2025 -
GAME 1
Catholic 32, Saint James 6
STJ 6 0 0 0 6
CAT 6 6 19 0 32
Friday, August 22 7:00 PM Catholic Field Game Conditions: Rain early, cloudy, humid Game Temperature: 78 Wind: negligible
SCORING SUMMARY:
CAT (1) 14:45 Jackson-Ligon 84 kickoff return (run failed) 6 - 0
STJ (1) 6:13 Phillips 3 run (kick blocked) 6 - 6
CAT (2) 7:48 Eley 80 pass from Sankey (kick failed) 12 - 6
CAT (3) 7:49 Dottery 74 punt return (run failed) 18 - 6
CAT (3) 1:13 Eley 6 pass from Sankey (Costa kick) 25 - 6
CAT (3) 0:08 Jackson-Ligon 38 fumble return (Costa kick) 32 - 6
As a steady rain throughout most of the afternoon began to fade just at kickoff time, Catholic won the opening coin toss of the season and 15 seconds later had its first lead of the season. Zaylan Jackson-Ligon fielded a low line drive punt at his own 16 yard line and aggressively headed straight into the middle of potential Trojan tacklers. However, after evading a few bump tackles around the 35 yard line, he broke free and outraced pursuers to the endzone for an 84 yard kickoff return touchdown. As Saint James was reeling from the sudden score, Catholic attempted a trick play two point conversion but a wayward snap ended in a non-conversion. However, Catholic had a very quick 6 - 0 lead.
On first down from the Trojan 30 on its first offensive possession of the season, and the first play, Grant Phillips busted open a quarterback run for 46 yards down to the Knight 24. Unfortunately for Saint James, this would be nearly half of their entire night's offensive production total. On fourth and 1 from the 15, a desperation try for the first down resulted in a lost fumble, and Saint James had wasted a golden opportunity. The Trojan defense fared rather well, except for a few large plays, and most of those were on the special teams side. In the 2024 matchup, both Saint James touchdowns were set up by faulty plays in the Catholic punting game, and the trend continued as a snap went way over the head of the punter. He downed the ball at the 3 yard line, but Saint James was set up in stellar position. On second down, Phillips carried in for 3 yards for the first score of the season. A potential go-ahead extra point was blocked, but Saint James had recovered from the first play shocker to tie the game at 6 all.
After an endzone kickoff and another Knight three and out, Saint James returned the punting error favor as a muffed snap prevented a punt from being attempted and the Knights had first down on the Trojan 42. Catholic earned one first down and got as deep as the Trojan 23, but a holding penalty and a sack resulted in a punt which pinned the Trojans at their own 7 yard line. Another punt after the beginning of the second quarter and a good return gave the Knights field position at the Trojan 33, but on third down Miles Zukowski intercepted a C.J. Sankey pass and returned it 24 yards just short of midfield, thwarting another Knight scoring threat. The Trojans could not convert a first down; they only converted five all game; but another pin punt pushed Catholic back to their own 14 yard line. Two runs by Jackson-Ligon netted 6 yards, and on third down Sankey tossed what appeared to be a simple screen pass to Jacob Eley. He evaded potential tacklers near the 35 yard line, and broke loose pulling away for an 80 yard catch and run touchdown. A flag back at the line of scrimmage was thrown for an ineligible man downfield, but after discussion and a dubious decision, it was determined the pass was thrown behind the line of scrimmage mooting the penalty, and the touchdown was awarded. An extra point kick attempt was wide, but Catholic had doubled the lead to 12 - 6 midway through the second quarter.
Saint James would again punt, and Catholic would spend nearly the remainder of the half driving down the field. Upon reaching the Trojan 6 yard line, a major penalty pushed them back, and a 40 yard field goal attempt by Jao Pedro Costa was wide, so the heavy underdog Trojans were within one score as the teams raced to their respective halftime locker rooms.
The third quarter was not a good one for Saint James. The Trojans had failed to complete a pass in the first half, and were likewise incomplete on the first try of the second half. On third down and 18, Mason Craig attempted his first pass and completed a 16 yarder to Michael Hassell. On the next play, fourth down, Craig completed yet another pass, this one to Andrew Yancy, for 9 yards and a first down and finally some excitement on the Saint James sidelines. That would be tempered quickly as four downs later on a punt, Antoine Dottery pulled in a "quickkick" punt at the 26 yard line and raced 74 yards for another Catholic kick return touchdown. Another two point conversion failed, but now the Knights had an 18 - 6 lead.
The Trojans drove to midfield on their next drive, but an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to the Knights, and they had their only "legitimate" drive for a touchdown. An endzone pass interference penalty gave Catholic a first down at the 6 yard line, and on the next play Eley pulled in his second touchdown reception, considerably shorter than the first, but still worth the same six points. Costa converted the extra point kick and gave Catholic a commanding 25 - 6 lead late in the third quarter.
It wasn't late enough. Three plays later, a swipe and fumble was picked up by Jackson-Ligon at the 38 yard line and returned for yet another Catholic touchdown. Costa's second extra point kick seemingly just seconds after the previous one, gave the Knights a lead which would end up being the final score at 32 - 6.
With continuous clock malfunctions, continuous heat-related cramp timeouts, and a settled ballgame, the teams basically ran out the fourth quarter clock mercifully, and Catholic had their school record 30th consecutive victory perhaps on their way to a third consecutive state championship. For the Trojans, it would lead to a week of reevaluation, notably in the special teams execution, before returning to Carlisle Field for the 2025 home opener against Montgomery Academy, a very huge 59 - 3 winner in week one.
SIDELINE STATISTICS - GAME ONE
SAINT JAMES RUSHING 29 attempts 31 yards 1 TD (1.07 yards per carry)
6
Phillips 18
/ 46 yards (1 TD) 30
Zukowski 1 /
1 1
Bass 7 / - 3
7
Craig
2 / -
3
9
Hines
1 / - 10
PASSING 7 completions 18 attempts 0 INTs 68 yards 0 TDs
6
Phillips
4 - 14 - 0 44 yards
7
Craig
3 - 4 - 0 24 yards
RECEIVING
22 Shalayda
1 / 21
12
Hassell
1 / 16
2
Offord
1 / 9
13
Yancy
1 /
9
9
Hines
1 /
8
1
Bass
2 / 5
TOTAL
YARDS: 99
KICKS: XP 0 / 1
FG 0 / 0
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 2 (44,EZ)
PUNTS: 5 (33,32,21,33,31)
KO RETURNS: 6 (12,16,6,7,4,0)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (12)
FIRST
DOWNS: 5 (2 rushing, 2 passing, 1
penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 2 / 13
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 5
FUMBLES: 4,
lost 3
TURNOVER
MARGIN: - 2
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 1 (24)
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 5 / 31 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: 25:52
CATHOLIC
RUSHING 26 attempts 33 yards 0
TDs (1.27 yards per carry)
PASSING
16 completions 24 attempts 1 INT 194
yards 2 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 227
2 POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 2
KICKOFFS: 6 (42,44,39,45,39,44) PUNTS: 2 (29,36)
KO RETURNS: 1 (86TD) PUNT RETURNS: 3 (7,0fc,74TD)
FIRST DOWNS: 13 (5 rushing, 6 passing, 2 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 6 / 13
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 2 / 3
FUMBLES: 2, lost 1
FUMBLE RETURNS: 1 (38TD)
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 7
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 7 / 55 yards
TIME OF POSSESSION: 22:08