2022 - GAME 1

  SAINT JAMES 42, @ Montgomery Academy 14
 
STJ        14      21        7        0            42

M A         0        7        7        0            14


August 19, 2022   McLemore Field   Game Conditions:  Partly cloudy, minimal humidity  Game Temperature:  87   Winds S 5

K.J. Jackson threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers on the first four Saint James drives, and a key special teams score just before halftime gave the Trojans more than enough momentum to cruise to a 42 - 14 season opening win over the Montgomery Academy Eagles.


SCORING SUMMARY

STJ  (1)  11:30*   Beard 80 pass from Jackson                                (Redden kick)     7 -   0
STJ  (1)    6:09     Harrison 55 pass from Jackson                          (Redden kick)   14 -   0
M A (2)  11:13     Wilson 24 pass from Cook                                 (Springer kick)   14 -   7
STJ  (2)    7:23     Pollard 21 pass from Jackson                             (Redden kick)   21 -   7
STJ  (2)    5:05     Holloway 51 pass from Jackson                          (Redden kick)   28 -   7
STJ  (2)    0:02     Beard 65 punt return                                           (Redden kick)   35 -   7
STJ  (3)    6:22     Harrison 19 run                                                    (Redden kick)   42 -   7
M A (3)    5:57     Woodward 69 pass from Springer                    (Springer kick)   42 - 14

The Trojans won the opening coin toss of the season and elected to take the ball first.  After an endzone kickoff, K.J. Jackson sent speedy receiver Ethan Beard down the middle on a deep deep post pattern.  A precision throw was hauled in by Beard near midfield, and he outran his only pursuer into the endzone for an 80 yard touchdown on the first scrimmage play.  The play only took 15 actual seconds, but perhaps foreshadowing the end of the game the clock continued running (thus the asterisk in the scoring summary) almost until the extra point was attempted by Wynston Redden, which he converted, giving the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead one play into the season.

The Eagles converted one first down on their opening drive, but progress was stalled by an A.J. Alozie sack which later resulted in a punt.  Beard fair caught a punt at his 30.  After a defensive offside penalty, the remainder of drive two belonged to Cosner Harrison.  Harrison picked up 15 on first down to advance the ball to midfield, but was then stuffed for a 6 yard loss and a minimal 1 yard gain.  On third down, Jackson tossed a screen pass to Harrison who had open field and the benefit of a good block by Ziggy Holloway to allow him to rumble 55 yards into the endzone for Saint James' second touchdown.  Redden's extra point gave Saint James a 14 point lead halfway through the opening stanza.

Montgomery Academy held the ball for the remainder of the first quarter trying to slow the pace of the game by grinding out rushing first downs.  On the first play of the second quarter, Jashawn Cooper bolted for 11 yards, which would turn out to be the second longest Eagle rush of the game, resulting in a first down at the Trojan 24.  On the next play, starting quarterback Parker Cook completed a pass to Chance Wilson who fought his way into the endzone.  Carson Springer, Eagle kicker who alternated at quarterback with Cook, converted his first extra point and the Eagles had cut the lead in half.

An offside penalty and an out of bounds kickoff gave Saint James excellent field position at the 40, and they took advantage.  Two Harrison runs netted 11 yards, and after Jackson's only incomplete pass of the evening, a slight overthrow, Harrison picked up another first down with a gain of a dozen.  On the next play, Jackson tossed his only completion of the first half which did not go the distance, a nifty 23 yard catch and run to Beard.  A bad snap and a penalty pushed the ball back to the Eagle 21, but Jackson lofted a pass over the middle which may have been tipped, but was garnered by D.J. Pollard in the middle of the endzone for Trojan touchdown # 3 and a 21 - 7 lead.

The Eagles tried a fake punt pass on their next drive which fell incomplete, and Saint James took over on the MA 46.  The Trojans were confused, perhaps because of the quick exchange of possession, false starting and having to use a time out because they still could not get the right personnel or play call.  However, once a play was agreed upon, it was executed.  Ziggy Holloway caught his first career Trojan pass, and it appeared he would be stopped after about 10 or 11 yards, but he broke several tackles and outraced Eagle defenders for a 51 yard touchdown, giving Jackson his fourth touchdown in four drives to four different receivers.  Redden's kick boosted the lead to 28 - 7 and the half wore down.

Pollard intercepted an Eagles pass on a nifty grab just off the ground to stop a potential Eagle threat, but Saint James had to punt back to M A with just under 40 seconds remaining.  An out of bounds pass reception and several incomplete passes forced MA to punt with 14 seconds remaining until halftime.  It appeared the Springer punt may have been deflected and veered toward the Saint James sidelines.  In the confusion, several of the Eagle punt coverers ran past a bouncing ball, and Beard realized there was virtually no harm in trying to return the punt.  No harm indeed, he wriggled across the field and took off upon reaching the M A side of the field for an amazing 65 yard punt return touchdown with just 2½ seconds left on the clock.  Redden's fifth extra point gave Saint James a perhaps surprising 35 - 7 lead over the tiring Eagles.

Thomas Woodward started the second half off for the Eagles with a nice kickoff return, but M A promptly turned the ball over on downs.  The Trojans drove 55 yards in 6 plays.  Harrison got some run help in the middle from Cole Anderson and a nifty 25 yard pickup on a quarterback keeper by Jackson, but it was Harrison who rumbled up the middle the final 19 yards for Saint James' first 2022 rushing touchdown, and the rout was on at 42 - 7.

Maybe not so fast.  The Trojans had begun substituting defenders, and Springer flung a pass similar to Jackson's first play of the game finding Woodward past all defenders for a quick 69 yard catch and run to cut the lead to 42 - 14.  Springer then executed an onside kick with the Eagles recovered just past midfield.  MA drove as deep as the Trojan 21, but a pass over the middle was tipped and intercepted by Holloway at the 5 yard line.  Saint James picked up several first downs while trying to erode the second half clock, but eventually punted early in the fourth quarter.  The Eagles were stopped on a fourth and one at the Trojan 41, and the game took a weird turn with 10 minutes remaining.  The coaches agreed to let the remaining clock run, and junior varsity players from both teams played the rest of the game.  Trojan Grant Phillips broke loose on a run down to the Eagles 4 yard line, but with more than two minutes remaining Saint James backup quarterback Tabor Offord merely downed the ball, and everyone agreed with over a minute remaining enough football had been played, and the score finalized at 42 - 14.

Saint James would look forward to a team they would host in the home opener the following week - the Handley Tigers, whom Saint James would have faced in the 2021 playoffs had their season extended.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME ONE

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING  29 attempts  155 yards   1 TD  (5.69 yards per carry)

                                5   Harrison             16 / 101  (1 TD)     31  Phillips           3 / 29       1   Jackson             4 /  18
                              21   Anderson              2 /    5                   15  Perry              2 / - 4    35   Williams            2 /  - 4

                              PASSING      6 completions  7 attempts  0 INTs   235 yards  4 TDs

                                1   Jackson               6 - 7 - 0   235 yards  4 TDs

                              RECEIVING

                                2   Beard                 2 / 103  (1 TD)      5   Harrison         1 / 55  (TD)    6   Holloway           1 / 51  (TD)
                                8   Pollard               1 /   21     (TD)    21   Anderson        1 /  5

                              TOTAL YARDS:  390

                              KICKS:      XP  6 / 6      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  7  (41,30,45,42,43,43,42)             PUNTS:  3  (43,44,42EZ)
                              KO RETURNS:  0                                              PUNT RETURNS:   2  (0fc,65TD)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   12  (7 rushing, 5 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   3 / 6
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (0,0)
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  0
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   7 / 35 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  23:23  (very approximate, running clock end of game)

MONT ACAD      RUSHING    42 attempts  146 yards  0 TDs  (3.48 yards per carry)
                              PASSING       6 completions  17 attempts  2 INTs  132 yards  2 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  278

                              KICKS:      XP  2 / 2      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  3  (EZ,OB,11os)                          PUNTS:  3  (35,26dfl,49)
                              KO RETURNS:  7  (3,0,12,10,9,31,13)            PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:  11  (8 rushing, 3 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  2 / 12
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  3 / 6
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              FUMBLES:  2, lost 0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  4 / 30 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:37  (approximate)

RETURN TO THE SAINT JAMES 2022 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE