2020 - GAME 11

  Montevallo 27, Saint James 21 (OT)    
   MON          7        7        0        7    |     6       27
 
    STJ            7        7        7        0    |     0       21


SCORING SUMMARY:

MON   (1)   6:43   Martin 12 pass from Dreyer                             (Hernandez kick)     0 -   7
 STJ     (1)   2:06   C. Harrison 3 run                                            (H. Harrison kick)     7 -   7
 STJ     (2)   9:16   Wright 18 pass from Jackson                         (H. Harrison kick)   14 -   7
MON   (2)   0:00   Anderson 1 run                                                  (Hernandez kick)   14 - 14
 STJ     (3)   1:26   C. Harrison 2 run                                            (H. Harrison kick)   21 - 14
MON   (4)   5:36   Anderson 12 run                                                (Hernandez kick)   21 - 21

MON     (OT1)      Anderson 4 run                                                                                  21 - 27
November 6, 2020.   Carlisle Field   Game Conditions:  Mostly cloudy, comfortable   Game Temperature:  70   Wind:  Negligible
 

It was a battle of the running backs - Cosner Harrison for Saint James and Joseph Anderson for Montevallo - and Anderson had the last hurrah as his touchdown in overtime brought a sudden end to the Trojans' tumultuous 2020 season as the Bulldogs for the second time ended playoff hopes against the Trojans with a hard-fought 27 - 21 overtime victory.

Montevallo won the opening coin toss and promptly drove 73 yards down the field on a 9 play touchdown drive.  Anderson's biggest yardage of the night came on his first carry - 25 yards.  His running combined with short passing minced the Trojan defense early.  On third down from the Trojan 12, Jonathan Dreyer lofted a pass to Anthony Martin in the far corner of the endzone for a touchdown.  The Giovanni Hernandez extra point gave the Bulldogs a quick 7 - 0 lead nearly midway through the first quarter.

Saint James responded with almost a mirror image drive.  After an out of bounds kickoff, a diverse Trojan offense consisting of short passes to several receiver and runs by not only Harrison but by supporting cast set up Saint James with a third down and 2 on the Bulldogs 3.  Harrison responded with his first touchdown of the night and the Holt Harrison extra point tied the score at 7 with only 2:06 remaining in an amazingly swift first quarter.

The Bulldogs had good field position on their second drive starting at their own 40 carrying into the second quarter.  However, after converting one first down they stalled at midfield, and a "quick kick" punt was actually blocked by the butt of the up man and fallen upon by Saint James at the Bulldog 45.  An 11 yard pass from K.J. Jackson to Bradley Thomas, runs of 6 and 5 yards by Harrison, and an offside penalty gave the Trojans the ball at the 18 yard line.  From there, Jackson found one of his favorite targets, Cooper Wright, for an 18 yard catch and run touchdown.  Harrison's extra point gave Saint James its first lead at 14 - 7 in a still swift moving first half.

Montevallo had issues on an attempted punt on their next drive as a snap was well over Anderson's head (yes, he doubled as punter as well).  Anderson fell on the ball, but a turnover on downs gave the Trojans excellent field position at the Bulldog 36.  However, a holding penalty on a sizable Harrison run stalled the drive and Saint James was forced to punt.  With 2:43 remaining until halftime, Montevallo used all 163 seconds to score and tie the game traveling 82 yards.  Despite having used all their first half timeouts, quarterback Dreyer used short passes, primarily to his top receiver Kamron Goins, his workhorse halfback Anderson, and some well-timed clockings of the ball.  On the final play of the half, Anderson bowled over for 1 yard and Hernandez' extra point tied the game at 14 as the teams went to halftime well before 8 PM.

The defenses to start the second half seemed to have made adjustments to neutralize their opponents' running at will it seemed.  The teams traded punts, again in a quickly moving quarter after each managed first downs but little else, and Saint James took over on their own 27.  Jackson sprinted for 13 yards on perhaps his most productive carry of the season, and two plays later Harrison finally broke loose for a 33 yard carry moving the ball down to the 23 yard line.  Cooper Wright converted a key third down and 7 with a 16 yard pass and run down to the Bulldog 4.  An offside penalty cut the distance in half, and Harrison's touchdown, which unfortunately would be his final score of a magical season, put the Trojans back on top.  The Holt Harrison extra point was notable because it was his 45th converted extra point kick of the season which set a new Trojan team record for an individual.  Unfortunately, again, it would be the final Trojan score of 2020.

The Bulldogs drove for nearly six minutes on their ensuing drive, but were stopped on a fourth down and 14 at the Trojans 39.  However, two plays later the Trojans committed a serious error as a wayward pitch backwards could have been picked up by any number of players on both sides, but the ball was finally captured by Montevallo at the Trojan 28.  Saint James was lucky the loose ball wasn't scooped for a score, but the Bulldogs picked up the touchdown after five consecutive Anderson runs, the final one a 12 yard untouched jaunt right up the middle into the endzone.  Hernandez' extra point tied the game, once more, this time at 21 with about half of the fourth quarter remaining.

The Trojans were driving down the field for a potential winning score.  However, a costly illegal procedure penalty was followed by a deep pass intercepted by Kavounte Britton and returned to the Bulldog 27.  Once again, Montevallo drove down the field, but a bit hurried as the clock was winding down.  Kiel Cottingham hauled in a 31 yard far sideline pass from Dreyer to advance the ball to the 25 yard line.  However, two Anderson runs could only net 6 yards and Montevallo, again out of time outs, had to clock the ball with 17 seconds remaining and a fourth down and 4 from the Trojan 19.  It appeared the Bulldogs had converted the first down on a short pass to Cottingham, but a block in the back penalty pushed the ball back to the 26.  Montevallo rushed in Hernandez to try a desperate field goal from 42 yards out, but the kick did not have nearly enough distance and the game went to overtime - the second such for Saint James in 2020 and the second such playoff overtime all time as well.

Montevallo won the toss and elected to play defense.  Three Harrison and one Will Wales run could only advance the ball to the 4 yard line, and the Bulldogs were prime for victory as any score would win.  Three straight runs by Anderson, of 2, 4, and a diving 4 yards, sent the opposing sidelines deservedly so into a frenzy and crushed the Trojans' hopes of a twelve game season for the fifth year in a row.  It was a record setting season in several ways for the Trojans, and considering the youthfulness of the team, a 7 and 4 record cannot be considered disappointing.  And the experience heading into 2021 will be oh so valuable.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME ELEVEN

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   35 attempts   156 yards   2 TDs   (4.46 yards per carry)

                                5   Harrison           24 / 134  (2 TDs)    11   Wales                      3 / 13      7   Houser              1 / 4
                              23   Craft                   1 /    3                     1    Jackson                  6 /   2

                              PASSING    6 completions  10 attempts  1 INT   66 yards   1 TD

                                1   Jackson                6 - 10 - 1  66 yards  1 TD

                              RECEIVING

                              12   Wright               2 / 34  (1 TD)        21   Thomas                  2 / 23
                                4   Taylor                1 /   7                       3   Russell                   1 /   2

                              TOTAL YARDS:  222

                              KICKS:      XP  3 / 3      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  4  (38,36,42,25)                      PUNTS:  2  (30,38)
                              KO RETURNS:  2  (7,3)                              PUNT RETURNS:   1 (0)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   16   (11 rushing, 4 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  3 / 6
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 1
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  - 2
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   2 / 18 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  18:00

MONTEVALLO   RUSHING    42 attempts  151 yards  2 TDs  (3.60 per carry)
                              PASSING      13 completions  24 attempts  0 INTs   134 yards  1 TD
                              TOTAL YARDS:  285

                              KICKS:      XP  3 / 3      FG   0 / 1  (42 missed)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  3  (OB,34,42)                        PUNTS:  2  (-5bk,29)
                              KO RETURNS:  4  (5,16,12,0)                   PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:  16  (6 rushing, 9 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   6 / 15
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:   4 / 6
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (9)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  7
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  4 / 19 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  30:00

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