GAME 10:  ST. JAMES 56, Monroe County 6

M C          0        6        0        0               6

STJ         14      14      28        0             56

October 28, 2005  Carlisle Field.    7 PM   Game Conditions:  Clear, cool   Game temperature:  58   Winds:  Light, variable

SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ   (1)    6:28   Dean 3 run                                          (Sutter kick)     7 - 0
STJ   (1)    3:52   Joyner 26 fumble return                      (Sutter kick)   14 - 0
M C  (2)  10:49   Johnson 93 run                                     (run failed)    14 - 6
STJ   (2)    7:18   Martin 24 run                                      (Sutter kick)   21 - 6
STJ   (2)    2:30   Alter 70 pass from Martin                   (Sutter kick)   28 - 6
STJ   (3)  11:31   Alter 18 pass from Martin                   (Sutter kick)   35 - 6
STJ   (3)    8:51   Cowden 54 pass from Martin              (Sutter kick)   42 - 6
STJ   (3)    5:30   Thompson 11 pass from Dean             (Sutter kick)   49 - 6
STJ   (3)    2:50   Stabler 12 run                                     (Sutter kick)   56 - 6

Will Martin threw for three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and backup quarterback Matt Dean also threw one and ran for one as the Trojans celebrated Senior Night and the end of their 2005 season with a three game winning streak as they whipped the visiting Monroe County Tigers 56 - 6.

The Trojans moved the ball on their first drive.  Jeff Cowden caught a 12 yard pass and Matt Dean ran for 19 yards each for first downs.  However, an interception stopped the opening drive.  However, the defense stopped the Tigers on three plays and on fourth down the punt snap was muffed and fallen on by a group of players.  St. James took over on the Tiger 32 and scored five plays later on a three yard run by Dean.  Graham Sutter kicked his first of a school-record-tying 8 extra points, and the Trojans were up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

After an endzone kickoff, Monroe County managed one first down, but during a gang tackle behind the line of scrimmage, several Trojans wrestled the ball away from the Tiger carrier and Blaine Joyner picked it up on the 26 yard line and outraced two chasers into the endzone for a second score.  Sutter's first attempt at the extra point failed, but a running into the kicker penalty gave him a second chance, which he converted, for a 14-0 lead.

St. James picked up another of the Tigers' 7 turnovers in the game on the next drive as Taylor Thompson intercepted a pass and returned it to the Tiger 37.  Consecutive Will Martin passes to Bruce Alter for 19 and Thompson for 16 moved the ball to the Tiger 2.  Offsetting penalties on the next play, and a defensive encroachment penalty moved the ball to the 1, but Monroe County intercepted another pass and ran it out of the endzone to the 2.  A face mask penalty gave Monroe County 15 extra yards, but a holding penalty moved the ball back inside the 10.  On the second play of the second quarter, after a Tiger timeout, Julian Johnson took a pitch to the wide side, got through the initial line of tacklers, maneuvered around several others 20 yards downfield, and outraced all the Trojan pursuers for a 93 yard touchdown, the longest touchdown run ever against a St. James team.  The Tigers missed their extra point attempt, but similar to the previous touchdown, St. James was called for roughing the kicker and the Tigers opted for a two point conversion.  However, the run was nailed in the backfield for a non-conversion, but the lead was a single possession one at 14-6.

A fine kickoff return by Alter and a 26 yard run by Dean had the Trojans threatening at the Tiger 40.  However, after a sack, a loss, and a penalty, St. James was faced with a third and 26 at their own 46.  What may have been the turning point play of the game was a Will Martin pass in the flat to a wide open Nathan Newton for 30 yard gain to earn the first down.  Martin kept the ball on the next play and broke a tackle on his way to a 24 yard quarterback scamper for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead.

The Tigers drove into Trojan territory, but lost the ball on downs at the St. James 45.  A sack and a penalty gave the Trojans another third and long, this time 27.  St. James again converted as a short pass over the middle to Alter quickly turned into chase down the receiver, which the Tigers could not do as he ran the remaining distance for a thrilling 70 yard touchdown pass.  Sutter's extra point gave the Trojans a 28-6 lead late in the first half.

St. James got a late scoring chance as Alter returned a punt to the Tiger 40.  Three passes netted only two yards, but Sutter had a chance to line up for what would have been a school record 55 yard field goal just before the half.  The kick came up short, and was in fact returned by a Tiger a short distance, but the Trojans had the momentum and the 22 point advantage headed into halftime.

The third quarter was all Trojans.  After bumbling the kickoff return but maintaining possession, the Tigers fumbled on their first offensive play, and Kevin Hale returned it to the Tiger 18.  On first down, Martin lifted a pass to the near corner of the endzone to Alter, who caught it over his falling defender for a quick third quarter touchdown and a 35-6 lead.  The Tigers, after a 50 yard kickoff return, fumbled again two plays later.  On third down from the St. James 46, Martin found Jeff Cowden open down the near sideline, and he slid around his defender deftly on his way to a 54 yard catch and run touchdown and a 42-6 lead early in the third quarter which signalled the end of the game for most of the offensive starters.

Michael Stabler, injured earlier in the season, entered the game and carried for 36 yards on his first attempt.  Matt Dean, now at quarterback, passed twice consecutively to Taylor Thompson, for 4 and 11 yards for a touchdown and a 49-6 lead midway through the third quarter.  Monroe County fumbled again on the kickoff return, and a conduct penalty moved St. James to the Tiger 17.  Stabler was handed the ball four consecutive times, losing one, losing two, gaining eight, and dashing for twelve on a demonstrative fourth down carry for the touchdown.  Sutter's extra point would end the scoring at 56-6, still in the third quarter. 

Neither team seriously threatened in a shortened fourth quarter as the clock ran continually, but the Trojans of the future held their own, keeping the Tigers out of the endzone in the final 14 minutes of the game.  Even though the season ended too soon for the Trojans, they still basked in the success of a three game winning streak to end the season, and a fifth Capital City Conference Championship in nine years.

GAME TEN SIDELINE STATISTICS

ST. JAMES      RUSHING   30 attempts  139 yards  3 TDs  (4.63 yards per carry)

                        14   Dean        8 /  53  (1 TD)    20   Stabler        5 / 53  (1 TD)      19   Newton    2 / 24
                          3   Martin     5 /  14  (1 TD)    30   Freeman      2 /   6                  10   Crider      4 /   5
                        72   Strange    1 /  - 3                76   Callaway     1 / - 5                  33   Parks       2 / - 8

                        PASSING    13 completions  20 attempts  2 INTs  257 yards  4 TDs  (3 sacks of, - 17 yards)

                          3   Martin         11 - 18 - 2    242 yards   3 TDs   (3 sacks, - 17 yards)
                        14   Dean             2 -   2 - 0      15 yards   1 TD

                        RECEIVING

                        22   Alter       3 / 107   (2 TDs)   5   Cowden       2 / 66  (1 TD)        2   Thompson   5 / 52  (1 TD)
                        19   Newton   1 /  30                14   Dean            1 /   2

                        TOTAL YARDS:   396

                        KICKS:  XP  8 / 8                FG:  0 / 1  (55 missed)
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:  9  (60EZ,52,47,42,58,58,57,49,53)    PUNTS:  0
                        KO RETURNS:  2  (16,22)                                   PUNT RETURNS:  1  (22)
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (1,27)
                        FUMBLE RETURNS:  2  (26TD,1)
                        FIRST DOWNS:  13  (7 rushing, 6 passing)
                        FUMBLES:  2, lost 0
                        TURNOVER MARGIN:  + 5
                        PENALTIES:  5 / 42 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  22:16

MONROE CO.  RUSHING   37 attempts  152 yards   1 TD  (4.11 yards per carry, 93 on one carry)
                        PASSING      1 completion  6 attempts  2 INTs  4 yards  0 TDs  (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:  156

                        KICKS:  XP  0 / 0                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                        KICKOFFS:  2 (47,46)                                         PUNTS:  2  (30,21)
                        KO RETURNS:  8  (16,31,2,17,50,26,21f,13)        PUNT RETURNS:  0
                        FIRST DOWNS:   6  (6 rushing)
                        FUMBLES:  8, lost 5
                        PENALTIES:  7 / 68 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  25:44


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