STJ 3 7 0 3 13
September 29, 2000 Carlisle Field. HOMECOMING Game Conditions: Clear, breezy Game temperature: 70 Wind E 10 - 18
The lovely Starr Smith was crowned as the St. James 2000 Homecoming Queen, but it may have been Trojan place kicker Lawton Webb who was the starr (sp) of the night, as his 27 yard field goal with only 8 seconds remaining gave the Trojans a very hard fought 13-10 victory over the previously undefeated Alabama Christian Eagles, extending the all-time record consecutive city (Capital City Conference) victory streak to 15.
ACA quarterback Hamp Russell, just off a stellar performance against Montgomery Academy, met up against the toughest defense his team had seen yet. He threw four interceptions, one in each quarter, while only completing 7 of 27 passes for 73 yards and no touchdowns. Counterpart Trojan QB Alan Craft completed 7 of 14 with no interceptions, for 109 yards and a touchdown. The Trojans kept the ball out of the Eagles hand virtually the entire first half - with 42 plays to 14.
After an opening 3 and out for the Eagles, the Trojans mounted a nearly 10 minute first quarter consuming drive, exclusively on the ground except for one incomplete pass and a fourth and nine conversion pass of 9½ yards. After five first downs, the Trojans had first and goal on the Eagle 8. However, after reaching the 1, the Eagle defense stiffened and Lawton Webb converted a 21 yard field goal with 1:52 to go in the first quarter, giving St. James a 3-0 lead.
On the ensuing ACA play from scrimmage, a Russell pass was intercepted by Trojan Coe Baxter and returned to the Eagle 32. After several plays however, a second Webb field goal attempt was blocked and the score remained 3-0. Two drives later, after a Trojan fumble gave the Eagles the ball on the Trojan 14, a second down pass was intercepted by A.Z. Holloway at the Trojan 4 and returned to the 10. St. James then embarked on their second long drive of the night, this one going the entire 90 yards to the endzone. A Nathan Yates run of 11 yards, and three passes from Alan Craft to Daniel Winn of 20, 22, and 4 yards, the final a touchdown pass, highlighted the drive, giving the Trojans a 10-0 lead after a Webb extra point conversion with 52 seconds to go in the half.
Alabama Christian had a chance to add a late first half score after two long pass completions, their only two first downs of the first half, but a 41 yard field goal attempt by Will Minter was wide. St. James rushed to the locker room with a 10-0 lead, holding the Eagles to only 21 yards on 3 rushes and a net of 16 yards in the air.
The Eagles surely needed a break to get back in the game, and they got one on the first play of scrimmage of the third quarter as the Trojans fumbled. On first down from the Trojan 17, a draw play to Todd Reed worked to perfection and he darted virtually untouched into the endzone. Minter's point after was good and the Eagles had cut the lead to 3 only 19 seconds into the second half.
The teams traded turnovers, and St. James eventually held on a critical fourth and less than 1 from the Eagle 44. Several plays later, after a nice 36 yard pass from Craft to A.Z. Holloway, Webb tried his third FG of the game from 24 yards. It was wide, and the score remained 10-7 near the end of the quarter.
The Eagles were again driving for the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Russell's fourth interception of the night by Nathan Yates at the Trojan 3 saved a potential touchdown. After St. James punted, ACA was again in business after a defensive pass interference penalty. On fourth and 10 from the 16, Minter connected with a tying FG from 33 yards with 6:21 to go in the game, tying the score at 10.
Each team punted on their next possession as a possible overtime loomed, but the Trojans won the field possession battle as the second Eagle punt into a brisk wind netted only 24 yards. Nigel Guntharp got the handoff on each of the first five plays, covering 7, 18, 10, 3, and 3 yards, with a false start penalty mixed in. On third down and four from the Eagle 12, Nathan Yates ran for 2 yards and the Trojans allowed the clock to run down to 13 seconds. Field goal kicker Lawton Webb was called in. Alabama Christian called their two remaining timeouts to try and ice him, but when the time came, Webb drilled a 27 yard field goal just inside the right upright for perhaps the biggest Trojan victory ever at Carlisle Field to date, and arguably the biggest pressure field goal kick in Trojan history to date.
GAME FIVE SIDELINE STATISTICS:
ST. JAMES RUSHING 60 attempts 194 yards 0 TDs (3.23 yards per carry)
2
Guntharp 25 /
109
34
Yates
24
/ 81
22
Winn
4
/
4
10
Craft
7
/ 0
PASSING 7 completions 14 attempts 0 INTs 109 yards 1 TD (no sacks of)
10 Craft 7 - 14 - 0 109 yards 1 TD
RECEIVING
22 Winn 5 / 64 (1 TD) 2 Guntharp 1 / 36 34 Yates 1 / 9
TOTAL YARDS: 303
KICKS:
XP 1 / 1
FG
2 / 4 (21,27 made 24,24 missed)
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS:
4 (44,44,37,24)
PUNTS:
3 (30,29,47)
KO
RETURNS: 2 (14,36)
PUNT
RETURNS: 1 (0fc)
INTERCEPTION
RETURNS: 4 (16,4,10,11)
FIRST
DOWNS: 18 (13 rushing, 5 passing)
FUMBLES: 4, lost 3
TURNOVER RATIO: + 1
PENALTIES: 4 / 35 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 35:32
ACA
RUSHING
14 attempts 76 yards 1 TD
(5.43 yards per carry)
PASSING
7 completions 27
attempts 4
INTs 73 yards 0 TDs (no sacks of)
TOTAL
YARDS: 149
KICKS:
XP 1 / 1
FG 1 / 2 (33
made, 41 missed)
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
BLOCKED
FG RETURN: 1 (16)
FIRST
DOWNS: 8 (4 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty)
FUMBLES:
0
PENALTIES:
2 / 15 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 12:28