BEA 0 7 0 8 15
September 21, 2001 Hornet Field, Beauregard. Game Conditions: Mostly clear, calm wind Game Temperature: 74
St. James overcame the no-huddle option offense of the Beauregard Hornets, and the legs of Ted Brewer for the most part boosted a Trojan running offense to well over 200 yards while holding the Hornets to just 42 yards of offense in the second half, as the Trojans picked up their fourth consecutive win of the 2001 season, 24-15.
Despite being called for 8 major distance penalties, and having a punt blocked for the second week, the defense shone as well when its back was up against the wall.
Beauregard held the ball for most of the first quarter, as Trojan passes were intercepted on their first two offensive plays. However, the Hornets returned the favor with a fumble and St. James took over on their own 44. An eight play drive all on the ground with four first downs culminated in a quarterback sneak by Alan Craft from the one for a touchdown. The extra point try hit the right upright, but the Trojans had a 6-0 lead with 2:34 to go in the first quarter.
Beauregard responded with a 73 yard drive of their own, bolstered by a questionable defensive holding penalty and a pass interference penalty. Charles Thomas split the Trojan defense with a 15 yard run up the middle for the touchdown. The point after was good, giving the Hornets a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter.
After a long kickoff return by Josh Thomas where the opposing kicker saved a sure touchdown, the teams traded lost fumbles; the Trojans taking over on the Hornet 27. A 25 yard pass from Craft to Alex Howell put the ball on the 2, where Ted Brewer rushed in for the touchdown. A two point conversion run came up just short, but St. James had a 12-7 lead with 8:03 remaining in the half.
Beauregard twice had the ball in Trojan territory late in the half, but once lost the ball on downs, and Will Thrasher picked up his first of two game interceptions on the other drive to preserve the 5 point lead.
On the first possession of the second half, the Hornets blocked a punt and recovered on the Trojan 15. A fourth down touchdown scamper by Thomas was called back by a holding penalty, and on the ensuing play, Will Thrasher picked off his second pass of the game in the endzone with a brilliant return back to the Trojan 26. St. James commenced one of their time consuming touchdown drives. Despite a holding penalty, Ted Brewer and Nathan Yates marched down the field. With a great effort, Brewer scored the touchdown from the 3 on a play where he should have been stopped for a loss. A two point conversion pass came up just short, and St. James had an 18-7 lead with 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
After a 48 yard kickoff return and a run bolstered by a personal foul penalty, Beauregard had the ball on the Trojan 20 to start the fourth quarter. A clock malfunction caused an extensive game delay, but quarterback Lardarius Webb broke around left end for 20 yards on the next play for a touchdown, and completed a two point conversion pass to close the gap to 3, 18-15, with plenty of time remaining.
Then it was time for the Ted Brewer show. A 79-yard drive featured Brewer runs of 11, 24, 10, 13, 4, and 4 yards. A key 16 yard run by Josh Thomas overcame another holding penalty, and after an offside penalty on the Hornet 12 gave the Trojans a big first down on fourth and 1, Alan Craft ran wide and dove just inside the pylon for a thrilling touchdown. The extra point attempt was wide right, but St. James had a 9 point lead with just 5:17 remaining. Brewer finished the game with 169 yards rushing, 130 in the second half.
A muff on the kickoff gave Beauregard terrible starting position, but two first downs (including a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt) moved the ball up to the Hornet 47. However, starting quarterback Webb was injured and two plays later, a fumbled pitch gave the ball back to the Trojans with 1:46 to go. Two carries by Brewer of 5 and 7 yards sealed the game, and St. James moved to 4-0, 3-0 in region play, with a hard fought 24-15 win over a Beauregard team Coach Robert Johnson called "the best 0-4 team in the state". After watching their performance, few could disagree.
GAME FOUR SIDELINE STATISTICS:
ST. JAMES RUSHING 43 attempts 256 yards 4 TDs (5.95 yards per carry)
42 Brewer 27 /
169 (2 TDs) 34
Yates 6 / 44
7 Thomas 6
/
37
10
Craft 4
/ 6 (2 TDs)
PASSING 2 completions 4 attempts 1 INT 45 yards 0 TDs (no sacks of)
10 Craft 2 - 4 - 1 45 yards 0 TDs
RECEIVING
11 Howell 2 / 45
TOTAL YARDS: 301
KICKS: XP 0 / 2
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 2
KICKOFFS: 5
(48,44,45,45,50)
PUNTS: 2 (24,-20bk)
KO RETURNS: 3
(34,20,17)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 2 (-3,26)
FIRST DOWNS: 19 (18 rushing, 1 passing)
FUMBLES: 1, lost 1
TURNOVER MARGIN: + 2
PENALTIES: 8 / 107 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 24:29* (6:50 first half, 17:39 second
half)
BEAUREGARD RUSHING 36
attempts 192 yards 2 TDs
(5.33 yards per carry)
PASSING 2 completions 6 attempts 2
INTs 12 yards 0 TDs (no sacks of)
TOTAL YARDS: 204
KICKS: XP 1 /
1
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
KICKOFFS: 3
(44,48,56)
PUNTS: 1 (11)
KO RETURNS: 5
(12,11,6,48,-1)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST DOWNS: 11 (8 rushing, 3 penalty)
FUMBLES: 4, lost 2
PENALTIES: 6 / 43 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 23:31* (17:10 first half, 6:21
second half)
( * - times of possession estimated because of early 4th quarter clock malfunction)