2024 -
GAME 6
@ Trinity 28,
Saint James 7
STJ 0 0 7 0 7
TPS 0 28 0 0 28
Friday, September 27, 2024 Ragsdale-Boykin Field. Game Conditions: Partly cloudy, occasionally breezy Game Temperature: 73 Wind SW as high as 15
SCORING SUMMARY
TPS (2) 11:50 F. Hall 3 run (Basile kick) 0 - 7
TPS (2) 1:37 Scholl 10 pass from Mitchell (Basile kick) 0 - 14
TPS (2) 1:19 Morris 28 pass from Mitchell (Basile kick) 0 - 21
TPS (2) 0:00 Parker recovered blocked punt in endzone (Basile kick) 0 - 28
STJ (3) 7:44 Conner 13 run (Hines kick) 7 - 28
COMPLETE GAME RECAP
For the previous three games, Saint James on the first possession had scored a touchdown within six plays. Perhaps a bad foreshadowing Saint James elected to defer after winning the coin toss. However, the defense held the Wildcats to a three and out and a shanked punt gave the Trojans great field position at midfield. Three plays netted only five yards, and the Trojans appeared to be going for the five yards on fourth down, but Chase Perry launched a quick kick punt pinning Trinity inside their own 20 yard line. Patton Mitchell picked up twenty yards on a quarterback scamper to earn the first first down of the game for either side, but the teams would trade punts before Trinity started a scoring drive towards the end of the first quarter. Lawson Roth was on the end of a 34 yard pass and catch from Mitchell to move the ball down to the Trojan 16, and the Wildcats earned a first down at the Saint James 3 on the final play of the first quarter. On the next play, Fleming Hall scored from three yards out and Ryan Basile converted the first of his four extra points, ending the Trojans defensive "non-conversion" streak at 6, and Trinity was up 7 - 0.
Saint James finally picked up their initial first down of the game, thanks to a defensive personal foul penalty, but had to punt again. Trinity was once again pinned inside their 20 yard line. After two first downs, including one by penalty, the Wildcats punted again and pushed the Trojans back toward the 20. Another Trojan punt gave Trinity what appeared to be good field position, but a 15 yard penalty pushed the ball all the way back to the 21 yard line with just under five minutes remaining until halftime. When Trinity had third down and 9 at their own 22, it seemed yet another punt was in order. However, Mitchell found Xavier Boswell open and he nearly outraced everyone for a 78 yard touchdown. However, he was stopped at the 9 yard line. After a loss on first down, Mitchell tossed a pass to Matthew Schroll and 10 yards later he was in the endzone. The extra point doubled the lead to 14 - 0 with under two minutes remaining.
Few times have things ever gone worse for a team in that little amount of time. After an out of bounds kickoff, Chase Perry was blindsided on first down. The ball came loose and was recovered by Chase Parker and the Wildcats had an immediate scoring opportunity from the 28 yard line. And score immediately they did, as tight end John Morris emerged absolutely uncovered on the near sideline and Mitchell hit him for a 28 yard pass. Basile's extra point gave Trinity a 21 - 0 lead just 18 seconds after a previous score.
Trinity had saved two of their timeouts, and they needed them both as the Trojans strained to get a first down to get to the locker room, but had to run a play on fourth down from their own 34 yard line with minimal time remaining. A punt was called for and Luke Hall split protectors and blocked the punt way up into the air, and backwards. The ball was fallen upon by Chase Parker in the endzone, and with no time left on the clock Trinity had scored 21 points in an otherwise scoring-stagnant game in less than 100 seconds, and the dazed Trojans made their way to the locker room.
The Trojans did receive the second half kickoff. After only two first downs and minus 20 yards of offense in the opening half, improvement was necessary. However, it appeared Saint James was going to settle for another three and out. On fourth down, from punt formation, the ball was snapped, although a bit clumsily, to upback Mason Craig who saw a big hole and raced up the middle for a 22 yard gain to offset the first half negative yardage and finally give the Saint James fans something to cheer about. A pass interference penalty and Perry's first completed pass of the game, albeit a 2 yarder, to Pruitt Conner moved the ball to the Trinity 22. After a 9 yard gain from Perry, Conner took a handoff and found rare open space as he raced 13 yards into the endzone for the Trojans' first score. Dylan Hines extended his perfect extra point streak to cut the lead to 28 - 7 and finally the Trojans sidelines could cheer.
The fans had more to cheer about as a Trinity fumble was recovered by Hines at the Trojan 37 and finally Saint James appeared to have momentum. However, three incomplete passes forced yet another punt, the best of the night for Hines as he pinned the Wildcats inside their own 15 yard line. After Schroll rushed 20 yards for a first down, Trinity turned the ball over again as Jackson Clifford made a miraculous interception of a short pass - twisting in mid-air to catch a pass behind his back - and Saint James was in scoring threat distance again. Several plays after driving as deep as the Trinity 15, a Perry pass was intercepted by Fleming Hall and returned to the 15 as the third quarter ended.
Neither team generated much offense in the fourth quarter as expiring the clock seemed to be the primary goal for both teams. The 21 point win was only the second in nine tries for Trinity over the Trojans. Saint James finished the 2024 Capital City Conference 0 - 3, but were/are an unblemished 3 - 0 in region games as the remaining four games of the regular season would decide a possible continuation in the Trojans' playoff appearance streak. And the first opponent, on Homecoming, would be the other team 3 - 0 in the region, the skill-laden B.T. Washington Golden Eagles of Tuskegee one week ahead.
PRESS BOX STATISTICS - GAME SIX
SAINT JAMES RUSHING 27 attempts 31 yards 1 TD (1.15 yards per carry)
16
Conner 11 / 37
yards (1 TD)
7
Craig
1 / 22
6
Phillips
4 /
2
15
Perry
11 / - 30
PASSING 2 completions 19 attempts 1 INT 9 yards 0 TDs
15
Perry
2 - 19 - 1 9 yards
RECEIVING
7
Craig
1 /
7
16
Conner
1 / 2
TOTAL
YARDS: 40
KICKS: XP 1 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2
(34,30)
PUNTS: 6
(29,49,44,44,bk-34,49)
KO RETURNS: 3 (4,17,15)
PUNT
RETURNS: 1 (0fc)
FIRST
DOWNS: 9 (7 rushing, 2 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 2 / 12
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 3 / 4
FUMBLES: 2, lost
1
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (0)
TURNOVER
MARGIN: 0
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 4 / 40
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 21:16
TRINITY
RUSHING 36 attempts 100 yards
1 TD (2.78 yards per carry)
PASSING
6 completions 13 attempts 1 INT 159
yards 1 TD
TOTAL
YARDS: 259
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 4( 39,OB,42,31) PUNTS: 4 (12,35,31,27)
KO RETURNS: 2 (9,4) PUNT RETURNS: 2 (6,0TD)
FIRST DOWNS: 15 (9 rushing, 3 passing, 9 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4/ 8
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
FUMBLES: 3, lost 1
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (0)
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 14
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 5 / 65 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 26:44