2019 -
GAME 8
SAINT JAMES 55, Prattville Christian 13 
STJ
21 27 7
0
55
SCORING SUMMARY (second half
times approximate - running clock)
STJ (1) 10:01 Gavin 3
run
(Wachowitz kick) 7
- 0
STJ (1) 6:06 Carter 23
pass from
Fett
(Wachowitz kick) 14 - 0
STJ (1) 4:07 Gavin 59
pass from
Fett
(Wachowitz kick) 21 - 0
STJ (2) 10:43 Gavin 54 run
(Wachowitz kick)
28 - 0
STJ (2) 7:47 Blankenship
24 pass from
Fett
(Wachowitz kick) 35 - 0
STJ (2) 7:15 Whisenhunt
20
run
(Wachowitz kick) 42 - 0
STJ (2) 6:44 C. Harrison
20
run
(kick
failed) 48 - 0
STJ (3) 11:53 Whisenhunt 75 kickoff
return
(H. Harrison
kick) 55 - 0
P C (3) 1:25 Gunn 1
run
(Barkley
kick) 55 - 7
P C (4) 9:25 Raife 39
run
(kick failed) 55 - 14
October 18,
2019 HOMECOMING Carlisle
Field. Game conditions: Cloudy, cool,
breezy Game temperature:
64 Winds: NE 10 - 15
Saint James scored 7 touchdowns on only 14 offensive plays in the
first half, and then ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown
to start the third quarter as the Trojans celebrated an "Out of
This World" performance in a game where the statistics prove
bizarre - but nevertheless result in a 2019 Homecoming victory, 55
- 13 over the visiting Prattville Christian Academy Panthers.
Prattville Christian won the opening game toss, elected to
receive, and had decent field position after the kick
return. However, three plays later the Panthers were in punt
formation. A bad snap to the punter forced him to retrieve
the ball and he was brought down by Trojan pursuers at the 26 yard
line. On first down, Drew Fett tosssed a forward shove to
Alex Whisenhunt who picked up 23 yards on the play. Fett
would complete all four passes he would attempt on the evening,
and this would be the only one which would not reach the
endzone. However, on the next play, Austin Gavin scored the
first of his three touchdowns. Jan Wachowitz's first of six
consecutive extra points gave Saint James a 7 - 0 lead less than
two minutes into the game.
An out of bounds kickoff gave the Panthers decent field position
again, but they were once more forced to punt and Zac Russell
returned the punt 35 yards, a season long for any Trojan punt
return, to the Panther 38. Three consecutive runs by Gavin,
who only carried 6 times on the evening, netted 15 yards, and on
the next play Fett tossed his first touchdown pass down the middle
to Wilson Carter who made a fine catch in the endzone for the
touchdown. The extra point doubled the lead to 14 - 0 midway
through the first quarter.
After another kickoff return the Panthers started on their own 35
but failed to convert a first down, and their third punt in as
many drives was downed at the Trojan 41. On the following
play, Fett tossed a 59 yard touchdown to Gavin who juggled and
controlled the ball with a defender on him as he scooted into the
endzone, and Saint James had a 21 - 0 lead less than eight minutes
into the contest.
The Panthers finally earned their first two first downs on the
ensuing drive which ate up the rest of the first quarter. On
the third play of the second quarter from the Trojan 39, a sack of
seven yards turned the ball over on downs, and Saint James
promptly responded with a 54 yard touchdown run by Gavin and a 28
- 0 lead early in the second quarter.
A short kickoff return, and a three and out followed by a 19 yard
punt gave the Trojans excellent field position at the Panther 38.
Brock Woodham and Cosner Harrison ran for 8 and 6 yards
respectively, and then Fett tossed his final pass of the evening,
an out to a wide open Bennett Blankenship who snuck past defenders
on the sidelines for a 24 yard catch and run touchdown. The
Wachowitz extra point gave Saint James a 35 - 0 lead with still
most of the second quarter remaining.
Things got even worse for Prattville Christian, as they fumbled on
the first play of their next drive. It took Alex Whisenhunt
one play to convert on a run from 20 yards out, and Wachowitz made
his final extra point attempt of the night boosting the score to
42 - 0 just 32 seconds after scoring their previous
touchdown. And deja vu all over again, the Panthers fumbled
on the first play of the following drive and Saint James responded
with a second consecutive 20 yard touchdown run, this one by
Cosner Harrison. Holt Harrison attempted the extra point,
but a bad snap led to a kick block. Nevertheless, Saint
James had scored 20 points in 63 clock seconds, and the score was
now 48 - 0 with still nearly 7 minutes remaining until halftime.
With defensive substitutes manning the field for the Trojans, the
Panthers managed to run out most of the remaining second quarter
clock, turning the ball over on downs before one final Trojan
play, and Saint James took a very comfortable 48 point lead into
halftime as Miss Sarah Rice was presented as 2019 Homecoming Queen
during halftime.
The Panthers got their first chance to kick off to start the third
quarter, and it did not go well. Whisenhunt fielded the
kickoff at his own 25, avoided some early traffic, and raced down
the field for a 75 yard kickoff return on the first play of the
third quarter. Holt Harrison did convert his second try at
an extra point as Saint James boosted its lead to 55 points.
By mutual agreement, the clock ran for the entire second
half. The Panthers were lucky to recover a muffed kickoff,
and amazingly they used the entire third quarter to drive the ball
85 yards for a touchdown against the Trojans' deepest
reserves. Twelve consecutive running plays advanced the ball
to the Trojan 1 where Kenny Gunn was rewarded with the final yard
and the first Panther score giving them something to cheer
about. Trey Barkley added the extra point as the running
clock neared one minute to play in the quarter, and Prattville
Christian had dotted the scoreboard for the first time against the
Trojans.
Confusion reigned after the extra point. The teams were
lining up for the kickoff, and Saint James correctly expected an
onside kick. Before the kicker made his way to the ball, the
horn sounded as the third quarter clock had expired.
However, after a short meeting, the Panthers were allowed to make
their kick on what resembled an "untimed down". The fourth
quarter clock actually started, and the teams did not switch
directions as is normal between quarters. Amongst all the
confusion, the Panthers successfully executed the onside kick and
continued possession at midfield. The teams did
finally switch directions (with the clock continuing to
move). It only took the Panthers three plays to score as
Benjamin Echols ran twice for a combined 11 yards, and then Andrew
Raife broke into the secondary and raced for a 39 yard PCA
touchdown, their second of the night. The extra point was
blocked, but the Panthers had run off 14 conseuctive minutes of
clock as the touchdown was 'officially' scored at 9:25, and what
would be the final margin of victory was obtained.
Saint James, which had not run an offensive play in the second
half and had possession approximately 5 minutes of the first 39 on
the game clock thankfully ran off the final 9 plus minutes, nearly
tripling the game time of possession as Clayton Craft, Cosner
Harrison, and Jonathan Harris shared carries to move the ball down
the field after an unsuccessful Panther onside kick attempt.
Upon reaching the Panther 18, the Trojans merely downed the ball
and most everyone was happy when the referees allowed the last
minute of the clock to simply expire in a very peculiar game but a
satisfying one for Saint James as they wrapped up second place in
the region standings, and that all-important first round playoff
game at home against an opponent to be determined.
The Trojans still had a trip to Southside-Selma, their first since
2003, and the yearly battle with Trinity to complete a successful
2019 regular season in anticipation of the upcoming playoffs.
SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME EIGHT
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING 20
attempts 163 yards
4 TDs (8.15 yards per
carry)
3
Gavin
6 / 78 (2 TDs) 23
Craft
6 / 23 5
Harrison
3 / 22 (1 TD)
4 Whisenhunt 1 / 20 (1
TD) 14
Harris
3 / 12 44
Woodham
1 / 8
PASSING
4 completions 4 attempts 129 yards 0 INT
3 TDs
8
Fett
4 - 4 - 0 129 yards 3 TDs
RECEIVING
3 Gavin
1 / 59 (1 TD) 21
Blankenship 1 / 24 (1 TD)
18
Carter
1 / 23 (1 TD)
4 Whisenhunt 1 / 23
TOTAL
YARDS: 292
KICKS: XP 7 / 8
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 9 (44.OB,44,50,55,55,54,58,45)
PUNTS: 0
KO RETURNS: 2 (75TD, 0)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (35)
FIRST
DOWNS: 12 (8 rushing, 4 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 3 / 3
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
FUMBLES: 0
FUMBLE
RETURNS: 2 (0)
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 14
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 2 / 10 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 15:02 (approximate, running clock
second half)
P C A
RUSHING 45 attempts 182 yards 0
TDs (4.04 yards per carry)
PASSING
1 completion 7 attempts 0 INTs 16
yards 0 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 198
KICKS: XP 1 / 2
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 3
(35,10,14)
PUNTS: 4 (36,31,28,19)
KO
RETURNS: 8 (18,19,10,11,14,13,6,3)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 12 (11 rushing, 1 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 5 / 11
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 3
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
FUMBLES:
5, lost 2
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 1 / 5 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 32:58 (approximate)
RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2019 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE