SCORING SUMMARY:
STJ (1) 5:26 Thompson 21 pass
from
Martin
(Sutter kick) 7 - 0
TRI (1) 0:00 Stokely recovered
blocked punt in endzone (Stokely
kick) 7 - 7
TRI (2) 5:23 Shaw 6 run
(Stokely kick) 7 - 14
STJ (2) 4:03 Cowden 25 pass from
Martin
(Sutter kick) 14 - 14
STJ (2) 3:42 Hale 39 interception
return
(Sutter kick) 21 - 14
October 21, 2005
Carlisle Field. 7 PM Game Conditions:
Mostly clear Game temperature: 74 Wind:
negligible
Will Martin threw two touchdown passes, and Kevin
Hale's first career interception was returned the distance for the
deciding touchdown 21 seconds later in a game which featured big plays
on both sides of the ball for both teams in the first half, a complete
defensive shutdown by both teams in the second half, an unbelievably
confusing play late in the game which was basically called a "do-over",
and St. James managed to hold on to its halftime lead clinching the
Capital
City Conference Championship with a wild 21 - 14 victory over the
Trinity
Wildcats.
Each team picked up a first down on its respective opening drives, but
punted afterwards, the first and second of 16 game punts. St.
James took over on their own 38 and traveled 62 yards for the first
score of the game. A 21 yard pass from Will Martin to Jeff Cowden
was followed by a 13 yard pass to Taylor Thompson. Two runs by
Matt Dean netted seven yards, and on third down, Martin again found
Thompson on an excellent diving reception in the endzone for the
touchdown. Graham Sutter's extra point gave the Trojans a 7 - 0
lead midway through the first quarter.
Trinity, which rotated three quarterbacks during the game, picked up
first downs on a pass interference penalty and an Austin Morriss run,
but a sack forced a punt and a penalty on the return backed up the
Trojans to their own 7. On fourth down from the 14, a Sutter punt
attempt was blocked by several onrushing Wildcats and recovered in the
back of the endzone by Drew Stokely for a Trinity touchdown on the last
play of the quarter. Stokely lined up to kick his own extra point
and the score was tied.
St. James punted, and again was victimized by a personal foul after the
punt return. From the Trojan 39, Trinity overcame a holding
penalty and grinded out 39 yards on a 9 play drive, climaxed by a tough
Zack Shaw 6 yard touchdown run. Stokely's extra point gave
Trinity their first, and only, lead, at 14 - 7 midway through the
second
quarter.
The Trojans retaliated quickly. A short kickoff was downed by
Matt Dean at the St. James 41. Bruce Alter caught a pass for 14
yards, Dean ran for 11, and Cowden caught a 9 yarder giving St. James a
second at 1 at the Trinity 25. Martin went for it all and found
Cowden downfield, who was actually pushed by the Trinity defender under
the ball for another fine touchdown catch. Sutter's kick tied the
score at 14 with still 4 minutes remaining in the first half.
The tie was shortlived. After the Wildcats returned Sutter's deep
kickoff to the 28, Morriss lifted a pass to the near side which was
tipped by Brandon King right to Kevin Hale, who raced in from the 39
yard line with his first career interception for a touchdown.
Sutter's extra point gave the Trojans their 7 point lead back with over
3 minutes remaining in the first half. No one guessed at the time
it would be the last score of the game.
After a Sutter endzone kickoff, Trinity punted, but Martin was
intercepted by Cameron Bell to stop the Trojan march. He returned
the interception to the St. James 33, but four consecutive incomplete
Trinity passes (of an opponent record 38 attempted) halted the
threat. St. James was going to run the clock out, but Trinity
began calling time outs, giving Martin the option for a gamble, which
he successfully converted on a 33 yard pass to Cowden giving the
Trojans a first down at the Trinity 37 with 7 seconds left.
However, two incomplete passes exhausted the clock on a wide open first
half which would not be mirrored in the second half.
Trinity did complete two passes on their first drive of the third
quarter, but punted. Each team would have three more third
quarter possessions but only convert one first down between them.
St. James picked up its first, and only, first down of the second half
on a 9 yard completion from Martin to Bruce Alter early in the fourth
quarter. However, Trinity was holding an amazingly distinct field
position advantage, with a majority of their drives starting in or near
Trojan territory. After a Trojan punt midway through the fourth
quarter, and offsetting personal foul penalties afterwards, Trinity
took over with their last legitimate scoring chance at their own
47. Shaw picked up a first down on a 7 yard run, and Whit
Mitchell, now at quarterback, overcame a holding penalty with a 15 yard
completion to the St. James 19. After an incomplete pass, the
second down play was just the latest in the Magical Mystery Referee
Tour of 2005. Mitchell rolled left and threw a pass back over the
middle where no one but St. James' Taylor Thompson was located.
He intercepted the ball, with a flag nearby on the ground, and began
running it back. Most of the Trinity players stopped and watched
him cruise down the sidelines for a 94 yard interception return for a
touchdown, but then the officials came back to discuss the flag.
And discuss. And discuss.
After several trips to both sidelines and about 10 minutes worth of
conversation, suddenly the play was declared a "do-over" with no
explanation given by the noticeably confused set of referees.
Apparently, an inadvertent whistle had blown, which would explain why
the Trinity players pulled up on the interception return.
However, the mystery flag seemed to just vanish. Several sources
speculated there were offsetting penalties on the play, but only one
flag, which would obviously result in a replay, but after anguish on
and off the field, with 3:20 remaining in the game and Trinity still
threatening at the Trojan 19, the game resumed. An offensive pass
interference penalty was called on the next play, resulting in the 15
yard penalty and loss of down. An incompletion on third down led
to a desperation Wildcat pass on fourth, which was intercepted again by
Thompson in the endzone, this time with no flags and no do-overs.
Trinity called their final timeouts while holding St. James to minus
one yard in three plays. Sutter's punt was returned by Davis
Hooper to the Trojan 46, and with 1:43 left, the Wildcats had one last
chance to tie the score. A Morriss incompletion and a 6 yard sack
led to a third down pass which was intercepted by Blaine Joyner at the
38, and the Carlisle Field celebration began 62 seconds before the
official end of the game. Two Martin kneeldowns later, hundreds
of fans rushed the field to celebrate the signature win of the 2005
season and the Trojans' fifth Capital City Conference Championship,
amazingly captured after defeating three playoff-bound teams.
GAME
NINE SIDELINE
STATISTICS
ST.
JAMES
RUSHING 34 attempts 23 yards 0 TDs
14
Dean 14 /
40 22
Alter 3 / - 3
3 Martin 17 / - 14
PASSING 12 completions 19 attempts 1
INT 167 yards 2 TDs (1 sack of, - 7 yards)
3
Martin 12 - 18 -
1 167 yards 2 TDs (1 sack, - 7 yards)
14
Dean
0 - 1 - 0
RECEIVING
5 Cowden 4 / 88
(1
TD)
2 Thomspon 4 / 44 (1 TD)
22
Alter
3 /
35
14
Dean 1 / 0
TOTAL YARDS: 190
KICKS: XP 3 / 3
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 4 (52,57,60EZ,49)
PUNTS: 9 (25,-14bk,34,25,42,26,55,28,34)
KO RETURNS: 3 (25,22,0)
PUNT
RETURNS: 5 (7,0,0,0fc,0fc)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 3 (39TD,0,0)
FIRST DOWNS: 9 (1 rushing, 7 passing)
FUMBLES: 1, lost 0
TURNOVER MARGIN: + 2
PENALTIES: 9 / 77 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 24:49
TRINITY
RUSHING 30 attempts 76 yards 1 TD
(2.53 yards per carry)
PASSING 12 completions 38 attempts
3
INTs 106 yards 0 TDs (4 sacks of, - 30 yards)
TOTAL YARDS: 182
KICKS: XP 2 / 2
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 3 (50,47,25)
PUNTS: 7 (40,40,36,36,28,23,34)
KO RETURNS: 3
(18,25,19)
PUNT RETURNS: 8 (0fc,0TD,10,1,0,6,7,7)
FIRST DOWNS: 12 (7 rushing, 4 passing, 1 penalty)
FUMBLES: 2, lost 0
PENALTIES: 8 / 70 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 23:11