DAPHNE - Private-school powers collided for a rivalry clash Friday, and with a plethora of other regional teams enjoying bye weeks, Bayside Academy’s date with St. Michael Catholic was the hottest ticket in town.

The Admirals entered this game unblemished at 4-0, but they had yet to face an opponent with the talent and depth that the Cardinals possess.

Speaking of the visitors, they endured through a tough opening schedule and an injury to star quarterback Gunner Rivers to eventually secure their first win last week, a 39-35 victory over St. Paul’s. Thus, Philip Rivers’ side took plenty of momentum into this marquee matchup.

With plenty on the line and rivalry emotions running high, it was St. Michael who was able to handle the moment and emerge with a pivotal 37-19 victory.

“That was a great win, and we’re trying to string some together now,” Rivers said. “Got our first one last week, and it was good to come across town and get a win in this one.”

However, the Cardinals first had to battle back from behind, because Bayside scored on the opening possession of the game.

A solid return by senior Caid Lyons set the Admirals up favorably, and a trio of completions by junior quarterback Davis Barnett set the drive in motion.

Senior receiver Mason Edwards then took a screen for a first down, and that was followed by fellow senior Walker Collins reversing field on a jet sweep to place his team inside the red zone.

And after Edwards moved the chains again, Sam Cunningham joined the party by taking a direct snap and muscling his way into the end zone.

Bayside’s lengthy opening drive took over four minutes off the clock and put some pressure on St. Michael, but the Cardinals were ready with a response.

Get used to hearing the name Nygel Mitchell, because he put on a performance that will be remembered in this rivalry series for quite some time.

The 5-foot-7 tailback toted the rock three straight times to pick up a pair of first downs for his offense, and after junior quarterback Marshall Pitre got into the mix by moving the chains, Mitchell put on a show. He took a toss, navigated his way through a scrum, spun around a defender and then shrugged off another arm tackle before ultimately waltzing into the end zone.

With the Admirals having failed a two-point attempt, St. Michael took a 7-6 lead at this juncture.

The Cardinals’ defense forced Bayside to punt right after, and with momentum fully swinging to the visitors’ sideline, Mitchell struck again.

After he led St. Michael downfield, he hauled in another outside toss to score for the second time. Looking to make it a multi-score game, Pitre rolled out and found senior Anthony Howard for a two-point conversion.

Trailing 15-6 with 9:50 left before halftime, the Admirals received a spark when bruising tight end Ladd Powers took a sweep pitch and rumbled to the opposing 24-yard line.

But a sack by St. Michael’s Abram Rodgers set Barnett’s unit back, and the group was eventually forced to punt.

It was rinse and repeat for the Cardinal offense, as Mitchell hauled in a screen pass to convert a 3rd-and-11 before scoring via an explosive outside run.

“I’ve really just been keeping my head down, not listening to the outside noise and playing the game I love,” Mitchell said of his performance. “I love football, so I just block everything out and do what I have to do.”

Despite a strong catch-and-run from Collins during the ensuing drive, the home side was unable to cut into the 22-6 deficit heading into halftime.

St. Michael received the ball coming out of the locker room, and with the Bayside defense razor focused on Mitchell’s whereabouts, Coach Rivers mixed things up and let his team air the ball out instead.

Pitre first dropped a deep ball into Howard’s waiting arms to move the Cardinals inside the 10-yard line, and the signal-caller then lofted a fade to junior Braedyn Walton, who rose up and snagged the touchdown.

“We definitely had a bit more belief going into this game,” Pitre said. “We had practiced well all week, and I think we just rallied after that first win and are going to get on a good hot streak.”

With the game beginning to get out of reach at 30-6, the Admirals came up with a much-needed score to answer.

A first-down run by junior Wells Smith gave the offense some confidence, and Barnett showed off his arm talent when he linked up with Collins deep in visitors’ territory.

And in a moment of déjà vu, Cunningham again lined up behind center and powered his way into the painted area, cutting into the deficit and injecting some life into the home crowd.

Head coach Barrett Trotter looked to capitalize off that gained momentum by attempting an onside kick, but St. Michael narrowly managed to recover the loose pigskin.

The Cardinals burned some clock thanks to Mitchell’s efforts, but they ultimately turned the ball over on downs early in the fourth quarter.

Looking to manufacture a stunning comeback, Barnett guided his team downfield before hitting Edwards in stride for a touchdown over the middle of the field. With 8:48 left on the clock and the deficit now just 11, Bayside began to believe in the rally.

But per the theme of the night, Mitchell would not be denied. The elusive-yet-powerful running back continually churned out yards in response, and the clock continued to dwindle as a result.

And in the end, Mitchell fittingly found the end zone for a fourth time, pushing the lead to 37-19 with just over four minutes left and effectively icing the game.

“We’re at the halfway point, so we have a lot of football left,” Rivers said. “We’re playing better and we started practicing better this week, so hopefully we can start stringing some wins together.”

Here’s a breakdown of how St. Michael won its third straight over Bayside, what was said after the game and who each side will square off with next:

Primetime Performers

Nygel Mitchell

St. Michael | Running Back | Junior

Notable Stats: 34 carries, 240 rushing yards (173 in the first half), 4 rushing touchdowns, 18 receiving yards

“Primetime Performer” is a fitting title for Mitchell, because the Cardinals’ star tailback put on a show under the lights.

Whether he was finding the edge or working between the tackles, Mitchell hit running lanes with speed and aggression, and the Admiral defense just couldn’t keep him contained as a result.

Notably, a sideline representative from the AHSAA said he had watched plenty of the top teams in Alabama play thus far this season. He emphasized that Mitchell was the best running back he’d seen yet.

“He’s been rolling,” Rivers said with a smile. “We just gotta keep him healthy, because we have a lot of football left.”

Abram Rodgers

St. Michael | Linebacker | Senior

Notable Stats: 1 sack*

Really, Rodgers is acting as a representative for the entire St. Michael front seven.

The veteran linebacker certainly caused plenty of havoc, but the Cardinals’ defense as a whole continually stuffed runs and made Barnett uncomfortable in the pocket. 

Mitchell may take most of the attention with his performance, but the visitors’ defensive front made just as big of an impact with its dominant showing.

*Will be updated with his full stats once they are available*

Sam Cunningham

Bayside Academy | Wide Receiver/Defensive Back | Senior

Notable Stats: 2 rushing touchdowns

While his side may not have come out on top, Cunningham certainly deserves a shout out as well.

His pair of tough rushing scores were documented above, but those occurred while he was also putting in shifts on the defensive side of the ball. 

Truthfully, all of Bayside’s skill-position players were able to find success in some form or fashion (Collins and Edwards each went for over 100 receiving yards). It was the battle in the trenches that ultimately doomed the home team.

Defining Moments

Mitchell’s third touchdown run (2nd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5

The longer this game went on, Mitchell seemed to play better while those around him fatigued.

And when the Bayside defense had already struggled to bottle him up throughout the first half, his third rushing score extended the lead to 22-6. But perhaps more importantly, it sent a message that no matter how much attention the Admirals gave him, Mitchell could still find a way to break free.

“It’s great having him [Mitchell] as a running back because it really opens up the passing game and eases the stress on me,” Pitre said. “I don’t have to make plays all the time. I can just give it to him and he’ll go out, get 50 or 70 yards on a carry and rush for like 300 in a game.”

Pitre’s scoring drive following halftime (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 8.0

Coming out of the break, Bayside likely had a renewed sense of determination in looking to stop Mitchell.

Thus, it must have been quite the surprise when Pitre defined the opening drive of the second half with his arm, and his two well-placed completions forced the Admirals to respect the visitors’ aerial attack and not commit more numbers to stopping the run.

Bayside’s failed onside kick (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 6.5

The final score may have been somewhat lopsided, but the home side had plenty of chances to make this a closer game in the second half.

If Bayside had recovered the onside kick it attempted following an efficient drive from Barnett, the Admirals may have been able to fully take control of the momentum and mount a comeback from an earlier stage in the game.

Quotes To Note

• “Coming into the year, we had nobody with a full season of experience there [O-line], but you can definitely see improvement. And I believe that we’re going to keep getting better and it’ll only be up from here.” — Nygel Mitchell, St. Michael Running Back
• “They [St. Michael’s O-line] fight, and they have a lot of animosity in them. I feel like they dominated the game all night, and that’s how it’s been recently. They’re just fighting harder than others.” — Marshall Pitre, St. Michael Quarterback
• “We just wanna keep building off the momentum one week at a time. We’re trying to go 1-0 each week.” — Nygel Mitchell, St. Michael Running Back

Obscure Observations

• This result moves the all-time record between the schools to 4-3 in favor of Bayside. The Cardinals have now won three straight in the series after dropping the first four.
• I talked about the St. Michael defensive front earlier, but its counterparts deserve plenty of praise as well. The Cardinals’ offensive line made Mitchell’s life easier by frequently opening up wide running lanes, and a fatigued Bayside defense couldn’t generate much pushback in the latter stages of the game.
• The Admirals may have fallen for the first time this year, but they have nothing to hang their heads about. Barnett still found success, the Bayside receivers got open with regularity and the team as a whole had chances to be right in the thick of this contest. This is certainly still a group that can win a state title, and Trotter’s squad will learn plenty from this one.

Up Next

Bayside (4-1, 3-0): @ Cottage Hill (4-1, 2-1) | Friday, Oct. 2

The Admirals will hit the road for the first time all season when they battle Cottage Hill.

St. Michael (2-3, 1-2): vs. Faith Academy (2-3, 0-3) | Friday, Oct. 2

The Cardinals will return home after nearly a month away when they welcome Faith Academy next week.