Saturday, March 7, 2026

Northridge High School Jaguars Sports (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

FootballSports

Jags knock off Panthers for homecoming win, 37-7

Michael Clements

After claiming and surrendering a early lead to trail after one quarter, the Northridge Jaguars hit the gas and scored 28 unanswered points in the second quarter. That burst led to a 34-7 score at halftime and, with Hicks Finison tacking on a 23-yard field goal with under two minutes to go, a 37-7 victory for the 2025 edition of the homecoming game at The Ridge.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Jaylin McCray makes a move to the outside to avoid a tackle during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

The Jags started off the game with their foot on the gas, when Mayson Elam hit Keith Powell for a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. A hiccup in the snap-hold exchange prevented the PAT, leaving the Jags with a 6-0 lead with 10:02 remaining in the first quarter.

The Panthers answered on their following possession, getting a short touchdown run. The Panthers were successful on their PAT attempt and took a 7-6 lead with 2:09 to go in the first quarter.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Damarcus Wilder drags a defender toward the goal line during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

After the teams traded punts, Elam found Adam Hall for a long gain for the Jags. A few plays later, Elam connected with Jaylin McCray on a swing pass out of the backfield for the Jags’ second touchdown of the evening. Damarcus Wilder punched in the 2-point conversion, reclaiming the lead for the Jags at 14-7 with 8:42 to go in the first half.

Following a defensive stop by the Jags, Wilder cashed in with a 25-yard touchdown run. Finison tacked on the PAT, giving Northridge a 21-7 lead with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Adam Hall secures a touchdown catch during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

The Jag defense came up with another stop, on a fourth down conversion attempt by the Panthers. Elam’s third touchdown pass of the evening came on a pass over the middle to Hall, who pulled the ball down at the goal line for the score. Finison added the PAT and the Jags stretched the lead to 28-7 with 3:13 to go in the half.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Cedric Tinker closes in for a tackle during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

An energized Northridge defense backed Brookwood up and forced a punt out of their own end zone with 2:28 to go in the second quarter, with a fair catch being made at the Brookwood 40-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Elam connected with Hall – this time, down the sideline – for the final touchdown of the game. The unsuccessful PAT left the Jags with a 34-7 lead with 1:44 remaining until halftime.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Magnus Greimel looks for a block from Tyler Ivory during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

The final score of the night was registered when Finison added a 24-yard field goal with 1:17 remaining, resulting in the final score of the evening and a 37-7 homecoming win for the Jags.

9-12-2025 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Demeriyan Cotton makes an acrobatic catch during the Jaguars’ win over the Brookwood Panthers.

Northridge (3-1, 1-1) will travel across the river to take on the Central Falcons (3-1, 1-1) in a Class 6A Area 4 matchup on Friday night.