The St. Michael Catholic football program has grown into one of the state’s premier teams under head coach Philip Rivers, and that success is about to earn the Cardinals a national television audience.
St. Michael was 5-25 in the years before Rivers took over five seasons ago. Since then, the Cardinals have posted a 42-16 record, including a 25-3 mark over the past two seasons. Last year’s 13-1 team went unbeaten in the regular season for the first time in the young program’s history, reaching the Class 4A state semifinals in each of the last two seasons before falling both times to eventual state champion Jackson.
Much of the program’s national attention centers on quarterback Gunner Rivers, the coach’s son and, by many rankings, the top 2027 recruit in the state. He is already committed to sign with his father’s alma mater, North Carolina State.
That spotlight will grow even brighter on Saturday, Aug. 22, when St. Michael opens its 2026 season at home against Battle Ground Academy of Franklin, Tennessee, in a game that will be nationally televised, likely on an ESPN network, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. The exact network has not yet been announced.
Battle Ground Academy brings its own pedigree to the matchup. The program has posted a 24-4 record over the past two seasons, reaching the state championship game both years and winning the title last season. Its offense will be led this year by quarterback Bo Bryan, whose father is country music star Luke Bryan.
For St. Michael, the opener arrives as the Cardinals look to replace several key players who graduated, particularly on offense, in what will be Gunner Rivers’ senior season. Rivers threw for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns with just five interceptions last season, while adding 196 rushing yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback already ranks sixth on the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s career passing yards list with 10,200 yards and 111 touchdown passes, putting him within reach of the state’s all-time passing record this season. He was a first-team Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 4A All-State selection last year and a finalist for the ASWA Class 4A Back of the Year award.
Before the nationally televised opener, St. Michael will take part in a jamboree at Alma Bryant on Aug. 14. That game will not count toward the team’s official record.