Mars Hill Bible Captures Second Straight Class 3A State Title

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Mars Hill Bible School secured its second consecutive Class 3A championship, defeating Bayside Academy 38-21 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. A dominant fourth-quarter performance allowed the Panthers to pull away, capping an undefeated season and extending their winning streak to 20 games. The victory marks the school’s fourth state title under Coach Darrell Higgins.

The game was a tale of two halves. Mars Hill entered the contest having won every game by at least 24 points, but Bayside Academy presented a stiff challenge. Locked in a tight battle, the Panthers saw their lead cut to 17-14 late in the third quarter, a situation they had not faced all season. Mars Hill responded with three unanswered touchdowns in the final period to seal the championship.

Penn’s MVP Performance Fuels Panthers

Jaxon Penn delivered a memorable performance, earning MVP honors just one year after an injury forced him to miss the state championship game. The senior, a Troy commit, was a force on both sides of the ball. On offense, he amassed 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.

Penn’s most decisive play came with just over six minutes remaining. He broke free for an 89-yard touchdown run, a highlight that effectively ended Bayside Academy’s comeback hopes. He also added touchdown runs of 2 and 3 yards. On defense, Penn contributed a team-high nine tackles.

“When I was running, I was making sure nobody would catch me,” Penn said. “I was looking at the Jumbotron, making sure nobody was in the radius to get me. It was really fun running 89 yards.”

A Dominant Panther Rushing Attack

The Panthers’ ground game was the key to their victory, totaling 398 rushing yards. Alongside Penn, running back Hudson Higgins was instrumental in the win. Higgins, last year’s championship MVP and a UAB commit, ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

Higgins scored on a 34-yard run in the first half and added a 4-yard touchdown in the final minute of the game. The success of the running backs was made possible by a powerful offensive line, which includes standouts like North Alabama signee Samuel Swinney.

“Our offensive linemen, they do a great job,” said Coach Higgins. “They take a lot of pride coming off the ball, low, hard and fast. We’ve got some guys on that offensive line that really take a lot of pride.”

Game Recap: How Mars Hill Secured the Repeat Title

Mars Hill established an early 14-0 lead. The game’s first score came on a 2-yard run by Penn, capping a 99-yard drive. Higgins followed with his 34-yard touchdown run before halftime.

Bayside Academy refused to back down. The Admirals scored just before the half on a 1-yard run from Noah Cain to make it 14-6. After a 26-yard field goal from Mars Hill’s Carson Longshore extended the lead to 17-6 in the third quarter, Bayside responded again. Quarterback Davis Barnett connected with Walker Collins for a 6-yard touchdown, and a successful two-point conversion narrowed the score to 17-14.

Facing adversity, Mars Hill took control in the fourth quarter. Penn scored on a 3-yard run to push the lead to 24-14. Following a Bayside punt, Penn delivered his game-clinching 89-yard touchdown run, cementing the Panthers’ victory.

Bayside Academy Caps a Historic Season

Despite the loss, the season was a historic one for Bayside Academy. The team finished with a 13-2 record and made its second state championship appearance. Quarterback Davis Barnett had a strong showing, throwing for 283 yards and a touchdown. Wake Forest signee Monroe Partin was his top target, catching seven passes for 84 yards.

“I’m proud of our guys, proud of the work they put in this season,” said Bayside Academy coach Barrett Trotter. “Nothing about today, nothing about this game, changes the fact of how great that season was. Making history at Bayside with the best season they’ve ever had is something special.”