2014 - GAME 10

SAINT JAMES 20, @ Marbury 17 
  STJ          3        0        7      10         20
 
MAR         0        3        7        7         17


SCORING SUMMARY:

 STJ   (1)   1:44   Taylor 23 FG                                                             3 -   0
MAR (2)   5:55   Barros 27 FG                                                             3 -   3
 STJ   (3)   7:31   Robinson 12 run                         (Taylor kick)      10 -   3
MAR (3)   6:16   Ray 58 pass from Brown           (Barros kick)      10 - 10
 STJ   (4)   6:26   Collier 5 run                                (Taylor kick)      17 - 10
MAR (4)   3:24   Palmer 6 run                               (Barros kick)      17 - 17
 STJ   (4)   0:00   Taylor 33 FG                                                           20 - 17

October 31, 2014.   Marbury Stadium.  Game Conditions:  Cloudy, cool, blustery   Game Temperature:  58   Wind  NW  15 - 25 MPH
 

Coleman Taylor converted an improbable 33 yard field goal directly into an extremely brisk wind as time expired allowing Saint James to celebrate a Halloween visit to the new Marbury High School in the first meeting between the two teams in a quarter century with a 20 - 17 literal last second victory over the Bulldogs to conclude an 8 - 2 regular season.

Neither team could produce much in the way of offense the entire first half, no doubt in part due to the rapidly cooling temperatures and the arrival of a ferocious north wind which howled in the 15 - 25 miles per hour range, no doubt shrinking the game crowd size.  The Trojans elected to defer after winning the kickoff and were rewarded with the wind at their back in the first quarter.  Marbury managed one first down before they were forced to punt, and Saint James equally earned one first down on a 12 yard pass from M.J. Melendez to Jalen Harris, one of only three pass completions for the Trojans all evening.  After an endzone punt, on first down a Marbury pass was intercepted by Jaylen McCoy and returned to the Bulldog 22, giving Saint James the first scoring threat of the game.  Three plays netted only three yards, and Coleman Taylor was called in to attempt a 36 yard field goal.  With the wind, the distance was not really an issue, but the kick drifted wide left and the game remained scoreless.

The Bulldogs were stopped on a three and out, and a shanked punt gave the Trojans good field position again, this time at the Marbury 38.  Jonathan Robinson ran for 29 yards on the second play, but Saint James could get no further than the Bulldog 6.  Taylor was called in again to attempt a field goal, this time of 23 yards, and he was successful in giving Saint James a 3 - 0 lead late in the first quarter.

After an endzone kickoff, Marbury tried to set up short passes and breakaway runs as T.J. Ray caught and ran for 11 yards on consecutive plays, and later on a backwards pass and run for 7 more yards before the quarter ended.  Marbury gained the wind advantage, but was forced into an endzone punt before seriously threatening the endzone.  Connor Collier, whose running was forward and tough all evening, picked up 10 on first down but Saint James punted four plays later.  Ray caught a pass from Bulldog quarterback Da'Von Brown on first down for 30 yards, and a defensive pass interference penalty several plays later gave the Bulldogs first down at the Saint James 16.  After gaining six yards on first down, the Bulldogs could close no further, and Leonardo Barros was called in to kick a 27 yard field goal, which he did, and the score was tied at 3 midway through the second quarter.

Marbury tried an onside kick, but despite the wind the kick only traveled four yards downfield before it was grabbed by a Bulldog preventing a possible 44 yard kickoff return by lingering Trojans.  However, Saint James could not convert a fourth down and 3 giving the ball back to Marbury.  After one first down, the Bulldogs punted back to Saint James at their own 29 with about a minute and a half remaining until halftime.  Robinson picked up a total of 31 yards on 3 consecutive carries, and later Harris pulled down a Collier pass for 17 yards down to the Marbury 23.  Two incomplete passes and a loss of three on a busted play left the Trojans with one last chance.  A field goal into the wind was unlikely, so a pass was lobbed toward the endzone and intercepted just short of the goal line by Brown ending a blustery first half.

The halftime shelter seemed to invigorate both of the offenses.  Saint James had the wind advantage in the third quarter, and Reid Woodson hauled in a pooch kickoff at the Trojan 34.  Robinson picked up 13 yards on a nifty unplanned reverse on first down.  He and Collier shared productive runs for the next nine plays, before Robinson carried in from the 12 yard line for the first touchdown of the game.  Taylor's extra point was low, but good, and Saint James was up 10 - 3 midway through the third quarter.  It did not take long for Marbury to answer however.  Tyson Whitford picked up 10 yards on a first down reception, and two plays later T.J. Ray caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage where he could have been tackled or slowed up.  However, he escaped to the Bulldog sideline and this time he would not be denied as he outraced and outdueled potential tacklers on his way to a 58 yard catch and run for a touchdown.  The Barros extra point was good and the score again was tied at 10.

After Woodson fair caught another pooch kick, the Trojans used the legs of Robinson and Blake Underwood to move into Marbury territory, but they failed on a fourth and nine from the Bulldog 34.  Marbury picked up 11 yards on a first down carry, but were forced to punt just before switching directions for the final quarter, and high punt came straight down and bounced very favorably for the Trojans, resulting in a net four yard kick to midfield.  Saint James embarked on a 13 play 50 yard drive which ate up the remaining third quarter and nearly half of the fourth quarter clock - an all rushing drive where Robinson, Underwood, and Collier carried.  Collier was rewarded with the touchdown, a tough five yarder, and the Taylor extra point gave the Trojans their seven point lead back at 17 - 10.

After a short kickoff into the wind, a long Bulldog pass completion was nullified by an illegal formation penalty.  Several plays later, a holding penalty near the end of a long reception cost the Bulldogs 10 more yards despite earning a first down.  However, they were moving the ball with a combination of passes and medium distance runs, and Keyshawn Palmer scored his first touchdown of the night on a six yarder.  Barros once again tied the score up at 17 with 3:24 remaining in regulation, and many on the sidelines who were craving car heater warmth by now were envisioning a potential overtime period or more.

The Bulldogs would not possess the ball again, however, as the Trojans used perfect clock management with the remaining time.  McCoy was potentially one tackle away from breaking a 75 yard kickoff return, but he was tackled at the Trojan 35.  An 11 yard run by Robinson and a 15 yard run by Collier moved the ball into Marbury territory.  Two plays later, a defensive offside penalty changed a third down and six situation into a third down and one.  After being stopped for no gain, a second defensive penalty, this time a costly encroachment violation, gave the Trojans a free first down at the Bulldog 24.  Dozier Dean caught a 10 yard pass moving the ball down to the Marbury 14.  A spiking of the ball and a pair of runs resulted in a loss of two yards, but the Trojans used their last timeout with 5 seconds remaining as Taylor was setting up for an unlikely 33 yard field goal into the stiff wind.  The Bulldogs literally tried to ice the kicker as they used a timeout, but it was not successful as Taylor's kick was high enough, and inside the left upright as time expired and the Marbury players were in shock as Trojans stormed the field to celebrate the last second 20 - 17 victory in the final regular season game of the season.   Now, it was on to the playoffs ...

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME TEN

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   55 attempts   273 yards   2 TDs   (4.96 yards per carry)

                                1   Robinson         29 / 143  (1 TD)     12   Collier          15 / 96
                                5   Underwood        9 /  33                    2   Melendez        2 /  1

                              PASSING     3 completions  17 attempts  1 INT  39 yards

                              12   Collier                 2 - 8 - 1    27 yards
                                2   Melendez            1 - 9 - 0    12 yards

                              RECEIVING

                              43   Harris                 2 / 29                   10   Dean               1 / 10

                              TOTAL YARDS:  312

                              KICKS:      XP  3 / 3      FG   2 / 3  (36 missed, 23 made, 33 made)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  4  (35,EZ,47,21)                   PUNTS:  2  (49EZ,25)
                              KO RETURNS:  3  (0,0fc,10)                    PUNT RETURNS:   1  (0fc)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   19   (15 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   5 / 15
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  3 / 6
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (9)
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  0
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   1 / 15 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  28:09

MARBURY          RUSHING    28 attempts  89 yards  1 TD  (3.18 yards per carry)
                              PASSING     10 completions  17 attempts  1 INT   171 yards  1 TD
                              TOTAL YARDS:  260

                              KICKS:      XP  2 / 2      FG   1 / 1   (27 made)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  4  (4,26,27,35)                     PUNTS:  4  (29,18,22,4)
                              KO RETURNS:  3  (0,17,0)                      PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:  13  (7 rushing, 5 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  4 / 10
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (0)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  6 / 35 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  19:51

RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2014 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE