2014 - GAME 1

SAINT JAMES 27, @ Elmore County 7
 STJ         6     14       7       0        27
 
ECO        0       7       0       0          7
SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ  (1)    7:11   Robinson 2 run                                                         (kick failed)     6 - 0
STJ  (2)    9:48   Harris 5 pass from Collier                                      (pass failed)   12 - 0
E C  (2)    7:34   Cooper 72 interception return                                   (Orr kick)   12 - 7
STJ  (2)    1:04   Robinson 19 run                          (Underwood pass to Cherry)   20 - 7
STJ  (3)    9:14   Collier 2 run                                                           (Taylor kick)   27 - 7

 August 29, 2014.  Burt-Haynie Field, Eclectic.  Game Conditions:  Partly Cloudy   Game Temperature:  87  Wind:  NE, light
 

Jonathan Robinson scored two rushing touchdowns and Connor Collier threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Trojan offense overcame a number of first game penalties while setting a school record for time of possession, and the defense kept the Panthers out of the endzone the entire evening as Saint James took the lead in the all-time series versus Elmore County, 5 to 4, with a convincing 27 - 7 victory in Eclectic to start the 2014 season.

The Trojans got off to a fast start as Jaylen McCoy returned the opening kickoff just inside the Panther 50 yard line.  The teams traded penalties before a fourth down and six at the Panther 45.  M.J. Melendez executed a fake punt well enough as he gained seven yards for a Trojans first down.  Three plays later, Auburn commit Jalen Harris caught his first pass of the season, a 20 yard bullet from Connor Collier, giving Saint James first down on the Elmore County 17.  After a Collier keeper for five yards, four consecutive runs by Jonathan Robinson, the final a two yarder, gave Saint James their first score of the season.  The extra point was wide, but the Trojans were up 6 - 0 less than five minutes into the game.

The Panthers, who were held to an amazingly low 35 plays in this game, and inferred from earlier a Saint James school opponent low of exactly one quarter of possession time, did pick up one of their two first half first downs on their opening offensive possession but could only advance as far as their own 27 yard line.  After a punt, the Trojans had good field position again starting at their own 45.  On fourth down and two, Saint James opted to pin the Panthers with a punt which they did, forcing poor field position at the Panther 16.  After a Panther penalty, a long pass on the ensuing third down play would likely have gone for an 89 yard touchdown had it not been for a stellar pass defense by McCoy as he knocked the ball away from the awaiting receiver.  A short punt was returned by Dozier Dean to the Elmore County 32 and Saint James enjoyed great field position once more.

Nine plays later, Harris cashed in his first touchdown reception of the season on a nifty short pass from Collier into the flat and a five yard score.  Collier attempted to pass for a two point conversion, but unable to find an open receiver he was eventually tackled short of the goal line.  However, the Trojans had doubled their lead to 12 points early in the second quarter.

The Panthers finally had some decent field position as the kickoff was returned to their own 45, but on second down the ball was knocked loose from Elmore County's Za Head and fallen upon by the Trojans as they recovered their first turnover of the season.
M.J. Melendez was given a turn at quarterback, and after completing two short passes, his third attempt was a bit overthrown and intercepted by Eddie Cooper at the 28 yard line.  He raced toward the Trojan sidelines and wiggled his way through traffic at about the 40 yard line and broke into the clear where he was just out of reach of Trojan pursuers.  His return for a touchdown of 72 yards was the third longest ever by a Trojan opponent.  Rollie Orr kicked the extra point, and suddenly the Panthers were back in the game with momentum having cut the lead to 12 - 7 with still a majority of the second quarter remaining.

After a short kickoff return, Saint James began a methodical drive which ate up nearly all of the remaining first half clock.  The Trojans manage to overcome three holding penalties (and one which was not accepted) as part of a 18 play 74 yard possession.  The first holding penalty was more than negated by a dead ball personal foul on the same play.  Robinson converted a key fourth down and one with a five yard run crossing midfield, and several plays later Harris caught his second 20 yard pass of the game over the middle from Collier to reach the Panther 31.  After a short run and consecutive defensive offsides penalties, Robinson finally broke loose on a run to the right where the blocking held and the path to the endzone was open for a 19 yard touchdown.   On the two point conversion this time, Blake Underwood saw a receiver open in the back of the endzone.  The ball was deflected and may have bounced off a helmet, but it fell right into the arms of Wes Cherry just in front of the goal post and the two pont conversion pass was successful and Saint James' lead was 20 - 7 with just over a minute remaining im the first half.  Despite a 17 yard run for a first down for the Panthers, only their second first down of the first half, they felt no need to rush the ball down the field to attempt to add to their score and the halftime clock ran out.

The Panthers did receive the second half kickoff, but a loss on the first play nulled any momentum, and the Trojans took over after a three and out at their own 44 yard line.  On the first play, halfback Dozier Dean took a handoff and fired a pass to a wide open Nolan Fields downfield.  Had the pass not been a bit underthrown it could have been a touchdown pass and catch, but Fields was tackled after a 36 yard pickup.  Two plays later Dean caught his own pass from Collier moving the ball down to the Trojan 7.  After a five yard run by Robinson, Collier kept up the middle for his first rushing touchdown of the season, a two yarder, and Coleman Taylor's extra point was good, giving the Trojans a 20 point lead in what would be the final points scored in the ballgame.

After an endzone kickoff by Taylor, the Panthers picked up a first down rushing but on the next play the ball was again knocked loose from runner Head into the arms of Trojan Reid Woodson and Saint James regained possession.  However, the Trojans could not convert a fourth down and four and Elmore County earned the ball back.  They embarked on easily their longest and most succesful drive of the game - the highlight being a 19 yard completion on fourth down and 19 to go.  A half the distance roughing the passer penalty on the same play gave the Panthers first and goal at the Trojan 7.  Two runs netted a loss of a yard, and two consecutive incomplete passes meant the Trojans had kept the Panthers out of the endzone on what would be their only serious offensive scoring threat.  Slowly but steadily, the Trojans used nearly five minutes of time to move the ball out to their own 35 before punting.  The Panthers earned one first down, but a desperation pass was intercepted by Ivan Villageois deep in Trojan territory and returned to the 16 yard line.  Fifteen consecutive running plays by Underwood, Robinson, and Collier erased the final 8 plus minutes off the clock as the Elmore County defense was beyond tired, and the Trojans simply downed the ball inside their redzone to claim a victory in the opening game of the 2014 season and their third consecutive victory over a two year span as they began looking forward to Region play and a strong Straughn team coming to Carlisle Field a week later.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME ONE

SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   57 attempts   234 yards   3 TDs   (4.11 yards per carry)

                                1   Robinson              22 / 99  (2 TDs)          5   Underwood                19 / 82         12   Collier                 8 / 36   (1 TD)
                                6   McCoy                   4 / 10                         2   Melendez                     3 /   7         10   Dean                    1 /   0

                              PASSING   8 completions  16 attempts  1 INT  109 yards  1 TD

                              12   Collier                    5 - 11 - 0      68 yards    (1 TD)
                              10   Dean                       1 -  2 - 0       36 yards
                                2   Melendez                2 -  3 - 1        5 yards

                              RECEIVING

                              43   Harris                      4 / 47  (1 TD)         11   Fields                           1 / 36         10   Dean                    3 / 26

                              TOTAL YARDS:  343

                              KICKS:      XP  1 / 2      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                              KICKOFFS:  5  (56,54,55,52,EZ)              PUNTS:  2  (31,24)
                              KO RETURNS:  2  (29,7)                          PUNT RETURNS:   3  (0fc,11,0)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   21   (14 rushing, 5 passing, 2 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   12 / 19
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  2 / 3
                              FUMBLES:  0
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:   + 2
                              FUMBLE RETURNS:   1  (0)
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (3)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   9 / 61
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  36:00  (school record)

ELMORE CO       RUSHING    23 attempts  86 yards  0 TDs  (3.74 yards per carry)
                              PASSING       6 completions  12 attempts  1 INT   32 yards  0 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  118

                              KICKS:      XP  1 / 1      FG   0 / 0
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  2  (38,41)                            PUNTS:  3  (28,32,25)
                              KO RETURNS:  4  (11,39,21,23)             PUNT RETURNS:  1  (0fc)
                              FIRST DOWNS:  8  (5 rushing, 3 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   2 / 7
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                              FUMBLES:  2, lost 2
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (72TD)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  7
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  7 / 50 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  12:00

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