2014 - GAME 4

SAINT JAMES 21, @ Andalusia 7
 STJ         0       0       0      21        21
 
AND        0       0       0       7          7
SCORING SUMMARY:

STJ    (4)    9:57   Fields 44 pass from Melendez                                       (Taylor kick)     7 - 0
AND  (4)    9:09   Montgomery 59 run                                                    (Hopkins kick)     7 - 7
STJ    (4)    7:28   Harris 26 pass from Melendez                                       (kick failed)   13 - 7
STJ    (4)    1:25   Robinson 25 run                                   (Fields pass from Melendez)   21 - 7

September 19, 2014.  Andalusia Stadium.   Game Conditions:  Scattered clouds, low humidity   Game Temperature:  84   Wind:  N  5 - 10
 

For three quarters this game was little more than defensive stands, offensive misfires, and a couple of missed field goals early.  However, once the scoring finally started in the final quarter, it arrived fast and furious.  Fortunately for the Trojans, they were on the winning side of touchdowns, 3 to 1, as a key muffed punt helped the Trojans solidify a shaky late lead on their way to their first victory ever over the Andalusia Bulldogs, 21 - 7, and yet another big region win.

The Trojans won the coin toss, their eleventh consecutive win among the five different Saint James teams (varsity, junior varsity, middle school, pee wees, and termites), although after ten home games among the five teams, this was the first "called" win.  A precursor perhaps to the upcoming three quarters was a delay of game penalty before the Trojans even completed a snap.  Both teams started with a three and out, and the Trojans gained a mere 10 yards on the exchange.  Saint James, which would not convert a first down in the opening quarter, punted again.  A holding penalty on the return pushed the ball back to the Bulldog 22, but Andalusia embarked on their best drive of the first half.  Eleven plays later, the Bulldogs, primarily on the running efforts of Jamal Hourel and James Montgomery - who each would gain over 100 yards by the end of the game - gave Andalusia first and goal from the Trojan 5.  Hourel picked up two yards on first down, but a penalty pushed them back to the eight.  Montgomery gained three of those back on the next play, but on third down a costly holding penalty pushed the ball outside the 10 yard line.  The Trojan defense stiffened, and a 32 yard field goal attempt by Chase Hopkins was wide left, so the game remained scoreless.

Despite an illegal substitution penalty by Andalusia on the next drive, the Trojans again could not pick up a first down, and Andalusia took over as the second quarter began.  Two plays later, the Bulldogs punted, one of 14 punts in the game, and Saint James finally began to move the ball.  Jonathan Robinson picked up 12 yards on two plays, and then Connor Collier completed a nifty 18 yard sideline pass to Whit Powell for his first reception of the season.  Collier picked up 11 on a keeper on the next play, and suddenly the Trojans had a trio of first downs on consecutive snaps.  However, the drive stalled and a Coleman Taylor 37 yard field goal attempt was straight but did not have the necessary height to clear the crossbar, and the game still remained scoreless.

The next three possessions ended in punts with Saint James taking over on its own 14 with under two minutes remaining in the half. A third down 21 yard carry by Robinson and a 21 yard catch and run by Dozier Dean on the next play gave the Trojans a perhaps unexpected scoring chance at the end of the half.  However, the next three plays netted a loss of two yards, and a desperation fourth down pass was intercepted by the Bulldogs short of the endzone to conclude a rare no-points half.

Andalusia took possession to start the third quarter, but an intentional grounding penalty stalled that drive.  A holding penalty by Saint James on the first play of their drive later forced a punt, but Hourel muffed the punt, his first of two such infractions, and Saint James had great field position at the Bulldog 26.  The Andalusia defense stiffened yet again as they dropped Robinson for a loss on fourth down and less than a yard necessary to convert.  As the game wore on, it became apparent scoring opportunities were going to be few and far between.  (Until the fourth quarter at least)   The Bulldogs were also faced with a fourth and 1 from their own 26, and decided to risk the play.  Montgomery converted with a 17 yard run, but the Trojan defense forced yet another punt, one of eight by Andalusia.

Most everyone got a chance to sit back and laugh during a tight, hard-played contest, as just after Jalen Harris had caught a pass on his way to a six yard gain, the automatic sprinklers suddenly came on at five different spots across the middle of the field.  The field, which was a bit damp due to some brief afternoon showers about two hours before game, got a fresh dose of water for about sixty seconds.  The sprinklers were cut off, and play resumed.  Andalusia was forced to call a crucial timeout before play resumed to regroup, but Robinson nevertheless converted a third down on the next play.  Several plays later, however, a Collier pass attempted for Harris was overthrown and intercepted by Shalin Bogan at the Bulldog 41 as the third quarter was nearing completion.

Another Bulldog holding penalty and a huge loss on a great defensive play by Jaylen McCoy on a screen pass forced Andalusia into a third down and 30.  Hourel picked up 14 on third down, but another Bulldog punt on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Trojans the ball at their own 28 and finally a scoring drive was about to commence.

Robinson picked up 12 and 3 yards on consecutive plays, and a defensive pass interference penalty gave the Trojans a first down at the Bulldog 42.  McCoy was stopped for a two yard loss on first down, but on second down M.J. Melendez lofted a pass on a post pattern toward Nolan Fields.  Somehow, the trajectory was perfect enough to travel just over the outstretched arms of a potential defender, and Fields caught the ball down by his knees with a defender close by as he amazingly held on to the football and kept his balance to where he could run toward the endzone, which he did for the first score of the game.  Coleman Taylor's extra point gave the Trojans a 7 - 0 lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the game.

It would not last long.  Hourel returned the kickoff to the Bulldog 35, and a short pass gained 6 yards on first down.  On second down, Montgomery took the handoff on a simple dive play, and three Trojans converged together bumping the runner but not knocking him down; instead knocking him forward into the clear where he outraced the Trojan secondary for a 59 yard touchdown.  Hopkins converted his extra point, and in a game where no points where scored in 38 minutes, 14 had been scored in less than 50 seconds of playing time.

McCoy had a great return on the following kickoff, and a touchdown may have been saved by a near-horsecollar tackle on the sidelines.  From the Trojan 45, as the offenses had suddenly awakened, Melendez connected with Dozier Dean on a 9½ yard pass on the first play.  Robinson ran for 16 on the next play to set up first down on the Bulldog 29.  Two runs by Robinson gained three yards, and on third down Melendez lofted a similar pass as he attempted on the previous drive to Harris, who caught the ball among traffic at about the Bulldog 15.  Tacklers latched on, but he dragged them about five yards before their grips lessened, and Harris scamped into the endzone with yet another Trojan touchdown catch and run.  This time the extra point was barely wide left, and suddenly a six point lead which would have been gold in the first three quarters all of a sudden seemed quite shaky.

An endzone kickoff gave the Bulldogs less than ideal field position to start their drive for perhaps a go-ahead touchdown with about 7 minutes remaining.  Andalusia did nose into Trojan territory after several first downs, but opted for a punt on fourth and 11 from the Saint James 49.  The punt nicely rolled dead at the 13 yard line, and three consecutive Robinson runs netted no yardage.   Andalusia called their second timeout with 3:02 remaining and great field position expected.  However, Melendez's sixth punt of the night took a funny bounce several feet in front of returner Hourel's feet, hitting one of them, and the ball was promptly fallen upon at the 48 yard line by a rushing Trojan on a critical turnover.

Robinson broke away for a 22 yard scamper on first down, and Andalusia was forced to call its final timeout.  On third down from the Bulldog 25, Robinson finally managed to emerge through the tiring Andalusia defense after breaking several tackles and raced 25 yards for what appeared to be the game clinching score.  A two point conversion pass from Melendez to Nolan Fields gave the Trojans a two touchdown lead with less than 90 seconds remaining.

After a moderate kickoff return, the Bulldogs gained no yardage on three plays, and Coleman Taylor intercepted a desperation fourth down pass down the middle to seal yet another hard-fought region victory, and gave the Trojans a chance to celebrate their first ever victory in five tries against Andalusia as they looked forward to a 4A Region 2 break the next week as they would match up with their first ever 6A football competition, the Park Crossing Thunderbirds.

SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME FOUR

 SAINT JAMES    RUSHING   44 attempts   173 yards   1 TD   (3.93 yards per carry)

                                1   Robinson      30 / 144  (1 TD)    12   Collier             4 / 19       27   Williamson           1 / 6
                                2   Melendez        4 /    5                    6   McCoy            4 /   3       10   Dean                    1 / - 4

                              PASSING   8 completions  17 attempts  2 INTs  118 yards  2 TDs

                                2   Melendez                 5 -  7 - 1     73 yards   2 TDs
                              12   Collier                     3 - 10 - 1     45 yards

                              RECEIVING

                              10   Dean                 3 / 30                 43   Harris              2 / 32  (1 TD)   11   Fields         1 / 44  (1 TD)
                                9   Powell              1 / 18                   1   Robinson         1 / - 6

                              TOTAL YARDS:  291

                              KICKS:      XP  1 / 2      FG   0 / 1  (37 missed)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  1 / 1
                              KICKOFFS:   4  (49,54,EZ,56)                  PUNTS:  6  (34,34,40,37,30,39)
                              KO RETURNS:  2  (9,30)                          PUNT RETURNS:   2  (0fc,0)
                              FIRST DOWNS:   13   (9 rushing, 3 passing, 1 penalty)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   4 / 14
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  0 / 2
                              FUMBLES:  1, lost 0
                              TURNOVER MARGIN:   + 1
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (0)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  8
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:   2 / 15
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  25:02

ANDALUSIA       RUSHING    38 attempts  235 yards  1 TD  (6.18 yards per carry - 5 Hourel  19 / 111   1 Montgomery  13 / 109)
                              PASSING       6 completions  19 attempts  40 yards  1 INT  0 TDs
                              TOTAL YARDS:  275

                              KICKS:      XP  1 / 1      FG   0 / 1   (32 missed)
                              2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                              KICKOFFS:  2  (50,42)                            PUNTS:  8  (22,37,30,38,22,20,37,36)
                              KO RETURNS:  3  (15,29,22)                 PUNT RETURNS:  4  (0,0fc,0F,0F)
                              FIRST DOWNS:  12  (10 rushing, 2 passing)
                              THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS:   2 / 13
                              FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS:  1 / 2
                              FUMBLES:  3, lost 2
                              INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  2  (0,0)
                              POINTS OFF TURNOVERS:  0
                              ACCEPTED PENALTIES:  8 / 79 yards
                              TIME OF POSSESSION:  22:58

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