Junior running back Noah Moss ran for at least 200 yards and four touchdowns for the third time in as many playoff games to help St. Michael extend its historic postseason with a 42-25 win over Fairfield on the road Friday night.

The Cardinals earned a rematch with the only team to beat them this year, the top-ranked Jackson Aggies, in the program’s first-ever state semifinal appearance. Jackson is set to host the fourth-round playoff game with a trip to the state finals on the line on Friday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.

Although St. Michael trailed Fairfield 25-21 at halftime, the Cardinal defense stepped up with a second-half shutout as Moss collected his fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns. A second turnover on downs forced by St. Michael in the second half was turned into points two plays later when sophomore Gunner Rivers hooked up with junior Brody Jones on a 78-yard scoring pass for a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Moss’ fifth touchdown of the night with 4:59 left in regulation marked his 31st rushing touchdown in his 11th game of the season where he has now recorded at least three rushing touchdowns in six games. With three more receiving touchdowns on the year so far, Moss has been held to less than three total touchdowns in only three games.

Head football coach Philip Rivers met with the Wild Cardinal Network after the win and mentioned the halftime message referenced the team motto, Nunc Coepi which is a Latin phrase that means “now I begin.”

“At halftime, we regrouped. We Nunc Coepi-ed, we began again, and then we came out and shut them out in the second half which is huge,” Philip said. “Then we were able to finish some drives on offense so awesome team win; another awesome, gritty, team win on the road.”

Philip also mentioned No. 1 Jackson is the only team to beat St. Michael this calendar year with an Aggie win on the 7-on-7 circuit this summer as well as in the Week 7 meeting during the regular season.

“We’re going to have our hands full because we’re talking about a top 10 team in the state in any classification,” Philip said. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, so we’ll be there next Friday.”

Southside-Selma Panthers 26, Bayside Academy Admirals 24

Bayside Academy found the end of the road in the Class 3A quarterfinals where a string of three turnovers over about a minute of gameplay set up Southside-Selma’s final offensive drive where the Panthers drove 63 yards for their first lead of the game, 26-24, despite a failed two-point conversion.

The Admirals suffered a turnover on downs in their final possession before Southside-Selma sealed its first-ever third-round victory and advanced to the Class 3A state semifinal against Houston Academy.

The Bayside Academy defense once again came up big with five interceptions thanks to one each from juniors Noah Cain and Jack Wilkinson and freshman Warren Johnson as well as two from sophomore Sam Cunningham.

Junior linebacker Billy Neill opened the Admirals’ scoring on offense with a 90-yard touchdown run before he immediately cashed in on Wilkinson’s interception of a screen pass with a 1-yard touchdown run. Senior Luke Ferguson nailed a 38-yard field goal as time expired in the first half for a 17-14 lead for Bayside Academy.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Cain ripped off a 55-yard touchdown run that gave the Admirals a 10-point lead but those served as the visitors’ final points of the contest.

Neill threw an interception on a jump pass with 4:54 remaining only for Johnson to steal an interception back for Bayside Academy with 4:41 left in regulation and the Admirals leading 24-20. However, a fumble recovered by Southside-Selma on its own 37-yard line later ended up in the end zone with 2:53 remaining and Bayside Academy couldn’t extend its final drive.

The Admirals finished 9-4 overall in their first quarterfinal appearance since 2016 following a second-place finish in a return to Class 3A Region 1. The Bayside Academy defense allowed 20 points or more to only three opponents all year as the Admiral offense scored 23 points or more in six games including all three postseason contests.

In Barrett Trotter’s second year as Bayside Academy’s head coach, the Admirals earned their first two playoff wins under the former Briarwood Christian and Auburn quarterback. This season marked Bayside Academy’s first nine-win campaign since 2021 and locked in the program’s fifth-straight winning season.