Fresh off one of the biggest wins of the Alabama prep football season, the St. Michael Cardinals return home to the outskirts of Fairhope to take on another powerhouse 4A Region 1 opponent in the Mobile Christian Leopards.

The two programs have faced off five times with the first matchup coming in 2018; Mobile Christian holds a 4-1 lead in the series. The Cardinals won last year's matchup 45-35, one of the toughest battles in their historic 12-2 season. Under head coach Phillip Rivers, St. Michael is 1-1 against the Leopards.

Mobile Christian returns from a bye week after steamrolling St. Stanislaus 52-0 the week before that. The Leopards sit at 5-1 with their lone loss coming to Jackson a few weeks back. St. Michael, meanwhile, is riding high after knocking off the defending 4A champs 49-39 in Jackson — a statement win that pushed the Cardinals to 6-0 and firmly into the conversation for best team in the state.

The Cardinals' offense runs through junior quarterback Gunner Rivers, the No. 1-ranked player in Alabama's 2027 class. Rivers commands an explosive attack featuring senior running back Noah Moss, Baldwin County's leading rusher with 868 yards, 12 touchdowns on 96 carries and a staggering 9 yards per attempt. Through the air, Rivers has no shortage of weapons, spreading the ball among four playmakers consistently, with South Alabama commit Brody Jones headlining the group.

Across the causeway, Mobile Christian brings a punishing ground game of its own. Senior Jason Todd Jr. leads the Leopards with 903 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Defensively, Mobile Christian boasts a ball-hawking secondary built to challenge Rivers and company. The Leopards have already snagged 10 interceptions on the year thus far.

The Week 8 Gulf Coast Media Game of the Week will be played on Friday, Oct. 10 at St. Michael Catholic High School.