Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Northridge High School Jaguars Sports (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

FootballSports

Jags can’t hold off Yellow Jackets, drop 41-37 decision

Michael Clements

The Northridge Jaguars hosted the McAdory Yellow Jackets at The Ridge on Friday evening. The Jags had a see-saw battle with McAdory that went down to the wire, with the Yellow Jackets eventually coming out on top. The game saw Northridge capture the lead four times, but McAdory was able to grab the final lead with 1:08 to go. The Jags would get the ball all the way inside the 1-yard line with 16.5 seconds to go, only to have a penalty move them back to the 16-yard line. Two plays later, Northridge was left with the sting of a 41-37 defeat.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Mario Knox recovers an on-side kick during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

After McAdory won the toss and elected to receive, the Jags pulled a rabbit out of the hand and recovered an on-side kick to start the game. A little under three minutes later, Julian Crenshaw punched it in at the 9:20 mark of the first quarter and Hicks Finison’s PAT gave Northridge a 7-0 lead.

It took over a quarter of play for the scoreboard to light up again, but this time it was for McAdory. The Yellow Jackets got a 4-yard run and PAT to tie the game, 7-7, with 8:28 remaining in the second quarter.

It didn’t take long for the Jags to retake the lead. At the 6:42 mark of the second quarter, Max Bruinton hit Demeriyan Cotton over the middle, after a big run by Crenshaw. Finison’s PAT handed the Jags a 14-7 lead.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Austin Posey hauls in a pass during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

The Yellow Jackets wasted little time knotting the score back up. With 5:18 remaining in the half, McAdory tied the game at 14-14.

After the ensuing Northridge drive stalled and the Yellow Jackets took over, Jaden Wright picked off a McAdory pass. Crenshaw scored his second touchdown of the evening, running untouched into the end zone, behind Da’marcus Wilder. Finison tacked on the PAT, giving the Jags a 21-14 lead with 1.2 seconds remaining until halftime.

After receiving the opening kick for the second half, Northridge took the ball to the McAdroy 4-yard line, when Bruinton hit Tate Espey over the middle. Unfortunately, two penalties (one on each team) and some on-field confusion later, the Jags missed a field goal. The fallout was two long runs by McAdory, with the second of those crossing the goal line with 8:04 to go in the third quarter. The PAT tied the game once again, this time at 21-21.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Julian Crenshaw drags a would-be tackler during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

After the Jags were unsuccessful on a fourth down conversion attempt, McAdory struck on a long pass to take their first lead of the evening. The PAT gave the Yellow Jackets a 28-21 advantage with 1:55 to go in the third quarter.

On the last play of the third quarter, Crenshaw had a good run to get the ball to the McAdory 21-yard line. On the following play, Cotton scampered into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown run. Another Finison PAT knotted the score at 28 with 11:52 to go in the final quarter.

Northridge senior Devin Brown recovered the second on-side kick of the night for Northridge. Unfortunately, the Jags came up empty on the possession, missing a field goal at the 7:52 mark of the fourth quarter.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Zaine Rymond (66) wraps up a ball carrier as Devin Brown (7) and others close in during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

Shortly after, the Yellow Jackets to the lead on a short touchdown run. The PAT allowed McAdory to grab a 35-28 lead with 5:07 to go.

On the ensuing possession, Bruinton and Cotton connected once again, this time for a long catch-and-run down the home sideline. The Jags tied it up at 35 apiece after Finison’s PAT, with 4:12 remaining in the game.

The Jaguar defense made a stand and forced the Yellow Jackets into a punting situation after three plays into McAdory’s ensuing possession. The snap sailed past the punter and out of the end zone for a safety, giving Northridge a 37-35 lead with 2:41 to go.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Da’marcus Wilder makes a cut behind the block of Tyler Ivory (71) during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

After the free kick, the Jags lost a fumble at the McAdory 47-yard line with 1:52 to go. The Yellow Jackets converted that turnover into what would prove to be the game winning touchdown with 1:08 to go. The 2-point attempt was no good, leaving McAdory with a 41-37 lead.

The Jaguars had a first and goal inside the 1-yard line with 16.5 seconds to go, but a penalty moved the ball out to the 16-yard line. McAdory was flagged on the next play, resulting in the ball being placed just outside the 10-yard line, with 5.5 seconds to play. Unfortunately, the next play broke down and the Yellow Jackets secured the victory, 41-37.

9-4-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Jaden Wright zeroes in to intercept a pass during the Jaguars’ game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets.

The stat sheet for Northridge shows Bruinton connecting on 17 of 27 passes for 360 yards. Cotton hauled in 7 of those passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Espey secured four passes for 117 yards. Austin Posey had four catches for 69 yards and Dre Young had two catches for 13 yards.

Crenshaw led the Jags on the ground, getting 19 carries for 107 yards and one touchdown. Wilder had 14 carries for 44 yards. Bruinton was credited with five carries for 18 yards and Cotton had three carries for 14 yards and one touchdown.

(Defensive stats were not available at the time this was written.)

The Jaguars (1-2, 0-1) will travel a few miles east on Highway 216 for their second Friday night region matchup of the 2026 season, as they visit the Brookwood Panthers (1-1, 0-1).