South Alabama’s high school football season kicks off next week with three days of action from Aug. 20-22, headlined by a nationally televised matchup and several highly anticipated rivalry games.
St. Michael will host Battle Ground Academy of Franklin, Tennessee, in a nationally televised game Saturday, Aug. 22, at 12:30 p.m. The Cardinals, coming off their first-ever undefeated regular season and a 13-1 finish, will now compete in the new Private AA classification under head coach Philip Rivers and his son, quarterback Gunner Rivers, widely considered the state’s top 2027 recruit. Gunner Rivers has passed for 10,200 yards and 111 touchdowns in his career, sixth all-time in AHSAA history. Battle Ground Academy brings its own star power in quarterback Bo Bryan, son of country singer Luke Bryan; the program has reached the state title game the past two seasons, winning it last year.
The night’s action continues at 7 p.m. with the annual “Battle of Prichard” rivalry between Vigor and Blount at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Vigor has won six straight meetings and seven of the past eight, and reached last year’s Class 5A state title game before falling to Moody. Three Vigor players — edge Jabarrius Garror (Texas), defensive back Miguel Wilson (Kentucky) and linebacker Isaac McNeil (Auburn) — have verbally committed to SEC programs. Blount, which finished 2-8 last season, has a new head coach in Gus Smith following the dismissal of Ramon Nelson.
Thursday, Aug. 20, brings the season opener between Daphne and Spanish Fort, with Daphne looking to build on a 9-3 season and second-round playoff run in Class 7A, while Spanish Fort, now competing in Class 5A, is coming off a 4-6 season that missed the playoffs. Daphne snapped a four-game losing skid to the Toros with a 42-28 win last year, though Spanish Fort holds an 11-3 edge in the all-time series.
Friday, Aug. 21, features 18 games involving area teams, headlined by Williamson traveling to Baker and Saraland facing Mary G. Montgomery (MGM). Williamson, the 2025 Class 5A Region 1 champion at 12-1, features college prospects linebacker Ellis McGaskin (Florida commit) and defensive back Jaylen Scott (Oklahoma commit); Baker went 9-3 and reached the second round of the Class 7A playoffs in Eric Scott’s first year as head coach. Saraland, which reached the state championship game in Class 6A for four straight seasons and won the title in 2022, moves down to Class 5A this year behind quarterback Jamison Roberts, an Oklahoma commit. MGM, now in Class 6A, enters its first season under new head coach Alex Page after former coach Zach Golson was suspended by the AHSAA for recruiting violations; the Vikings went 10-2 last year before losing to eventual state champion Thompson in the playoffs.
Four area teams — Murphy, Faith Academy, St. Luke’s and Bayside Academy — will wait until the following week to open their seasons.