GAME 2:   ST. JAMES 7, @ Highland Home 6

September 2, 1988   Highland Home Field.   Game Conditions:   Partly cloudy, humid  Game Temperature:  70

St. James overcame a huge punt return converted into a touchdown early in the game by turning their own blocked punt into a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter as the Trojans won their second consecutive one point game to start the 1988 season in a 7-6 defeat of the homestanding Highland Home Flying Squadron.

The game did not start well for the Trojans, as they were held to a net of two yards on their first three plays and the ensuing punt was returned 37 yards to the Trojan 21.  From there, six consecutive running plays, including a fourth down conversion, had the Squadron in the endzone early.  However, the extra point attempt onto county road 39 at the north end of the stadium was wide left and it would turn out to be a fatal miss.

After a second three and out by St. James, a 41 yard rush on the first Squadron scrimmage play was negated by a clipping penalty.  After another exchange of punts, St. James finally caught a break early in the second quarter when P.J. Robertson intercepted a Highland Home pass at the Trojan 24.  However, after a fourth consecutive punt, the ball remained in Trojan territory.  A Squadron runner broke loose into the secondary headed for an apparent touchdown, but Trojan Jeff George desperately dove and knocked the ball loose for the Trojans to recover at their own 17.  Finally, St. James began to make some offensive headway.  Bryan Skelton ran for 8 yards on third and 6 from the 21.  A George run for 8, Will Parker runs of 2 and 9, and a 37 yard pass from Wade Hartley to Barry Nave advanced the ball to the Highland Home 15.  However, the Squadron defense stiffened and a field goal was called for.  The snap was poor and the Trojans could only fall on the ball at the 20 yard line, wasting their first scoring opportunity of the game.

Highland Home held the ball for the remaining 2½ minutes of the second quarter, strictly on the ground.  Their only pass completion of the game lost 5 yards.  A late hit out of bounds penalty kept the drive alive, but Highland Home, who had used their timeouts earlier, could only get as deep as the Trojan 16 before the half expired.

The Squadron fumbled on their first possession of the second half at the Trojan 43.  A huge fourth down conversion by Parker on a tough four yard run, and a late hit penalty on the next play moved the ball to the 12 yard line.  However, a quarterback sack led to a fourth down from the 20.  A very costly lining up offsides penalty on St. James moved the ball back to the 25, because on fourth down Hartley completed a pass to Billy Byrd for 21 yards, 2 yards short of the first down and 4 yards short of the goal line.  Another scoring opportunity had been wasted.

The Squadron moved down the field methodically, converting three first downs and running almost all the third quarter clock.  On fourth down and 9 from the Trojan 42, St. James called a time out and set up a new punt block scheme which they had not tried in game action yet.  The time out was well spent, as three Trojans rushed in and teamed up to block the punt, which travelled an amazing 36 yards backwards before rolling out of bounds at the Highland Home 22.

This time the Trojans would not be denied.  On the final play of the third quarter, Parker ran for a first down to the 9.  Two plays later, he carried in from 8 yards out for the Trojans' first score.  After a half the distance penalty prior to the extra point attempt, the Trojans considered going for 2, but instead opted for the sure foot of P.J. Robertson, who connected, giving St. James a 7-6 lead with most of the fourth quarter remaining.

The most serious scoring threat from Highland Home seemed to be their kick return team, so St. James opted for a squib kick, which somehow bounced wildly out of bounds at the 37 yard line, resulting in good field possession.  However, only two plays later, the Squadron committed their fifth fumble of the game, a costly one recovered by the Trojans at the 44 yard line.

St. James tried to drive for a clinching score, but a holding penalty and a sack proceeded a Squadron interception on a deep pass at their own 21 yard line.  Eight plays netted no yards after a pair of sacks, and despite using two timeouts, less than 5 minutes were remaining in the game when Highland Home decided to punt.   Jeff George runs on the next drive of 18 and 10 yards gave the Trojans two first downs, and Highland Home called their last time out with St. James having a fourth down and 13 on the Squadron 26, but only 79 seconds remaining in the game.  The Trojans opted to go for it on fourth down, with George running around in the backfield wasting valuable time before being tackled for a 2 yard loss.

From there, Highland Home tossed two incomplete passes, lost 5 yards and clock time on a fumbled handoff on what appeared to be a halfback pass attempt, and then threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, turning the ball over to St. James who needed only one kneel-down play to cement their second win of the season.