GAME 7:  Keith 40, Saint James 13

KEI           12     14      0     14        40

STJ            7       6       0       0        13

SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ  (1)   6:13   Herring 7 run                                    (Horn kick)     7 -  0
KEI  (1)   3:18   Harris 48 run                                    (pass failed)     7 -  6
KEI  (1)   0:47   Rogers 64 interception return            (run failed)     7 - 12
STJ  (2)   3:48   Herring 3 run                                     (run failed)   13 - 12
KEI  (2)   1:58   Curtis 65 pass from Shears               (pass failed)   13 - 18
KEI  (2)   0:59   Harris 13 run                                  (Carson run)    13 - 26
KEI  (4)   8:29   Carson 45 run                                   (run failed)    13 - 32
KEI  (4)   3:35   Curtis 12 run                                   (Harris run)    13 - 40

October 13, 1995.   Carlisle Field.   Game Conditions:  not yet available

The Keith Bears helped ruin Homecoming 1995 at Saint James by scoring twice in the final two minutes prior to halftime, and then cruising to take control of the 3A Area 3 race while avenging a previous year's home loss by defeating the Trojans 40 - 13.

The Trojan offense was most potent on their opening drive, picking up five of their eleven game first downs.  Sequon Herring and Mark Berry shouldered most of the load exclusively on the ground, gaining nearly half of the game's total rushing yards on the first drive.  Herring carried in from the Bear seven on a first down play, and Keith Horn's kick gave the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead early over the favored Bears.

It took Keith only four plays to respond.  Christopher Harris, on his first carry of the game, broke through the Trojan defense for a 48 yard touchdown scamper.  As the Bears had no place kicker, they opted for a two point conversion after each touchdown.  On this one, an attempted halfback pass after a fumbled pitch fell incomplete, so the Trojans maintained their lead, albeit by a single point.

The Trojans were driving again, benefiting from a major distance face mask penalty, but from the Bear 40 cornerback Travis Rogers read a screen pass and intercepted Rob Cole's toss at the Keith 36, returning it untouched for a score.  Anthony Shears tried a two point sweep from his quarterback position which failed, but the Bears had their first lead of the game at 12 - 7 in the last minute of the opening quarter.

Neither team moved the ball on their following drives, but a nice punt return by Will Webber gave the Trojans a first down at the Bear 46.  On fourth down from the 40, Webber made a marvelous catch on a desperation throw by Cole for 28 yards and a first down.  Four plays later, again on fourth down, Herring rushed three yards for the first down and the touchdown.  The Trojans tried a two point conversion to up their lead to three, but Herring was stopped short of the goal line.

A sizable kickoff return by Keith was negated in part by a holding penalty.  After a pair of running plays netted three yards, Shears' only pass completion of the game was to a wide open Michael Curtis on a 65 yard catch and run for another Keith touchdown.  An incomplete endzone pass gave Keith an 18 - 13 lead late in the first half.

Not late enough.  As Saint James was trying to run out the clock, a fumbled pitch was recovered by Keith at the Trojan 30.  Shears carried for 17 yards, and then Christopher Harris went for 13 on the next play and a backbreaking last minute touchdown in the first half.  After offsetting penalties negated an incomplete pass on the two point conversion, Keith finally did succeed on a William Carson carry, giving Keith a 26 - 13 lead. 

It appeared a major collapse just prior to halftime was imminent as the Trojans fumbled the kickoff return as well, giving Keith yet another chance to score at the Trojan 35 with 52 seconds remaining.  However, a 2 yard loss on a run and 3 incomplete passes, the only other scrimmage passes Keith would attempt in the entire game, fell incomplete, leaving the score as was into halftime.

The defenses dominated a predominantly sloppy third quarter.  Keith went three and out on their opening drive, but Saint James for the third consecutive possession fumbled, giving the Bears a first down at the Trojan 43.  This time, however, Saint James turned the tables as Bo Wills caused and recovered his own fumble for the Trojans at the 41 several plays later.  Again, neither team could move the ball, and the Trojans avoided another disaster as a muffed punt and recovered ball by Keith was negated by an illegal procedure penalty.  On the next punt, the final play of the third quarter, Saint James fumbled yet again, but was lucky to recover the ball on its own 12 to start the final quarter.

During the between quarters timeout, Saint James set up and then attempted a trick play where a fake handoff by Cole would distract the defense from a wide open Herring streaking down the sidelines.  Everything worked as planned, except for Herring catching the ball on the way to an 88 yard touchdown pass.  He juggled the ball, and stepped out of bounds trying to retrieve it.  Three plays later, a short punt was downed at the Trojan 45, and the tiring Trojans were burned on the first play by William Carson as he carried 45 yards for a Keith touchdown.  Despite an offside penalty by Saint James, their only accepted penalty of the game, Shears could not convert from the 1½ yard line, but Keith appeared to be in control with a 32 - 13 fourth quarter lead.

A quarterback sack on the next Trojan drive cost them valuable yardage, and another short field led to yet another Keith touchdown.  Michael Curtis, who had caught the long pass earlier, scored from the 12 yard line, and Harris added the two point conversion on a run to make the score 40 - 13.  The Trojans threatened to score late after an 18 yard run by Berry and a 22 yard pass completion from Herring to J.B. Edwards with late hit penalty yardage added on.  However, after a sack, Saint James could not convert on a fourth and 15 from the Keith 20, and the Bears allowed the time to run out with their fifth overall win and second area win of the season, virtually sewing up the area title and guaranteeing that valuable first round home playoff game.

SIDELINE STATISTICS  - GAME SEVEN

SAINT JAMES   RUSHING    39 attempts  124 yards  2 TDs  (3.18 yards per carry)

                          20   Berry         13 / 65                 10   Herring           18 / 52   (2 TDs)
                          17   Smith           5 / 19                 12   Cole               3 / - 12

                          PASSING     3 completions  10 attempts  1 INT  56 yards  0 TDs  (2 sacks of, - 22 yards)

                          12   Cole            2 - 9 - 1   34 yards     (1 sack of, - 12 yards)
                          10   Herring        1 - 1 - 0   22 yards     (1 sack of, - 10 yards)

                          RECEIVING

                          21   Webber       1 / 28             30   Edwards       1 / 22            44   Robertson      1 / 6

                          TOTAL YARDS:  180

                          KICKS:  XP  1 / 1                     FG  0 / 0
                          2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                          KICKOFFS:  3  (37,38,52)                                   PUNTS:  4  (30,24,20,42)
                          KO RETURNS:  7  (23,25,24,2,26f,6,9)               PUNT RETURNS:  2  (12,0)
                          FIRST DOWNS:   11  (8 rushing, 2 passing, 1 penalty)
                          FUMBLES:  4, lost 3
                          TURNOVER MARGIN:  - 3
                          PENALTIES:  1 / 1 yard
                          TIME OF POSSESSION:  25:23

KEITH               RUSHING   32 attempts  283 yards  4 TDs  (8.84 yards per carry)
                          PASSING      1 completion  4 attempts  0 INTs  65 yards  1 TD   (no sacks of)
                          TOTAL YARDS:  348

                           KICKS:  XP  0 / 0                FG  0 / 0
                          2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  4 / 6
                          KICKOFFS:  7  (44,50,45,39,31,44,39)                PUNTS:  2  (28,32)
                          KO RETURNS:  3  (18,19,7)                               PUNT RETURNS:  2  (0,30)
                          INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (64TD)
                           FIRST DOWNS:   14   (13 rushing, 1 passing)
                           FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                          PENALTIES:  10 / 74 yards
                          TIME OF POSSESSION:  22:27

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