Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Northridge High School Jaguars Sports (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

FootballSports

Jags pick up region win over Stampede, 35-13

Michael Clements

The Northridge Jaguars traveled to Cottondale for a Class 5A Region 3 matchup with the Paul W. Bryant Stampede on Thursday evening. The game was moved to Thursday, due to a threat of sever weather that never materialized. The Jags got behind early, but turned things around, eventually establishing a 35-7 lead before the Stampede tacked on a late score, with under two minutes to go. When the final horn sounded, Northridge secured a 35-13 win over Bryant.

10-01-2026 — Tuscacloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Jaden Wright knocks a ball carrier off balance during the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede.

The Jags won the coin toss and elected to receive. However, the first drive stalled and Northridge punted. The Stampede cashed in on a long catch-and-run touchdown and added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 8:00 remaining in the first quarter.

The Jags struck back at the 3:51 mark of the first quarter, when Max Bruinton connected with Tate Espey on a swing pass in the flat and Espey avoided a couple would-be tacklers then crosse the goal line. Hicks Finison added the PAT to knot the score at 7-7.

10-01-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Dre Young hauls in a touchdown pass during the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede.

Northridge took the lead with 10:33 to go in the second quarter, when Dre Young hauled in a pass over a Bryant defender about one step from the end zone, for a 40-yar touchdown catch. Finison added another PAT and gave the Jags a 14-7 lead, which would hold until halftime.

Bryant received the opening kick of the second half, but eventually punted. Bruinton’s second touchdown connection with Epsey came at the 4:11 mark of the third quarter. Finison’s PAT stretched the Northridge lead to 21-7.

10-01-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Demeriyan Cotton crosses the goal line during the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede.

Demeriyan Cotton got into the end zone with 11:00 to go in the final quarter, on a run from inside the 10-yard line. The Finison PAT raised the Northridge lead to 28-7.

The final Jaguar touchdown came after Jaden Wright picked off a Stampede pass and returned it to mid-field. Bruinton bulled his way in from inside the 1-yard line with 4:13 to go. The final Finison PAT of the evening gave the Jags a 35-7 advantage.

10-01-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Max Bruinton stretches the ball across the goal line during the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede.

The Stampede splashed a little makeup on the board via a touchdown run with 1:28 to go, but failed to convert the kick. The result was the final score of 35-13, in favor of the Jags.

10-01-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s Julian Crenshaw looks for extra running room during the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede. Crenshaw finished the game with 100 yards on the ground.

Bruinton finished the night 11-of-14 for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 30 yards rushing with one touchdown. Julian Crenshaw totaled 100 yards on 20 carries. Da’marcus Wilder totaled 31 yards on 6 carries. Cotton had four carries for nine yards, with one touchdown.

Cotton led the receivers with four catches for 84 yards. Espey had four catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Young had one catch for a 40-yard touchdown. Crenshaw had one catch for 10 yards.

10-01-2026 — Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Northridge’s defense corrals a ball carrier during the waning moments of the Jaguars’ game against the Paul W. Bryant Stampede.

Defensively, Trindon Henderson, Kamari Mickens and Crenshaw ended the night with seven total tackles each. Wilder and Javeon Jenkins collected six tackles each. Christian McLaurin had five tackles and Devin Brown had four tackles. Wright and Blakelan Hall were credited with three tackles each. Jacori Jones, Anthony Hyche, Mario Knox and Jaylen Marshall got in the book with two tackles. Marquavion Hawkins and Ashton Spates snuck on the scoresheet with one tackle each.

Northridge will host the Purple Tigers from Bessemer City on Friday, in another region matchup.