2023 -
GAME 6
Charles Henderson 36, Saint James 13
C H 8 7 14 7 36
STJ 0 7 6 0 13
Friday, September 29, 2023. Carlisle Field. Game Conditions: Mostly/partly cloudy Game Temperature: 81 Wind: E 5
Coach Jimmy Perry decided several years ago to schedule non-region games against tougher, larger teams to prevent not facing any until the playoffs. In the second year of such scheduling, Charles Henderson was a repeat opponent, and Zach Coleman rushed for four touchdowns as the visiting Trojans soundly defeated the homestanding Trojans 36 - 13.
SCORING SUMMARY
C H (1) 7:20 Coleman 3 run (Coleman run) 0 - 8
C H (2) 3:44 Coleman 5 run (Peerson kick) 0 - 15
STJ (2) 0:48 Offord 40 pass from Jackson (Huff kick) 7 - 15
C H (3) 9:28 Coleman 1 run (Peerson kick) 7 - 22
C H (3) 6:00 Coleman 19 run (Peerson kick) 7 - 29
STJ (3) 1:18 Holloway 8 pass from Jackson (kick failed) 13 - 29
C H (4) 7:48 Frazier 18 run (Peerson kick) 13 - 36
Note - since both teams are "Trojans", I took the liberty of using "STJ" and "C H" in the game recap.
For the first time all season, Saint James did not win the opening coin toss but as Charles Henderson elected to defer their choice, STJ earned the opening possession. Nikolas Peerson, the C H kicker, boomed the first of all of his kickoffs into and through the endzone. However, STJ could gain no yardage on that opening drive and punted. Quarterback Parker Adams and Coleman earned a majority of the yardage on a 53 yard touchdown drive. Coleman caught a key 18 yard pass to advance the ball to the STJ 7, and two plays later he was rewarded with a three yard carry for the first C H touchdown. And very quickly, while most of us weren't looking, Coleman ran in for a two point conversion and C H had an early 7 - 0 lead.
Cole Anderson earned a first down for STJ on the next drive, but as was the case for most of the first half, the defenses for both teams shone, especially compared to some of the wild yardage games earlier in the season. Braxton Berrey pinned C H deep with a good punt to their own 12 yard line, but they used most of the first quarter to drive toward midfield. However, during this drive, C H was probably robbed of a touchdown. An Adams pass was deflected by an intended receiver and a whistle was blown for an incomplete pass. However, the pass was not actually incomplete as it continued to another C H receiver further downfield and it is quite possible he would have taken the ball the distance for a 75 yard touchdown. After some discussion, the play was simply designated a "do-over", much to the chagrin of the visiting fans and sideline. Later, a C H punt pinned STJ at their own 10 yard line. STJ advanced as far as the C H 42, but K.J. Jackson tried a long sideline pass which was intercepted on a great toe-tapping catch by Jywon Boyd at the 16 and another drive was thwarted. The teams traded punts again before C H started on their own 49. Boyd caught a 20 yard pass on first down. After a Kameron Johnson catch, another Boyd reception advanced the ball to the 5, where Coleman picked up his second touchdown. The Peerson extra point gave C H a 15 - 0 lead as halftime neared.
The STJ offense finally executed an 80 yard touchdown drive just before halftime. Jackson picked up 16 on a quarterback keeper to advance the ball near midfield, and several plays later another carry gave STJ a first down at the C H 39. After a one yard loss, Jackson finally converted on his first long pass attempt, a slant to Tabor Offord who split defenders and outraced two more for a 40 yard touchdown carch and run in the last minute of the half. Jake Huff's extra point cut the lead to one possession, and despite the feeling STJ had been overmatched in the first half, they went to halftime within one possession on the scoreboard.
A fine kickoff return by Boyd gave C H a short field, and they scored on the eighth play of a 52 yard drive. Boyd caught consecutive passes of 13 and 16 yards, and two plays later Coleman muscled in for his third touchdown and the C H lead was back to 15 at 22 - 7. STJ was stopped on a three and out, and C H drove again, this time 59 yards, for another touchdown. Antonio Frazier ran for 13 yards, and despite a penalty Noah Greene caught a 20 yard pass for a first down to the 19. Coleman racked up his fourth touchdown of the game on the next play, and suddenly the lead was 29 - 7 midway through the third quarter.
STJ benefited from two major penalties, a defensive pass interference and a vicious personal foul, to move the ball down the field. Jake Huff caught a pass for 22 yards, and Jackson scrambled enough to keep the drive alive. On third down from the C H 8, he tossed a nice pass to Ziggy Holloway who dove for and caught the pass in the endzone despite being interfered with. Huff's extra point was blocked, but the game was back to "somewhere in doubt" as the lead was cut to two possessions. With the interference penalty being assessed on the kickoff, Huff could kick from the C H 45. A high pooch kickoff was attempted, but an offside infraction pushed the ball back to the 50. From there, Huff blasted the ball through the endzone for a touchback and it was up the STJ defense to stop C H for a chance to cut the lead. However, C H converted two first downs to end the third quarter advancing the ball to the 45 yard line. From there, C H methodically used the clock as Frazier scored from 18 yards out and Peerson's kick sealed the game at 36 - 13.
Unable to convert a first down deep in their own territory, STJ punted and both teams substituted literally for the sole purpose of running out the clock. Peerson attempted a 39 yard field goal on the C H drive which missed wide right, and the STJ second string offense earned two first downs at the clock expired with C H grabbing the victory. Saint James began looking forward to their first ever visit John Mark Stallings field, home of the Faulkner Eagles, in a huge region matchup against the Alabama Christian Eagles the following Friday with potential playoff position on the line.
PRESS BOX STATISTICS GAME SIX
SAINT JAMES RUSHING 28 attempts 119 yards 0 TDs (4.25 yards per carry)
21
Anderson 14 /
53 1
Jackson 8 /
35 31
Phillips 4 / 18
15
Perry
1 / 7 16
Pruitt
1 / 6
PASSING
9 completions 23 attempts 1 INT 116
yards 2 TDs
1 Jackson
9 - 23 - 1
116 yards 2 TDs
RECEIVING
6
Holloway 5 /
50 (1 TD) 10
Offord 1 /
40 (1 TD)
3 Huff 1 /
22
5 Richardson 1
/
5
21 Anderson 1 / - 1
TOTAL
YARDS: 235
KICKS: XP 1 / 2
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 3
(31,53,50EZ)
PUNTS: 4 (37,36,40,37)
KO RETURNS: 0
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 13 (7 rushing, 4 passing, 2
penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 5 / 11
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
FUMBLES: 0
TURNOVER
MARGIN: - 1
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 7 / 35
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 21:27
C HENDERSON
RUSHING 34 attempts 175 yards
5 TDs (5.15 yards per carry)
PASSING
17 completions 27 attempts 0 INTs
148 yards
TOTAL
YARDS: 323
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
KICKOFFS: 6 (all EZ) PUNTS: 3 (48,45,38)
KO RETURNS: 3 (0,0fc,41) PUNT RETURNS: 4 (9,0fc,0fc,0fc)
FIRST DOWNS: 24 (11 rushing, 13 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 6 / 10
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
FUMBLES: 1, lost 0
INTERCEPTION RETURN: 1 (0)
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 8 / 74 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 26:33