2015 -
GAME 3
SAINT JAMES 16, @ Straughn 6 
STJ 0
0 7
9
16
STR
0 6
0 0
6
SCORING
SUMMARY:
STR
(2) 7:53 Sanders 60
run
(kick
failed) 0 - 6
STJ (3) 11:40
Villageois 32 pass from Collier
(Taylor kick) 7 - 6
STJ (4) 11:10
Villageois 33 pass from
Collier (kick
failed) 13 - 6
STJ (4)
6:52 Williamson 31
FG
16 - 6
September 4, 2015 Tiger Stadium.
Game conditions: Variably cloudy, very muggy (rain 2½
hours before game), wet field Game Temperature:
85 Wind: none
Saint James took advantage, despite several struggles, of four
Straughn turnovers and a blocked punt, all in the second half, to
overcome a long touchdown run earlier as Saint James again won the
rematch of the game which ultimately decided the 4A Region 2
Champion last season as they posted their first win of the 2015
season with a 16 - 6 road victory over the Tigers.
The Trojans amazingly used up nearly the first nine minutes of the
game on their opening drive, despite only netting 16
yards. Blake Underwood returned the opening kickoff to
the Trojan 34. The Trojans overcame several five yard
penalties with runs by Underwood, Christian Barkley, quarterback
Connor Collier, and several short tosses from Collier to Stephen
Sadie. Saint James penetrated as far as the Straughn 32, but
a holding penalty, a sack, and a run for loss pushed the ball back
to midfield forcing a Trojan punt with no reward for using up
nearly one-sixth of the entire game clock. Straughn had a
fourth down and one to go from their own 32 and risked going for
it, but a busted play led to an incomplete pass and Saint James
took over in excellent field position.
Again, the legs of Underwood, Barkley, and Collier led the Trojans
down as close as the Tiger 4 yard line, but the Straughn defense
held and forced a field goal attempt early in the second quarter
which was wide, and again Saint James was
denied. The Tigers began their only scoring
drive of the evening, an efficient four play 80 yard drive.
On third down from the 40, Javious Sanders broke into the
secondary on one of the rare big running holes for either team in
the game and pulled away from Trojan pursuers for a 60 yard
touchdown run. The extra point failed, but Straughn had
basically scored "against the run of play" and led 6 - 0.
After a short kickoff was fair caught, the Trojans later benefited
from a dubious late hit penalty to give them a key first down at
the Tiger 30. However, two short runs and a sack led to a
fourth and long situation, and a long pass into the endzone was
knocked away by a Straughn defender and Saint James turned the
ball over on downs. The Tigers tried for a late drive to add
to their halftime lead, but a chop block penalty and two other
penalties pushed them back to a third and 35 situation at their
own 20. Sanders picked up 31 yards on a third down gallop
which suddenly gave the Tigers an unexpected chance to continue
the drive. However, a false start penalty after
a timeout changed the thinking of the Tigers, and they opted for a
safe punt to pin Saint James deep in their own territory with
little time remaining. Starting from their own 16 yard line,
Saint James chose to run three safe plays to expire the clock into
halftime.
The breaks which eluded Saint James the previous week were more
than made up for in the second half. On the opening kickoff,
the Straughn returner fumbled and Saint James took over at the
Tiger 32. On the first play, Collier looked for and found
Ivan Villageois on a perfect pass where he leaped, caught the
ball, and was tackled right upon the endzone pylon. He
maintained control and a 32 yard touchdown pass was awarded.
McKay Taylor's extra point gave the Trojans their first lead of
the night at 7 - 6.
The next kickoff was muffed, and after confusion (and a penalty
which was declined because of how far away from the goal line it
was) on the return, the Tigers began their first possession of the
second half at their own 3. Straughn did convert consecutive
third downs for first downs, but punted after an incomplete pass
on their third such attempt, and Saint James was back in business
at their own 40 yard line. However, Saint James could not
earn a first down and punted back to the Tigers. On the
second play after the punt, a pass was intercepted by Tony Amerson
at the Trojan 47, but yet again Saint James could not take advantage
of the good field position as they punted four plays later.
On the very next play however, the Tigers turned the ball over for
the third time in the third quarter on a handoff which was never
really clean and the Trojans recovered the ensuing fumble, this
time with great field position at the Tiger 21. Yet once
again Saint James could not convert a first down, and a 33 yard
field goal attempt missed wide costing the Trojans yet another
potential game-wrapping score.
The Tigers took over, but a holding penalty negated a first down
run and eventually led to a punt early in the fourth quarter which
was shanked out of bounds at the 33 yard line. Collier
dialed up the same pass for Villageois he had used to start the
second half, except this one was to his left (both cases on the
Saint James sideline). This time the catch was a bit easier
and Villageois was tackled into the endzone for his second
touchdown reception of the game. The extra point was missed,
leaving Straught with that spark of possibility as the score was
only 13 - 6 still early in the fourth quarter.
The ensuing kickoff was muffed, and Straughn was frankly lucky to
down the ball in the endzone for a touchback instead of a worse
outcome for them. Four plays netted only one yard, and
the Tigers opted to punt from that deep in their own
territory. Christian Barkley rushed through and hit
the punt, which wobbled forward to the line of scrimmage.
The ball was touched by a Tiger and then rolled past the line of
scrimmage, where it was touched by players on both teams.
Straughn ended up on the loose ball claiming they had retained
possession, but since a Tiger had touched the ball first, the
remainder of the play was moot and they had not nearly reached the
first down target. Saint James took over on the Tiger 24 and
benefited by an offside penalty giving them a first down several
plays later. However, the defense stiffened again.
Richard Williamson was called in to attempt the third Trojan field
goal of the game, and with the help of holder Dozier Dean on a
wobbly snap, his 31 yard field goal was converted, giving the
Trojans a two possession lead midway through the final quarter.
On what would be the Tigers' basically last chance drive, a late
hit penalty gave them some key yardage and a few short passes
moved the ball down the field. However, on fourth down, a
deep pass was intercepted by Villageois at the 18 yard line with
under five minutes remaining. All Saint James needed to do
was hold on to the ball, run clock, and force the Tigers to use
their two remaining timeouts. However, on the second play, a
fumbled snap was recovered by Straughn and they were suddenly in
business at the Trojan 21. Three plays netted virtually no
yards, and an incompletion on fourth down once again turned the
ball back over to Saint James with 2:50 on the clock. This
time the Trojans were more careful and picked up a first down on
consecutive runs by Underwood. With Straughn using time
outs, the Trojans were again forced to punt, but only 23 second of
time remained. The Tigers picked up nearly 30 yards on their
longest pass completion of the night on the final play of the
game, but it was only useful to the statmeisters as Saint James
had picked up their first win, a crucial region win, on the way to
defense of their 2014 Region Crown.
SIDELINE
STATISTICS - GAME THREE
SAINT JAMES RUSHING
45 attempts 97 yards 0 TDs (2.02 yards
per carry)
5 Underwood
32 / 95
12 Collier
7 / 4
34
Barkley
5 /
1
8
Villageois
1 / - 3
PASSING
6 completions 10 attempts 0 INTs 90 yards
2 TDs
12
Collier
6 - 10 - 0 90 yards
2 TDs
RECEIVING
8
Villageois
2 / 65 (2 TDs) 23
Sadie 3 /
21
2 Woodson
1 / 4
TOTAL
YARDS: 187
KICKS: XP 1 / 2
FG 1 / 3 (31 made, 25, 33
missed)
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS:
4 (43,54,EZ,51)
PUNTS: 3
(33,39,40)
KO RETURNS: 2 (15,0fc)
PUNT
RETURNS: 1 (0fc)
FIRST
DOWNS: 9 (5 rushing, 2 passing, 2 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 5 / 13
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 2
FUMBLES: 2, lost 1
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 3
INTERCEPTION
RETURNS: 2 (0,0)
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 7
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 7 / 50 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 29:17
STRAUGHN
RUSHING 33
attempts 170 yards 1 TD (5.15 yards per carry)
PASSING
5 completions 15 attempts 2 INTs 58
yards 0 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 228
KICKS: XP 0 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT CONVERSIONS:
0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2
(41,27)
PUNTS:
4 (38,35,8,bk3)
KO
RETURNS: 3 (15f,3,12)
PUNT RETURNS:
2 (3,7)
FIRST
DOWNS: 9 (6 rushing, 3 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4 / 12
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 3
FUMBLES:
4, lost 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 7 / 60 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 18:43
RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2015 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE