2015 -
GAME 9
Trinity 27, Saint James 17 
TRI 7
0 13
7 27
STJ
3 7
0 7
17
SCORING SUMMARY:
TRI (1) 8:37 Hufham 30
pass from Trotman
(Adams kick) 0 - 7
STJ (1) 0:57 Taylor 26
FG
3 - 7
STJ (2) 2:02 Underwood 3
run
(Taylor kick) 10 - 7
TRI (3) 7:45 Trotman 19
run
(Adams kick) 10 - 14
TRI (3) 3:20 Adams 10
pass from
Trotman
(kick blocked) 10 - 20
STJ (4) 11:18 Barkley 1
run
(Taylor kick) 17 - 20
TRI (4) 2:35 Biler 3
run
(Adams kick) 17 - 27
October 23,
2015 Carlisle Field. Game
Conditions: Partly cloudy Game Temperature:
75 Wind: none
For the second week in a row the Trojans failed to turnover the
ball in the conventional way and managed four takeaways
themselves. However, the lack of explosive plays and simple
first down conversions at key times were crucial as the Wildcats
held a huge field position advantage over most of the game and,
with one exception, forced the Trojans into long scoring drives
which they could not seem to duplicate as Trinity picked up its
tenth consecutive win in the 40 game series with a 27 - 17 victory
over homestanding Saint James sending the Trojans on the road for
the first round of the 2015 playoffs.
Despite a good kickoff return to start the game, the Trojans could
not generate a first drive first down. After a punt, it took
the Wildcats only five plays to reach the endzone.
Consecutive passes of 2, 28, and 9 yards advanced the ball to the
Saint James 25, and after a penalty, Trotman found Luke Hufham on
the receiving end of a 30 yard touchdown pass. Robert Adams'
extra point gave Trinity a 7 - 0 lead less than four minutes into
the game.
Saint James responded with one of its longest, timewise, drives of
the season - taking up 7:40 of the first quarter clock.
Christian Barkley returned the kickoff to the Trojan 26.
Three consecutive Blake Underwood runs led to the initial Saint
James first down of the game, and two plays later Wes Cherry
caught an 11 yard toss from Connor Collier for the second.
Another 11 yard reception by Stephen Sadie moved the ball into
Trinity territory, and later a face mask penalty gave the Trojans
possession at the Wildcat 28. A 14 yard Underwood carry
several plays later gave Saint James first down at the Trinity 8,
but the drive stalled and McKay Taylor was called on to attempt a
26 yard field goal which he converted, and the lead had been cut
to 7 - 3 late in the first quarter.
Trinity began another drive which carried into the second quarter,
and a pass interference penalty gave the Wildcats first down at
the Trojan 6. However, two plays later, the Trojans pounced
upon a lost fumble, the first of four Trinity turnovers, and
almost certainly prevented a Wildcat score of some kind.
Three Underwood runs totaled came up a football length short of a
first down, so Saint James elected after some thinking to punt
from deep in their own territory. Robert Adams returned the
punt to the Trojan 39 giving Trinity excellent field position
again, which they seemed to dominate for most of the first three
quarters of the game. The Wildcats converted one first down,
but the Saint James defense held and forced a 36 yard field goal
attempt from Adams which was plenty long but drifted wide right,
allowing the Trojans to hold yet again. Despite a second
down and 1, two consecutive running plays lost yardage and Saint
James punted yet again. A 15 yard Hufham reception gave
Trinity a first down at the Trojan 46, but on the next play an
underthrown pass was intercepted by Ivan Villageois at the 26 yard
line and he returned it all the way back to the Trinity 20, a 54
yard return. After a no gain run, Collier on a keeper picked
up 9 yards and an illegal substitution penalty against the
Wildcats gave Saint James first and goal at the Trinity 6.
Consecutive three yard runs by Underwood gave the Trojans their
first (and what would be their only) lead of the game, 10 - 7,
with about two minutes remaining until halftime.
Jack Turk returned a deep kickoff all the way to the Trinity 40,
and the Wildcats were contemplating a late drive for a
score. However, after a block in the back penalty negated a
huge gain for Hufham on another catch and run, a pass was
intercepted by Sam Edwards - the third turnover of the second
quarter - but Saint James ran conservative plays looking for a
breakout which did not occur thus being content to take a three
point lead into the halftime locker room.
Another long bomb of 48 yards from Trotman to Hufham on the third
play of the initial second half drive had Trinity threatening to
score, but on the next play an overthrown pass was tipped and
brought in by the fingertips of Shaw Woodson deep in Trojan
territory - the fourth turnover in five Trinity possessions.
However, the Trojans could not convert a first down and a punt was
returned into Trojan territory. Trinity changed their way of
thinking and shifted moreso to the run game beginning with this
particular drive. Turk picked up 26 yards on first down, and
on the next play Trotman kept up the middle and found a hole just
past the first defensive line which enabled him to wriggle through
potential tacklers into the endzone for a 19 yard score.
Adams kick gave Trinity the lead for good at 14 - 10.
Saint James, with Underwood noticeably on the bench, was forced to
punt after a quarterback sack and Trinity went back to offensive
work immediately. Trotman started the drive with a 16 yard
run, and two plays later it was Turk's turn for a 31 yard carry
down to the Trojan 10. After a no gain on first down,
Trotman found his favorite receiver Robert Adams on a short pass
and he ran untouched into the endzone for a second quick Wildcat
touchdown. After a mysterious delay of game penalty, the
extra point attempt was deflected and failed, but Trinity had a
two possession lead at 20 - 10 late in the third quarter.
Barkley returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35 yard line, and two
plays later Dozier Dean caught a nice pass over the middle for a
20 yard pickup. Several plays later, Atchison Hubbard caught
a 16 yard sideline pass and Barkley broke loose for his second
longest run of the season, a 25 yarder, before he was thrown out
of bounds at the Trinity 6. Another illegal substitution
penalty cut the needed yardage in half, and three plays later on
the second play of the final quarter, Barkley was rewarded with
the carry for the final yard and a Saint James touchdown.
Taylor's extra point cut the lead back to 3, at 20 - 17.
On the next drive, it appeared Trinity was going to be forced
perhaps into their first punt of the game with a third down and
18, but a long pass and added run from Trotman to Hufham covered
57 yards and promptly changed the field. The Wildcats
eventually got as close as the Trojan 6, but a huge third down
sack of Trotman forced Trinity's Adams to attempt another field
goal, this one of 35 yards, but it was smugly blocked by
Villageois and fallen upon by Trojans at the 14 yard line.
Trinity had managed to eat up almost half of the fourth quarter
clock during the extended drive, however, and Saint James had a
long way to travel. After an 8 yard run by Barkley on first
down, the offense sputtered, and a fourth down desperation pass
deep in Saint James territory fell incomplete, giving Trinity
wonderful field position to start a drive. Trotman picked up
23 yards on first down, and two plays later on his first carry of
the game, Jack Biser ran through a nicely created hole by the
Wildcat offensive line for a clinching three yard touchdown.
The Adams extra point boosted the lead back to 10 at what would be
the eventual final score, 27 - 17.
Saint James, with only about three minutes remaining, would not go
down without a fight. A Collier pass to Cherry over the
middle went for 38 yards, but two plays later a very costly
holding penalty well behind the line of scrimmage led Saint James
into an almost unmakeable third down and 33 yards to go.
However, two consecutive passes from Collier to Cherry for 23 and
20 yards more than made up the necessary yardage, and Saint James
was down to the Trinity 16 with time running low. A Barkley
run picked up a quick nine yards, but a seven yard sack on the
next play led to a last chance fourth down pass which fell
incomplete between two Trojan receivers in the endzone and with
just under nine seconds remaining, Trinity knelt down to claim
their tenth win in a row in the series, and their 15th in the last
16 meetings. Trinity would enjoy a week off before hosting a
playoff game, while Saint James looked forward to hosting Marbury
for the first time since 1988 before traveling to Montevallo in
their 2015 playoff opener.
SIDELINE
STATISTICS - GAME NINE
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING
45 attempts 103 yards 2 TDs
(2.29 yards per carry)
1
Underwood
18 / 53 (1 TD)
34
Barkley
14 / 42 (1 TD)
12
Collier
12 /
3
8
Villageois
1 / 5
PASSING
7 completions 14 attempts 0 INTs 139
yards 0 TDs
12 Collier
7 - 14 - 0 139 yards 0 TDs
RECEIVING
16
Cherry
4 /
92
10
Dean
1 / 20
15
Hubbard
1 /
16
23
Sadie
1 / 11
TOTAL
YARDS: 242
KICKS: XP 2 / 2
FG 1 / 1
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 4 (34,56,40,42)
PUNTS: 5 (26,35,33,32,35)
KO RETURNS: 5 (22,13,13,17,11)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 13 (7 rushing, 5 passing, 1 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4 / 15
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 2 / 4
FUMBLES: 0
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 4
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 7
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 4 / 32 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 28:20
TRINITY
RUSHING 24 attempts 154 yards 2
TDs (17 Turk 11 / 103)
PASSING
14 completions 23 attempts 3 INTs 252
yards 2 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 406
KICKS: XP 3 / 4
FG 0 / 2 (39
missed, 35 blocked)
2 POINT CONVERSIONS:
0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 5
(44,47,38,42,40)
PUNTS: 0
KO
RETURNS: 4 (10,36,12,11)
PUNT RETURNS: 5
(0fc,11,0fc,7,7)
FIRST
DOWNS: 16 (9 rushing, 7 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 6 / 8
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
FUMBLES:
2, lost 1
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 10 / 43 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 19:40
RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2015 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE