FAIRHOPE — The St. Michael Cardinals cruised past the Pensacola Tigers to improve to 8-0, extending the longest win streak in school history.

St. Michael head coach Philip Rivers was asked what he most liked about his best-yet Cardinals team.

“It’s interesting because this team is not a real emotional and ‘rah-rah’ team,” Rivers said. “They just come to work every day and play, play hard and give everything they’ve got. I know now, but sometimes I was always concerned like ‘are they ready to go?’ But they tend to show up every week and play their hearts out.”

The very beginning of the game was the worst luck St. Michael would have. A lost coin toss led into a return that backed them up to the 7-yard line near their own end zone.

Cardinals quarterback Gunner Rivers got them out of it with a 17-yard pass to Tucker Tomlinson. Immediately following was fellow wide receiver, Brody Jones, taking a catch 75 yards for the first score of the game.

Jones fielded a punt following a Tigers three-and-out, and brought them to the 33-yard line in enemy territory. He would avenge not breaking free on the return with another touchdown catch, this time going for 16 yards.

A two-point conversion on the legs of running back Noah Moss then put St. Michael up 15-0. Pensacola quarterback Jamarcuz Fountain tried to make plays to keep his team in the game, but they always bounced off the hands of receivers or were just short on 4th-and-long.

It had been over two minutes since Jones last scored, so he decided to reel in a 9-yard touchdown catch for his third of the quarter.

“He’s a heck of a player, obviously.” Coach Rivers said of Jones. “He’s going to have an opportunity to play at the next level. He’s done a heck of a job for us, and certainly, that was an exciting first quarter.”

The wealth was shared in the second quarter, as a 6-yard catch by Tomlinson and a 34-yard run by Moss were the next two scores for the Cardinals.

The defense would continue to prevent the Tigers from doing any real damage, and St. Michael would get the ball with 1:06 left in the half.

A 30-yard reception by Jones set the Cardinals up at the 18-yard line. With three seconds to go, Tomlinson caught a second touchdown pass as time ran out to put St. Michael up 43-0 at the break.

Pensacola continued to swing after halftime, this time with more success. Fountain took the ball 75 yards on a quarterback keeper for a touchdown in the first minute.

The Cardinals would put almost the entire second half on running back Nygel Mitchell. He would prove nearly impossible to bring down, and virtually dragged the Tigers with him on seven runs for an eventual 4-yard touchdown.

After the kickoff, St. Michael linebacker Andy Cisneros intercepted a pass to set the Cardinals up on Pensacola’s 13-yard line. However, they fumbled immediately and gave the ball back to the Tigers.

A 61-yard touchdown run for Pensacola put an end to the scoring as 50-13 would be the final, and St. Michael would improve to 2-0 in the series’ history.

The Cardinals will look to keep their stranglehold on the region at Orange Beach on Oct. 24, eyeing the first undefeated season in program history.