2026 -
GAME 3
SAINT JAMES 42, @ Pike Liberal Arts 14 
PLA 7
0
7 0
14
SCORING
SUMMARY
STJ (1)
6:18 Hartley 29
run
(Tapia kick)
7 - 0
P L (1) 3:46 Powell 10
pass from Shirley
(Royal kick) 7
- 7
STJ (2) 11:15 Hartley 1
run
(Tapia kick) 14 - 7
STJ (2) 4:36 Hartley 60
run
(Tapia kick) 21 - 7
STJ (2) 0:42 Delbridge 64
pass from
Hassell (Tapia
kick) 28 - 7
STJ (3) 4:36 Adams 7
run
(Tapia kick) 35 - 7
P L (3) 3:21 Bowen 14
pass from
Adams
(Royal kick) 35 - 14
STJ (4) 11:52 Aman 12 pass from
Hassell
(Tapia kick) 42 - 14
September 4,
2026 Dewight Wade Field. Game Time
Conditions: Partly cloudy, breezy Game
Temperature: 82 Wind SW 10 - 20 early,
negligible late
Freshman Cam Hartley ran for exactly 200 yards and scored three
first half touchdowns, freshman Connor Adams ran for over 100
yards, Michael Hassell threw two touchdown passes, and Saint James
gained over 500 yards of total offense for the first time since
the 2022 playoffs as the Trojans traveled to Troy and defeated
first time opponent Pike Liberal Arts 42 - 14 to win their first
ever Private School Class A Region football game.
Pike Lib won the toss and deferred to the second half. Saint
James was driving down the field and got as close as the 15 yard
line before Jackson Bowen intercepted a Hassell pass to stop the
opening drive. However, a penalty led to a quick three and
out, and the Trojans took over on the Patriots 48 after a
punt. After no gain on first down, Hassell completed a 19
yard pass to Mikell Delbridge and on the next play Hartley broke
away for his first touchdown of the night, a 29 yarder.
Ethan Tapia converted the first of (each of) his six extra point
attempts, and Saint James was up 7 - 0 midway through the first
quarter.
It did not take long for the Patriots to respond. Despite
another drive-starting penalty, quarterback David Adams launched a
long pass to Bowen for 55 yards to move the ball to the Trojan
11. Three plays later, Braden Shirley, lined up in the
quarterback position, tossed a 10 yard touchdown pass to Sawyer
Powell and Tripp Royal's extra point knotted the score at 7.
The Trojans used up the rest of the first quarter gaining
yards. A fourth down play from the 16 yard line where
Hartley was stopped, but his helmet was pulled off by a face mask,
led to a crucial first down penalty inside the 10 yard line.
A holding penalty on the opening play of the second quarter pushed
the ball back to the Patriot 18. Jordan Williams on a pass
and run got down to the 1 yard line, and on the next play Hartley
scored his second touchdown to boost the lead back to 7 points.
Brannen Stewart grabbed his third intercaption of the year to stop
Pike Lib's next drive, but Saint James eventually punted
themselves. The Patriots drove as deep as the Trojan 18, but
a fourth down pass netted a loss of one yard and resulted in a
turnover on downs. Saint James scored two plays later, on a
bruising Hartley run of 21 followed by a breakaway jewel Hartley
where he somehow ditched two tacklers well downfield and scored
from 60 yards away. The Tapia extra point gave the Trojans a
21 - 7 lead.
The Patriots converted several first downs, but turned the ball
over again on downs at the Trojan 32. As time was winding
down in the half, on the second play, Hassell found Mikell
Delbridge 10 yards past his coverage on the far sidelines for a
wide open 64 yard touchdown pass. The Saint James sideline
was ecstatic as the Trojans took a 28 - 7 lead to halftime.
A bizarre sequence of plays took place in the first two minutes of
the third quarter. Pike Lib returned the opening kickoff and
a 15 yard face mask penalty gave them good field position over the
midfield stripe. However, on the first play, a sizable gain
pass play was wiped out by a fumble, recovered by Stewart, and
Saint James had the ball. Two plays later, a pass to
Williams similar to the earlier near touchdown was tipped and
intercepted by Shirley and Pike Lib retained possession. Two
plays later, a handoff was botched and Will Steinwinder recovered
a fumble. Two plays later, a bad snap and handoff led to yet
another fumble and the fourth turnover in nine offensive
plays. The Patriots took over at their own 42, but went four
and out on an incompletion. Saint James drove for a score,
primarily on the legs of Connor Adams. A 31 yard run
on a counter sweep was later followed by a 7 yard touchdown, and
the Trojans had built a four touchdown lead.
The Patriots fired right back, as Shirley caught a 38 yard pass
down to the 14, and then David Adams found Bowen open for a 14
yard touchdown. Royal's kick cut the lead to 35 - 14 with
still time remaining in the third quarter.
Saint James went 65 yards in 9 plays on their next drive, the
final drive for most of the offensive starters, as Hassell tossed
a nice pass to Wilson Aman just inside the goal line and pylon for
a 12 yard pass on the opening play of the final quarter.
Tapia's extra point would lead to the final score of 42 - 14.
Reserves for both teams played the rest of the way. Saint
James drove as close as the Patriot 4, but a sharp angle field
goal attempt from Tapia was wide. The Patriots elected to
run out the clock, and Saint James had its first win of the season
after a fine defensive performance and a stellar offensive
performance. Turnovers and penalties were not enough of a
problem to affect the net outcome of the game. Saint James
looked forward to Homecoming 2026 the next week as they welcomed
yet another first time football opponent, the Fort Dale Academy
Eagles from Greenville.
PRESS BOX
STATISTICS - GAME THREE
SAINT
JAMES RUSHING 39
attempts 359 yards 4
TDs (9.21 yards per carry)
22
Hartley 17 / 200 yards (3
TDs) 7
Adams 10 / 126 (1 TD)
8
Le
5 / 20
6
Aman 1
/
5
13 Delbridge 4 /
5
11 Hassell 2 / 3
PASSING
10 completions 17 attempts 212 yards 3
INTs 2 TDs
11
Hassell 10 - 17 -
2 212 yards 2 TDs
RECEIVING
13 Delbridge 3 / 101
yards (1 TD) 12
Williams 3 / 47
2 Offord 2 / 41
6 Aman
1 / 12 (1
TD)
22 Hartley 1 / 11
TOTAL
YARDS: 571 (second
highest total in school history to this date - highest since
2010)
KICKS: XP 6 / 6
FG 0 / 1 (missed 23)
2
POINT CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 8
(36,22,20,41,OB,OB,30,33) PUNTS: 1 (40)
KO RETURNS: 1 (25)
PUNT RETURNS: 0
FIRST
DOWNS: 23 (16 rushing, 6 passing, 1 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 3 / 6
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 1
FUMBLES: 1, lost 1
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: 2 (0,32)
TURNOVER
MARGIN: 0
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED PENALTIES: 10 / 105 yards
TIME
OF POSSESSION: not available
PIKE LIBERAL
RUSHING 20 attempts 33 yards 0
TDs (1.65 yards per carry)
PASSING
15 completions 23 attempts 2 INTs 237
yards 2 TDs
TOTAL
YARDS: 270
KICKS: XP 2 / 2
FG 0 / 0
2 POINT
CONVERSIONS: 0 / 0
KICKOFFS: 3
(EZ,54,OB)
PUNTS: 1 (20)
KO
RETURNS: 7 (12,0,0,5,7,19,10)
PUNT RETURNS: 1 (3)
FIRST
DOWNS: 11 (2 rushing, 8 passing, 1 penalty)
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: 4 / 10
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS: 1 / 4
FUMBLES:
4, lost 2
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS: 0
ACCEPTED
PENALTIES: 2 / 13 yards
TIME OF
POSSESSION: not available
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