2022 - GAME 7

  SAINT JAMES 35, Alabama Christian 20 
ACA          0        0      14        6          20
 
 STJ          14        7        7        7          35

September 30, 2022   Carlisle Field   SENIOR NIGHT   Game Conditions:  Partly cloudy, cool  Game Temperature:  74  Wind:  NE  5 - 10
 

K.J. Jackson completed enough of his passes, and Cosner Harrison had perhaps his finest rushing performance of the season as the Trojans again celebrated a victorious Senior Night and clinched a playoff spot for the ninth consecutive season as Saint James defeated crosstown rival Alabama Christian 35 - 20 in a key regional matchup.

SCORING SUMMARY

STJ   (1)    7:49   Jackson 1 run                                      (Huff kick)     7 -   0
STJ   (1)    3:08   Beard 20 pass from Jackson              (Huff kick)   14 -   0
STJ   (2)    1:07   Harrison 8 run                                    (Huff kick)   21 -   0
ACA (3)  10:19   Dion 65 run                                 (Summers kick)   21 -   7
STJ   (3)    6:53   Beard 28 pass from Jackson              (Huff kick)   28 -   7
ACA (3)    0:50   Stuart 23 pass from Landers     (Summers kick)   28 - 14
STJ   (4)  10:33   Houser 36 run                                     (Huff kick)   35 - 14
ACA (4)    3:36   Hicks 25 pass from Landers         (kick blocked)   35 - 20

Saint James started out with the first offensive possession and picked up 19 yards on the first play on an Ethan Beard pass reception from K.J. Jackson.  However, most of the remaining 56 yard drive was on the ground, with Jackson keeping for the final yard for another Saint James first drive touchdown.  Jake Huff's extra point, the first of five consecutive, gave the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead over four minutes into the first quarter.

The Trojan defense forced a three and out by the Eagles, and Saint James again began with good field possession at their own 47.  Six plays later they were in the endzone again.  A 6 yard run by Clint Houser, a 14 yard reception by Ziggy Holloway, a 4 yard run by Cosner Harrison and a 5 yard run by Cole Anderson, a 6 yard pass to Riley Britton, and a 20 yard touchdown pass to Beard doubled the lead to 14 - 0 with still three minutes plus remaining in the first quarter.

Alabama Christian did manage one first down on their next drive thanks to the work of Otasowie Dion, but were eventually again forced to punt.  The Eagle defense eventually slowed the Trojans early in the second quarter and forced their own punt.  They would then use up a chunk of the second quarter to drive as deep as the Trojan 30, but they could not convert a fourth down pass and turned the ball over on downs giving Saint James one more chance to score before halftime.  They did.  Jackson converted a key third down and 13 with a 16 yard keeper for a first down which was followed up by a first down reception by Holloway.  On the next play, another long Jackson run was negated by a holding penalty.  No sweat - on the next play Harrison broke loose for a 46 yard run to more than make up for the lost yardage.  Two more Harrison carries, for 6 and 8 yards, gave the Trojans a late first half touchdown and a 21 - 0 lead headed into halftime.

It did not take long for the Eagles to eliminate the scoreboard goose egg in the third quarter.  On the third play, Dion took a handoff and broke off a scrum on the left side of the line into the secondary outrunning potential tacklers for a 65 yard touchdown run.  Tyson Summers added the extra point and the lead was back to two possessions at 21 - 7.

Saint James quickly responded after a short kickoff fair catch.  Jackson, arguably with his best career rushing game, picked up 19 on an early third down to sustain the drive.  Cole Anderson carried twice, despite being ceremoniously flipped at the end of the first carry, and then Beard caught his second touchdown pass of the night, a slick slant play for a 28 yard touchdown.  Huff's extra point pushed the lead back to 21 at 28 - 7.

The Eagles could not take advantage of a double major penalty play where the Trojans were called for a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct together.  The defense tightened and forced a punt, but the Eagles defense did likewise and took over at midfield late in the third quarter.  Dion ran for 16 on first down and substitute quarterback Corey Landers, in for the injured Hayes Hunt who was kept out as a game time decision, followed up with a 14 yard run.  Three plays later, Landers lofted a pass to the far corner of the endzone to Avery Stuart who overleaped his defender and brought it down for a 23 yard touchdown reception.  The Summers extra point again cut the lead to 14 with just under a minute remaining in the third quarter.

The Trojans began with good field position again after yet another short kickoff.  Harrison and Jackson almost alternated carries down to the 36 yard line.  On that play, Saint James seemed to have confusion on the call, the players inserted, and the formations.  Jackson was lucky to get the play off before the play clock expired.  He handed the ball off to Houser on a near duplicate of a first quarter play.  He used a fine block to get around the corner and outdueled several Eagle defenders on his way to a most unexpected 36 yard touchdown.  Huff's extra point returned the lead to 21 at 35 - 14 still early in the fourth quarter.

Alabama Christian would drive and convert on a fourth down play - a touchdown pass from Landers to a wide open Preston Hicks in the center of the endzone, a 25 yard reception.  A Trojan unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would advance the ensuing kickoff to the Trojan 45, but the anger seemed to ignite the Trojans as Beard blocked the extra point attempt, leaving the score at what would be the final tally, 35 - 20, with half of the final quarter remaining.

With the benefit of the penalty, the Eagles tried an onside kick which was fielded by Cole Anderson at the 36 yard line and it appeared Saint James would try to run out the clock.  However, on the second play, Jackson tossed a rare bad pass which was intercepted gave the Eagles a new life.  However, on that drive, the penalty bug feasted.  Five five yard penalties, including a delay of game and a sideline warning infraction, repeatedly stalled Alabama Christian and finally the Trojans stopped the Eagles on a long fourth down at the Saint James 45 to take over and run out the clock after a Harrison run earned an extra series of downs.

The victory clinched not only a playoff berth, but a first round home playoff game, again, for Saint James, with the winner and runner-up to be likely decided the following Friday at Trinity.

SIDELINE STATISTICS  GAME SEVEN

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   38 attempts  264 yards   3 TDs  (6.92 yards per carry)

                                5   Harrison             23 / 172 yards  (1 TD)      7   Houser            2 / 42  (1 TD)
                                1   Jackson                8 /   40 yards  (1 TD)    21   Anderson        5 / 10

                               PASSING      8 completions  12 attempts  1 INT   113 yards  2 TDs

                                1   Jackson              8 - 12 - 1   113 yards   2 TDs

                              RECEIVING

                                2   Beard                  3 / 67  (2 TDs)                 6   Holloway         3 / 32
                                7   Houser                1 /   8                               9   Britton              1 /   6                               

                              TOTAL YARDS:  377
                              KICKS:      XP  5 / 5      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  6  (35,34,OB,32,27,32)                     PUNTS:   2  (32,44)
                              KO RETURNS:  4  (0,0fc,0,0)                                PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:   20  (12 rushing, 8 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   4 / 6
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  - 1
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   6 / 73 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  23:35

ALA CHRISTIAN  RUSHING   34 attempts  205 yards  1 TD  (6.03 yards per carry - 9 Dion 10 / 118)
                              PASSING         9 completions  18 attempts  0 INTs  114 yards  2 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  319

                              KICKS:      XP  2 / 3      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:   0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  4  (16,15,21,9)                                   PUNTS:  3  (27,26,35)
                              KO RETURNS:  5  (-2,0,0fc,2,3)                            PUNT RETURNS:  2  (2,5)
                              FIRST DOWNS:  14  (7 rushing, 6 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   6 / 12
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 3
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (0)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  8 / 45 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:25

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