2010 - GAME 8

@ Hillcrest-Evergreen  21, Saint James 20 
STJ           6       8       0       6          20
 
HIL          0       7       8       6          21
SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ  (1)  11:39   Slayton 59 pass from Duncan                                   (kick blocked)     6 -   0
HIL (2)  10:00   Dixon 6 run                                                                 (Smith kick)      6 -   7
STJ  (2)    0:26   Olsey 12 pass from Duncan                  (Wachs pass from Duncan)    14 -   7
HIL (3)    9:20   Ferguson 44 pass from Nared                                (Stallworth run)    14 - 15
HIL (4)    7:43   Ferguson 20 pass from Nared                                   (kick blocked)    14 - 21
STJ  (4)    0:34   Wachs 42 pass from Duncan                                        (pass failed)    20 - 21

October 15, 2010    Brooks Memorial Stadium.   Game Conditions:  Clear, cool  Game Temperature:  66  Wind:  WNW 5

Saint James scored on the first play of the game, scored in the last minute of the game, and almost had another chance to win but the Hillcrest Jaguars held off the Trojans several times late on their way to a very entertaining, yet heartbreaking, victory by the score of 21 - 20.

The Trojans got off to one of their quickest starts ever, scoring on the first play from scrimmage.  After Forrest Taylor nicely scooped up a ground ball kickoff and returned it to the 41, C.J. Duncan promptly threw the first of his three touchdown passes, the fourth time he has accomplished that feat this season.  He lofted a pass toward John Slayton who was running a perfect post pattern and found him in stride as Slayton eluded all potential defenders and raced into the endzone.  Austin Meadows' extra point kick unfortunately was a low and wide left spinner, but Saint James was up 6 - 0 less than 20 seconds into the ballgame.

Hillcrest overcame a holding penalty on their first play and converted one first down, but a fake punt on a fourth down try came up a yard short and Saint James began another drive.  The Trojans converted a fourth and ten thanks to a defensive pass interference penalty, and got as cloas as the Jaguar 3 needing only 1 yard to make a first down.  However, this fourth down attempt was not successful and Hillcrest regained possession.  They drove 96 yards for their first score of the game.  A desperation pass from the Jaguar 1 from Justin Nared to William Ferguson was good for 43 yards.  After two penalties, Cordero Bogan caught a second long pass for 46 yards, and the Jaguars were deep in Trojan territory early in the second quarter.  On the fourth play of the quarter, tailback Dennis Dixon, who was responsible for a majority of the Hillcrest carries on the evening, dove in from the 6 for the Jags' first score.  Rajos Smith converted the extra point, barely, and Hillcrest was up by a point with 10 minutes remaining in the half.

Saint James drove again, thanks to the running of Duncan, Slayton, and Taylor Poe.  On fourth and 1 from the Jaguar 23, the Trojans opted for a 40 yard field goal which was straight but came up short.  The Jaguars began moving forward on various short catch and runs by various receivers.  However, after Ferguson caught one pass, the ball was wrestled away from him on the near sideline and the Trojans recovered at their own 30 with just over 3 minutes remaining.  After a holding penalty, it appeared the drive might stall, but a fine break-loose catch by William Olsey and another deep throw and catch by Taylor Wachs advanced the ball all the way to the Jaguar 26.  Crawford Steinberg picked up 9 on a reception, and Duncan kept for 5 yards and a first down.  After an incomplete pass, Duncan scrambled and found Olsey nearly alone in the corner of the endzone for a late second quarter touchdown.  To make up for the earlier miss, a conversion pass was called for and was successful, as Wachs took the ball in at the 2 and dove for the endzone and two points.  Saint James, scoring very early and very late, took a 14 - 7 lead into halftime.

Hillcrest, after fielding an intentionally short kickoff, didn't trail for long.  On the sixth play of the drive, Nared rared back and found Ferguson deep, similar to the pass from his own endzone earlier, and the 44 yard connection was good this time for a score.  Hillcrest elected to bring in big # 53 Travis Stallworth for a two point conversion, and when the ball was handed to him he literally dragged Trojan tacklers into the endzone for the two points, giving the Jags their one point lead back at 15 - 14.

Neither team threatened until the end of the third quarter.  After a bad snap led to a shanked Saint James punt, Hillcrest drove as far as the Trojan 24, but the defense stiffened on fourth and 1 and reclaimed the ball for the offense.  After a first down pass to Wachs for 10, another drive stalled, and another bad punt snap had poor Wilson Adams having to dive on the ball back at the Trojan 28, giving Hillcrest excellent field position.  And they capitalized.  Two plays after a holding call negated a Nared quarterback run for a score, he lofted a 20 yard pass to Ferguson who brought it down and raced for the score.  Two illegal procedure calls after a Jag time out pushed the ball back to the 13, and from there the Trojans easily blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the Hillcrest lead at 7, 21 - 14, but now with less than 8 minutes to play.

Things didn't look good for Saint James as a Duncan pass was intercepted by Tevin Rudolph at the Hillcrest 27.  The Jags made some yards, but punted Saint James back to their own 17 with only 2½ minutes remaining.  Two quick sacks cost the Trojans 12 yards, but on two consecutive plays, Duncan managed to avoid another sack and wove through defenders finding first Slayton for 13 yards, and Olsey for 16 yards on fourth and 9.  Perhaps even more amazing was the next sideline catch by Olsey which picked up 24 yards down to the Hillcrest 42.  From there, Duncan swayed in the backfield maybe 10 seconds avoiding a sack before finding Wachs deep in the back of the endzone begging for the ball.  Duncan heaved it and got it to him and the Trojans had a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining and a one point deficit.

Saint James lined up as they normally do for the extra point, but the two point conversion was called for.  The snap was good and it appeared there was an open Trojan in the endzone but the ball was just swatted away at the goal line by a Hillcrest defender and the conversion failed, leaving the Jags up by 21 - 20.  Forrest Taylor, onside kick specialist, was called on to give the Trojans another "last chance".  A Jaguar defender dove for the bouncing ball, but it only glanced off his hands and was recovered by Jake Jabour at the Saint James 46, and it appeared the Trojans had that extra "last chance", needing only a field goal for a win.  However, the first down pass intended for Olsey was deflected and brought down by offensive hero William Ferguson.  It is quite posssible he could have run the interception back for about a 65 yard touchdown, but the referee on the side inadvertently blew his whistle stopping the play.  However, the interception was correctly allowed to stand, and it took the Jaguars two plays to run out the clock, keeping their meager playoff hopes alive while officially eliminating those of the Trojans despite a valiant effort.

SIDELINE STATISTICS  - GAME EIGHT

SAINT JAMES  RUSHING    26 attempts  44 yards  0 TDs   (1.69 yards per carry)

                        20   Slayton         9 / 26              5   Duncan        13 / 17
                        14   Poe              3 / 14              2   Adams         1 / - 11

                        PASSING    14 completions  25 attempts  2 INTs  291 yards  3 TDs  (3 sacks of, - 19 yards)

                          5   Duncan        14 - 25 - 2   291 yards 3 TDs   (3 sacks, - 19 yards)

                        RECEIVING

                        10   Wachs          4 / 95  (1 TD)  20   Slayton         3 / 87 (1 TD)   7   Olsey           4 / 70  (1 TD)
                          6   Ketzler         2 / 30              23   Steinberg       1 /   9

                        TOTAL YARDS:   335

                        KICKS:  XP  0 / 1                FG  0 / 1   (40 missed)
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                        KICKOFFS:   4 (44,35,18,6)                                     PUNTS:   2  (45,7)
                        KO RETURNS:  4  (13,10,11,18)                              PUNT RETURNS:  1 (0)
                         FIRST DOWNS:   13  (4 rushing, 7 passing, 2 penalty)
                        FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                        TURNOVER MARGIN:   0
                        PENALTIES:   3 / 33 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  20:28

HILLCREST    RUSHING    39 attempts  129 yards  1 TD  (3.31 yards per carry)
                        PASSING     13 completions  19 attempts  0 INTs  233 yards  2 TDs  (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:   362

                         KICKS:  XP  1 / 2                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                        KICKOFFS:  5  ( 32,34,46,OB,53)                            PUNTS:  2  (27,27)
                        KO RETURNS:   4  (19,4,0,0f)                                 PUNT RETURNS:  0
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (0,0*)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   16  (7 rushing, 9 passing)
                        FUMBLES:  2, lost 2
                        PENALTIES:  11 / 91 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  27:32

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