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Senior quarterback Gunner Rivers exits with injury as St. Michael falls to Battle Ground Academy, 41-18 Marshall Pitre steps in for the Cardinals after Rivers leaves in the first quarter; Wildcats QB Bo Bryan throws for 375 yards and three touchdowns in his first varsity start. FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - A highly anticipated season opener for St. Michael Catholic took an unexpected turn early Saturday afternoon as the Cardinals fell to Battle Ground Academy 41-18 on national television. The matchup brought plenty of attention to the Alabama Gulf Coast, featuring St. Michael senior quarterback and NC State commit Gunner Rivers, the son of Cardinals head coach and longtime NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, opposite Battle Ground Academy quarterback Bo Bryan, the son of country music star Luke Bryan. But the anticipated quarterback matchup was cut short in the first quarter. Rivers left the game with an apparent leg injury after taking a hit while scrambling for a first down. He was helped off the field and did not return. Before the injury, Rivers completed 3 of 4 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. St. Michael struck first on its opening possession when Rivers connected with junior Nygel Mitchell on a screen pass that Mitchell took 26 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals an early 6-0 lead. Battle Ground Academy responded quickly. Bryan connected with sophomore Maddox Porter for a 40-yard touchdown on the Wildcats’ ensuing possession to give BGA a 7-6 advantage. After Rivers exited, junior Marshall Pitre took over at quarterback for St. Michael. The Cardinals’ defense provided a big stop in the first half when Hudson Ward forced a fumble near the goal line on fourth down, giving St. Michael possession at its own 1-yard line. BGA eventually extended its advantage behind a rushing touchdown from Fletcher Fields before Bryan connected with Maximus Curry for a 78-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, sending the Wildcats into halftime with a 21-6 lead. St. Michael continued to battle in the second half. Pitre connected with junior Braedyn Walton in the corner of the end zone late in the third quarter for the first touchdown pass of Pitre’s varsity career. The Cardinals weren’t finished. Pitre helped move St. Michael down the field again in the fourth quarter before Mitchell capped the drive with a rushing touchdown, his second score of the afternoon. The touchdown cut BGA’s advantage to 28-18 with 8:16 remaining and gave St. Michael an opportunity to make a late push. The Wildcats, however, responded almost immediately. Bryan found Curry on a short pass that turned into an 80-yard touchdown, pushing the BGA advantage back to 17. Fields later added another rushing touchdown to put the game away. Bryan finished his first varsity start completing 16 of 21 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns. Porter, one of the nation’s top sophomore prospects, caught nine passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, while Curry finished with 171 receiving yards and two touchdowns. For St. Michael, the loss comes after the most successful season in program history. The Cardinals finished 13-1 in 2025, captured their first region championship and advanced to the state semifinals. Rivers entered his senior season as one of the top quarterbacks in the state after throwing for more than 3,100 yards and 46 touchdowns last season. He also entered the year within striking distance of the AHSAA career passing record. His status moving forward will now be one of the biggest questions surrounding the Cardinals. St. Michael will have some additional time before taking the field again. The Cardinals have a bye next week before hosting UMS-Wright on Sept. 4 in their Class Private Double-A Region 1 opener. The matchup with UMS-Wright will begin a new chapter for St. Michael as the Cardinals turn their attention from Saturday’s nationally televised opener to region play. Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.