GAME 13: @ Carrollton 21, St. James 14

STJ 0 0 7 7 14

CAR 7 7 0 7 21

SCORING SUMMARY:

CAR (1)   8:16   Taylor 2 run                               (Harcrow kick)     0 - 7
CAR (2)   1:18 Acker 1 pass from Harcrow       (Harcrow kick)     0 - 14
STJ    (3)   5:42   Redding 4 run                     (Finklea kick)     7 - 14
STJ    (4)   8:28   Redding 2 run                           (Finklea kick)   14 - 14
CAR (4)   0:57   Taylor 3 run                               (Harcrow kick)   14 - 21

November 22, 1985. Billy McGee Stadium. Game conditions: see below

St. James' greatest football season to date came to an unlucky end in game number 13 as they traveled to Pickens County for the first time ever and fought hard in a 21 - 14 defeat to the Carrollton Indians. Carrollton was an unbelievably surprising team in the playoffs. They had faced primarily 3A and 4A teams in the regular season and finished with a 3 - 6 record overall, including two area victories and a win over a small Mississippi school. However, the Indians chose the right time of the season to get hot as they held off the determined Trojans on a cool rainy late fall evening. (They would be defeated 17 - 0 at eventual undefeated 1A State Champion Sand Rock, one of the greatest small school teams in Alabama High School Football history, the following week in the semi-finals.)

Trojan Jeff Stevenson fumbled on the second play of the game, with Timmy Kilpatrick recovering for the Indians at the St. James 31 yard line. Six plays later Dan Taylor, who led Carrollton with 81 yards rushing, scored his first of two touchdowns and the Barry Harcrow kick gave the Indians an early 7 - 0 lead.

The Indians drove 39 yards in 7 plays for their second touchdown just before halftime. On fourth down from the Trojan one, a pass which should have been intercepted fell into the arms of Kennedy Acker, and he wrestled it away from the defender for the score. Harcrow's extra point gave Carrollton a 14 - 0 lead at halftime.

The halftime coaches' chat apparently fired up the Trojans. After stopping the Indians on three plays, St. James took over and drove 52 yards in eight plays for their first score of the game. Johnny Redding, who rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries despite only picking up 27 yards in the first half, scored the first of his two touchdowns, and Gavin Finklea's extra point cut the lead in half. After another Indian punt, St. James responded with a second arduous drive of 14 plays and 58 yards before the Redding two yard touchdown run and Finklea's extra point tied the score at 14 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation time.

The tams traded punts, and Carrollton took over on their own 21 with just over 4 minutes remaining in the game. After a 21 yard run by James Brown and a one 1 yard gain, Taylor ran for 10 yards and a first down in Trojan territory. The Indians picked up 15 more yards on the next play on a defensive pass interference penalty. Taylor ran for seven more yards and Walter Minor carried for 22 before being stopped at the Trojan three. Taylor scored on the following play with less than a minute remaining to seal the victory.

Dan Taylor, who led Carrollton with 80 yards rushing, scored twice, including the game-winning touchdown in the last minute of the game. Carrollton's only four first downs in the second half were on the final scoring drive of 79 yards. Carrollton rushed for nearly 150 yards in the slop, while the Trojans ran for 144. Minor rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries, in addition to Taylor's 81 yards, in the Pickens County mud.

Even though the Trojans went down to defeat, they went on to celebrate an 11 - 2 season, by far the most successful in the team's short history, which included their first playoff victories ever (at home and on the road).

Thanks in great part to Lewis Williams of the Pickens County Herald for supplying recap information.

GAME THIRTEEN PARTIAL STATISTICS:

ST. JAMES RUSHING 144 yards 2 TDs

PASSING 4 completions 9 attempts 1 INT 32 yards 0 TDs

TOTAL YARDS: 176

                     KICKS: XP 2 / 2               FG 0 / 0
                       2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                       PUNTS:   3 for total of 93 yards
                       FIRST DOWNS:   10
           FUMBLES: lost 1
         PENALTIES:   65 yards

CARROLLTON RUSHING    147 yards   3 TDs
                       PASSING     2 completions 5 attempts 0 INTs 11 yards 1 TD
                       TOTAL YARDS:   158

                       KICKS: XP 3 / 3                FG 0 / 0
                       2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                       PUNTS: 5 for total of 106 yards
                         FIRST DOWNS:   9
       FUMBLES: lost 0
           PENALTIES: 45 yards

RETURN TO THE STJ FOOTBALL 1985 HOMEPAGE