GAME 2: @ Andalusia 35, St. James 14

STJ 7 0 7 0 14

AND 7 7 7 14 35

SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ (1)   5:16   Martin 1 run                           (Hankins kick)     7 -   0
AND (1)   3:29   Berry 18 run                            (Jones kick)   7 -   7
AND (2) 10:00   Berry 24 run                              (Jones kick)    7 - 14
AND (3)   2:42   Richardson 59 run                     (Jones kick) 7 - 21
STJ   (3)   1:59   Christian 65 run                      (Hankins kick)   14 - 21
AND (4)   9:42   Berry 7 run                                  (Jones kick)   14 - 28
AND (4)   4:05   Berry 29 run                                (Jones kick)   14 - 35

September 7, 2007 Andalusia Stadium. Game Conditions: Mostly clear Game Temperature: 85 Wind: Negligible

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St. James showed improvement on both sides of the ball compared to their first game, especially on the offensive, but for the second consecutive year Michael Berry scored four touchdowns for the Andalusia Bulldogs as they defeated the visiting Trojans 35 - 14.

The Trojans actually had early momentum despite allowing a 34 yard kickoff return to open the game. The Bulldogs were stopped three and out, and Matt Dean returned the Andalusia punt 19 yards to the Trojan 41. Will Martin connected on a 12 yard pass to Clinton Freeman on first down, and a longer completion several plays later was negated by a holding penalty. However, a defensive pass interference penalty on the next play gave the Trojans first down in Andalusia territory. A 21 yard catch and run by Freeman and a 25 yard run by Freeman several plays later gave the Trojans first and goal on the 3. On second down, Martin sneaked across from the 1 and Clark Hankins' extra point gave the Trojans their first lead of the year at 7 - 0 midway through the first quarter.

The Bulldogs quickly countered on a 5 play 70 yard drive. Long runs of 31 yards by D.L. Smith, 16 yards by the quarterback Taylor Shiver, and the final 18 yards by Michael Berry had Andalusia in the endzone. Gillis Jones converted the first of his five extra points, and the score was tied at 7 late in the first quarter.

St. James was stopped on their next drive, and from midfield it took Andalusia only six plays to score again. On fourth down and 4 from the Trojan 24, Berry broke loose through the line and outraced defenders for his second touchdown and a 14 - 7 lead two minutes into the second quarter.

A quarterback sack thwarted the Trojans' next drive, but Jacob McCurdy recovered a Bulldog fumble deep in Trojan territory to stop another Andalusia threat. The Trojans picked up two first downs, but an endzone punt left Andalusia 80 yards from scoring with 2:23 remaining in the half. A defensive offside penalty resulted in a first down, and a few short runs and passes suddenly had Andalusia again inside the Trojan 30. A 6 yard catch by Ryan Godwin stopped the clock with 2.2 seconds remaining, but a 40 yard field goal attempt was well short to end the first half, and St. James was stil very much in the ballgame trailing only by seven.

The Trojans began driving on their first possession of the third quarter, but lost a fumble just inside midfield. The teams traded punts afterwards, with Andalusia taking over on their own 30. Three plays later, from the Bulldog 41, C.J. Richardson took the option pitch and slipped through all his potential tacklers up the middle on the way to a 59 yard touchdown run and a 21 - 7 lead after the Jones kick, and perhaps the momentum was finally shifting towards Andalusia.

For all of one play. After a fine 20 yard kickoff return by Matt Dean, Chase Christian, on only his fourth carry of the season, took a handoff straight up the middle, broke through the Bulldog defensive line barely touched, and held off pursuant tacklers as he dashed for a 65 yard touchdown, one of the longest rushing touchdowns in Trojan history. The Hankins extra point, which took nearly 10 minutes for the scoreboard to register for some reason, had the Trojans back within 7 points late in the third quarter.

The Trojans were really pumped up after the kickoff was muffed, and a desperation return which actually reached all the way to midfield was called back by an illegal block penalty inside the Andalusia 10. From their own 5, however, the Bulldogs escaped the potential trap and then some, with 10 consecutive running plays, 8 by Berry, for a total of 95 yards. Berry carried the last 7 and Andalusia regained their 14 point lead early in the fourth quarter.

St. James managed little yardage on their next drive, but actually forced a fumble on the punt return and took over at the Bulldog 40. However, on the next play, a fumbled snap was recovered by the Bulldogs. However, again, two plays later Andalusia returned the ball via the fumble to the Trojans, and St. James was in business once more at the Bulldog 39. A pass interference penalty on the first play moved the ball closer, but after a loss and a delay penalty, a desperation deep pass was intercepted by Jamie Busch inside the 5 yard line and returned all the way to the Trojan 37. Three straight carries by Berry of 6, 2, and 29 yards gave Michael his fourth touchdown (and eighth career against St. James in two games) and Andalusia enjoyed a 21 point lead with just over 4 minutes remaining in the game.

The Trojans drove, mostly by the short pass route, as time wore down. Catches by some not-so-often receivers included passes to Chase Eley, Wes Davis, and two fine sideline catches by Michael Knowles. A quarterback escape by Martin gave the Trojans first down at the Andalusia 14 with just over a minute remaining, but after a 5 yard catch by Freeman on first down, three consecutive incomplete passes wiped out St. James' last chance for a score, and the Bulldogs simply knelt down to expire the clock and take home their first region, and first overall, victory of the season.

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SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME TWO

ST. JAMES RUSHING 32 attempts 113 yards 2 TDs (3.54 yards per carry)

32 Christian 4 / 70 (1 TD) 30 Freeman 6 / 33 14 Dean 10 / 8
3 Martin 11 / 1 (1 TD) 11 Joyner 1 / 1

PASSING 13 completions 25 attempts 1 INT 128 yards 0 TDs (2 sacks of for - 16 yards)

3 Martin 13 - 25 - 1 128 yards 0 TDs (2 sacks, - 16 yards)

RECEIVING

30 Freeman 6 / 64 22 Knowles 2 / 23 7 Davis 2 / 20
4 Eley 2 / 16 14 Dean 1 / 5

TOTAL YARDS: 241

                  KICKS: XP 2 / 2                FG 0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS: 3 (52,50,58)            PUNTS:   5 (32,43,40EZ,34,45)
                        KO RETURNS: 6 (7,11,23,20,5,24)                    PUNT RETURNS: 2 (19, 0fc)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   14 (6 rushing, 6 passing, 2 penalty)
        FUMBLES: 2, lost 2
TURNOVER MARGIN: 0
      PENALTIES: 7 / 38 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION: 28:27

ANDALUSIA RUSHING    41 attempts 358 yards 5 TDs (8.74 yards per carry)
                        PASSING      3 completions 8 attempts 0 INTs 27 yards 0 TDs (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:   385

                        KICKS: XP 5 / 5                FG 0 / 1 (missed 40)
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS: 6 (42,53,46,45,50,54)        PUNTS: 2 (37,28)
                        KO RETURNS: 3 (34,20,8)                PUNT RETURNS: 2 (6,5f)
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (59)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   19 (16 rushing, 2 passing, 1 penalty)
    FUMBLES: 3, lost 3
        PENALTIES: 3 / 30 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:   19:33

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