2013 - GAME 3

SAINT JAMES 32, Headland 14
HEA           7       0       7        0         14
 
STJ             6       7       6      13         32
SCORING SUMMARY

 STJ  (1)   9:28   Moody 4 run                              (kick failed)     6 -   0
HEA (1)   4:47   Washington 3 run                  (Bradford kick)     6 -   7
 STJ  (2)   9:16   Robinson 33 run                   (Abdullah kick)   13 -   7
HEA (3)   1:51   Nix 10 pass from McCoy       (Bradford kick)   13 - 14
 STJ  (3)   0:26   Moody 25 run                             (pass failed)   19 - 14
 STJ  (4)   9:34   Moody 5 run                         (Abdullah kick)   26 - 14
 STJ  (4)   4:46   Hubbard 13 fumble advance       (kick failed)   32 - 14

September 13, 2013.  Carlisle Field   Game Conditions:  Decreasing cloudiness  Game Temperature:  81  Wind:  light and variable

Saint James benefited from fine rushing performances by Frank Moody  (186 yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries) and Jonathan Robinson  (132 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 carries), and the defense turned in an encouraging performance as well, especially late in the game, as the Trojans picked up their first win of the season in the 2013 home opener with a 32 - 14 victory over the visiting Headland Rams.

The Trojans won the toss and looked well-prepared on their initial drive.  After a nice kickoff return, Frank Moody converted a third down with a nine yard carry.  Jalen Harris caught a mid range pass and picked up a 22 yard gain.  Moody carried for 24 on the next play where he was brought down by a grabbed face mask, and the resulting half the distance penalty gave Saint James first and goal at the 4.  Moody was rewarded for his earlier hard work for the first down touchdown of 4 yards.  The extra point sailed wide, but the Trojans were up by a touchdown less than three minutes into the game.

Headland responded almost as quickly and certainly as emphatically.  After a kickoff return to similar to the Trojans' earlier, six consecutive running plays and a defensive offside gave the Rams first down at the Trojan 21.  Several plays later, a false start penalty was overcome by a 14 yard quarterback keeper by Tay Washington.  Two plays later, he carried in around end from the three for a Ram score.  Josh Bradford converted his extra point and the Rams were up by a point midway through the first quarter.

An endzone kick and a penalty pinned Saint James deep.  However, a Moody breakaway of 23 yards gave the Trojans a first down and breathing room.  Several plays later, after another Moody first down, came the first of too many plays were the referees were spotlighted.  A pitch back to Trojan Jaylen McCoy was muffed, and it appeared the Rams had fallen on the ball.  After a discussion among the officials however, they ruled the runner was down while somehow in control of the ball and Saint James was the recipient of a huge break, cancelling out a potential turnover.  Saint James did eventually punt, but doing so forced the Rams to start back inside their own 20 yard line instead of the potential great field position negated by the non-turnover.

The Rams were stopped by the Saint James defense and were forced to punt, giving the Trojans the ball at their own 44.  A huge third down screen pass completion to Moody for 16 yards kept the drive alive, and two plays later Jonathan Robinson was given the ball up the middle.  With defenders keying on the workhorse Moody, Robinson wiggled around potentiol tacklers and burst into the clear behind the last line of the Headland secondary for a 33 yard touchdown.  Farris Abdullah converted the extra point, and Saint James regained the lead at 13 - 7.

Neither team threatened to score on their remaining first half drives.  A potential Rams fumble which appeared to be recovered by Saint James was not permitted, seeming to offset a previous call.  There was concern on the Trojan sidelines as Frank Moody went down late in the second half with an injury as he limped off the field, but he would return at full speed after halftime.  The Rams drove to within the Saint James 38 in the last minute of the half, but ran out of time after a Washington quarterback keeper.

Headland drove down the field on its first possession of the second half, powered primarily by Washington quarterback scampers of 14 and 41 yards.  A face mask penalty on the second run gave the Rams first down at the Trojan seven.  However, the Trojan defense stiffened as Headland could only pick up four yards on fourth down from the six and Saint James took over on downs at their own two yard line.  Four straight carries by Moody inched the ball out to the 15, and Robinson broke loose on a 28 yard carry for a first down.  The drive slowed, and the Trojans punted, but they at least had pushed Headland back into their own territory.

This time, Headland would drive 64 yards for a touchdown, and once again a 30 yard run by Washington was the key play setting up the score as it advanced the ball to the Trojan 8.  It appeared the defense might hold again after a first down two yard loss and two incomplete passes.  However, backup quarterback Paxton McCoy tossed a bullet over the middle to LaBarron Nix for a 10 yard touchdown, and Bradford's extra point gave the lead back to Headland at 14 - 13.

An out of bounds kickoff gave the Trojans good free field position, and the workhorse Moody responded.  He picked up 32 yards on first down.  After a penalty, of which Saint James again was charged with nine - a disconcerting large number for the third game in a row, three consecutive carries by Moody picked up 8, 5, and 25 yards for his second touchdown carry.  A two point pass was attempted but was incomplete at the back of the endzone.  However, the Trojans regained the lead and this week they would not relinquish it as they moved ahead 19 - 14.

Headland was forced to punt on the third play of the fourth quarter, but Trojan pressure resulted in an 18 yard kick and good position on the Rams' side of the field.  Another bizarre instance happened next as Moody got credit for a five yard carry, but double dead ball personal fouls were called against each team.  Apparently, the Ram foul had occurred first, so the 15 yards were marked off which gave the Trojans a first down.  The 15 yards against Saint James were then marked backwards, but the Trojans benefited from earning a first down after only gaining 5 on the initial run.  Robinson and Moody alternated the next six carries, with Moody scoring his third touchdown of the night from the five.  Farris Abdullah's extra point was a line drive, but zoomed over the crossbar, and Saint James was up 26 - 14 with still nearly ten minutes remaining in the game.

The teams had been, officially, turnover free until that point.  On first down, Trojan Coleman Taylor easily intercepted a poorly thrown pass near midfield and returned it to the Ram 46.  Several plays later, Connor Collier completed one of his four passes to Jalen Harris, whose vertical leap was necessary to bring down the high toss, on a key third down for a 15 yard pickup.  Three plays later, Collier faked a handoff on a rare quarterback keeper, but the ball was knocked loose by Headland.  Freshman wide receiver Atchison Hubbard was on the spot as he picked up the bouncing pigskin at the Ram 13 and raced untouched into the endzone.  Several Ram players stood around after the play insisting either the ball was dead or the fumble could not be advanced, but there is no such rule in high school as is in the college and pro ranks, so after yet another referee conference on the field, Hubbard was correctly given credit for the fumble return/advance touchdown.  The extra point failed, but the Trojans were well in command now at 32 - 14 with under five minutes remaining.

Josh Bradford, who had mostly been participating as place kicker and wide receiver, had to take over as the Rams' third quarterback late in the game.  He did connect with Kendal Kirkland on a 40 yard bomb on third and long from deep in his own territory, but on the next play he tried to connect with a receiver down the middle of the field surrounded by four or five Trojans.  Several Saint James players tipped the ball, but it landed in the arms of Ivan Villageois for another interception, and Moody and Robinson each picked up a first down allowing the Trojans to run out the clock and celebrate their first win of the season - a key region win - in their home opener.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME THREE

SAINT JAMES   RUSHING   46 attempts  328 yards  4 TDs  (7.13 yards per carry)

                         20   Moody         28 / 186  (3 TDs)    1   Robinson        12 / 132  (1 TD)    12   Collier              3 / 12
                           6   McCoy          3 / - 2

                        PASSING   4 completions  10 attempts  0 INTs   57 yards

                         12   Collier          4 - 10 - 0   57 yards

                        RECEIVING

                           9   Harris           2 / 37          20   Moody       1 / 16          2   Adams       1 / 4

                        TOTAL YARDS:   385

                        KICKS:  XP  2 / 4                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                        KICKOFFS:  6  (52,32,57,55,30,52)                 PUNTS:  4  (33,33,26,28)
                        KO RETURNS:  1  (27)                                   PUNT RETURNS:  2  (6,0)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   18   (14 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty)
                        THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  6 / 10
                        FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        FUMBLES: 2, lost 0
                        TURNOVER MARGIN:   + 2
                        FUMBLE RETURNS (advance):  1  (13TD)
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (3,0)
                        POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  6
                        ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   9 / 57 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:52

HEADLAND    RUSHING    43 attempts  197 yards  1 TD  (4.58 yards per carry)
                        PASSING      7 completions  16 attempts  2 INTs  101 yards  1 TD
                        TOTAL YARDS:  298

                        KICKS:  XP  2 / 2                FG   0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:  3  (52,EZ,OB)                          PUNTS:  4  (32,20,17,18)
                        KO RETURNS:  6  (28,14,27,20,0,9)             PUNT RETURNS:  1  (9)
                        FIRST DOWNS:  15  (10 rushing, 5 passing)
                        THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  6 / 12
                        FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                        FUMBLES:  3, lost 0
                        POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                        PENALTIES:  5 / 35 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  23:08

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