GAME 2:   SAINT JAMES 21, Highland Home 0

September 13, 1991    Carlisle Field.   Game Conditions:  Hazy, hot, humid  Game Temperature:  84   Wind:  negligible

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Saint James used a big defensive play to garner their first score of the year, and the defense grounded the Flying Squadron, forcing four turnovers, as the Trojans rebounded from opening game embarrassment to defeat Highland Home 21 - 0.

Highland Home picked up nine yards on its first three scrimmage plays to begin the game, but opted to punt on fourth and one from deep in their own territory.  The punt was blocked sideways, but took a favorable Squadron bounce before Trojan Tray Ivey fell on the bouncer at the Highland Home 30 yard line.  From there, Bryant Jones carried three times for eight yards, and the Trojans opted to go for the final two yards on their own fourth down.  However, a reverse was sniffed out and stuffed for a six yard loss, and those would be the only four scrimmage plays for the Trojans in the first quarter.

Highland Home quickly picked up 25 yards on two plays.  On the third play, a 47 yard touchdown run was negated because of a holding penalty at the Trojan 30.  However, the Squadron had momentum and a first down at the Saint James 40.  Highland Home converted two consecutive fourth down attempts and had the ball down to the Trojan 12 at the end of the first quarter.  Three running plays picked up four, zero, and zero yards respectively.  A delay of game penalty pushed the ball back to the 13, and this time the Squadron would not convert a fourth down as what was drawn up to be a halfback pass turned into a desperate scramble and a 13 yard loss.

Saint James picked up one first down to move into respectable field position, but later punted again and Highland Home began another drive on their own 39.  After a two yard run and the heat timeout, Highland Home resorted to trickery.  What appeared to be a hook and ladder pass setting up was intercepted by Bryant Jones at the Trojan 42 and he returned it untouched into the endzone for the first Saint James score of the game and the season.  The hastily prepared for extra point failed, but Saint James had its first lead thanks to the defense, 6 - 0, with just less than five minutes remaining in the first half.

A Trojan personal foul penalty after the end of the kickoff return gave the Squadron good field position.  They converted a third down and eight with a big twenty yard gain, but on the next third down opportunity, a wayward pitch backwards was recovered by Saint James at the Trojan 44.  Three incomplete passes and a shanked punt gave Highland Home yet another first half chance to score with under 100 seconds remaining.  However, they could only march as far as the Trojan 20 before a fumbled snap and no remaining Squadron timeouts allowed the halftime clock to expire.

The tables turned in the third quarter as Highland Home only ran third plays from scrimmage, compared to the four the Trojans ran in the opening stanza.  Saint James benefited from a twelve men on the field penalty to convert a fourth down near midfield, and an eight yard completion to Scott McEwen gave the Trojans another fourth and two at the Highland Home 12.  However, a pass attempt was tipped, falling incomplete, and the Squadron were still within one possession on the scoreboard.  The Trojan defense held the opposing offense to five net yards, and Saint James took over on the Squadron 44 after a punt.

A 30 yard run by quarterback Steve Barton moved the ball to the 11, but on third down from the 5, a crackback block penalty was called, pushing the Trojans well back.  Unsure of their kicking game prowess, Saint James opted to go on fourth and 16 two plays later, but a quarterback sack turned the ball over on downs.  The Squadron offense was just as generous on the final play of the third quarter, returning the ball to the Trojans on another lost fumble, and Saint James had a first down at the Highland Home 23.  A third down run by Ken Turnipseed was aided by a half the distance face mask penalty, and the Trojans would not be denied from the five yard line.  On second down, Barton called his own number for the first Trojan offensive touchdown of the year.  He then tossed a conversion pass to fellow quarterback, doubling as slot back, Chris Armstrong for two more points, and Saint James was up 14 - 0 with less than ten minutes remaining in the game.

The Squadron benefited from a roughing the punter penalty on their next drive, but on first down from their own 34, Jones intercepted his second pass of the game and appeared to have run it back for a touchdown as well.  However, a clipping penalty at the Squadron 29 wiped out the defensive touchdown, and Saint James started their next drive from the Highland Home 44.  A late hit after a sack gave Saint James a quick first down, and a 16 yard run by Jones moved the ball to the Squadron 16.  Three plays picked up seven yards, but on fourth down a pass from Barton to Danny Mayer was hesitantly ruled caught out of bounds, resulting in an incompletion and another turnover on downs.  Highland Home was lucky to recover a fumble at their own eight yard line, but still needed to punt several plays later.  The Trojans began this drive as well at the Highland Home 44 and were determined to put one more score on the board.  After two runs totaling seven yards, Andy Roberson was ushered onto the offensive side of the ball and was the recipient of the handoff on the same attempted reverse play which had failed earlier.  He ran basically untouched into the endzone from 37 yards away for the touchdown.  Karl Fangmeier successfully converted the extra point, finalizing the score at 21 - 0.

Four straight incomplete passes gave the Trojans the ball back deep in Highland Home territory, but the second and third stringers merely ran out the clock as Saint James erased the thoughts of a horrible beginning in their season opener and thrilled the home crowd with a victory, evening their record at one win and one loss.

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