GS 0 0 7 0 7
August 30, 2002 Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium Game conditions: Cloudy, humid 84 degrees Drizzle 90 minutes before game time Wind ENE 5
Taylor Nelson caught a touchdown pass, added the extra point, and kicked two field goals to pace the Trojans as they held off a second half rally to defeat the Gulf Shores Dolphins in the first ever football meeting between the two teams, and the 2002 season openers for both as well, 19-7.
The first scrimmage play of the season was a brisk 40 yard pass down the middle of the field from Brett Gantt to Alex Howell. Gantt then picked up 19 on a nifty quarterback run, but the drive later stalled. Nelson kicked a 40 yard field goal, the first converted Trojan field goal since the first game of the 2001 season, to put St. James up 3-0 early in the first quarter.
After a missed field goal attempt from 33 yards on the next drive, the Trojans used two Dolphin offside penalties on fourth down situations to keep a rather remarkable 14 play 49 yard drive alive. Twelve yard receptions by both Nelson and Alex Howell also produced first downs. On third down from the Dolphin two yard line, Gantt slid a pass between several Gulf Shores defenders to Nelson, who juggled the ball but held on while falling for the first Trojan touchdown of the season. Nelson's extra point gave the Trojans a 10-0 lead with 8:16 remaining in the half. Gulf Shores later drove deep into Trojan territory thanks in part to two fifteen yard penalties. However, two quarterback sacks and an incomplete pass on fourth and nine from the Trojan 27 kept the Dolphins scoreless in the first half.
The Trojans' first drive of the second half was highlighted by Ted Brewer runs of 15 and 16 yards. However, the drive stalled and Nelson was called on again to convert his second field goal of the game, this one from 31 yards, making the score 13-0 midway through the third quarter.
One of Gulf Shores' two big plays occurred on the next drive, as tailback Cedric Gaynor broke loose for a 64 yard jaunt alongside the Dolphin sidelines down to the Trojan six. However, the St. James defense tightened and with the help of a costly Dolphin delay of game penalty, Gulf Shores turned the ball over on downs at the nine. The Trojans could not convert a first down, and a high punt traveled to Gaynor, who created the second big Gulf Shores play by eluding three early tackles and breaking loose again down the sidelines avoiding late traffic inside the ten yard line, sneaking into the endzone with a 52 yard punt return touchdown. Matt Dowling added the extra point and suddenly the game was well within one score range, at 13-7, with over 13 minutes remaining.
The Trojans again failed to convert a first down, and a Gulf Shores punt return gave the Dolphins the ball on their own 39 to start the fourth quarter. Two runs netting no yards and a quarterback sack pushed the ball back to the 33. On the punt attempt, the ball was snapped over the head of the punter and seemed to be downed inside the Dolphin ten yard line, but the play was whistled dead on an illegal procedure penalty. On the second punt attempt, the ball was again snapped over the head of the punter and was fallen on at the Dolphin two. No penalty this time, and St. James took over two yards from paydirt. Two running plays lost a net yard, but on third down Gantt drilled a pass to Howell just over the goal line for a 3 yard touchdown. A two point pass conversion was attempted to boost the margin to 14, but the throw fell short, keeping the score at 19-7 with 8:55 remaining.
The Dolphins once again moved the ball, but consumed a large amount of time on the clock. On fourth down and three from the Trojan 19, a quarterback sweep came up about four feet short, and St. James took over. Two long runs by Gantt (18 and 20 yards) and another costly offside penalty on the Dolphins in a third and five situation allowed the Trojans to run out the final 3 plus minutes of the clock. St. James committed no turnovers in the game, but was penalized ten times (of those which were accepted), with six being of the major distance variety. However, with the exception of the 64 yard run by Gaynor, the Dolphins could only otherwise manage a net of 22 yards of offense with only 16 total yards of offense in the first half.
GAME ONE SIDELINE STATISTICS:
ST. JAMES RUSHING 32 attempts 109 yards 0 TD (3.41 yards per carry)
10 Gantt 20 / 55 42 Brewer 11 / 44 11 Howell 1 / 10
PASSING 15 completions 24 attempts 0
INTs 150 yards 2 TDs (3 sacks of, - 24 yards)
10 Gantt 15 - 24 - 0 150 yards 2 TDs (3 sacks, - 24)
RECEIVING
11 Howell 4 / 63 (1 TD)
3 Nelson
7 / 52 (1 TD)
6 Roberts 3 /
30
80 Thompson
1 / 5
TOTAL YARDS: 259
KICKS: XP 1 /
1
FG 2 / 3 (40 made, 31 missed, 33 made)
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 1
KICKOFFS:
5
(51,13,50,54,25)
PUNTS: 3 (47,37,41)
KO RETURNS: 2
(17,8)
PUNT RETURNS: 2 (0,2)
FIRST DOWNS: 18 (6 rushing, 9 passing,
3 penalty)
FUMBLES: 2, lost 0
TURNOVER MARGIN: + 1
PENALTIES: 10 / 107 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 26:39
GULF SHORES RUSHING 34
attempts 72 yards (2.12 yards per carry, 64 on one
carry)
PASSING 2 completions 7
attempts 0 INTs 14 yards 0 TDs (5 sacks
of, - 25 yards)
TOTAL YARDS: 86
KICKS: XP 1 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2
(52,45)
PUNTS: 2 (28,26)
KO RETURNS: 4
(13,0,19,23)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (52, TD)
FIRST DOWNS: 5 (2 rushing, 3 penalty)
FUMBLES: 2, lost 1
PENALTIES: 9 / 54 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 21:21