2014 - GAME 7

Saint James got ahead quickly and methodically moved their way down the field on several touchdown drives as the Trojans spoiled Hornet Homecoming 2015 despite an enormous turnout from the alumni and other faithful, as Saint James picked up another crucial region win with a 34 - 6 defeat at Bullock County.

An out of bounds kickoff to start the game gave the Trojans good field position at their own 35 yard line.  A 12 yard run by Stephen Sadie sandwiched by runs by Blake Underwood and a pair of passes from Connor Collier to Dozier Dean gave Saint James first down at the Hornet 10.  However, the drive stalled and McKay Taylor was called to attempt a 24 yard field goal, which he converted into what used to be the east endzone forest and now was an overflowing grassy makeshift parking lot, giving the Trojans a three point lead early in the first quarter.

A bouncing kickoff was downed by the Hornets on their own 18 yard line.  After an incomplete pass, a loss on a run, and a sack, a punt was called for.  The snap bounced back to the punter, and by the time he was ready to kick four Trojans were in on him for a combined block.  The ball dribbled into the endzone where it was fallen upon by Matt Baggett for a Trojan touchdown.  The Taylor extra point was good, Saint James was up 10 - 0, and both footballs were safely recovered.

Bullock County was again stopped on three and out, another punt block was called for, and this punt was also deflected, although it managed to travel forward for a four yard net.  From the Hornet 29, a holding penalty on first down backed Saint James up, and a second holding penalty on the next play was declined after a four yard loss.  On the next play, a Collier pass was tipped and intercepted by Eric Gabe and returned 20 yards to the Hornet 42, finally giving them respectable field position.  A negative pass play and a sack forced yet another three and out, but this time a return was set up and the punt was fair caught just across midfield.

On the last play of the first quarter, Collier ran for five yards and was slung to the ground by a face mask.  The resulting penalty gave Saint James first and 10 from the Hornet 30.  Underwood carried on four consecutive plays, for 3, 18, minus 3, and 12 yards on the fourth play for a touchdown.  Taylor's extra point gave Saint James a seemingly comfortable 17 - 0 lead early in the second quarter.  However, the Hornets, who had been held without a first down the entire first quarter, embarked on easily their best drive of the game.  After a kickoff return to the 30, Bullock County mixed in only one incomplete pass with 12 running plays and shared the load among five running backs.   Quarterback Keldrick Milbry ran for 13 yards giving the Hornets a first down at the Trojan 23.  Four plays later, on fourth and six from the 19, a sweep play was called and Dontrey Manley used two strong blocks near the sidelines to sneak into the endzone for a 19 yard touchdown amd the Hornets' first and what would be only score.  A two point conversion run was stopped outside the one yard line, but the lead had been cut to 17 - 6 with still over four minutes remaining until halftime.

The Hornets tried an onside kick, but it was cleanly fielded by Baggett at the midfield stripe.  An 18 yard pass from Collier to Wes Cherry moved the ball inside the Hornet 30, but a sack several plays later slowed the drive.  Taylor was called in to attempt a 33 yard field goal, but it drifted left and Bullock County regained possession.  After two incomplete passes, some confusion in the backfield led to a fumble which was recovered by Saint James at the Hornet 18, giving them perhaps an unexpected chance to score with just over a minute left until halftime.  Underwood picked up 8 yards on first down, and after each team had called a time out, Collier lofted a pass to the northwest corner of the endzone where Ivan Villageois outleaped his defender and got one foot in bounds before falling out of the endzone for a fine 10 yard touchdown grab.  The extra point gave Saint James a 24 - 6 lead which would stick until halftime.

After an out of bounds kickoff by Saint James, the Hornets moved back and forth, but a defensive pass interference penalty pushed the ball into Trojan territory.  However, on fourth and 10 from the Trojan 35, Villageois made another reception, this time on defense, and returned it to the Trojan 38.  A 14 yard run by Underwood converted one first down, but several plays later on fourth down a punt was called for.  Collier took the option to throw to an open Cherry, who would have likely gone the distance for a touchdown, but a nice defensive play just swatting the ball away from Cherry's reach gave the Hornets a turnover on downs.  Bullock County was lucky on third down to recover a fumble in their backfield, but the lost yardage forced yet another punt which went out of bounds at the Saint James 31.  Atchison Hubbard picked up a first down on a rare carry, nine yards worth, and two plays later on his first carry of the game Christian Barkley raced around left end for a 27 yard scamper down to the Hornet 18.  Several plays later Dean caught a 13 yard pass giving the Trojans first down on the Hornet 3.   Consecutive 1 yard runs by Underwood, Underwood, and Collier on a quarterback keeper as time expired in the third quarter put another touchdown on the board, and Taylor's fourth consecutive extra point gave Saint James a 31 - 6 lead after three quarters.

The Hornets avoided disaster on the ensuing kickoff as the ball was fumbled but went out of bounds just before Trojans could fall on it at the 18.  Another three and out and a short punt gave Saint James possession at the Bullock County 41.  Underwood picked up 23 yards on his final two carries of the game, and a face mask penalty advanced the ball to the Hornet 13.  However, the drive stalled and Taylor was called on to kick yet another field goal into the parking lot, a 30 yarder, which he converted to end the night's scoring at 34 - 6.

Bullock County was again stopped with a three and out, and the Saint James reserves were called upon.  A punt was needed after the first three plays, but the only Saint James punt of the evening turned into a long advance as the bouncing ball hit the Hornet returner in the foot and was quickly fallen upon by the Trojans at the Hornet 37.  Jin Kim was called in for most of the remaining carries, and Saint James manage to run all but the last 45 seconds of the clock out.  The Hornets ran two plays and then ran off the field perhaps to continue the Homecoming festivities, a two day event, and Saint James drove back to Montgomery just within a grasp of clinching a playoff spot in class 4A region 2.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME SEVEN

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   49 attempts   196 yards   2 TDs   (4.00 yards per carry)

                                5   Underwood            26 / 128  (1 TD)    34   Barkley             9 / 36    23   Sadie               1 / 13
                              15   Atkinson                  1 /    9                  18   Jin                     8 /   9    12   Collier             4 /   1  (1 TD)

                             PASSING   5 completions  10 attempts  1 INT  67 yards  1 TD

                              12   Collier                     5- 10 - 1      67 yards   1 TD

                              RECEIVING

                              10   Dean                        3 / 39                   16   Cherry               1 / 18     8   Villageois         1 / 10  (TD)

                              TOTAL YARDS:  263

                              KICKS:      XP  4 / 4      FG   2 / 3   (24,30 made, 33 missed)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  7  (42,49,48,45,OB,37,OB)       PUNTS:   1  (43)
                              KO RETURNS:   1  (0)                                   PUNT RETURNS:  1  (0fc)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   16   (11 rushing, 5 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   5 / 11
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 2
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:   + 2
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (14)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  14
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   6 / 49 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:   26:26

BULLOCK CO.    RUSHING    38 attempts  59 yards   1 TD   (1.55 yards per carry)
                              PASSING        2 completions  10 attempts  1 INT  minus 9 yards  0 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  50

                              KICKS:      XP  0 / 0      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                              KICKOFFS:  2  (OB,10)                                PUNTS:  6  (-10bk,4,27,28,26,39)
                              KO RETURNS:  5  (0,17,18,13,-5)               PUNT RETURNS:  1  (0F)
                              FIRST DOWNS:  7  (7 rushing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   2 / 12
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:   2 / 3
                              FUMBLES:  3, lost 2
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (20)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  4 / 30 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  21:34