2009 - GAME 3

SAINT JAMES 15, Elmore County 13

ECO           6       0       0       7         13
 
STJ             3       7       2       3         15

SCORING SUMMARY:

ECO  (1)  5:43   Whetstone 2 run                                              (kick failed)        0 -   6
STJ    (1)  2:25   Weldon 30 FG                                                                              3 -   6
STJ    (2)  0:08   Poe 1 run                                                      (Weldon kick)      10 -   6
STJ    (3)  0:15   Safety, Spivey tackled QB in endzone                                     12 -   6
ECO  (4)  3:05   Dejarnett 10 pass from Davis                  (Stockton kick)       12 - 13
STJ    (4)  0:50   Weldon 42 FG                                                                            15 - 13
September 11, 2009.  Carlisle Field.   Game Conditions:   Cloudy, some humidity  Game Temperature:  78   Wind:  ENE 5 - 10

Saint James wasted several second half opportunities, but finally regained a late lost lead on a 42 yard into-the-wind field goal by B.J. Weldon.  Then, the Trojans had to hold on during an Elmore County field goal attempt which was barely deflected and came up just short on the last play of the game as Saint James doubled its entire 2008 win total with a hard-fought but very entertaining 15 - 13 region victory over the visiting Panthers.

Neither team started their supposed "first team" quarterback, although Elmore County alternated quarterbacks in odd and even quarters.  Truman Franklin started for Elmore County, and was unable to lead his team to a first down on its opening drive.  David Stockman's punt pushed the Trojans back to their own 15.  Saint James did pick up one first down on their opening drive, as John Slayton carried for 13 yards.  However, a short punt gave Elmore County good field position and they capitalized, traveling 55 yards in 8 plays.  Shakory Whetstone picked up 11 yards for a first down, and a 31 yard Franklin pass to Wesley Powell came up just two yards short of a score.  However, on the next play Whetstone dove off right tackle for the final two yards.  The extra point snap was poor, eventually landed on by Saint James, but the Panthers had built a 6 - 0 lead midway through the first quarter.

One of Elmore County's weaknesses seemed to be their kick coverage, and John Slayton exposed it several times.  His first return was for 53 yards, giving Saint James great field position at the Panther 35.  After a penalty, a fine pass on the sidelines from Taylor Poe to a perhaps finer catch by B.J. Weldon picked up 32 yards down to the 13 yard line.  Three plays netted a loss of one yard, and Weldon was called in to attempt a 30 yard field goal, which he converted, and the Panther lead was halved at 6 - 3.

After an out of bounds kickoff, Elmore County took advantage of another long pass play from Franklin to Reshaad Dejarnett of 32 yards.  As the second quarter began, Colby Davis saw his first action in 2009 as Panther quarterback.  On fourth down from the Trojan 12, a wide open Dejarnett slipped down while attempting a catch which likely would have resulted in a second Panther touchdown, and the Trojans regained possession of the ball.  Saint James did pick up one first down, but another short punt gave the ball back to the Panthers in Trojan territory.  However, the Trojan defense held and forced yet another Stockman punt which neatly bounced out of bounds at the 9 yard line.

With less than five minutes remaining in the half, the Trojans engaged on a fine 91 yard drive for what would be its only touchdown of the evening.  Three consecutive runs by Slayton earned a first down, and two plays later Nick Ostrye took a pitchout and lofted a pass downfield over surprised Panther defenders to Weldon for a 24 yard completion.  Slayton, who for the second consecutive week ran for over 160 yards, picked up 20 and 19 yards on the next two plays, and suddenly Saint James was knocking on the endzone door at the Elmore County 19.  After a loss on the next play, Poe called his own number up the middle for a 13 yard gain and a first down.  Poe's two yard carry moved the ball inside the Panther five as the last minute of the half was ticking.  Two consecutive encroachment penalties moved the ball down to the 4 foot line, and Poe called his own number for officially a one yard touchdown with less than 10 seconds remaining.  Weldon's extra point gave Saint James a 10 - 6 lead.  The Panthers had time for one play after the ensuing kickoff, and Whetstone ran for 24 yards on that play, but he was tackled well short of the endzone as time ran out in the first half.

Saint James took the opening kickoff and drove to within a bounce of the endzone.  Slayton's 46 yard kickoff return gave the Trojans excellent field position again.  Five consecutive runs by the tandem of Ostrye and Slayton advanced the ball to the Panther 18.  On the next play, Poe kept wide right and got great blocking and momentum toward the endzone, but was pulled down at about the 4 yard line and the ball was knocked loose, bouncing forward into the endzone where it was recovered by Elmore County for a touchback and change of possession.

Franklin returned as third quarter quarterback for the Panthers, and he ran for a first down on a 12 yard carry.  However, after a loss, a penalty, and a sack because of a bad snap, Franklin tried to find his favorite receiver Dejarnett over the middle, but the pass was tipped and intercepted by Ostrye, and his 11 yard return gave Saint James a first down at the Elmore County 27.  A personal foul penalty on third down extended the Saint James drive.  A loss and a block in the back penalty on the same play was almost offset by a 19 yard pickup by Slayton.  The Trojans opted to go for a touchdown on fourth down from the five, but could only pick up three yards on the play, giving the ball back to Elmore County again deep in their own territory.  On first down, Franklin picked up nine yards on a keeper, but on second down a bad snap was fallen on by Franklin just outside of his own goal line.  On third down, several tacklers led by Will Spivey stopped Franklin in the endzone, and Saint James earned a safety, upping the lead to 6, at 12 - 6, very late in the third quarter.

The Trojans retained possession after the Elmore County free kick.  On the last play of the third quarter, Slayton broke loose for a 29 yard run, but a block in the back penalty late in the run pushed the ball back to the Panther 32.  Saint James used up over five minutes of the fourth quarter clock to get as close as the Elmore County 5, and a field goal there would have increased the lead to a two-possessions-worth nine points.  However, Weldon's attempt hit the left upright and fell to the ground as no good.

Elmore County promptly traveled 80 yards for the go-ahead score.  The key play was a fourth down and 3 completion from Davis to Powell for 40 yards down to the Trojan 23.  Davis then carried three straight times for 13 yards, and from the 10 on third down he found Dejarnett open in the middle of the endzone for a 10 yard touchdown pass.  This time Stockman's extra point attempt was good, and Elmore County regained the lead at 13 - 12 with only 3:05 remaining in the game.

An endzone kickoff negated the chance for another good return.  A defensive pass interference penalty gave the Trojans 15 yards for minimal clock time on the first play, and Poe began zeroing in on a new receiving target, Taylor Wachs.  He caught four passes in the final Saint James drive of the evening.  Poe and Slayton runs helped the Trojans move down the field, and Slayton's final run gave the Trojans a fourth down and five at the Panther 25.  After a time out, Coach Smeltzer elected to send out Weldon for a career-long 42 yard field goal attempt.  He of the yellow shoes, kicking into a slight wind, drilled the field goal and Saint James regained the lead and the momentum with less than 51 seconds to go in the game.

However, the game was far from over.  After a 5 yard penalty on the kickoff, a pooch kickoff was fielded and a pitch back on the return was attempted, but fumbled and luckily recovered by Elmore County.  In the first half, the Panthers used their time outs early and often.  Curiously, with a full bank of timeouts, Elmore County chose not to call second half timeouts until perhaps too late.  Davis ran for 13 yards and a first down, and after two incompletions, he completed a pass to Dejarnett for 16 yards and a first down which stopped the clock with 8 seconds remaining at the Trojan 40.  Another completion down the field and out of bounds to Dejarnett picked up 12 yards, but the Panthers didn't use their first time out of the entire half until 2½ seconds were remaining in the game.  Realizing there was not enough time for more than one play, the Panthers sent David Stockman out to attempt a long 46 yard field goal attempt.  The kick was barely tipped by an onrushing Trojan defender, but remained straight and despite some wind aid the kick fell short in the endzone as time expired and Trojan players and eventually fans stormed the field as Saint James had locked up one of their most inspired victories in seasons.

SIDELINE STATISTICS  - GAME THREE

SAINT JAMES      RUSHING    46 attempts  230 yards  1 TD  (5.00 yards per carry)

                               20   Slayton      24 / 163              14   Poe          10 / 42  (1 TD)
                               19   Ostrye        11 /  20                1   Weldon      1 /  5

                               PASSING    7 completions  16 attempts  0 INTs  94 yards  0 TDs  (no sacks of)

                               14   Poe             6 - 15 - 0       70 yards
                               19   Ostrye           1 - 1 - 0       24 yards

                               RECEIVING

                                 1   Weldon       3 / 68                10   Wachs        4 / 26

                               TOTAL YARDS:   324

                               KICKS:  XP  1 / 1                FG  2 / 3  (30,42 made, 23 missed)
                               2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                               KICKOFFS:  4  (34,OB,OB,34)                               PUNTS:   2  (18,9)
                               KO RETURNS:  3  (53,46,22)                                 PUNT RETURNS:  0
                               INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (11)
                                FIRST DOWNS:   17  (11 rushing, 3 passing, 3 penalty)
                               FUMBLES:  1, lost 1
                               TURNOVER MARGIN:   0
                               PENALTIES:  6 / 45 yards
                               TIME OF POSSESSION:  29:54

ELMORE CO.       RUSHING    30 attempts  117 yards  1 TD  (3.90 yards per carry)
                               PASSING      6 completions  16 attempts  1 INT  149 yards  1 TD  (1 sack of, - 5 yards)
                                TOTAL YARDS:   266

                                KICKS:  XP  1 / 2                FG  0 / 1  (46 missed)
                               2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                               KICKOFFS:  4  (48,48,53,60EZ)                              PUNTS:  3  (43,33)
                               KO RETURNS:  2  (11,0)                                        PUNT RETURNS:  0
                               FUMBLE RETURNS:  1  (0)
                               FIRST DOWNS:   13  (8 rushing, 5 passing)
                               FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                               PENALTIES:  7 / 46 yards
                               TIME OF POSSESSION:  18:06

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