GAME 3: SAINT JAMES 12, @ Holtville 6 (OT)

STJ 6 0 0 0 | 6 12

HOL 0 6 0 0 | 0 6

SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ   (1) 3:14   Cole 1 run                        (kick blocked)     6 - 0
HOL (2)    4:48   Salter 37 fumble return    (pass failed)     6 - 6

STJ    (OT1) Cole 10 run                  (no attempt)    12 - 6

September 15, 1995 Boykin Field. Game Conditions: not yet available

Rob Cole scored two touchdowns from his quarterback position, one on a sneak late in the first quarter, and another on the Trojans' first (and last) play of overtime as Saint James and Holtville battled, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, the Bulldogs went down to defeat at home 12 - 6.

The Bulldogs tried a Saint James trick with an onside kick to open the game, but it was recovered by Trojan Matt Powell on the ground at the Trojan 45, and an immediate defensive offside penalty moved the ball to midfield. It took Saint James an amazing 16 plays, and nearly 9 minutes of clock, but they traversed exactly half the field for a touchdown. Cole and Sequon Herring shared most of the carries, with Will Webber adding one carry and Herring catching a pass for 5 yards. Cole called his own number on a sneak from the 1 yard line on fourth down for the score. The extra point was blocked, but the Trojans were up 6 - 0.

Holtville, which converted only three first downs the entire evening, could not do so on their first drive, but punted deep into Trojan territory. Webber picked up 22 yards on first down on the last play of the opening quarter, but on the next play a fumbled snap was recovered by the Bulldogs at their own 42. Several plays after a 12 yard run, one of those three first downs, Leigh Kennedy picked off the first of two passes on the evening near the Trojan goal line, and returned it to the Saint James 24 where he and a tackler crashed into and destroyed one of the Bulldog yard marker posts on the sidelines, creating a delay while Holtville staffers searched for a replacement. A barely acceptable one to the referees was the best they could do. After the game finally resumed, the Trojans gained virtually no yardage, and a short punt gave Holtville good field position at the Trojan 47.

After an 8 yard run on first down, two plays netted no yardage and Holtville failed on a fourth down carry at the Trojan 40. On the next play, Herring was tackled behind the line of scrimmage and was also injured on the play. However, the ball had popped loose and Bulldog Tracy Salter picked it up at the Trojan 37 and cruised untouched into the endzone for a touchdown - the second year in a row a Bulldog had returned a Trojan fumble for a score. Holtville opted for a two point conversion, but the pass attempt was intercepted in the endzone by Taylor Sommerville, and the score was tied at six with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

With Herring injured and out for the remainder of the game, Jason Smith was called on to join Cole and Webber, and Mark Berry crossed over from his linebacker position to run the ball against the Bulldogs. Several plays later, another injury to a Holtville player (although fortunately not as serious as it appeared to be at first) resulted in an ambulance delay, yet again slowing down a game seeming to advance unbelievably slowly. A holding penalty and Bulldog timeouts later led to a punt, which was downed at the Holtville 9, and both teams were content to let the clock (finally) run out and the respective squads went to halftime tied.

Saint James tried a pooch kickoff to start the second half, which Holtville fielded on the ground at their own 31. Three plays netted only six yards, but on fourth down what appeared to be a botched punt attempt turned into a desperate run by the punter for 23 yards and the second Holtville first down. Several minutes later, Holtville was again faced with a fourth down and four, but a costly delay of game penalty forced Holtville to punt and bury the Trojans at their own five yard line. The Trojans were lucky to hold on to the ball after another fumble, and after the heat timeout, Cole made a rare appearance as punter, delivering a beautiful 52 yarder. However, outkicking the coverage allowed Holtville to return the ball back into Saint James territory. What would have been Holtville's best drive was negated by a holding penalty, and on the next play a 19 yard pass was disallowed because of an ineligible receiver downfield. Another Bulldog punt was downed at the Trojan 12.

A face mask penalty near the end of the quarter finally gave Saint James some operating room. Smith and Webber each picked up first downs on runs, and on third down and 15 from the Bulldog 23, a three yard loss interestingly turned into a gain when a dead ball personal foul penalty was called, but inexplicably it was marked from the Holtville 29, not the 26. This moved the ball just inside the 15 yard line, and the Trojans called a timeout to set up a trick play. Halfback Webber located rarely used wide receiver Bo Smith for what appeared to be a sure first down, but the pass was dropped, turning the ball back over to Holtville.

However, the Bulldogs quickly returned the favor and the ball as Andy Bell recovered a fumble at the Holtville 22. Saint James drove down as close as the Holtville 4, where on fourth and goal they opted for a 21 yard field goal attempt which drifted wide, and Saint James had wasted a golden chance to score with just over 5 minutes remaining.

Each team had one more chance in the other's territory, but Saint James failed on a fourth down and four carry, and several plays later Leigh Kennedy intercepted his second pass, a deep Holtville attempt, at the Trojan 20, with 36 seconds remaining. From there, like the first half, both teams were content to carry the tie into extra time.

Saint James won the coin toss and elected to play defense first. Holtville picked up barely one yard on three running plays, settling for a 26 yard field goal attempt. Bo Smith, who dropped the crucial pass earlier, redeemed himself by blocking the field goal attempt, and Holtville had failed in the first overtime.

The Bulldogs, who had used their lone overtime timeout prior to the field goal attempt, seemed very disorganized as they returned to play defense, and Cole seized on the moment by breaking the first down huddle immediately, quick snapping, and himself carrying through the scrambling defenders 10 yards up the middle for a touchdown and the Trojans' first win of the season after a hard-hitting performance both ways.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME THREE

SAINT JAMES RUSHING 52 attempts 178 yards 2 TDs (3.42 yards per carry)

20 Berry 13 / 53 12 Cole 10 / 39 (2 TDs) 17 Smith 14 / 33
10 Herring 10 / 28 21 Webber 5 / 25

                          PASSING     2 completions 5 attempts 0 INTs minus 3 yards 0 TDs (no sacks of)

                        12   Cole            2 - 4 - 0 - 3 yards
                          21   Webber    0 - 1 - 0

RECEIVING

10 Herring 2 / - 3

TOTAL YARDS: 175

                          KICKS: XP 0 / 1 FG 0 / 1
                          2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                          KICKOFFS: 2 (43,29)    PUNTS: 3 (26,45,51)
                          KO RETURNS: 2 (0,26)                            PUNT RETURNS: 0
                          INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 2 (22,0)
                          FIRST DOWNS:   14 (12 rushing, 1 passing, 1 penalty)
        FUMBLES: 6, lost 2
                          TURNOVER MARGIN: + 1
                          PENALTIES: 4 / 25 yards
                          TIME OF POSSESSION: 27:45

HOLTVILLE     RUSHING   24 attempts 87 yards 0 TDs (3.63 yards per carry)
                          PASSING    2 completions 7 attempts 2 INTs 24 yards 0 TDs   (no sacks of)
                          TOTAL YARDS: 111

                          KICKS: XP 0 / 0                FG 0 / 1
    2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 1
    KICKOFFS: 2 (15,50)       PUNTS: 3 (34,35,29)
                          KO RETURNS: 2 (15,0)    PUNT RETURNS: 1 (16)
                          FUMBLE RETURNS: 1 (37TD)
                          FIRST DOWNS:   3 (2 rushing, 1 passing)
                          FUMBLES: 1, lost 1
                          PENALTIES: 7 / 70 yards
    TIME OF POSSESSION: 20:15

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