2016 -
GAME 8
SAINT JAMES 28, @ Alabama Christian 16 
ACA
7 0
3 6
16
SCORING SUMMARY
ACA
(1) 8:36 Stroud 19 pass
from
Solar
(Hanson
kick) 0 - 7
STJ (2)
8:55 Harrison 12 blocked punt
return
(Kim
kick) 7 - 7
ACA (3) 5:07
Hanson 27 FG
7 - 10
STJ (3) 4:21
Amerson 71
run
(Kim kick)
14 - 10
STJ (4) 11:36
Underwood 7
run
(Kim kick) 21 -
10
ACA (4) 11:25 Stroud 85
kickoff
return
(run failed) 21 - 16
STJ (4)
5:38 Underwood 12 pass from
Garnett
(Kim kick) 28 - 16
October 7, 2016. Wade Black Norton Memorial
Field Game Conditions: Mostly
clear Game Temperature: 83
Wind: NE < 5 early
For the second week in a row, Saint James failed to force a
turnover, and committed two more themselves, one on a kicking game
miscue, but the defense stepped up and limited the yardage prone
Alabama Christian Eagles to about half of their seasonal average
as the Trojans not only wrapped up a playoff berth, but a home one
at that, in defeating the Eagles 28 - 16.
After the first of four endzone kickoffs by ACA's Hunter Hanson,
Saint James made no headway on their opening drive, and a very
high but very short punt gave the Eagles great early field
position. An offside penalty before first down gave them
even greater position, and on the fifth play of the drive, Reece
Solar tossed a touchdown pass down the near sidelines to Alden
Stroud from 19 yards out, and the Hunter Hanson extra point gave
Alabama Christian an early 7 - 0 lead.
The Trojans again failed to convert a first down, and ACA once
more began a possession in Trojan territory. Another offside
penalty led to one first down, but Solar was stopped short on a
keeper on fourth down and three to thwart the drive. Saint
James finally earned their initial first down on a 10 yard carry
by Tony Amerson, but yet another penalty led to a punt to start
off the second quarter. Fortunately the field position had
changed. Solar connected on another 19 yard pass to Stroud
on the first play of the drive, but the Eagles could gain little
further. When forced to punt, the snap was bounced back and
the combination of Jackson Raybon and Shaw Woodson blocked the
punt nearly straight up. The bounce backwards was picked up
by Josh Harrison at the 12 yard line and he cruised into the
endzone with his second blocked punt return touchdown of the
season. Jin Kim's extra point tied the game at 7, even
though Saint James felt outplayed for the first 15 minutes of the
ballgame.
Neither team would seriously threaten to score the remainder of
the first half, although the Trojans did have a drive lasting over
5 minutes traversing more than half of the field. The
Eagles seemed to be stopped on a quick three and out to start the
second half, but for the second consecutive week a punt was muffed
and the Eagle drive continued at their own 45 yard line. A
sack of Solar and incomplete passes forced yet another punt which
pinned the Trojans back at their own 34. Two plays later, an
uncharacteristic fumble by Blake Underwood was recovered by the
Eagles as the turnover bug bit yet again. A defensive
holding penalty gave Alabama Christian first down at the Trojan
13, but they could advance no further. Hanson came in to
attempt a 27 yard field goal, which he converted, and the Eagles
were back on top 10 - 7 midway through the third quarter.
Not for long, however. After the endzone kickoff, Amerson
powered for 9 yards on first down, and then on second down found a
gaping hole in the middle, was quickly into the Eagle secondary,
and pulled away from pursuers on a 71 yard touchdown sprint.
The Kim kick was good, and Saint James had its first lead of the
game, one it would not forfeit, at 14 - 10. This would be
the first of three consecutive 80 yard scoring drives for Saint
James.
The momentum quickly seemed to deflect as Stroud ran back the
ensuing kickoff 71 yards, the exact distance of the Amerson run
one play before, to the Trojan 17 yard line. However, two
Solar keepers netted a loss of a yard, and an incomplete pass led
to another field goal attempt by Hanson, this one of 33
yards. However, it sailed wide left, and the Trojans
maintained their four point lead. From their own 20, the
combination of Underwood and Amerson plowed down the field.
Quarterback Josh Garnett converted a key fourth down and 1 on a 3
yard quarterback keeper on the last play of the third quarter near
midfield. Amerson broke loose on a 27 yard scamper down the
Saint James sideline on the next play, and a personal foul penalty
moved the ball down to the Eagles 7. On the next play,
Underwood found a hole off right tackle and zoomed into the
endzone for his first touchdown of the evening. The Kim
extra point gave Saint James a seemingly comfortable 21 - 10 lead.
A very very brief comfortable lead. Stroud took the ensuing
kickoff, found room straight up the middle into potential Trojan
tacklers, breaking several, and outracing chasers to the endzone
for an 85 yard kickoff return touchdown. Having cut the lead
to 5 points, ACA opted for a 2 point conversion, but Solar was
taken down behind the line of scrimmage and Saint James maintained
a 21 - 16 lead.
However, after yet another endzone kick, Saint James marched 80
yards for their final touchdown of the evening. Amerson
started the drive with a 12 yard run against a noticeably tiring
Eagle defense. Several plays later, Josh Garnett, who
had only attempted two passes thus far in the game, both in the
first half and both incomplete, found a perfect time to complete
his first, a short pass to Stephen Sadie who picked up 16 yards
down to the Eagle 27. Underwood and Amerson alternated the
next four carries, and then Garnett completed his second pass of
the drive and the game, finding slot receiver Underwood open, and
he ran untouched into the endzone for a 12 yard catch and run
score. The Kim extra point gave Saint James a 12 point lead
midway through the final quarter - which would end up being the
final score.
No long kickoff this time! Mac Johnson may have had the hit
of the year on poor Collin Panehal as he tried to return a squib
kick. Despite a 9 yard pick up on first down, a loss of two
yards on a completed pass, and an incomplete pass, ACA could not
organize in time to attempt a fourth down and 3, and a delay of
game penalty resulted in a choice of punting. Saint James
could not convert a first down, and on their attempt to punt, a
bad snap was fielded by punter Garnett with his knee on the
ground, instantly stopping the play and giving ACA unexpected good
field position at the Trojan 23 yard line. An offensive
holding penalty on first down moved the ball back to the 33, and a
sack forced the Eagles back further to the Trojan 42.
However, a defensive pass interference penalty and an offsides
penalty changed a third down and likely unmakeable 29 to a third
down and much more makeable 9 at the Trojan 22. However,
Solar's favorite receiver this season, Garrett Cottingham, who had
only caught two passes the entire game, could not bring in either
Solar toss and the Trojans took over on downs with little enough
time on the clock to run out the remainder and clinch not only a
playoff berth but a home one at that, in advance of a meeting
against the other region team who likewise clinched a home playoff
game without even playing in the region - Dale County. The
first ever meeting in football between the Trojans and the
Warriors, both 4 - 0 in the area, would be crucial in determining
respective first round opponents.
SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME EIGHT
SAINT JAMES
RUSHING 47
attempts 266 yards 2
TDs (5.66 yards per carry)
21 Amerson
19 / 184 (1
TD) 1
Underwood
19 / 90 (1 TD)
23
Sadie
3 /
13
14
Garnett
6 / - 21
PASSING
2 completions 4 attempts 0 INTs 28 yards
1 TD
14
Garnett
2 - 4 - 0 28
yards 1 TD
RECEIVING
23
Sadie
1 /
16
1
Underwood
1 / 12 (TD)
TOTAL
YARDS: 294
KICKS: XP 4 / 4
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 5
(32,55,48,45,50)
PUNTS: 4
(15,34,30,30)
KO RETURNS: 0
PUNT
RETURNS: 1 (0f)
BLOCKED PUNT RETURN: 1
(12TD)
FIRST
DOWNS: 15 (13 rushing, 2 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 3 / 9
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
FUMBLES: 2, lost 2
TURNOVER
MARGIN: - 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 9 / 61 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 26:59
A C A
RUSHING 25 attempts 32 yards 0
TDs (1.28 yards per carry)
PASSING
10 completions 21 attempts 0 INTs 64 yards 1 TD
TOTAL
YARDS: 96
KICKS: XP 1 / 1
FG 1 / 2 (27 made,
33 missed)
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 1
KICKOFFS:
4 (all EZ)
PUNTS: 5 (bk-16,42,22,36,38)
KO
RETURNS: 5 (11,18,71,85TD,3)
PUNT RETURNS:
2 (0fc.0fc)
FIRST
DOWNS: 8 (2 rushing, 3 passing, 3 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 2 / 12
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 3
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 3
FUMBLES:
1, lost 0
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 5 / 35 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 21:01
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