SCORING SUMMARY:
STJ (1) 8:35 Harris 48 run
(Edwards kick)
7 - 0
CAL (1) 8:13 Gipson 60 halfback pass
from Davison
(pass
failed) 7 - 6
CAL (2) 8:18 Brown 11 halfback pass
from Davison (Martin pass from Brown)
7 - 14
STJ (2) 3:27 McMillan 3 run
(kick
failed) 13 - 14
STJ (3) 8:35 McMillan 14 run
(Edwards kick)
20 - 14
STJ (3) 4:34 Harris 2 run
(pass failed) 26 - 14
STJ (3) 0:56 McMillan 5 run
(run failed) 32 - 14
STJ (4) 8:46 Fidel 1 run
(Edwards
kick) 39 - 14
October 10, 1997 S.L. Bruce Stadium,
Lowndes County. Game conditions: Cloudy, calm
wind Game Temperature: 78
Saint James overcame a somewhat
sluggish first half with a powerful third quarter offensive
barrage which helped them to pull away from area foe Calhoun
as the Trojans defeated the Tigers 39 - 14 at Calhoun's home
field.
The Trojans stopped the Tigers on downs just across midfield
on their first drive. Two Lucas Harris runs of 5 and 48
yards quickly had Saint James in the endzone. Jason
Edwards' extra point was good, and the Trojans held a very
early 7 - 0 lead.
It took the Tigers just as few plays to retaliate. After
a shanked kickoff dribbled out of bounds at the Tiger 40, and
an incomplete halfback option pass was attempted, Calhoun
tried exactly the same play with far greater success.
Morris Davison tossed to Antonio Gipson who outran his pursuers for a 60 yard touchdown. A
two point pass was incomplete however, so Saint James
maintained its lead at 7 - 6 less than
four minutes into the game.
The teams traded away lost fumbles on their next drives, and
then Saint James was forced to punt. On the first play
of the second quarter, Darius Brown broke loose on a 56 yard
run from the Tiger 22 to the Trojan 22. Six plays
later, it was Brown on the receiving end of Davison's second
halfback touchdown pass, this one covering 11 yards. A
two point conversion pass was good, and Calhoun suddenly had
an unexpected 14 - 7 lead with 8:18 remaining in the half.
A Stephen Woodham kickoff return of 33 yards and an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Trojans extraordinary field position at the Calhoun
18. After five consecutive runs by Harris, Jake McMillan
took the handoff for the final three yards on fourth and goal
for the touchdown. However, the extra point boinked off
the goalpost and Calhoun retained a one point lead, at 14 -
13. In the last minute of the half, after regaining the
ball, Trojan Rick Fidel attempted a pass on a reverse which
was intercepted, but he promptly returned
the favor by intercepting one of his own three plays later as
the halftime clock expired.
Saint James then proceeded to score touchdowns on each of its
first three possessions of the third quarter. Must have
been an inspiring
halftime speech! From its own 10 yard line, fortunate a
potentially fatal fumble on the first scrimmage play had been
swatted out of bounds, Trojan quarterback Craig Bowman lofted
a 56 yard pass to Lee Hassell to get the ball rolling.
Well, not literally. Bowman also darted for 19 on an
excellent scramble play, and picked up 6 on a quarterback
keeper. McMillan took the handoff for the final 14 yards
and the touchdown. Edwards' extra point was good, and
the Trojans regained a lead they would not again relinquish,
at 20 - 14, with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter.
The defense stiffened, and Calhoun punted to the Trojan 49.
On first down, Harris ran for 40. Four plays
later, Harris took it in from the two for the touchdown.
This time the Trojans tried a two point conversion pass
to raise the margin to 14, but it failed, so the score
remained 26 - 14.
Another successful halfback pass moved the Tigers deep into
Trojan territory, but a wayward lateral cost them critical
yardage, and a fourth down pass was incomplete. McMillan
started this drive off with a 40 yard carry as Harris had the
drive before. Four plays later, McMillan took it over
from the Calhoun five for his third touchdown of the
game. This time a two point run failed, but Saint James
had taken control with a 32 - 14 lead in the last minute of
the third quarter.
Fidel intercepted another pass and had a long return partially
negated by a crackback block penalty, but on the final play of
the third quarter, a Trojan fumble was scooped up by a Tiger
and returned to the Trojan 21. However, the Saint James
defense held tight again, stopping Calhoun on fourth down and
3 from the 14. McMillan runs of 38 and 23, Speed
McDonald runs of 5 and 5, and two major distance Calhoun
penalties advanced the ball down to the one where Fidel was
rewarded for his defensive prowess with a one yard handoff
touchdown. Edwards came in for the extra point which he
converted, and the final margin of 39 - 14 was reached.
Calhoun drove the ball against the second string Trojan
defense and was poised to score until they fumbled on the
three yard line. Saint James managed two first downs and
ate up most of the remainder of the clock before turning the
ball over on downs at their own 44. Calhoun managed to
get as close as the Trojan 14, but another incomplete pass on
fourth down stopped the final meaningful drive of the game and
locked up the 25 point area victory.
SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME SIX
SAINT JAMES
RUSHING 53 attempts 389
yards 6 TDs (7.33 yards per carry)
21
Harris 19 / 144 (1
TD) 19 McMillan 11 / 138
(3 TD) 44 McDonald 8 /
52
2 Bowman
8 / 31 (1
TD) 35 Reid
4 /
21
20 Woodham 1 /
3
1 Fidel
1 / 1 (1 TD)
10 Murphy 1 / -
1
PASSING
2 completions 4 attempts 1 INT 93
yards 0 TDs (1 sack of, - 7 yards)
2 Bowman
2 - 3 - 0 93 yards
(1 sack, - 7 yards)
1
Fidel
0 - 1 - 1
RECEIVING
11
Hassell
2 / 93
TOTAL
YARDS: 482
KICKS:
XP 3 / 4
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 2
KICKOFFS:
7 (25,20,12,22,15,38,25)
PUNTS:
1 (28)
KO
RETURNS: 3 (18,33,0)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (5)
INTERCEPTION
RETURNS: 2 (0,36)
FIRST
DOWNS: 15 (10 rushing, 4 passing, 1 penalty)
FUMBLES: 4, lost 1
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 1
PENALTIES: 6 / 40 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 25:32
CALHOUN
RUSHING 29 attempts 96
yards 0 TDs (3.31 yards per carry)
PASSING
9 completions 26 attempts 2 INTs 178
yards 2 TDs (1 sack of, - 8 yards)
TOTAL
YARDS: 274
KICKS:
XP 0 / 0
FG
0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 1 / 2
KICKOFFS: 7
(EZ,54,50,EZ,56,45,51)
PUNTS: 3 (26,36,36)
KO
RETURNS: 2 (0,0)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FUMBLE
RETURNS: 1 (17)
INTERCEPTION
RETURNS: 1 (0)
FIRST
DOWNS: 8 (5 rushing, 3 passing)
FUMBLES:
2, lost 1
PENALTIES:
7 / 61 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 22:28