GAME 1: Elmore County 35, St. James 7

ECO 21 0 0 14 35

STJ 0 0 0 0 7

SCORING SUMMARY:

ECO (1) 10:51   Stanley 37 pass from Davenport             (Rowe kick)    0 -   7
ECO (1)   5:06   Butler 6 run                                            (Rowe kick)    0 - 14
ECO (1)   2:35   Davenport 56 run                                   (Rowe kick)    0 - 21
ECO (4) 11:35   Davenport 2 run                                     (Rowe kick)    0 - 28
ECO (4)   6:21   Stanley 1 pass from Adams                    (Rowe kick)    0 - 35
STJ    (4)   2:07   Dean 25 run                                       (Hankins kick)    7 - 35

August 31, 2007. Carlisle Field. Game Conditions: Cloudy, intermittent rain, very humid Game Temperature: 83 Wind: Negligible

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St. James could not overcome early bad luck and turnovers once again plagued the Trojans as the Elmore County Panthers came calling to Carlisle Field and racked up a season-opening 35 - 7 victory.

Elmore County picked up quick momentum as Laron Butler, who terrorized the Trojans in 2006 with five touchdowns against, almost picked up one on the opening kickoff, returning it from his own 6 to the St. James 38. Elmore County only picked up 1 yard on their first two scrimmage plays, but on third down quarterback Adam Davenport found receiver Daniel Stanley open across the middle. He broke one potential tackle, headed toward the Panther sideline, and outraced defenders to the endzone for the first score of the season. Luke Rowe had to change a shoe from his offensive line position, but he booted his first of five extra points to give Elmore County an early 7 - 0 lead.

The Trojans could not convert a first down on their opening drive of the season, and lost a great opportunity when the punt was muffed by the Panther receiver and the ball was lost in a scramble of blue and white jerseys. However, the Panthers came out with the recovery and began driving again. Stanley caught another pass for 25 yards as the rain began to fall, and later Butler converted a third down and 6 with a 12 yard run. Davenport carried for 9 yards from the Trojan 15, and then Butler picked up his first, and only score of the evening, on a 6 yard carry off right tackle. The Rowe extra point doubled the Panther lead to 14 midway through the first quarter.

St. James picked up a first down on Will Martin's 17 yard keeper, but had to punt again, and good defensive field position was negated by a 29 yard punt return by Le'Keithon Anthony. On the very next play, Davenport called his own number and broke through the Trojan line into the secondary and raced for a 56 yard touchdown of his own. The Rowe kick gave Elmore County a huge 21 - 0 lead still in the first quarter.

Clinton Freeman returned the next kickoff to the St. James 40, and three consecutive running plays advanced the ball to the Panther 38. However, on the next play, Elmore County wrestled the ball away from the carrier and recovered a fumble at their 42 to help conclude a miserable first quarter.

The Trojan defense tightened as the second quarter featured little offense. St. James got a drive going late in the quarter and advanced as close as the Panther 35, but could not convert a fourth down and 5. Elmore County turned the ball over on downs with less than a second to go in the half. On the final play, Martin tried a quarterback sweep and picked up 12 yards, but was hit hard out of bounds on the Trojan sideline which caused all kinds of upset reactions. Somehow, the late hit out of bounds was overlooked, and dead ball unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called on the Panthers (one), and the Trojans (two). Since they were dead ball penalties, the half was allowed to expire. However, each of the penalties were enforced before the third quarter kickoff, giving Elmore County a 15 yard net advantage which allowed them to kick off from the St. James 45 to start the second half.

Freeman returned the deep kickoff to his own 35, but the Trojans could not convert a first down. An intentional grounding call, the second on Elmore County, slowed their opening drive of the second half, and they turned the ball back over on downs again at the St. James 35. After one first down, a holding penalty slowed St. James as well, but a block in the back penalty negated a punt return to midfield. However, from their own 33, the Panthers were able to drive against the tiring Trojan defenders. An offside penalty on third and 2, and a 20 yard pass from Davenport to Matt Parker on the last play of the third quarter gave Elmore County the ball at the Trojan 4. Davenport completed a short pass to Butler for 2 yards, and then kept himself for the final 2 and a touchdown, giving the Panthers a 28 - 0 lead.

St. James fumbled on the third play of their next drive, and backup quarterback Joseph Adams led Elmore County on a 27 yard drive for their final touchdown, where he threw a very short touchdown pass of 1 yard to Stanley. Rowe's final extra point of the game led to a 35 point advantage with less than 7 minutes remaining.

The Trojans finally got the offense moving against a combination of about half first stringers and half replacements on defense. A 15 yard penalty kickstarted the drive after a short kickoff return, and Martin broke loose on a wide sweep for 32 yards down to the Panther 33. Matt Dean picked up 2 on first down, Martin recovered a bumbled snap and advanced it for 6 yards on the next play, and then Dean finally broke through the Panther line and outraced the secondary for St. James' first score of the season. Clark Hankins converted his first career extra point and the Trojans were 7 points better off than a shutout. Hankins' ensuing kickoff reached the endzone - had his opening kickoff done so, how would the game have started? The Panthers ran off enough time to where their punt was the final play of the game, and Elmore County left Carlisle Field for the first time in three tries victorious, evening the all-time series at three games apiece.

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SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME ONE

ST. JAMES RUSHING 46 attempts 168 yards 1 TD (3.65 yards per carry)

3 Martin 12 / 67 30 Freeman 13 / 62
14 Dean 18 / 51 (1 TD) 11 Joyner 3 / - 12

PASSING 0 completions 2 attempts 0 INTs 0 yards (2 sacks of, - 16 yards)

3 Martin 0 - 2 - 0 0 yards

TOTAL YARDS: 168

                  KICKS: XP 1 / 1                FG 0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:   2 (54,EZ)            PUNTS:   5 (35,36,38,27,37)
                        KO RETURNS: 6 (33,18,21,32.18,11)                   PUNT RETURNS: 1 (0fc)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   13 (13 rushing)
        FUMBLES: 5, lost 2
TURNOVER MARGIN: - 2
      PENALTIES: 10 / 78 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION: 27:20

ELMORE CO. RUSHING    37 attempts 242 yards 3 TDs (6.54 yards per carry)
                        PASSING      7 completions 16 attempts 0 INTs 98 yards 2 TDs (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:   340

                        KICKS: XP 5 / 5                FG 0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS: 6 (51,51,46,42,55,42)        PUNTS: 3 (42,35,45)
                        KO RETURNS: 1 (56)                PUNT RETURNS: 3 (0,29,3)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   15 (11 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty)
    FUMBLES: 2, lost 0
        PENALTIES: 13 / 105 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:   20:40

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