GAME 5:   Alabama Christian 21, St. James 0

October 5, 1990   Carlisle Field.   Game Conditions:  Clear, light wind   Game Temperature:  74

For the second time in two weeks, the Trojans gave up a touchdown in the first fifteen seconds of the game.  On this night, the Alabama Christian defense, especially the pass defense, shone as St. James went all out in the air but could not find the endzone as the Eagles won an inter-city matchup 21-0.

St. James, who lost the toss and kicked off first, tried to surprise the Eagles with an opening game onside kick.  However, the ball was downed at the Eagle 45.  On first down, Lee Pouncey took the handoff, slid through the line, and broke into open ground on his way to a first play 55 yard touchdown run.  Jason Graham's extra point gave the Eagles an immediate 7-0 lead in a game where scoring would be at a premium despite the quick start.

The Trojans, knowledgable of the tough Eagle run defense, decided to fill the air with passes, with 34 attempts.  Despite a more than 20 yard loss on a sack after a bad snap from the shotgun, St. James converted a fourth and 5 with a 13 yard pass from Wade Hartley to Gabe Harris.  A 17 yard completion to Jeff George moved the ball down to the ACA 15, but another sack on a high snap and three incompletions turned the ball back over to the Eagles.  They began moving down the field again and got as close as the Trojan 33 before a clipping penalty and a sack forced a punt. 

On the next drive, just before the end of the opening quarter, an interception was wiped out by a pass interference penalty.  However, two penalties to start the second quarter led to an Eagle interception, and a short return was boosted by a face mask penalty, giving the Eagles a first down on the Trojan 45.  After one first down, ACA was stopped on fourth down at the Trojan 28 on a sack.

Robert Enslen, who was the only ball carrier in the game for St. James for the first 46 minutes, and then only for 12 carries, picked up a first down with his longest carry of the night, a 20 yarder, to the Eagle 40.  Two more first downs advanced the ball to the Eagle 15, but after a sack and an incomplete pass, a third down pass was intercepted in the endzone to stop another drive.

Neither team threatened in the final three minutes of the half, and the first scrimmage play score held up as the only one in the first two quarters.

A holding penalty on the first Trojan offensive play of the second half led to a punt.  From the Eagle 41, they traveled 59 yards in 9 plays, exclusively on the ground.  A key defensive offsides penalty on third down and three at the Trojan 14 led to a big first down, and two plays later Pouncey scored his second touchdown of the night, a 4 yarder.  Graham's extra point doubled the lead to 14 midway through the third quarter.

St. James completed several passes on their next drive, including a 20 yarder to Lucas Harris, and a fourth down 12 yarder to Billy Byrd.  However, on the next play, after a catch, the ball was jarred loose and recovered by the Eagles on their own 28.  A holding penalty on the final play of the quarter and an ensuing unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the between quarters break pushed the Eagles back to their own 29.  However, they held the ball for a large part of the fourth quarter and ate up valuable clock.  The teams traded punts, and Torrando Station finalized the score with a fourth quarter touchdown of 13 yards clinching the city victory for Alabama Christian.