2023 - GAME 9

  SAINT JAMES 34, @ Sumter Central 8   
 STJ          14      17       0       3           34
 
  S C            0        0       0       8             8 

Thursday, October 19, 2023.   Jaguar Field, Livingston, AL   Game Conditions:  Partly Cloudy   Game Temperature:  72  Wind:  W 5

Saint James made its first football trip to Sumter County to face off against the Sumter Central Jaguars.  The Trojans piled up 31 unanswered points in the first half and with a running clock in the second half cruised to a 34 - 8 victory completing a perfect 6 - 0 Region Record and cementing that first round home game against a fourth seed from southeast Alabama in three weeks.


SCORING SUMMARY

STJ  (1)   10:03   Anderson 9 run                                           (Huff kick)     7 - 0
STJ  (1)     4:49   Anderson 10 run                                         (Huff kick)   14 - 0
STJ  (2)     7:43   Huff 24 FG                                                                        17 - 0
STJ  (2)     5:29   Carroll 8 pass from Jackson                      (Huff kick)   24 - 0
STJ  (2)     1:29   Houser 30 pass from Jackson                    (Huff kick)   31 - 0
STJ  (4)     8:25   Hines 18 FG                                                                      34 - 0
S C   (4)     4:30  M. Williams 76 run         (Porter pass from Freeman)  34 - 8

Saint James again won the coin toss (8 of 9 this year) and elected to receive.  On third down, K.J. Jackson tossed his first pass of the game and connected on a 59 yarder with Clint Houser to advance the ball to the Jaguar 9.  On the next play, Cole Anderson promptly found an open hole on the right side of the Sumter Central line and darted untouched off right guard 9 yards for a touchdown.  Jake Huff's extra point put the Trojans on top 7 - 0 less than 2 minutes into the game.

The Jaguars actually converted one of their two game first downs on the next drive on a 17 yard run by Martavious Williams, but would then punt afterwards.  The punt went almost straight up and netted only 5 yards, so the Trojans quickly had great field position at the Sumter Central 48.  Anderson picked up exactly 10 yards on first down, and after a mysterious penalty believed to be 12 men on the field, he dashed for another 18.  Jackson then scrambled for 15 yards down to the Jaguar 10, and Anderson was then quickly rewarded with his second touchdown of the game, this time a 10 yarder, and Huff's extra point gave Saint James a 14 point lead.

The next three drives were actually "three and outs", but the Trojans won the field possession battle starting their fourth drive at the Sumter Central 47.  Tabor Offord caught an 18 yard pass to move the ball down to the 12, but the Trojans could only advance the ball down to the 8 so Huff was called in and converted Saint James' first field goal of the year, a 24 yarder, to boost the lead to 17 - 0 midway through the second quarter.

On fourth down, the Jaguar punter took in a bad snap and tried to scramble for a first down but was brought down at the 28 yard line.  From there, it took only two Jackson completions, a 20 yarder to Huff and an 8 yard pass to Carter Carroll who earned his first touchdown reception of the season, and Huff's extra point gave Saint James a 24 - 0 lead with still ample time remaining in the first half.

Another three and out by the Jaguars led to great field position again as the clock was winding down.  From the Sumter Central 41, Jackson scrambled for 16 yards on first down.  After a false start penalty, Jackson looked for and found Houser wide open in the endzone for a 30 yard touchdown and at halftime Saint James had a commanding 31 - 0 lead.

The coaches thankfully agreed to a running clock in the second half.  It was a Thursday night (school night) game after all.  The Jaguars tried to convert a first down deep in their own territory but failed, and Saint James took over on the 26 yard line.  Offord caught an 18 yard pass on first down, but the Jaguar defense toughened and a second 24 yard field goal attempt by Huff went wide left.  Sumter Central was again forced to punt and this time the Trojans took over on the 28 yard line.  By now, the Trojan reserves were in.  Chase Perry completed a pass to Carter Carroll for what looked like his second touchdown of the game, but the referees ruled he stepped out of bounds at the Jaguar 7 on the first play of the fourth quarter.  Three plays later, from the 2, Dylan Hines was called to kick a field goal basically the equivalent of an extra point, and Saint James was up 34 - 0.

Martavious Williams, on the second play of the final Jaguar drive, broke several tackles and outran Trojan pursuers for a 76 yard touchdown to eliminate the shutout.  Joshua Porter was wide open on a two point conversion pass from Dekarious Freeman and Sumter Central cut the lead to 34 - 8.  By now, the clock was even moving during changes of possession, and the Trojans, mostly on the rushing of Grant Phillips, picked up two first downs easily exhausting the clock, and Saint James racked up its 23rd consecutive region victory looking forward to a week off to rest and heal before the final regular season game, a Senior Night matchup versus the Carroll Eagles prior to a first round home playoff matchup in three calendar weeks.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME NINE

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   26 attempts   173 yards   3 TDs   (6.65 yards per carry)

                               21   Anderson           11 / 88 yards  (2 TDs)        31   Phillips            6 / 36
                               15   Perry                    5 / 27                                  1   Jackson            4 / 22

                              PASSING   8 completions  15 attempts  0 INTs  181 yards  2 TDs

                                1   Jackson             7 - 13 - 0    170 yards   2 TDs
                              15   Perry                 1 -   2 - 0      11 yards

                              RECEIVING

                                7   Houser                 2 / 89 yards  (1 TD)            3   Huff                 2 / 37
                              10   Offord                  2 / 36                                   2   Carroll             2 / 19  (1 TD)

                              TOTAL YARDS:   364

                              KICKS:      XP  4 / 4      FG   2 / 3   (24, 18 made; 24 missed)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  7  (OB,EZ,OB,55,EZ57,EZ)          PUNTS:   1  (39)
                              KO RETURNS:  2  (12,18)                                  PUNT RETURNS:   0
                              FIRST DOWNS:   17  (9 rushing, 8 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  3 / 7
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:  0
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:   0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   3 / 15 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  not available

SUMTER CEN     RUSHING    29 attempts  97 yards  1 TD  (3.34 yards per carry - 76 on one rush)
                              PASSING        3 completions  7 attempts  0 INTs  0 TDs  9 yards
                              TOTAL YARDS:  106

                              KICKS:      XP  0 / 0      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                              KICKOFFS:  2  (48,36)                                        PUNTS:  5  (6,25,41,20,24)
                              KO RETURNS:  2  (16,15)                                  PUNT RETURNS:  0
                              FIRST DOWNS:  2  (2 rushing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 9
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:   0 / 2
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  1 / 5 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  not available
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