2023 - GAME 4

  SAINT JAMES 49, Greensboro 14 
 
GRE         0        0      14        0            14

  STJ        21      21        7        0            49


Friday, September 15, 2023  HOMECOMING   Game Conditions:  Cloudy, breezy, rain 90 minutes before game   Game Temperature:  81  Wind:  E  15 mph

Saint James scored seven touchdowns on its first seven possessions, and despite not putting up gaudy statistics like the previous game, the Trojans cruised to a 49 - 14 Homecoming Region victory over the first time visitor to Carlisle Field, the Greensboro Raiders.

SCORING SUMMARY

STJ   (1)   9:21   Anderson 1 run                                                                 (Huff kick)     7 -   0
STJ   (1)   7:34   Richardson 59 pass from Jackson                                  (Huff kick)   14 -   0
STJ   (1)   3:17   Connor 3 run                                                                    (Huff kick)   21 -   0
STJ   (2)   6:15   Anderson 11 run                                                               (Huff kick)   28 -   0
STJ   (2)   3:46   Pollard 17 run                                                                   (Huff kick)   35 -   0
STJ   (2)   0:55   Connor 10 run                                                                  (Huff kick)   42 -   0
STJ   (3)   8:30   Connor 36 run                                                                  (Huff kick)   49 -   0
GRE (3)   4:16   Williams 39 pass from Richardson   (King pass from Richardson)  49 -   7
GRE (3)   1:01   Williams 18 pass from Richardson                                (pass failed)  49 - 14

For the fourth consecutive game, the Trojans won the coin toss and elected to receive.  Cole Anderson gave Saint James excellent field position with a 40 yard kickoff return to the Raiders 42 yard line.  However, many in the crowd were surprised when backup quarterback Chase Perry came out to lead the Trojans on the opening drive.  Anderson ran for 7 and 9 yards on the first two plays.  Perry then tossed a pass over the middle to Pruitt Conner for a 21 yard gain down to the 5 yard line.  Anderson barrelled to inside the 1 yard line on the next play and was rewarded with the scoring carry following.  Jake Huff, who was a perfect 7 for 7 on extra points, gave the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead early in the first quarter.

Huff was not only booming extra points - he was booming kickoffs out of the endzone for touchbacks, as he did on his first attempt.  The Raiders were held to a three and out, but a punt which took a huge Greensboro bounce got them out of field position trouble at the Trojan 41.  Or maybe not.  K.J. Jackson came out to lead the team on its second drive, and on the first play he sought out and found Evan Richardson behind the defense for a 59 yard catch and run touchdown, Richardson's first of his career, and Saint James was up 14 - 0 with still more than half of the first quarter time remaining.

The Raiders were again stuffed on a 3 and out which was followed by a shanked punt which traveled less than 30 net yards.  From the Greensboro 47, it was Anderson's drive.  He rushed for 3, 12, and 14 on the first three plays and caught a 15 yard pass from Jackson, his only other completion of the evening.  On first down from the Raider 3, the ball was handed off to Conner for his first carry of five in the game, and what would be his first touchdown of three.  The Trojans were up quickly 21 - 0 still less than 10 minutes into the game.

Greensboro finally generated some offense as Cornell Richardson connected with Kendrick Paige on a pass which he snatched between two defenders and galloped for 60 yards down to the Trojan 22.  A fourth down encroachment penalty gave the Raiders first down at the Trojan 12, but the Saint James defense stiffened holding Greensboro to a 1 yard gain on first down and three consecutive incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs.  From there, the Trojans embarked on a time consuming 89 yard drive, mostly on the running of Anderson and Jackson.  A holding penalty threatened to stall the drive inside the Raiders 30, but on fourth down and 3 Jackson broke loose for a 24 yard scamper and earned the final yard by bulldozing his tackler.  On the next play, Anderson scored basically untouched from 11 yards out and Saint James was up 28 - 0 midway through the second quarter.

Another short punt on the next Raider drive set up the Trojans at the Greensboro 43.  After an incomplete pass, D.J. Pollard was rewarded with his first two (and what would be his only two) carries.  26 and 17 yards later, Saint James was celebrating in the endzone again with a 35 - 0 lead.  After a fumbled punt snap which was almost converted into a desperation first down, Saint James had ideal field position at the Greensboro 29 late in the first half and took advantage.  This time it was Pruitt with consecutive runs of 19 and 10 yards for the sixth Trojan touchdown in six first half drives and a 42 - 0 halftime lead.  At halftime the 2023 Homecoming Queen, Reilly Taylor, was crowned with the proud Saint James pageantry.

An out of bounds kickoff to start the second half gave Greensboro a chance to start somewhere on the field besides their own 20 yard line.  However, the Raiders could not convert a fourth down from the 41, giving the Trojans great field possession again.  Most of the first stringers on both sides of the ball, especially the offense, would not see the field gain.  Connor, just like a similar drive previously, carried twice for 4 yards, and then converted a brilliant 36 yard sideline touchdown run, breaking tackles several times from a dejected Raider defense, and Huff's extra point gave Saint James what would be their final points of the game in a 49 - 0 lead.

After agreeing to a "sort of running clock", Greensboro finally generated a scoring drive against the deepest of Trojan reserves.  Richardson tossed a pass to Kemareon Williams for a 39 yard touchdown and tossed a pass to Terry King for a two point conversion to finally get the Raiders on the scoreboard.  To keep momentum on their side, an onside kick attempt was muffed and recovered by the Raiders at the Trojan 43.  A personal foul penalty tacked on to a short pass completion gave Greensboro first down at the Saint James 18, and after two incomplete passes, Williams again was the recipient of an 18 yard toss for a touchdown.  This time the two point conversion pass failed, and late in the third quarter what would be the final score of 49 - 14 was reached.

In addition to the "sort of running clock", the coaches agreed to shorten the fourth quarter to 8 minutes.  Richardson connected to his primary running back Amire Thomas on a 52 yard pass down to the Trojan 10, but the Saint James reserves forced four consecutive incompletions to negate another Raiders score.  The final Raiders drive was halted by a Mason Craig interception, and the Trojans simply ran out the clock for their 13th consecutive Homecoming victory and a 19th consecutive region victory, both school records, with another region game at Southside-Selma in the near future.

PRESS BOX STATISTICS - GAME FOUR

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING  31 attempts  275 yards   6 TDs  (8.87 yards per carry)

                               21   Anderson           15 / 116  (2 TDs)   16   Connor           5 / 72  (3 TDs)   8   Pollard           2 / 43  (1 TD)
                                 1   Jackson                2 /   33                  15   Perry              3 / 17               30   Zukowski       1 / - 3
                               35   Williams              3 /   - 3

                              PASSING      4 completions  7 attempts  0 INTs   100 yards  1 TD

                                1   Jackson               2 - 5 - 0      74 yards    1 TD
                              15   Perry                   2 - 2 - 0      26 yards

                              RECEIVING

                                5   Richardson            1 / 59  (TD)         16   Connor           1 / 21
                              21   Anderson               1 / 15                   19   Hines             1 /   5

                              TOTAL YARDS:  375

                              KICKS:      XP  7 / 7      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  8  (EZ,EZ,EZ,49,EZ,EZ,57,43)   PUNTS:   1  (29)
                              KO RETURNS:  3  (40,0f,5)                             PUNT RETURNS:   0
                              FIRST DOWNS:   19  (16 rushing, 3 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   1 / 3
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (5)
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  0
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   3 / 30 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  18:58  (44 minute game)

GREENSBORO    RUSHING    12 attempts  20 yards  0 TDs  (1.67 yards per carry)
                              PASSING      12 completions  35 attempts  1 INT  216 yards  2 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  236

                              KICKS:      XP  0 / 0      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                              KICKOFFS:  3 (42,17,40)                                 PUNTS:  4  (39,29,18,6)
                              KO RETURNS:  1  (9)                                      PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:  6  (5 rushing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  2 / 11
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  2 / 5
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  6
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  none
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  25:02  (44 minute game) 

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