GAME 10:    ST. JAMES 48, @ Holtville 0

St. James for the second consecutive weekend was served a Green Bulldog opponent, but the game was far more palatable this week as the Trojans clinched a third consecutive undefeated area championship with a 48-0 victory over struggling Holtville.

The start of the game was delayed by a Senior night celebration, but the action quickly heated up.  After an early Holtville punt, the Trojans drove steadily for a first touchdown.  A 9 play drive was highlighted by 15 and 27 yard runs by Speed McDonald, and 10 and 7 yard runs by Wade Melton, the final 7 being for the touchdown.  Nigel Guntharp's PAT made the score 7-0 less than 5 minutes into the game.

Holtville's most impressive drive of the game followed - with 3 first downs, but on fourth and 11 from the Trojans 35, their deepest penetration of the game, the quarterback was sacked for a huge loss.  After the Trojans took over, it only took them 5 plays to score, despite a holding penalty.  Ryan Sexton connected with Guntharp for a 32 yard TD pass, their first of two such connections in the game.  The extra point was wide, and the score remained 13-0.

On the next drive, a Holtville punt was blocked by Brock Howell and apparently recovered in the endzone for a touchdown.  However, an "illegal batting of ball" penalty during the return moved the ball back to the Bulldog 16.  Two runs by McDonald, of 2 and 14 yards, and another Guntharp extra point quickly hiked the score to 20-0 with 10:26 to go in the first half.

St. James fumbled the next time they had the ball deep in Bulldog territory after a completed pass, but McDonald intercepted a pass two plays later.  Eight plays afterwards, Sexton completed a pass to Guntharp in the endzone with a great leaping catch, but the touchdown was denied by a mysterious ineligible receiver penalty.  The same play was called immediately following, and the resulting Guntharp catch was even more impressive, and this time allowed to stand for a touchdown.  He was knocked down hard in the back of the endzone after the catch, so Ashley Snipe was called on to convert the extra point, and just before halftime the Trojans had a comfortable 27-0 lead.

The Trojans first string offense and defense earned the second half off after a fine performance, and the second stringers did quite well themselves.  After a nice kickoff return by Doug Patrick to the Bulldog 43, it took only 6 plays for the Trojans to reach the endzone again - the final 11 yards on a run by Nathan Yates.  Jeremy Ingle attempted this PAT, but the kick went wide, so the score was 33-0 with 9:11 to play in the third quarter.

The next several drives were penalty laden on both sides.  However, on the sixth play of Holtville's next drive, a pass was deflected and picked off by Matt Salvia, who cruised 38 yards down the far sideline for a defensive touchdown.  Snipe kicked his second extra point and the lead increased to 40-0 at the 6:54 mark of the third quarter.

The teams punted and penalized each other, with a few turnovers thrown in the remainder of the way.  However, midway through the final quarter, Josh Thomas broke through the defense for a 50 yard touchdown scamper.  Perhaps in reward for being deprived of a long run by an offensive face mask penalty one play before the touchdown, Nathan Yates was handed the ball on a successful two point conversion run for the final margin of victory at 48-0.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME TEN

ST. JAMES      RUSHING   45 rushes  354 yards  4 TDs  (7.87 yards per carry)

                        20  Melton      10 / 92  (1 TD)   1   McDonald    8 / 84  (1 TD)    32  Thomas     4 / 62  (1 TD)
                        33  Snipe        10 / 50                2   Guntharp     2 / 27                 34  Yates        3 / 23  (1 TD)
                          4  Holloway    3 / 11              17   Sexton         1 / 11                 66  Dickson    1 /   5
                        86  James         1 /  0               10   Craft           2 /- 11

                        PASSING      5 completions  7 attempts  0 INTs  76 yards  2 TDs  (1 sack of, - 9 yards)

                        17  Sexton         5 - 7 - 0    76 yards  2 TDs   (no sacks)
                        10  Craft            0 - 0 - 0     0 yards               (1 sack, - 9)

                        RECEIVING

                          2  Guntharp   2 /  55  (2 TDs)     33  Snipe         1 /  13                 80  Broughton   2 /   8

                        TOTAL YARDS:   430

HOLTVILLE    RUSHING   36 attempts  120 yards  0 TDs  (3.33 yards per carry)
                        PASSING      3 completions  16 attempts  2 INTs  31 yards  0 TDs  (2 sacks of, - 19 yards)
                        TOTAL YARDS:  151

                        KICKS:  XP  0 / 0                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:  1 (28)                                              PUNTS:  4  (55,-12bk,31,36)
                        KO RETURNS:  7  (24,16,10,13,18,15,13)            PUNT RETURNS:  1 (4)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   9  (7 rushing, 2 passing)
                        FUMBLES:  5, lost 3
                        PENALTIES:  10 / 81 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:08