GAME 2:   ST. JAMES 21, Highland Home 0

September 13, 1991    Carlisle Field.   Game Conditions:  Hazy, hot, humid  Game Temperature:  84   Wind:  negligible

St. James used a big defensive play to garner their first score of the year, and the defense grounded the Flying Squadron, recovering four turnovers, as the Trojans rebounded from opening game embarrassment to defeat Highland Home 21-0.

Highland Home picked up nine yards on its first three scrimmage plays to begin the game, but opted to punt on fourth and one from deep in their own territory.  The punt was blocked sideways, but took a favorable Squadron bounce before Trojan Tray Ivey fell on the bouncer at the Highland Home 30 yard line.  From there, Bryant Jones carried three times for 8 yards, and the Trojans opted to go for the final two yards.  However, a reverse was sniffed out and stuffed for a 6 yard loss, turning the ball over on downs.  Those would be the only four scrimmage plays for the Trojans in the first quarter.

Highland Home quickly picked up 25 yards on two plays.  On the third play, a 47 yard touchdown run was negated in most part because of a holding penalty at the Trojan 30.  However, the Squadron had momentum and a first down at the St. James 40.  Highland Home converted two consecutive fourth down plays and had the ball down to the Trojan 12 at the end of the first quarter.  Three running plays picked up 4, 0, and 0 yards respectively.  A delay of game penalty pushed the ball back to the 13, and this time the Squadron would not convert a fourth down as what appeared to be a halfback pass turned into a desperate scramble and a 13 yard loss.

St. James picked up one first down to move them into respectable field position, but punted again and Highland Home began another drive on their own 39.  After a two yard run and the newly instituted heat time out, Highland Home resorted to trickery.  What appeared to be a hook and ladder pass setting up was intercepted by Bryant Jones at the Trojan 42 and he returned it untouched into the endzone for the first St. James score of the game and the season.  The hastily prepared for extra point failed, but St. James had its first lead of the season, thanks to the defense, 6-0, with just less than 5 minutes remaining in the first half.

A Trojan personal foul penalty after the end of a kickoff return gave the Squadron good field position.  They converted a third down and 8 with a big 20 yard gain, but on the next third down opportunity, a fumbled pitch backwards was recovered by St. James at the Trojan 44.  Three straight incomplete passes and a shanked punt gave Highland Home yet another first half chance to score with under 100 seconds remaining.  However, they could only march as far as the Trojan 20 before a fumbled snap and no remaining Squadron timeouts allowed the halftime clock to run out.

The tables turned in the third quarter as Highland Home only ran 5 plays from scrimmage.  St. James benefited from a 12 men on the field penalty to convert a fourth down near midfield, and an 8 yard completion to Scott McEwen gave the Trojans another fourth down and 2 at the Highland Home 12.  However, this pass attempt was tipped and incomplete, and the Squadron were still within one possession on the scoreboard.  The Trojan defense held the Squadron offense to 5 net yards, and St. James took over on the Squadron 44 after a punt.  A 30 yard run by quarterback Steve Barton moved the ball to the 11, but on third down from the 5, a crackback block penalty was called, forcing the Trojans back.  Unsure of their kicking game, St. James opted to go on fourth and 16 two plays later, but a sack turned the ball over.  The Squadron was just as generous on the final play of the third quarter, turning the ball over on another lost fumble, and St. James had a first down at the Highland Home 23.  A third down run by Ken Turnipseed was aided by a half the distance face mask penalty, and the Trojans would not be denied from the 5 yard line.  On second down, Barton called his own number for the first Trojan offensive touchdown of the year.  He then tossed a conversion pass to fellow quarterback, doubling as slot back, Chris Armstrong for two points, and St. James was up 14-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game.

The Squadron benefited from a roughing the punter penalty on their next drive, but on first down from their own 34, Jones intercepted his second pass of the game and appeared to have run it back for a touchdown as well.  However, a clipping penalty at the Squadron 29 negated the touchdown, and St. James started their next drive from the Highland Home 44.  A late hit after a first down sack gave St. James a quick first down, and a 16 yard run by Jones moved the ball to the Squadron 16.  Three plays picked up 7 yards, but on fourth down a pass from Barton to Danny Mayer was dubiously ruled caught out of bounds, resulting in an incompletion and another turnover on downs.  Highland Home was lucky to recover a fumble at their own 8 yard line, and punted several plays later.  The Trojans began this drive as well at the Highland Home 44 and were determined to put one more score on the board.  After two runs of 7 yards, Andy Roberson was called into the offensive side of the game and was a recipient of the handoff on the same reverse play which had failed earlier.  He ran basically untouched into the endzone from 37 yards away for the touchdown.  Karl Fangmeier successfully converted the extra point, finalizing the score at 21-0.

Four straight incomplete passes gave the Trojans the ball back deep in Highland Home territory, but the second and third stringers merely ran out the clock as St. James erased the thoughts of a horrible beginning in their season opener and thrilled the home crowd with a victory, evening their record at 1-1.