2018 -
GAME 9
SAINT JAMES 44, Southside-Selma 6 
STJ
23 14
0 7
44
SCORING SUMMARY
STJ (1) 9:49
Duncan 2
run
(Wachowitz kick) 7 - 0
STJ (1) 7:20
Amerson 12
run
(Wachowitz kick) 14 - 0
STJ (1) 4:47 Safety -
offensive penalty in own endzone
16 - 0
STJ (1) 2:49 Amerson 3
run
(Wachowitz kick) 23 - 0
STJ (2) 10:33 Gavin 12
run
(Wachowitz kick) 30 - 0
STJ (2) 10:18 Fett 2
run
(Wachowitz kick) 37 - 0
STJ (4) 5:47 Craft
20
run
(Harrison kick) 44 - 0
S S (4) 5:32
Jackson 81 kickoff return
(run
failed) 44 - 6
October 26, 2018
SENIOR NIGHT @ Carlisle Field Game
Conditions: Overcast, windy Game
Temperature: 61 Wind W 12 -
17
In a game which took less than 90 minutes real clock time
(including a full 23 minute halftime) due to consensual shortened
quarters and running clocks, the Saint James Trojans scored early
and often as the region champions soundly defeated an undermanned
Southside-Selma Panther team on 2018 Senior Night by a 44 - 6
margin.
The Panthers won the coin toss and elected to defer their
choice. Saint James promptly scored five plays later.
A short line drive kick was fielded by Will Wales at the Trojan
47. On first down, a pass to Alex Whisenhunt on a play which
repeatedly burned Beulah earlier in the season was good for 16
yards. Senior Tony Amerson, who departed 11 carries and 13
minutes into the game, carried four consecutive times. His
carries netted 35 yards down to the Panther 2, and on the next
play Collin Duncan, one of five Trojan touchdown scorers on the
night, kept on a two yard quarterback sneak for the opening
score. Jan Wachowitz continued his streak of consecutive
made points (to 20 by game's end, believed to be a school record)
giving Saint James an early 7 - 0 lead.
Southside, which did not earn a single first down in the entire
shortened game, could not execute a punt formation run on fourth
down and the Panthers turned the ball over to Saint James at the
31 yard line. An Amerson 8 yard run was followed by an 11
yard scamper by Austin Gavin. Amerson scored his first of
two touchdowns on the next play, virtually untouched from 12
yards, and the extra point doubled the lead to 14 - 0 halfway
through the first quarter.
A penalty on the ensuing kickoff return pushed Southside back
inside its own 10 yard line. Three plays later, the Panther
quarterback was pressured and intentionally grounded the ball in
the endzone which resulted in a Saint James safety and a 16 - 0
lead.
Senior Will Whiddon recovered another short line drive kick - the
post-safety free kickoff - at the Panther 39. After a
moderate gain, Duncan tossed a shovel pass to Whisenhunt who
carried the ball for 30 yards down to the Southside 5. Two
Amerson runs later and a Wachowitz extra point later gave the
Trojans a commanding 23 - 0 lead with still nearly three minutes
remaining in the opening quarter, which easily took longer to play
than the remaining three quarters would, in real time.
Southside turned the ball over on downs again giving Saint James
excellent field position. Gavin picked up 18 yards on the
first play of the second quarter, and two plays later he was
rewarded with a 12 yard touchdown on a sweep to the far
side. Wachowitz's kick gave the Trojans a 30 point lead just
13½ minutes into the game and most of the starters watched the
remainder of the game from the sidelines.
The ensuing kickoff summed up the season for the winless
Panthers. With a stiff wind blowing across the field from
near side to far, Wachowitz's kickoff sailed over the three
Panther returners stationed at about the 17 yard line. Each
of the three watched the ball expecting it to roll into the
endzone, but Alex Whisenhunt raced down the field and fell upon
the ball which had checked up at the Panther 2 yard line - the
equivalent of a 58 yard onside kick and recovery. Backup
quarterback Drew Fett carried in on a quarterback sneak on the
next play, 15 seconds after the previous score, and Saint James
had increased its lead to 37 - 0 with still less than 14 minutes
expired off of the game clock.
At this time, and for the remainder of the game, a running clock
except after scores was employed. Southside was allowed to
punt, with no Trojan rush, at the conclusion of their next drive,
but it only traveled as far as the Panther 27 yard line.
Saint James ran off the final 6 minutes of the running first half
clock on only 8 plays, converting a pair of fourth downs, ending
the half at the Panther 6 yard line.
The coaches agreed to lower game time in the second half to six
minutes, with again a continually running clock. In fact,
neither team was in any kind of hurry to accomplish much except to
get to a warm locker room or bus, in the case of the
Panthers. Only 13 offensive plays were run in the entire
second half. Southside fumbled a fourth down attempt to
start the third quarter giving Saint James a first down at the
Panther 23. Four plays later, on fourth down, the first play
of the fourth quarter, ninth grader Clayton Craft scored a
touchdown for the second consecutive week as he raced 20 yards
through the tiring Southside secondary. Holt Harrison was
called on to convert the extra point, which he did, and Saint
James built a 44 - 0 lead.
What may have been the loudest cheer of the night occurred after
the ensuing kickoff return. Panther Malik Jackson picked up
a bouncing kickoff at his own 19 yard line and began a return
against a primarily ninth and tenth grade Trojan return
squad. An obvious block in the back penalty just outside the
20 would have normally called the play back, but Jackson saw a
hole and headed toward the far sidelines and raced toward and into
the endzone for an 81 yard kickoff return touchdown. The
officials were discussing the flag behind the play but the Saint
James fan base were vocally encouraging the officials to
"overlook" the penalty. The flag was waved off, and the
touchdown return was allowed to stand, giving the Panthers one of
the few opportunities to celebrate in what was nearing the
conclusion of a long winless season. The two point
conversion run failed, but no one, especially on the Southside
side, really seemed to mind.
The clock continued to run after the touchdown was officially
scored at the 5:32 mark of the final quarter, again a 6 minute
stanza. The ball was not kicked until almost 3 minutes
remaining in the game. The Panthers tried a short kickoff
and senior Mac Johnson took the kick and surprised everyone by
running the ball toward the goal line. He was grabbed from
behind at the 25 yard line on a definite touchdown saving
tackle. Craft marched for 18 on first down, and Saint James
graciously allowed the referees to take their time putting the
ball back in play, forsaking the 25 second clock, as Fett ran out
the clock allowing the Trojans to finish a perfect region season
and extend their winning streak to 8 games prior to an upcoming
matchup with the rival Trinity Wildcats to finish the regular
season one week away with the 3A state playoffs looming
afterwards.
SIDELINE
STATISTICS - GAME NINE
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING 31
attempts 181 yards 6
TDs (5.84 yards per carry)
2
Amerson 11 /
73 (2 TDs) 23
Craft
9 / 60 (1 TD) 3
Gavin
3 / 41 (1 TD)
14
Harris
3 /
4
5
Duncan 1
/ 2 (1 TD)
8
Fett
4 / 1 (1 TD)
PASSING
2
completions 2 attempts 46 yards 0
INTs 0 TDs
5
Duncan
2 - 2 - 0 46 yards
RECEIVING
4
Whisenhunt
2 / 46
TOTAL
YARDS: 227
KICKS: XP 6 / 6
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 7
(40,50,OB,58,45,46,49)
PUNTS: 0
KO RETURNS: 3 (0,0,28)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 14 (12 rushing, 2 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 3
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 3 / 3
FUMBLES: 0
TURNOVER
MARGIN: 0
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 1 / 5
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 22:20 (approximate, final 3
quarters running clock and 6 minute second half quarters)
SOUTHSIDE
RUSHING 12
attempts 9 yards 0 TDs (< 1 yard per carry)
PASSING
1 completions 7 attempts 0 INTs - 3
yards 0 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 6
KICKS: XP 0 / 0
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 1
KICKOFFS: 3
(13,19,13)
PUNTS:
1 (12)
KO
RETURNS: 5 (10,8,0,7,81TD)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 0
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 5
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 3
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
FUMBLES:
1, lost 0
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 4 / 27 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 13:40 (approximate)
RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2018 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE