GAME 2:   ST. JAMES 37, Central-Hayneville 0

The Saint James offense and defense played overall solid games, each converting scores. The Trojans marked two early touchdowns and did not allow the opponents to start a play inside the Trojan 45 the entire night as St. James cruised to an easy 37-0 4A Region 3 win over the Central-Hayneville Lions.

The coin toss bugaboo continued to haunt St. James, as they lost their 13th of the last 15 coin tosses.  The Lions took the ball, but a poor snap on a punt attempt and an ensuing tackle of the fleeing punter gave the Trojans the ball on the Lions 17.  Five plays later, quarterback Alan Craft snuck it over from the one and the Lawton Webb extra point gave the Trojans an early 7-0 lead.

After a Lions punt, St. James took over on their own 49.  After Nathan Yates ran down the sidelines for 26 yards, Alan Craft lifted a pass to a wide open A.Z. Holloway for the remaining 25 and a touchdown.  The extra point gave the Trojans a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

The defenses tightened for the next few drives, but the first turnover of the game, a Lions fumble on their own 29, gave the Trojans another short field.  A Craft to Yates pass on fourth and 10 overcame an earlier holding penalty and a sack.  Two plays later, Yates ran off right tackle for the final 6 yards and the third touchdown of the half with 2:45 to go.  The third extra point gave the St. James a 21-0 halftime lead.

The teams traded interceptions early in the third quarter.  The Trojans' second drive stalled, but Lawton Webb drilled a 27 yard field goal, his first of the year, and the lead increased to 24-0.  The Trojans' Danny Perry intercepted on the next drive and returned to the Lions 24, but the Hayneville defense again tightened.  This time a 35 yard field goal was blown wide and the lead remained 24-0.

The Lions took over on the 20, and moved backwards thanks to a penalty and a sack.  On fourth down from the 8, a fake punt attempt was fumbled by the Lion upman.  Pressured, he flung the ball into the air, and Trojan Jon Rawls recovered the upwards and backwards fling, technically a fumble, in the endzone for a defensive touchdown.  An incomplete pass on a two point conversion after a botched snap gave St. James a 30 point lead.

In the second half, the Lions only crossed the 50 yard line on offense once, and barely.  A 25 yard pass completion to the Trojan 49 was tempered with a clipping penalty.  St. James held on fourth down again, and the next drive was highlighted by Yates runs of 19 and 24, the final for a touchdown.  Despite a delay penalty on the extra point, the kick was good, and the final margin was obtained at 37-0 as the second string defense kept the Lions out of their plus half of the scrimmage field.

GAME TWO SIDELINE STATISTICS:

ST. JAMES      RUSHING   45 attempts  170 yards  3 TDs  (3.78 yards per carry)

                       34   Yates       11 /  85 (2 TDs)    2   Guntharp        14 / 41                22   Winn          7 / 33
                       19   Baxter        1 /   6               17   Debartalaben    3 /   5                66   Dickson      1 /   1
                         1   Perry         3 /   0               10   Craft                5 / - 1  (1 TD)

                        PASSING      2 completions  4 attempts   1 INT   39 yards  1 TD  (3 sacks of, - 18 yards)

                       10   Craft             2 - 4 - 1    39 yards   1 TD   (3 sacks, - 18)

                       RECEIVING

                         4   Holloway       1 / 25  (TD)       34   Yates        1 / 14

                        TOTAL YARDS:   209

HAYNEVILLE  RUSHING   25 attempts  minus 4 yards  0 TDs
                        PASSING      7 completions  19 attempts  2 INTs   60 yards  0 TDs (1 sack of, - 3 yards)
                        TOTAL YARDS:  56