2013 - GAME 9

SAINT JAMES 29, @ Alabama Christian 26  
 STJ           7     14       0       8         29
 
ACA          0       0     12     14         26
SCORING SUMMARY

STJ   (1)   6:50   Moody 97 run                                            (Taylor kick)      7 -  0
STJ   (2)   3:18   Collier 3 run                                               (Taylor kick)    14 -  0
STJ   (2)   1:05   Moody 4 run                                              (Taylor kick)    21 -  0
ACA (3)   9:36   Taylor 6 run                                                 (pass failed)    21 -  6
ACA (3)   2:56   Anderson 14 pass from Taylor                     (kick failed)    21 - 12
ACA (4)   8:28   Elston 5 run                                                   (Tate kick)    21 - 19
ACA (4)   6:00   Pugh 38 pass from Taylor                               (Tate kick)    21 - 26
STJ   (4)   1:51   McCoy 6 run                           (Fields pass from Collier)    29 - 26
October 25, 2013.  Wade Black Norton Memorial Field.  Game Conditions:  Clear, cool  Game Temperature:  54  Wind:  NW 5



Frank Moody prepares to bowl over another Alabama Christian defender as part of his career-high 222 yard rushing performance.
Photo courtesy of The Montgomery Advertiser


Saint James spent the first half breaking school records which have held for years on its way to a 21 point halftime lead before allowing four consecutive touchdowns in the second half to Alabama Christian squandering a fourth quarter lead.  However, for the first time all season, Saint James overcame giving away a late lead as they drove for a clinching touchdown in the Trojans' thrilling 29 - 26 come-from-behind victory over the homestanding Eagles.

The Trojans defined the "bend but not break" defense in the first half.  The Eagles began their opening drive on their own 34 yard line and combined the short passing game of Chandler Taylor with some mid-range runs digging in as deep in Trojan territory as the two.  After a loss and an incomplete pass, Alabama Christian lined up to attempt a short field goal, but Taylor as the holder took off with the ball and was forced out of bounds just short of the goal line and Saint James had held.  Two consecutive runs by Frank Moody only gained two yards, but on third down, with the Eagle defense stacked on the line of scrimmage, he veered toward the far sidelines with a handoff and powered through the first, and only line, of defense, and no one could run him down afterwards.  Moody's 97 yard run for a touchdown was the longest play of any kind, scrimmage or not, for Saint James, and Coleman Taylor's latest in a string of consecutive extra points gave the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Taylor started the next drive for the Eagles with one of his 17 pass completions for 24 yards, but several plays later Jaylen McCoy stepped in front of a targeted receiver and intercepted a Taylor toss, returning it 33 yards to the Alabama Christian 23.  However, the Eagle defense stiffened as Moody was stopped for short losses on consecutive plays, and two incomplete passes turned the ball over on downs.  Alabama Christian moved down the field again, thanks in great part to a pair of 20-plus yard runs by David Elston.  However, as the Eagle defense had just done, Saint James held on downs forcing a fourth down incomplete pass at the Trojan 22.

On the first play of the second quarter, Saint James was forced with a fourth and less than one in their own territory but elected to punt.  Alabama Christian held the ball for over five minutes of clock time, but a Chandler Taylor pass was intercepted in the endzone by Coleman Taylor.  He decided to try and return the interception, and a dubious call of stepping out of bounds at the ten yard line may have prevented the first ever 100 yard interception return for a Saint James touchdown.  A long run by Moody on first down was negated by a holding penalty, and the Trojans were forced to punt deep from within their own territory.  An Eagle holding penalty on the punt return only tempered great field position at the Trojan 41.  On first down, a Chandler Taylor pass was intercepted by Zach Taylor on another Taylor-made play, and Zach nearly returned his interception all the way, being halted at the 10 yard line.  Moody powered his way for 7 yards on first down, and after an Eagle timeout, Connor Collier turned a quarterback sneak into a quarterback power behind the large Saint James offensive line for a touchdown, and Coleman Taylor's extra point boosted the lead to 14 with just over three minutes remaining until halftime.

Four plays after the kickoff, Coleman Taylor made one of the defensive players of the year by intercepting a twice bobbled ball just before it hit the ground - the fourth interception of the evening in less than a half - which tied a school record for most interceptions in a game.  Two illegal procedure penalties pushed the ball back to the Trojan 35 yard line, but Collier picked a great time for his only pass completion of the evening, a 60 yard bomb to Nolan Fields who had broken behind the defense.  Fields sensed pursuers from behind and was extra careful in cradling the ball, but he was brought down at the Eagle 5.  On third down, Moody took the direct handoff and darted in from four yards out.  Coleman Taylor's extra point gave the Trojans a 21 - 0 lead nearing halftime.  Alabama Christian had one last possession, but after a three and out the Trojans elected to kneel and evaporate clock time with the three touchdown cushion.

Saint James started the third quarter sloppily with a holding penalty on the first play from scrimmage cancelling out a nice kickoff return.  Two plays later, a screen pass attempt went horribly wrong as Drew Schemmler intercepted the toss and returned it to the Trojan 13 - the first of what would be a pair of costly third quarter turnovers.  Jaylon Miles ran for six yards on first down, and Chandler Taylor kept on the next play for the remaining seven and the Eagles' first score.  Alabama Christian attempted a two point conversion pass, but Jake Sharp deflected the ball in the endzone and it fell harmlessly incomplete.  However, the lead had been cut to 21 - 6.

A 32 yard run by Moody got the Trojans going on their next drive, but eventually on fourth down from the Eagle 36, a pass fell incomplete and Saint James turned the ball back to the Eagles.  Two defensive five yard penalties helped the Eagles reach Trojan territory, but after a 19 yard scamper by Tyler Sheehan, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Alabama Christian forced the ball back.  Four plays later, on fourth down, McCoy intercepted his second pass of the game, setting the Saint James school record at five interceptions, but it may have been one of those situations where a simple knock down to the ground would have been more beneficial as instead of having the ball at the 44 yard line, Saint James started their possession on their own 15.  Disaster struck on the next play as Moody committed a very rare fumble which was recovered by the Eagles at the Trojan 14.  On the next play, Chandler Taylor found Ethan Anderson open in the flat and he scored from 14 yards out on the Eagles' first touchdown reception of the evening.  The extra point attempt was blocked, but the Trojan halftime lead had suddenly been cut to only 9 points with a 21 - 12 score.

Another fine run by Moody and a good punt by Coleman Adams changed the field, pinning the Eagles back at their own 12.  However, two quick passes moved Alabama Christian out past their own 40 to end the third quarter, and more steadily they moved the ball down the field.  A pass interference penalty gave the Eagles a first down at the Trojan 11, and three plays later Elston carried in from the five yard line.  This time Kippy Tate's extra point was good, and a 21 point lead had evaporated down to 2 with over eight minutes remaining in the game.

Saint James could not convert a first down, and another Adams punt gave the Eagles the ball at their own 23.  Elston broke off the longest Eagle run of the night on first down, a 39 yarder, and on the next play Taylor found Hudson Pugh open down the middle of the field and he outraced pursuers into the endzone for a 38 yard catch and run for a go-ahead touchdown.  Tate's extra point gave Alabama Christian their first lead at 26 - 21 with still half of the final quarter remaining.

It was put up or shut up time for the Trojans, and put up they did.  McCoy returned the kickoff to the 34.  Moody ran for 13 on first down.  The drive stalled, but Connor Collier converted a key fourth down and 1 with a two yard carry.  On the next play, the workhorse Moody powered for 22 yards down to the Eagle 20.  Three plays later, McCoy took a direct snap off the right side for 11 yards, giving Saint James a first down at the Eagle 2.  An untimely penalty pushed the ball back to the 7, but on first down McCoy took the handoff and with some determined running pulled tacklers toward the goal line.  He crossed the line with possession of the ball, but it was knocked out shortly thereafter.  To eliminate any doubt and what could have been a fatal missed call of a fumble, McCoy recovered his own "non-fumble" and was credited with a 7 yard touchdown run.  With a one point lead, the Trojans opted to go for the two point conversion, and Collier tossed a pass to Nolan Fields who had gone in motion and was wide open in the front of the endzone.  Saint James had retaken the lead at 29 - 26 with nearly two minutes remaining in the game.

The Eagles returned a fine kickoff by Michael Robinson only out to the 20.  A defensive offside penalty did not bode well for the Trojans, and Taylor converted a third down with a 13 yard scramble up to the 39 yard line with 53 seconds remaining.  However, on the next play, Jalen Harris broke through the line and interrupted either a handoff or a fake from Taylor to Elston and knocked the ball loose, falling upon it at the Eagle 34.  Saint James had the ball, but the Eagles still had timeouts remaining, so a simple kneeldown to end the game was not an option.  Collier took the handoff, backed up, and stood still with the clock running.  He finally took a knee when the defense punctured the line, but an Eagle hit him too late.  A personal foul penalty was called, but soon afterwards another one was called on Saint James.  While trying to sort out what would be offsetting dead ball penalties, two consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct fouls were called on Alabama Christian, and the resulting penalty yardage not only moved the ball down to the Eagle 15, but gave the Trojans a first down.  With four plays at Saint James' disposal and not enough timeouts for the Eagles, a simple kneeldown ended the hard-played game and a four game losing streak for the Trojans as they won their fifteenth out of the last seventeen meetings versus ACA.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME NINE

SAINT JAMES   RUSHING    47 attempts  250 yards  4 TDs   (5.32 yards per carry)

                           20   Moody      28 / 222    (2 TDs)      6   McCoy       6 /  20  (1 TD)
                             1   Robinson     7 /  17                    12   Collier         6 / - 9  (1 TD)

                          PASSING       1 completion  8 attempts  1 INT  60 yards  0 TDs

                           12   Collier        1 - 8 - 1   60 yards

                          RECEIVING

                           11   Fields            1 / 60

                          TOTAL YARDS:   310

                          KICKS:  XP  3 / 3                FG  0 / 0
                          2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                          KICKOFFS:   5  (50,52,56,52,55)                            PUNTS:   4  (28,27,30,37)
                          KO RETURNS:   5  (34,5,30,14,24)                         PUNT RETURNS:  0
                           FIRST DOWNS:   14  (11 rushing, 1 passing, 2 penalty)
                          THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  2 / 9
                          FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                          FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                          INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  5  (33,10,42,0,0)
                          TURNOVER MARGIN:   + 4
                          POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  14
                          PENALTIES:  10 / 70 yards
                          TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:47

A C A                 RUSHING   36 attempts 258 yards  3 TDs  (7.14 yards per carry)
                           PASSING    17 completions  38 attempts  158 yards  5 INTs  1 TD
                          TOTAL YARDS:   416

                           KICKS:  XP  2 / 3                FG  0 / 0
                          2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                          KICKOFFS:  5  (55,43,53,42,50)                             PUNTS:  1  (32)
                          KO RETURNS:   5  (24,19,22,28,15)                       PUNT RETURNS:  2  (0,3)
                          FIRST DOWNS:   22  (15 rushing. 6 passing, 1 penalty)
                          THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  3 / 10
                          FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:   1 / 3
                          FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                          INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1 (13)
                          POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  14
                          PENALTIES:  4 / 55 yards
                          TIME OF POSSESSION:   23:13

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