FAIRHOPE — The St. Michael Cardinals will keep on dancing in the 4A state football playoffs, rolling past Bullock County 52-22 in the Round 3 Gulf Coast Media Game of the Week.

Senior running back Noah Moss continues to shine during this postseason run, tacking on four more touchdowns in the win. And despite facing a run-heavy Hornets attack that averaged 281 yards per game, the St. Michael defense came up big again, dominating the second half 27-8 after holding a 25-14 lead at the break.

“He just loves to play,” St. Michael head coach Phillip Rivers said of Moss. “He’s a heck of a teammate. He’s an all-around, top notch guy — not just the player. It’s fun having him on our side that’s for sure.”

Bullock County opened the night with a delay-of-game penalty before the first snap was even taken, and two plays later defensive back Kamarjay Lavoie jumped a route for a pick-six 45 seconds into play that gave the Cardinals a quick lead. However, the Hornets settled in behind dual-threat quarterback Tyekelis Wallace, who powered a seven-minute scoring drive to eventually tie it at 7-7.

On the ensuing drive, junior quarterback Gunner Rivers answered by converting a fourth down near midfield, then found Brody Jones down the sideline for a 45-yard strike that set up Moss’ first touchdown. After another defensive stop — highlighted by a third-down tackle for loss from sophomore Nygel Mitchell — St. Michael’s Abraham Faiupu blocked a punt and the Cardinals took over at the Bullock 25. Moss then punched in his second score early in the second quarter followed by a successful two-point conversion to make it a 22-7 lead in a hurry.

Bullock County did not attempt a pass until late in the half, continuing to lean on Wallace and running back Caiden Ivey on the ground. Wallace’s second rushing touchdown cut the deficit to 22-14 with just over four minutes left, but a kickoff returned back near midfield by Tucker Tomlinson set up Patricio Garcia’s 23-yard field goal that sent the Cardinals into halftime up 25-14.

Rivers commented on the toughness of the Bullock County team after the win.

“It was tougher than the score shows,” Rivers stated. “Coach (Jeremy) Vines has done a heck of a job with his team — these guys fought their tails off and they have a lot to be proud of. That group will always be remembered as the first-time ever to win a playoff game (at Bullock County). It was a hard-fought game; we knew it would be.”

St. Michael began to run away for good with a four-minute scoring drive to open the third quarter, capped by Moss’ third rushing touchdown of the game. The Cardinal defense — led by Cam Kerbal, Nick Russo, Bryce Marston and the defensive front — finally began to bottle up Bullock’s ground game and forced the Hornets to throw. A short punt gave St. Michael another short field, and Rivers connected with Braedyn Walton a few plays later for a 32-yard score to push the lead to 31-14.

The Hornets briefly responded with a physical drive keyed by Wallace and athlete Jadorion Mack, who later scored from short range to make it 38-22. But Rivers and Moss quickly marched St. Michael downfield again as the third quarter expired, and Moss finished the possession with a receiving touchdown early in the fourth.

Using his legs more than usual in this game, Rivers added another explosive run to set up the Cardinals’ final score — a late touchdown from Mitchell that stretched the lead to 52-22. Jack Kurth added a fumble recovery on the next Hornets possession, and St. Michael closed out the win with reserves on the field.

The Cardinals advanced to 13-0 with the victory and will play host in the Class 4A semifinals to Jackson on Friday, Nov. 28, for another chapter in the recent rivalry.

“It’s special,” Rivers said of making the semifinals. “It’s two years in a row and it’s just flipped. They (Jackson) will have to come to our place. We know how great that team is — we found a way in week six; we will see if we can find a way here in the semis. It will take a great effort. We know what that team is about, and I know one thing, it will be a packed house.”