In just his third season as the head football coach of the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals, Philip Rivers can already see a different desire burning in the athletes.

After just missing out on a playoff berth last year, a few key members from the 2022 squad return to lead a team constructed of mainly underclassmen. Many of those younger players got their first taste of Friday-night-light action last week in the preseason jamboree against Spanish Fort.

Another road trip to a tough environment is on the Cardinals’ docket for Week 1 with the Gulf Shores Dolphins on tap Thursday night but Rivers hoped those situations would only prepare the team down the road.

Key Storylines

-Entering the third year of Philip Rivers’ coaching tenure at St. Michael, the time has come for another Rivers gunslinger to run the offense wearing No. 17. Rising freshman Gunner Rivers is set to quarterback an offense that set a single-game scoring record last year.

-The head coach also said the Cardinals’ linemen will be a strength of the team and complement their skill players with a familiarity in the system on top of their physical size.

Top Quote from Media Day

“We've got a bunch of hungry young guys that are talented. They love to play. I think early on, a couple years ago, maybe the expectation wasn't that we were going to win. And now these guys, we believe we can win every week,” head coach Philip Rivers said. “We know that hasn't been the case. We know the challenge that we face every week but we expect to win every Thursday, Friday night we go out there. I think from a culture and a foundation standpoint, these guys know what to expect and how to operate.”