sealed the win with a 15-yard touchdown run — his third of the night — putting the Cardinals up 46-29.

Todd Jr. added one final touchdown out of the wildcat with under a minute left, but it was too late to catch the Cardinals.

The win pushed St. Michael to 7-0 (5-0 in 4A Region 1) on the season and strengthened its playoff position heading into the final stretch of the year. The Cardinals will stay at home and host Pensacola next Thursday, Oct. 16. 

Coach Rivers commented on the challenges Mobile Christian posed coming off the big win for the Cardinals just a week ago. 

“I felt us being a little bit sluggish for a lack of a better word,” Rivers said. “But shoot, we did end up scoring 46 points — that back (Todd Jr.) is really good, and they do a heck of a job. That is a heck of a team and a program that has been traditionally good for a long time.”