GAME 11:   SAINT JAMES 21, @ Billingsley 12

The Trojans celebrated their first ever playoff game victory as they traveled to 1A Area 10 champion Billingsley and defeated the Bears 21 - 12.

Johnny Redding rushed for another 180 yards on 22 carries, 120 of those yards in the first half, before reinjuring his ankle late in the game.  Saint James outrushed Billingsley 266 - 193 overall.  Billingsley's first drive took up nearly the entire first quarter, and was a 13 play 90 yard drive exclusively on the ground.  The Bears barely matched their rushing total after that first drive as the Trojan defense tightened.

Redding's long touchdown run and Gavin Finklea's extra point late in the first half gave the Trojans a lead they would not relinquish, but a crucial double penalty (pass interference and a personal foul) on a third down and long on the Trojans' first offensive drive of the third quarter may have been the most important 'play' of the game, moving the ball from the Trojan 35 to the Bears 35.  This gave Saint James a key first down several plays before Jeff Stevenson's first of two touchdown passes, a 29 yarder to Mark Kitchens.

Norman Leister, the only senior on a young but powerful (most notably in the next few years) Bears team, scored in the third quarter and cut the lead to two, but the lack of a Bears place kicker proved costly as both two point conversions were stuffed by the Trojan defense.  Later, a Leister fumble which was recovered by Trojan Jay Wiggins midway through the fourth quarter led to the final and clinching Saint James touchdown, Stevenson's tenth touchdown pass of the season, to Jody Ortega.

With the victory, the Trojans were highly anticipating a rematch with the only team which had defeated them all season, the Trinity Wildcats, in the second round of the playoffs.   However ...  (see the game 12 recap)

Thanks to Mark Sims from the Chilton County News for much of the game recap and statistics information.

PARTIAL SIDELINE STATISTICS  - GAME ELEVEN

SAINT JAMES   RUSHING    39 attempts  266 yards 1 TD  (6.82 yards per carry)

                          TOTAL YARDS:   318