The nation will have its eyes on Fairhope this Saturday when Battle Ground Academy makes the trip down from Franklin, Tennessee, to battle St. Michael Catholic in a matchup of private school powerhouses.

This high-caliber out-of-state clash already holds plenty of intrigue, but ESPN is also set to broadcast the game as part of its “High School Football Kickoff” series.

And the leading sports media outlet is visiting town in large part because of the quarterback battle that will be on display this weekend.

After all, on one side is the Cardinals’ Gunner Rivers, who is close to breaking multiple state records and hopes to bring his school a state title before moving on to NC State next year.

Opposite Gunner is Bo Bryan, a senior making his first varsity start after appearing in a reserve role last fall. Of course, Bo’s father Luke is a fairly well-known individual in the country music sphere, meaning that there will be celebrity influence on both sides of this game with NFL legend Phillip Rivers also leading the home team.

With storylines aplenty, here are the players to keep an eye on, keys to the game and other notes to know ahead of kickoff:

Players To Watch

Gunner Rivers

St. Michael | Quarterback | Senior

Notable Stats: 10,200 career passing yards, 285 rushing yards, 116 total touchdowns

With his knowledgeable father running the show, Rivers’ pedigree speaks for itself.

The 6-foot-3 NC State commit has improved in each year as a starter, and he’s looking to cap a legendary high school career with a state title after coming just two games away last year.

Nygel Mitchell

St. Michael | Running Back | Junior

Notable Stats: 455 career rushing yards, 58 receiving yards, 8 total touchdowns

Taking over for the departed Noah Moss (NC State), Mitchell showed during the Cardinals’ recent jamboree that there should be little drop-off in the backfield.

An elusive runner with great speed, the junior ripped off multiple chunk gains during St. Michael’s win over Alma-Bryant and accounted for one of the team’s three first-half touchdowns.

Maximus Curry

Battle Ground | Wide Receiver | Junior

Notable Stats: 84 career catches, 1,682 receiving yards, 23 touchdowns

Between Curry and sophomore Maddox Porter, the Wildcats boast an embarrassment of riches on the perimeter.

Both players are primed to play at the D-I level, but the older Curry compliments the 6-foot-3 Porter as a smaller, more dynamic runner with the ball in his hands.

The X-Factors

1. How will the Cardinals’ four new starters on the offensive line hold up?

One of the storylines surrounding St. Michael’s offseason was how the program would replace a quartet of starters from its offensive line. After all, keeping Rivers upright is mandatory for this offense to have success.

The new-look unit got out to a strong start during the jamboree win over Alma-Bryant last Friday, as it appears that renowned offensive line coach Walt Dupre will field another reliable unit.

2. Can the St. Michael defense frazzle Bryan in his first varsity start?

Up to this point in his career, Bryan has accounted for 523 passing yards and eight total touchdowns while playing in a reserve role. But the stakes are raised now, and with all of the fanfare surrounding this game, the senior may be feeling some pressure.

The St. Michael defense will likely look to heat Bryan up early and test how the new starter handles blitzes and exotic coverages. If the Cardinals can prevent the Wildcats’ signal-caller from getting comfortable early, it would bode well for their overall chances.

3. Will the Cardinals’ offensive efficiency from the jamboree carry over into the regular season?

In its final warm-up contest last Friday at Alma-Bryant, St. Michael couldn’t have asked for much more.

With the varsity team only playing in the first half, Rivers and company scored on four drives, with the veteran quarterback tossing a pair of 30+ yard touchdown passes to highlight the day.

The Cardinals presented a balanced, efficient attack in their jamboree, but against a stingier defense, that trend will be put to the test.

Notes To Know

• This will be the first meeting between Battle Ground and St. Michael in football. The Cardinals have only played teams from Alabama or Florida (three times) in their history.

• With 10,200 career passing yards to his name, Gunner Rivers just needs to add 825 more to break the all-time Alabama state record, which is held by Piedmont’s Jack Hayes.

• Luke Bryan is scheduled to perform at a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, the same day as this game. The show is slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Parker’s Perspective

Everywhere you look in this game, there’s a storyline to follow.

So with extensive fanfare, national media coverage and celebrities on either side adding to the normal emotions of an opener, it may be fair to assume that whichever team blocks out all the outside noise will have the best chance to win.

And while the quarterback battle will be what many people have their eyes on, Rivers is the more battle-tested of the two signal-callers and should give his team a sizable edge.

What this game may come down to is how St. Michael fares at the line of scrimmage. Battle Ground will look to establish its ground attack early to aid Bryan, but if the home side can force the visitors to be one-dimensional, it could lead to a stifling performance.

The Wildcats and Cardinals will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.