Saturday, March 7, 2026

Northridge High School Jaguars Sports (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

FootballSports

Jags come up two points short to Choctaws, 22-21

Michael Clements

For the second week in a row, the Northridge Jaguars came up two points shy of a victory. This week, it was the Bibb County Choctaws who got the one point win. The Jags held a lead three times in the game, but didn’t have the lead when it mattered most, the sounding of the final horn. Northridge looked to be driving for a go-ahead score, but a lost fumble extinguished their hopes and the Choctaws walked away victorious, with a 22-21 win.

9-26-2025 — Centreville, Ala. — Northridge’s Tate Espey hauls in a touchdown pass during the Jaguars game with the Bibb County Choctaws.

The Jags put together a nice opening drive after winning the coin toss and electing to receive. On a fourth down play, Tate Espey hauled in a pass from Mayson Elam for the first touchdown of the night. Hicks Finison added the PAT for a 7-0 Northridge lead with 6:58 to go in the first quarter.

The Choctaws struck back quickly on 25-yard run and tied the game at 7-7 with 4:14 to go in the first quarter.

9-26-2025 — Centreville, Ala. — Northridge’s Mayson Elam throws a pass during the Jaguars game with the Bibb County Choctaws.

On the Jags ensuing possession, Elam and Espey connected again for an 81-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. The PAT was off, leaving the Jags with a 13-7 lead at the 3:26 mark of the opening quarter.

Bibb County took the lead on a 34-yard pass with 11:53 remaining in the second quarter. The successful PAT resulted in what would be a 14-13 halftime lead for the Choctaws.

9-26-2025 — Centreville, Ala. — Northridge’s Damarcus Wilder smashes into a tackler during the Jaguars game with the Bibb County Choctaws.

The Jags reclaimed the lead at the 4:55 mark of the third quarter, when Damarcus Wilder plunged in from the 1-yard line. Wilder also completed the 2-point conversion and gave Northridge a 21-14 lead.

Bibb County answered with under a minute to go in the quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass. The Choctaws added their own 2-point conversion to take the lead with 51.6 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

9-26-2025 — Centreville, Ala. — Northridge’s Zaylan Hutchins (0) warps up a Bibb County ball carrier as Anthony Hyche (15) closes in during the Jaguars game with the Choctaws.

After trading two possessions each, the Jags looked to be marching toward a game-winning score when the comeback was derailed by a lost fumble that was recovered by the Choctaws at their own 24-yard line with 1:47 to go in the game. Bibb County ran out the clock and claimed the one point victory.

9-26-2025 — Centreville, Ala. — Northridge’s Magnus Greimel breaks into the open during the Jaguars game with the Bibb County Choctaws. Greimel led the Jags with 123 yards on 19 carries on the evening.