Football Recap: Northridge Starts Season with Victory Against Calera + How To Watch

Northridge gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. Everything went their way against the Calera Eagles as they made off with a 41-21 win. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Jaguars also won the last time the pair played back in August of 2024.

Mayson Elam

Rushing Yards

08/22/25 vs Calera	48
10/18/24 vs Bessemer City	20
10/04/24 vs Hueytown	8
09/27/24 vs Bibb County	24
09/20/24 vs Central	91

Northridge's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mayson Elam, who threw for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 73.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 48 yards. That's the most rushing yards Elam has posted since back in September of 2024. 86 of Elam's passing yards were hauled in by Tate Espey.

Another reason for the win was Northridge's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Zaylan Hutchins, Anthony Hyche, and Cruz Lee, who each picked up one sack apiece. Ford Cole was another major factor on D, making six total tackles (1.0 for loss) and snagged two interceptions.

Several Eagles players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jordan Ward, who threw for 233 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 71 yards on only ten carries. Cayden Specks was Ward's top target, picking up 103 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Northridge has already played their next game, a 44-12 victory against American Christian Academy on the 29th. As for Calera, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next match, a 27-7 loss against Central on the 29th.