FAIRHOPE — In one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2025 season, St. Michael outlasted UMS-Wright 25-20 on Thursday night after junior quarterback Gunner Rivers led the Cardinals on a game-winning drive capped by a touchdown pass with seven seconds left.

Rivers, who threw four interceptions in the game — three of them off tipped passes — delivered when it mattered most, connecting with Nygel Mitchell on a short pitch play following a fake toss to Noah Moss to seal the win.

 

 

 

 

 

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“I think that says a lot about our football team,” St. Michael head coach Phillip Rivers said after the game. “Normally, you can’t turn it over four times and win. I know he (Gunner) is my son, but that says a lot about him. He just keeps hanging in there, and 25-20 is the only thing that matters. I told him, ‘Who gives a rip about stats anyways? We’re trying to win the football game.’”

St. Michael received the opening kick and got an early boost when senior wideout Brody Jones converted a key first down on a short catch in the flats. Moments later, Rivers hit Tucker Tomlinson deep downfield for a 40-yard gain to the goal line, setting up a 5-yard touchdown run by senior running back Noah Moss. The extra point missed, leaving the score 6-0.

UMS-Wright responded promptly behind quarterback Max Fowler, using his legs and a highlight-reel, over-the-shoulder catch from Win Elliott to reach scoring range. But it was Abraham Rogers who anchored the Cardinals’ defense with multiple tackles for loss to force a field goal.

The Bulldogs then recovered a surprise onside kick, but another defensive stand — led again by Rogers and company — stopped them on fourth down. St. Michael took over and moved the ball with short completions to Jones and Tomlinson, but a tipped pass in the end zone led to Rivers’ second interception of the season. Coming into the game, the junior had thrown just one interception to 38 touchdowns.

The turnover set up UMS’s tying drive early in the second quarter — another long drive shouldered by the ground game that ended in a chip-shot field goal. After that, both teams traded turnovers on downs in a defensive stalemate.

St. Michael finally regained rhythm late in the half, leaning on Moss and a series of short passes to the boundaries. Rivers later capped the drive with a 20-plus-yard touchdown pass to Jones that put the Cardinals back in front.

Fowler had one last chance before halftime, driving the Bulldogs to midfield and converting a 4th-and-2, but Jones snagged an interception to end the half with St. Michael on top.

The Cardinals opened the second half with a defensive stand, forcing a quick punt. But moments later, UMS’s Perry Hand intercepted Rivers on a ball batted in the air at the line of scrimmage. The Bulldogs failed to capitalize, though, as Fowler was sacked on third down and UMS punted it away.

Pinned deep on their own 6-yard line after the punt, St. Michael turned to Moss for key runs to flip the field. Jones went down with an injury during the drive, but Rivers found new targets in Braedyn Walton and Tomlinson. The duo of Rivers and Tomlinson connected again for a 40-yard bomb — this time for a diving grab in the end zone to extend the lead. Another missed extra point left it 19-6 late in the third.

Jones was not the only player to go down with an injury in the game, as many Cardinal players limped or were helped to the sideline throughout the night.

“We got banged up,” Rivers said. “I told you I was going to tell you if I liked this game or not. I like it. I like the ending, and I like being in these games, but we are beat up pretty bad. We will heal up and find a way next week.”

UMS’s ensuing drive, which carried into the fourth quarter, unsurprisingly leaned heavily on the ground game. After being stuffed at the goal line a handful of times, Fowler eventually punched it in from a few yards out to bring the Bulldogs within six.

Rivers’ struggles continued when another tipped pass — this one off a receiver’s hands and a defender’s back — ended up in Hand’s arms for his second interception. UMS capitalized with a grinding drive behind the legs of Fowler, Hand, Caplyn Reed and Richard Scott, taking its first lead of the night, 20-19, midway through the quarter.

On the next possession, Rivers threw his fourth interception, missing a lurking safety over the middle. The Bulldogs reached the goal line again and faced fourth down with a chance to put the game away, but it was Moss and the Cardinal defense stuffing a reverse in the backfield for a turnover on downs.

With time winding down, Rivers regained his composure. He hit Walton and Moss on short passes to move the chains before finding Walton again down the sideline on a corner route to cross midfield. A 20-yard completion to Walton shortly after set up 1st-and-goal at the 4 with 12 seconds left.

On the next play, Rivers faked a toss to Moss and shuffle-passed it inside to Mitchell for the go-ahead score with seven seconds to play. The two-point try failed, but the Cardinals led 25-20.

Rivers had one timeout before that final offensive play but elected not to use it.

“We ran that knowing that if we got stopped we were going to be in the middle of the field,” coach Rivers said. “So then we could either throw one more shot or kick it. I was going to be holding my breath kicking it because we already missed two extra points. Patricio (Garcia) going into the night had missed one PAT out of 150, so he is normally automatic.”

UMS’s final chance came on the kickoff, but a series of laterals ended when the ball hit the turf and St. Michael recovered to close out the win.

The Cardinals finished the 2025 season 10-0 (6-0 in Class 4A, Region 1), making history as the first undefeated regular season team in St. Michael football history. Rivers boasted about the way his team has handled success this season.

“I think quite well,” Rivers said. “You go to Jackson and win, then you got to regroup and beat Mobile Christian. The region was locked up, and everyone was talking about the playoffs — we could have thrown in the towel right there when they got the ball after that last interception — but our guys just kept fighting. These are the kind of games that can help you win five in a row (in the playoffs).”

The Alabama state playoffs will start Friday, Nov. 7. Brackets across all classifications are mostly set, but matchups are still to be determined.