GAME 1:   @ Houston Academy 30, St. James 8

Houston Academy's Aaron Jones scored touchdowns in three different ways, a pass reception, a run, and a long interception return just before halftime, to lead the Raiders to a season-opening 30 - 8 victory over the Trojans at Dothan's Westgate Park.

The Raiders moved the ball down the field on their opening drive, thanks in big part to passes from Blake Daughtry to Curt Stuckey for 36 yards on the first scrimmage play and a 9 yard completion to Fred Marshall several plays later.  However, the drive stalled inside the Trojan 10 yard line and a 21 yard field goal attempt drifted wide left.

St. James could only gain one yard before two incompletions, and punted.  After a 25 yard run by Jamey Ormond on first down, the Raiders again stalled and punted into the endzone, giving the Trojans the ball on the 20 yard line for their second consecutive series.  Again, though, St. James only netted one yard and punted again.  A shanked punt out of bounds gave H A the ball on the Trojan 48.  However, the Trojans once more stopped the drive as Stephen Woodry intercepted a Daughtry pass at the Raiders twenty yard line.

The Trojans again failed to convert a first down and the Raiders blocked the drive ending punt, downing the ball on the Trojan five.  Several plays later, Fred Marshall carried in from the two for the first score of the year.  Matt Johnson's extra point, the first of four consecutive, gave HA a 7 - 0 lead early in the second quarter.

St. James again failed to gain a first down as a penalty and a quarterback sack forced them backwards.  A clipping penalty on the punt return pushed the Raiders back to their own 37 yard line, but Daughtry completed a 10 yard pass to Stuckey and Marshall promptly ran for another 26 yards.  Two plays later Daughtry completed a forty yard pass to Aaron Jones for his first of three touchdowns.  The extra point increased the lead to 14 - 0 late in the second quarter.

After a 20 yard Jeff George kickoff return, the Trojans finally ventured into Raider territory on a 30 yard completion from Wade Hartley to Stephen Woodry.  However, a sack on fourth down again stopped yet another St. James drive.  The Raiders could only complete one of six attempted passes on their next drive, turning the ball back over to the Trojans with 101 seconds remaining in the half.  Woodry took the ball on a reverse for a 17 yard gain, then Sean Kennedy, normally an offensive lineman, was lined up at the fullback spot and surprised everyone by taking a handoff up the middle for 30 yards to the Raider 15 with 49 seconds remaining.  Two consecutive sacks pushed the ball back to the 28, and on 3rd down, a screen pass was well read and intercepted by Jones at the 39, and he easily outraced defenders 61 yards to the endzone just before halftime for a momentum crushing touchdown.  The extra point gave Houston Academy a three touchdown halftime lead.

The Trojans' bad luck continued as a snap was launched over the punter's head on the first series of the third quarter.  Mickey Pittman was lucky to fall on the ball in the endzone to prevent a touchdown, merely giving the Raiders a safety.  However, after the ensuing free kickoff and a 19 yard return, the Raiders moved down the field in only eight plays to score again.  A pass interference penalty on fourth down midway through the drive helped H A later set up Aaron Jones' nine yard touchdown run, the game clincher which gave the Raiders a thirty point lead.

St. James was not convinced it actually was a game clincher, as on the first play from scrimmage, Hartley connected with a wide open Billy Byrd for a 67 yard touchdown.  Hartley also threw a two point conversion pass to Gabe Harris and the lead was immediately back down to three possessions, at 30 - 8.

The Trojans set up for an onside kick and executed it almost too well.  The line drive kick hit a Raider upman, but bounced directly off him past the Trojan onrushers, and the Raiders recovered the ball four yards behind where it had been kicked.  However, after one first down, the Raiders again gave the ball up on downs at the Trojan 22.

St. James turned over the ball promptly on downs themselves, but on the first play of the fourth quarter H A fumbled at the Trojan 27.  St. James traveled most of the field, in big part due to a 58 yard catch and run from Hartley to Byrd down to the Raider 4.  However, a mishandled snap on first down forced the ball back outside the ten, and three incompleted passes turned the ball over again.  From there, the Raiders took to the ground and the heat and humidity and constant pounding wore down the Trojans during a nine-minute plus drive.  St. James forced a fourth down fumble at the Raider 24 with only 20 seconds remaining, but could only gain 26 yards on one pass completion before time expired on the season opening defeat.

SIDELINE STATISTICS  - GAME ONE

ST. JAMES      RUSHING:     14 carries  10 yards   0 TDs  (< 1 yard per carry)

                        61   Kennedy        1 / 30         17   Woodry        1 / 17           34   Parker             3 /   3
                        28   George           2 /  2          33   Thomas        3 /  2           10   Hartley            9 / - 42

                        PASSING:    21 attempts   6 completions  1 INT  196 yards  1 TD  (6 sacks of, 35 yards)

                        10   Hartley           6 - 21 - 1     196 yards    1 TD    1 INT

                        RECEIVING:  

                        80   Byrd              5 / 166  (1 TD)            17   Woodry              1 / 30

                        TOTAL YARDS:  206

HOUSTON AC RUSHING   36 attempts  133 yards   2 TDs   (3.69 yards per carry)
                        PASSING    20 attempts  9 completions  1 INT  125 yards  1 TD  (3 sacks of, 10 yards)
                        TOTAL YARDS:   258