2022 -
GAME 8
SAINT JAMES 37, @ Trinity 21 
TPS
0 7
14 0
21
October 7, 2022
Ragsdale-Boykin Field Game Conditions:
Glorious - partly cloudy Game
Temperature: 71 Wind: NNW 5
Saint James used some huge plays and some grind 'em
out drives and the defense withstood a mid-game rally as the
Trojans clinched their tenth area/region championship of all time
and clinched at least a tie for another Capital City Conference
championship by traveling to Ragsdale-Boykin Field and defeating
the rival Trinity Wildcats 37 - 21.
SCORING SUMMARY
STJ (1) 9:09 Beard 77 pass from
Jackson
(Huff kick) 7 - 0
STJ (1) 0:35 Harrison 2
run
(Huff kick) 14 - 0
TPS (2) 5:34 Pemberton 19 pass
from McClinton (Owen
kick) 14 - 7
STJ (2) 2:30 Harrison 4
run
(Huff kick) 21 - 7
TPS (3) 6:39 McClinton 1
run
(Owen kick) 21 - 14
STJ (3) 2:38 Holloway 34 pass
from
Jackson
(Huff kick) 28 - 14
TPS (3) 1:25 Pemberton 36 pass
from McClinton (Owen kick) 28
- 21
STJ (4) 0:54 Huff 31
FG
31 - 21
STJ (4) 0:00 Holloway 73
interception return
(no attempt) 37 - 21
For one of the rare occasions this season Saint
James did not open the game with ball possession as Trinity won
the coin toss and elected to receive. After a short kickoff
was fair caught, the Wildcats managed one first down on a 10 yard
pass completion but the Trojans forced a punt which was fair
caught by Ethan Beard on the 23 yard line. On the next play,
Beard was the target as K.J. Jackson tossed a bomb to his receiver
which had outrun two Trinity pursuers for a 77 yard touchdown on
the first scrimmage play. Jake Huff, who had another perfect
place kicking night, converted the first of his four extra points
and the Trojans had a quick 7 - 0 lead and very quickly quietened
a Trinity crowd and sidelines.
The momentum carried over for the defense as they forced a three
and out. However, Fleming Hall boomed a punt which took a
very favorable Wildcat roll all the way down to the 3 yard
line. Saint James then embarked on a drive which was an
exact polar opposite to the one play air show on the previous
possession - 13 consecutive running plays without a pass in
sight. Cosner Harrison, who rushed for a season high 30
attempts, picked up 23 yards on first down to give the Trojans
breathing room, and after a 7 yard pickup broke loose for another
23 yard gain pushing the ball into Trinity territory. From
then on, Harrison, Jackson, and Cole Anderson split the
carries. Harrison was rewarded with the touchdown on the
final two yards and Huff's conversion doubled the Saint James lead
to 14 - 0 as most of the first quarter had expired.
On the third play of the second quarter, Trinity quarterback
Walker McClinton lofted a deep pass toward an open receiver but it
was nimbly intercepted by Ziggy Holloway at the Trojan 17 yard
line and all the momentum was on the Saint James side.
However, after both an intentional grounding penalty and an
illegal forward pass attempt (over the line of scrimmage), the
Trojans were forced into their first punt of the evening giving
the Wildcats good field position at the Trojan 45. McClinton
mixed short passes and quarterback keepers along with handoffs to
primarily Mike Jones to advance the ball. A touchdown pass
was negated by an illegal shift penalty, but on third down from
the Trojan 19, McClinton magically avoided rushers on an extended
scramble and just before being forced out of bounds lofted an
almost desperation pass to the endzone which was tipped by a
Trojan defender, but then caught just inside the back of the
endzone by Norris Pemberton for a touchdown. After Will
Owen's extra point the lead was suddenly cut in half and the
Wildcat faithful were back into the game.
However, after Ethan Beard returned the kickoff 39 yards to the
Trinity 40 yard line, Saint James dampened the Wildcat enthusiasm,
and his 11 yard pass reception on first down further hushed the
home crowd. After several Harrison runs, Holloway caught a
pass down to the Wildcat 8. An offside penalty gave the
Trojans first and goal at the 4, and Harrison delivered with his
second touchdown run of the evening boosting the lead back to
14. A holding penalty on the kickoff return gave Trinity
poor field position, and despite a 17 yard run by Jones and a face
mask penalty, the Wildcats could progress no further, and after a
punt Saint James was content to run out the first half with a two
touchdown advantage.
Saint James started with a short kickoff return to begin the third
quarter, and on third down a Jackson pass was intercepted by
Fleming Hall giving the Wildcats great field position at the
Trojan 32. Mostly on runs by Jones and a few short pass
completions, Trinity took nine plays but quarterback McClinton
called his own number from inside the one yard line for a Wildcat
touchdown and again the lead was cut to seven midway through the
third quarter.
Beard returned the next kickoff to the 34 yard line, and two
Harrison runs promptly pushed the Trojans back into Wildcat
territory. Cooper Wright caught an 11 yard pass and Jackson
then kept for two yards to convert a key first down to the Trinity
32. After a two yard loss on first down, Jackson found
Holloway for a 34 yard catch and run touchdown and the 14 point
advantage was regained as the third quarter neared completion.
Not for long, though. Kicker Huff had to make a touchdown
saving tackle on a long kickoff return by Webber McClinton to the
Trojan 37. On fourth and nine from the 36, Walker McClinton
called for a post pattern and found Pemberton in the endzone for
his second touchdown reception of the evening, and yet again the
lead was cut to 7 at 28 - 21 with still over 13 minutes of game
time remaining.
The Trojans were perhaps lucky to recover a fumble on the ensuing
kickoff return, but they also whittled away at the fourth quarter
clock afterwards. Riley Britton caught a key 15 yard pass to
convert a first down, but eventually Saint James had to punt and
Braxton Berrey delivered pinning Trinity deep in their territory
at their own 13 yard line, but giving them the first chance in a
long while to perhaps drive for a tying touchdown. Pemberton
and David Michael Lieux both converted first downs on receptions,
but from their own 44 the Wildcats could not convert a fourth down
and 8 and turned the ball back over to the Trojans in fine field
position with just over five minutes remaining. Beard had a
10 yard pass reception, the last of his five for the evening, but
it was mostly the powerful Harrison running for pieces at a time
and gobbling up valuable clock time in the process. Harrison
broke loose for a 17 yard run down to the Trinity 15. The
drive stalled, but Saint James forced Trinity to start burning
timeouts as they maneuvered into the middle of the field, setting
up Jake Huff for a 31 yard field goal attempt which was successful
- the first made field goal for Saint James in the 2022 season,
pushing the lead to 31 - 21 with less than a minute remaining.
Trinity ran the kickoff back to the 25, and several midrange
passes eventually pushed the ball back into Trojan territory who
kept receivers inbounds allowing the precious clock to run.
With six seconds left, McClinton lofted a desperation pass over
the middle where only Trojan defenders were and Holloway
intercepted the pass. Seeing dejected Trinity players ahead
of him, he took the advantage and roared toward the boisterous
Trojan sidelines and dashed 73 yards for a pick six
touchdown. There was no need for an extra point to be
attempted, but Saint James had won the region championship and
that all important # 1 seed over arguably their biggest rival,
defeating Trinity for the sixth time in seven seasons. With
only two regular season games remaining against two first time
opponents, a home tilt with Sumter Central and a visit to Ozark to
face Carroll with a well-deserved off week in between, Saint James
could begin at least setting sights toward the upcoming 2022
playoffs.
SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME EIGHT
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING 40
attempts 153 yards
2 TDs (3.83 yards per
carry)
5
Harrison
30 / 155 (2 TDs)
21 Anderson
4 / 16
2
Beard
1 / -
5
1
Jackson
5 / - 13
PASSING
9 completions 15 attempts 1 INT 186
yards 2 TDs
1
Jackson
9 - 15 - 1 186 yards 2 TDs
RECEIVING
2
Beard
5 / 117 (1
TD)
6
Holloway
2 / 43 (1 TD)
9
Britton
1 /
15
12
Wright
1 / 11
TOTAL
YARDS: 339
KICKS: XP 4 / 4
FG 1 / 1 (31 made)
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 6
(32,25,26,52,36,53)
PUNTS: 2 (37,29)
KO RETURNS: 4 (39,4,15,4)
PUNT
RETURNS: 1 (0fc)
FIRST
DOWNS: 19 (12 rushing, 6 passing, 1
penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 8 / 14
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
FUMBLES: 1, lost 0
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 2 (0,73TD)
TURNOVER
MARGIN: + 1
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 6
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 2 / 20 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 28:42
TRINITY
RUSHING 25 attempts 76 yards 1
TD (3.04 yards per carry)
PASSING
14 completions 23 attempts 2 INTs 2 TDs
141 yards
TOTAL
YARDS: 217
KICKS: XP 3 / 3
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS:
4 (39,46,36,53)
PUNTS: 3
(39,58,34)
KO
RETURNS: 6 (0fc,0,0fc,3,38,18)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 15 (6 rushing, 9 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4 / 10
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 7
FUMBLES:
1, lost 0
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (0)
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 2 / 12 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: 19:18
RETURN TO THE
SAINT JAMES 2022 FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE