Southbound Game of the Week: St. Michael Travels to Bayside Academy for Eastern Shore Showdown

Unbeaten Admirals look to continue their dominant start as Cardinals enter Friday’s matchup fresh off their first victory of the season.

DAPHNE, Ala. — Two Eastern Shore programs will meet under the Friday night lights as Bayside Academy welcomes St. Michael Catholic for the Southbound Sports Game of the Week on September 25.

The Admirals enter the contest with a perfect 4-0 record, while the Cardinals arrive at 1-3 after earning their first victory of the season last Friday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Bayside Academy in Daphne.

Despite the difference in records, Friday’s matchup features two programs coming off impressive offensive performances and a recent series that has favored St. Michael.

Bayside Academy: A Dominant Start

The Admirals have been one of the area’s most productive offensive teams through the opening four weeks of their season.

Bayside opened the year with a 29-18 victory over Jackson before cruising through three consecutive region contests.

The Admirals defeated Bayshore Christian 49-7, St. Luke’s Episcopal 55-6 and Northside Methodist Academy 71-0.

Through four games, Bayside has outscored its opponents 204-31 while establishing a 3-0 record in Class 3A, Region 1 competition.

The offense is led by junior quarterback Davis Barnett, who has emerged as a central figure in the Admirals’ passing attack.

Barnett threw 45 touchdown passes during the 2025 season and has continued to lead Bayside’s offense in 2026.

Senior receiver and tight end Ladd Powers gives Barnett a physical target in the passing game, while sophomore Kellan Yamane provides contributions on both sides of the football.

For Bayside, Friday represents an opportunity to continue its unbeaten start against an opponent from a higher classification.

St. Michael: Cardinals Finding Momentum

St. Michael enters Friday’s contest with a different story.

The Cardinals opened the season with three consecutive losses, falling to Battle Ground Academy, UMS-Wright and McGill-Toolen.

However, two of those defeats came by a combined seven points, including a 17-13 loss to UMS-Wright and a 20-17 defeat against McGill-Toolen.

Last Friday, St. Michael broke through with a 39-35 road victory over St. Paul’s Episcopal, securing its first win of the season.

The victory provided a boost for a Cardinals offense that had scored 48 combined points through its first three games.

One of the biggest questions surrounding St. Michael heading into Friday is the availability of senior quarterback Gunner Rivers.

Rivers has been sidelined with an injury since the Cardinals’ season opener, and his status for Friday’s matchup remains uncertain. His potential return would be a significant development for a St. Michael offense looking to build on its performance against St. Paul’s.

Junior running back Nygel Mitchell has been a productive piece of the Cardinals’ offense. Mitchell entered last week’s contest with 476 rushing yards and five total touchdowns through three recorded games, averaging 158.7 rushing yards per contest.

Junior wide receiver Braedyn Walton is another offensive weapon to watch. Walton averaged 70.7 receiving yards per game through the team’s first three recorded contests.

Against a Bayside defense that has allowed just 13 points over its last three games, the Cardinals will look to carry their offensive momentum into Friday night.

The Matchup: Two Offenses Capable of Putting Up Points

Friday’s contest presents an intriguing matchup between two offenses that combined for 110 points in their most recent games.

Bayside scored 71 points against Northside Methodist Academy, while St. Michael put up 39 against St. Paul’s Episcopal.

The Admirals have averaged 51 points per game through four contests, but the Cardinals present a different challenge than Bayside’s recent region opponents.

St. Michael competes in Class 5A and has already faced Battle Ground Academy, UMS-Wright, McGill-Toolen and St. Paul’s.

Bayside, meanwhile, has demonstrated the ability to move the football through the air with Barnett and Powers while receiving contributions from its running game.

The Cardinals will need to find ways to disrupt Bayside’s offensive rhythm and prevent the Admirals from creating explosive plays.

On the other side, Bayside’s defense faces the challenge of containing Mitchell and limiting the Cardinals’ rushing production.

The uncertainty surrounding Rivers adds another storyline to the matchup. Whether the senior quarterback returns or St. Michael continues with its current offensive personnel, the Cardinals will need to find ways to sustain drives against an Admirals defense that has been dominant in recent weeks.

Recent History: Cardinals Have Had the Upper Hand

Although Bayside leads the all-time series 4-2, St. Michael has won the last two meetings between the programs.

The Cardinals defeated the Admirals 31-10 in 2024 before recording a 41-10 victory during the 2025 season.

Friday provides Bayside an opportunity to reverse that recent trend, while St. Michael looks to extend its winning streak in the series to three games.

With both programs entering the matchup following victories, the stage is set for another chapter in this Eastern Shore series.

Southbound Sports Players to Watch

Bayside Academy

Davis Barnett | QB | Jr.

The Admirals’ quarterback leads an offense averaging 51 points per game.

Ladd Powers | WR/TE | Sr.

A physical receiving target who gives Bayside another weapon in its passing attack.

Kellan Yamane | RB/OLB | So.

A two-way contributor who will be important against St. Michael’s rushing attack.

St. Michael Catholic

Gunner Rivers | QB | Sr.

Rivers has been sidelined since the season opener, and his availability for Friday remains uncertain. His status will be one of the key developments to monitor leading up to kickoff.

Nygel Mitchell | RB | Jr.

Entered last week averaging 158.7 rushing yards per game and remains a major part of the Cardinals’ offensive production.

Braedyn Walton | WR | Jr.

A receiving threat who provides St. Michael with another weapon in the passing game.

More Than Just Another Friday Night

While Friday’s contest will not affect either team’s region standings, it presents an opportunity for both programs to build momentum heading into October.

Bayside will look to remain unbeaten before returning to Class 3A region competition against Cottage Hill Christian on October 2.

St. Michael will attempt to build on its first victory before hosting Faith Academy in Class 5A region play that same night.

For the Admirals, the challenge is maintaining their early-season success against a familiar opponent.

For the Cardinals, it’s an opportunity to build on last week’s breakthrough and continue their recent success against Bayside.

Two Eastern Shore programs. Two teams coming off victories. One Friday night matchup.

The stage is set for the Southbound Sports Game of the Week.

Game Information

Matchup: St. Michael Catholic vs. Bayside Academy

Date: Friday, September 25, 2026

Kickoff: 7:00 PM

Location: Bayside Academy | Daphne, Alabama

Records: St. Michael (1-3) | Bayside Academy (4-0)

Classification: Non-region matchup

Follow Southbound Sports for coverage of Friday night’s matchup and high school athletics across Mobile and Baldwin counties.