2024 -
GAME 3
SAINT JAMES 7, Bullock County 6
B C 0 0 6 0 6
STJ 7 0 0 0 7
Friday, September 6 7:00 PM Carlisle Field Game Conditions: Cool, showery, breezy Game Temperature: 74 Wind NE 5 - 10 mph
SCORING SUMMARY:
STJ (1) 3:15 Offord 38 pass from Perry (Hines kick) 7 - 0
B C (3) 10:48 Woodgett 56 fumble return (kick blocked) 7 - 6
Bullock County had the first possession of the game. With steady showers before and intermittently during the game, handling of the ball was sure to be a prime concern. In fact, on the Hornets' first drive quarterback Ty Wallace fumbled the ball four different times, but his team recovered each of the loose footballs. The fourth fumble was for minus yardage on fourth down, and Saint James took over in good field position at the Hornet 48. Four runs advanced the ball to the 30, but an eight yard sack pushed the ball back to the 38. On third down, Chase Perry tossed a pass to Tabor Offord. His ability to catch was interfered with by a Hornet defender, but he still managed to take the ball in as he fell into the endzone for a touchdown. Dylan Hines' extra point gave Saint James a 7 - 0 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining in a very quickly played first quarter.
The Hornets kept the ball the remainder of the first quarter, and Wallace picked up 17 yards on one of his many quarterback keepers for a first down on the final play of the opening period. They continued moving down the field, as deep as the one yard line, where on fourth down the Trojans held Wallace out of the endzone and took over possession. On a sloppy field, the teams would only earn two more first downs the entire second quarter. Two Bullock County drives ended with punts, and the final two drives of the half for Saint James ended on turnovers - a tipped pass interception and a quarterback fumble which was returned by the Hornets to the Trojans 30 with only 15 seconds remaining. However, three incomplete passes prevented any score change and Saint James nursed their 7 point lead into halftime.
Tabor Offord returned the second kickoff into Bullock County territory, but a strange play turned into Trojan disaster two plays later. A running play turned into what looked more like a rugby scrum for several seconds with no whistles blowing. Then suddenly a Hornet with the football broke out of the scrum and started running toward the endzone. It took a while for players to realize what was going on, but by the time Trojan offensive players turned defenders could catch up to Jakari Woodgett, he was tackled on the goal line for a Bullock County touchdown. Quarterback Wallace was also the place kicker, but his tying extra point attempt was blocked and suddenly the lead was cut to one, at 7 - 6, with plenty of time remaining.
The third quarter zoomed by as quickly as the first quarter did. Bullock County did not even attempt a pass in the second half, and Saint James attempted only a few more, keeping clock stoppages with incomplete passes at a bare minimum. Only one first down was earned in the third quarter, that by Saint James' Grant Phillips on a 10 yard run, as he replaced starter Pruitt Conner who was injured int he second quarter. A sack of Wallace on the last play of the third quarter stalled a Hornet drive, and after a punt Saint James managed to chew up almost half of the fourth quarter clock on a plodding drive. Phillips converted several first downs, but was stopped for no gain on fourth down from the Bullock County 23. The Hornets took over possession, but had no choice but from deep in their own territory to punt back to the Trojans with only three minutes remaining in the game.
Saint James got to midfield, but were forced to punt again after Bullock County used their remaining timeouts to preserve one more chance. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the sky-level punt was muffed by the potential receiver and fallen upon by several Trojans at the Bullock County 21 yard line. Saint James had to only run two plays to exhaust the clock and pick up their first win of the 2024 season and register a win in a region game for the 24th consecutive time.
However, earning consecutive region win 25 will be a tall task as the high-powered Handley Tigers will come to Carlisle Field in the next week.
PRESS BOX STATISTICS - GAME THREE
SAINT JAMES RUSHING 39 attempts 101 yards 0 TDs (2.89 yards per carry)
6
Phillips
14 / 71 yards 4
Johnson 5 / 25
16 Conner 4 / 12
30
Zukowski 3 /
7
7
Craig 1
/
3
(team) 1 / 3
2
Offord
4 / -
8
15
Perry 7 / -12
PASSING 3 completions 7 attempts 1 INT 60 yards 1 TD
15
Perry
3 - 7 - 1 60 yards 1 TD
RECEIVING
2
Offord
3 / 60 (1 TD)
TOTAL
YARDS: 161
KICKS: XP 1 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2 (52,41)
PUNTS: 3
(46,43,30)
KO RETURNS: 2 (40,6)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 8 (6 rushing, 2 passing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 5 / 11
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 3
FUMBLES: 4,
lost 2
TURNOVER
MARGIN: - 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 3 / 15 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 24:27
BULLOCK CO
RUSHING 32
attempts 111 yards 0 TDs (3.47 yards per
carry)
PASSING
3 completions 9 attempts 0 INTs 2
yards 0 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 113
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2 (47,34) PUNTS: 4 (35,7,32,48)
KO RETURNS: 2 (26,37) PUNT RETURNS: 1 (0f)
FIRST DOWNS: 5 (5 rushing)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 9
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 3
FUMBLES: 7, lost 1
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 6
FUMBLE RETURN: 1 (56TD)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (33)
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 7 / 54 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 23:33