GAME 3:    @ Elmore County 22, St. James 21

Friday the 13th this time around was not a lucky day for the Trojans.  It wasn't the expected wetness and wind of Tropical Storm Hanna which brought them bad luck; it was more of Elmore County Storm Pantha as they rolled for more than 400 yards of offense, the most in six years against St. James, and converted two 8-point touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind 22-21 region win, their first ever varsity football victory over the Trojans.

The Trojans scored the only points of the first half on their second drive of the opening quarter.  Starting from their own 17, Brett Gantt lofted a pretty pass to Chris Roberts for 40 yards on the first play.  A defensive pass interference penalty and a third down 18 yard catch by Taylor Thompson kept the drive alive.  Roberts caught his second pass of the drive for the final 8 yards and a touchdown.  An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the touchdown, and an ensuing defensive offside penalty had the ball on the 13 yard line, but Taylor Nelson connected with the extra point giving St. James a 7-0 lead.

Trojan sophomore safety Matt Ward stopped the next Panther drive with a slick interception on a slant pass over the middle and a return of 37 yards down to the Panther 26.  However, another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty slowed the Trojans' progress.  Later in the second quarter, two plays after a 44 yard run by Elmore County's Johnny McNeal had the Panthers threatening, Ward intercepted another pass in the endzone on a poor attempt by the County quarterback to throw the ball away.

Near the end of the half, the Panthers were threatening again.  However, on second and goal from the Trojan 5, a center snap was fumbled away and the Trojans managed to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard, holding on precariously to a 7-0 halftime lead.

It took the Panthers only one play to score in the third quarter.  On first down, a pass from Tony Dejarnett got to his receiver, Karnovious Cunningham, as the Trojan defender slipped just before the ball arrived, and Cunningham had clear sailing into the endzone on a 69 yard pass and run touchdown.  The extra point nearly invoked some heavy controversy.  The kick was smothered by several Trojan rushers, but running into the kicker was called.  After a lengthy rules clarification, the referee correctly and controllably wiped the flag away and the blocked extra point stood, to the dismay of the Panther faithful, as St. James held a 7-6 lead early in the second half.

The Trojans quickly responded.  After the kickoff was shanked out of bounds at the Trojan 45, St. James put together a nice 11 play 55 yard drive.  Two Gantt runs on third down kept the drive alive.  On fourth and 7 from the Panther 30, Gantt lofted a pass toward the goal line pylon which Taylor Nelson dove to catch at the 3 yard line.  On the next play, Alex Howell took the handoff for the touchdown.  St. James' extra point was also blocked, and the lead was now 7, at 13-6.

Elmore County called on running back Jimmy Freeman, despite a foot injury, to carry them for most of the remainder of the game.  On the third play of the fourth quarter, from the two yard line, he fumbled a handoff from his quarterback but picked it up nicely on the bounce and walked in for a touchdown.  This time, the Panthers went for two and McNeal responded running untouched into the endzone for the two point conversion and the first Panther lead of the night, at 14-13.

It would be very shortlived.  Elmore County elected to kickoff deep only once all night, and it cost them.  Alex Howell took the kickoff at his own 18, avoided the first rush of potential tacklers at his own 30, wove through traffic toward midfield, and broke past the final two pursuers at the 40 as he cruised down the middle of the field for an 82 yard kickoff return touchdown only 16 seconds after losing the lead.  St. James opted to go for two after the earlier miss, and Gantt swept around end easily for a Trojan two point conversion, giving St. James a 21-14 lead with 11:06 remaining in the game.

The Panthers responded.  A 14 yard run by Deon Floyd, a 38 yard pass from Dejarnett to Jamaal Stokes, and a second two yard touchdown run by Freeman put the Panthers one point down.  Forgoing the extra point, they again tried for two and almost as easily as the previous attempt, McNeal swept wide and converted, giving Elmore County its second one point lead at 22-21 with 8:24 remaining.

A fumble after a completed pass stopped the Trojans' next drive, but a poorly shanked punt gave St. James another chance with still nearly 6 minutes remaining.  After one first down, a fourth down pass was intercepted.  However, Elmore County was gracious in giving the Trojans one final chance as Freeman fumbled backwards to the Trojan 36 with 1:25 left in the game.  But, on first down, a razzle dazzle pass play was juggled by several players and intercepted by a Panther at Elmore County's 18.  St. James could not stop the clock, and Dejarnett took the kneel down three times as the Panthers celebrated a hard fought, and well-deserved season home-opening victory.

GAME THREE SIDELINE STATISTICS:

ST. JAMES      RUSHING   33 attempts  108 yards  1 TD (3.27 yards per carry) 

                         10   Gantt     15 / 55    42   Brewer   15 / 43   11   Howell    3 / 10  (1 TD)

                        PASSING      7 completions  20 attempts  3 INTs  132 yards  1 TD  (1 sack of, - 7 yards)

                         6   Gantt           7 - 19 - 2    132 yards   (1 TD)  (1 sack, - 7)
                        11   Howell         0 -  1 - 1        0 yards

                        RECEIVING

                         6   Roberts     2 / 48  (1 TD)   80  Thompson  2 / 36    3   Nelson   1 / 27
                         5   Barganier   1 / 17               42   Brewer      1 /  4

                        TOTAL YARDS:   240

                        KICKS:  XP  1 / 2                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                        KICKOFFS:   4 (46,53,49,54)                   PUNTS:  4 (25,23,28,36)
                        KO RETURNS:  3 (6, 82TD,-2)                PUNT RETURNS:  2 (12,3)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   12    (6 rushing, 5 passing, 1 penalty)
                        FUMBLES:  2, lost 1
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (37,0)
                        TURNOVER MARGIN:   0
                        PENALTIES:  7 / 65 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  21:00   (* approximate because of early game clock failure)

ELMORE CO.  RUSHING   47 attempts  259 yards  2 TDs  (5.51 yards per carry)
                        PASSING      7 completions  15 attempts  2 INTs  168 yards   1 TD  (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:  427

                        KICKS:  XP  0 / 1                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  2 / 2
                        KICKOFFS:   4  (35,15,42,26)                   PUNTS:  3  (29,26,13)
                        KO RETURNS:  4  (13,0,19,23)                PUNT RETURNS:  1 (52TD)
                        FIRST DOWNS:  19  (13 rushing, 5 passing, 1 penalty)
                        FUMBLES:  4, lost 2
                        PENALTIES:  9 / 60 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  27:00  (approximate)