GAME 7:   ST. JAMES 32, Saint Jude 12

October 7, 1988 - Homecoming  Collier Field.   Game Conditions:   Clear, very windy, very cool   Game temperature:  58  Wind NW 12 - 20

St. James celebrated Homecoming 1988 with some welcome football weather for the first time all season, and used two first half safeties to build a lead as the Trojans defeated the Saint Jude Pirates 32-12.

Things started off poorly for the Pirates as a wind-aided kickoff sailed through the endzone and an illegal block penalty moved the ball back to the 10 yard line.  Three plays later, the punt snap went by the punter and he managed to pick up the ball in the endzone just before being tackled by Trojan Jef Florey for a safety.

However, the Pirates were successful on an onside kick attempt on the following free kick.  They moved as far as midfield before punting into the stiff wind, a punt which only traveled 8 yards and was actually fair caught by a Trojan lineman.  A penalty slowed the drive, but the Trojan punt was muffed by the Pirate receiver and fallen on by a group of Trojans at the Pirate 26.  Five plays later, after a first down and a penalty, Jay Allen, alternating the quarterback position with Wade Hartley, called his own number and ran in from 17 yards out.  A defensive offside penalty and an offensive illegal procedure penalty on the extra point attempt moved the ball back to outside the 6 yard line, and the Trojans decided to go for two.  However, Hartley was sacked while attempting the pass, which fell incomplete anyway, but the Trojans were up 8-0 late in the first quarter.

A false start penalty and two incomplete passes forced St. Jude to again punt into the wind before the end of the quarter, and the Trojans took over on the Pirate 48 with one play left before the change of ends and winds.  A long pass by Hartley was incomplete, but on the first play of the second quarter, into the wind, Hartley lofted a pass to Billy Byrd for 36 yards and a first down at the Pirate 16.  Two plays later, he completed a screen pass to Jeff George for 10 yards and a first down at the 4.  A three yard loss and a six yard gain moved the ball to the 1, but on two consecutive runs the Pirates held, stopping the Trojans on downs.  However, on the next play, the Trojans blitzed and several tacklers dropped quarterback Avery Berry in the endzone for a second game safety and a 10-0 lead.  George had a 10 yard run, and Will Parker had runs of 13 and 11 yards, the second of which had a face mask penalty tacked on, during the next drive, and George carried in from 4 yards for the touchdown.  Again, the Trojans decided to go for two headed into the wind, and this time they were successful with Barry Nave catching a Hartley pass for an 18-0 Trojan lead in the first half.

After a short kickoff was returned to the Pirate 42, St. Jude began their first scoring march of the night, travelling 58 yards in 8 plays, using their timeouts, incomplete passes, and the sidelines wisely.  Two consecutive 8 yard passes from Berry to Douglas Jones from the 16 yard line gave the Pirates their first touchdown.  Avery failed on a two point conversion run, but the lead was cut to 12 points with just 26 seconds remaining in the half.  But the excitement in quarter two was far from finished.

Another onside kick attempt which turned into a short pop up was fair caught by Mickey Pittman at the Pirate 49, and the Trojans decided to try one pass from the endzone.  However, Allen's pass hung up in the wind and was intercepted by Kenneth Jones at the Pirate 25 and he picked up speed as he headed toward the endzone.  Fortunately, George grabbed hold of his legs at the 5 and brought him down inside the 2 yard line.  The 73 yard interception was all for naught as time had expired, and the Trojans and Trojan fans collectively held their breaths as they preserved the 12 point lead by literally feet.

The Pirates retained the wind in the third quarter and kicked deep, relatively speaking, with St. James taking over at their own 31.  Eight straight rushing plays by Parker and George went for 8, 8, 3, 4, 11, 15, 6, and 9 yards to the Pirate 5.  On first down, George carried in for a touchdown, but it was called back by a clip at the 3 yard line.  From the 18, a 10 yard pass to Nave, and carries of 3 and minus 1 yards by Parker, who was the first 100+yard rusher of the season for the Trojans, had the ball back outside the 5 on fourth down.   The Trojans forsake the field goal attempt, and drew the Pirates offside, moving the ball to just inside the 3.  From there Allen found Byrd for a 3 yard touchdown.  Despite the wind, P.J. Robertson made his extra point attempt, and the Trojans had a 25-6 lead midway through the third quarter.

St. Jude managed one first down on their next drive, but had to punt again, giving the Trojans possession on their own 35.  Five plays later, the ends and winds changed again, and St. James was in the endzone four plays later.  A 31 yard pass from Allen to George moved the ball down to the 19.  Parker's 16 yard run was followed by a 3 yard touchdown run by George, his second TD of the game, and Robertson's second extra point gave the Trojans a secure 32-6 lead in the fourth quarter.

After another endzone kickoff, the Pirates took to the legs and arm of Avery.  He ran for a first down, and completed a long pass down to the Trojan 24.  However, on the next play, Jay Allen intercepted an Avery pass in the endzone, stopping a Pirate threat.   From the 20, John Vogel got his first carry of the season and quickly responded with a 27 yard gallop.  Clifford Long took the handoff on the next play for 10 yards.  However, the Trojans were stopped just into Pirate territory, and after a bad snap, the punt was blocked, with the Pirates recovering at the Trojan 37.  Avery and Kenneth Jones alternated at the quarterback spot for the next 6 plays, and on the sixth Kenneth passed to Douglas Jones for a 23 yard touchdown pass with less than 2 minutes remaining.  Avery tried to duplicate the feat for the two point conversion, but was unsuccessful, and the score was 32-12.  St. Jude attempted another onside kick, but it only traveled two yards, and the Trojans took over with enough time to run out the clock and reward the chilled Homecoming faithful with a victory.