Knights Improve to 3-0 With Win Over Landrum on Military Night

The SJCS Varsity football team is off to a 3-0 start for the third year in a row.

Brayden Johnson rushed for 114 yards and four touchdowns, and the Knights defeated Landrum in their home opener Friday night, 34-6.

After quarterback Cade Alt capped the Knights' first possession with a 12-yard touchdown run, Landrum responded with a 33-yard scoring pass from Titus Poore to Reese Dunaway -- the first points allowed by the first unit this season.

The point-after kick was no good, and the Knights still led 7-6 with 2:46 left in the first quarter.

It was all St. Joe's after that.

Tradd Coulter's 26-yard kickoff return set the Knights up at their 49-yard line. They moved 51 yards in six plays, with Johnson scoring on a 5-yard run. The kick was no good, but the Knights still led 13-6.

The Knights went 62 yards on their next possession, with Alt passes of 17 yards to William Gillespie and 12 yards to Michael Poinsette and Johnson's 15-yard run accounting for much of it. Johnson scored from the 5, Gillespie added the PAT and it was 20-6 midway through the second quarter.

St. Joe's added one more score before halftime. A 10-yard pass from Alt to Gillespie on fourth-and-seven from the Landrum 23-yard line kept the drive alive, and Johnson scored from the 2.

The defense came up big several times to halt drives, including a 12-yard sack by Hammond Fayssoux and an interception in the end zone by Coulter that preserved the Knights' 27-6 halftime lead.

In the fourth quarter, Gillespie's great catch near the sideline netted 22 yards and gave St. Joe's a first down at the 6. Three plays later, Johnson scored his fourth touchdown of the night -- his 10th in the first three games. Gillespie's kick made it 34-6.

The defense allowed just 146 total yards, including 42 rushing on 23 attempts -- a measly 1.8 per rush.

Johnny Jaraczewski and Joe Patterson led St. Joe's with 13 and 12 tackles, respectively. Jaraczewski had three of the Knights' 11 tackles for loss, and Patterson and Gabe Nelson each had two. Fayssoux and Nelson each had a sack.

The Knights, who have outscored their first three opponents 133-13, will play at home again this Friday, taking on Seneca at 7:30 PM.

PHOTO GALLERY
 

It was Military Night, a tradition started in 2015 by former St. Joe's football player Ben Dunphy, who continues to serve in the U.S. Navy.

This year's Military Night, organized by William Gillespie, was a tribute to Battle Buddies of the Carolinas, which trains golden retrievers to help veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. The SJCS community held a fundraiser for Battle Buddies, and the organization's founders, John and Jo Anne Creed, served as honorary captains.

MILITARY NIGHT PHOTO GALLERY

 

SJCS 34, LANDRUM  6

SJ    13 - 14 - 0 - 7 -- 34
L        6 -  0 - 0 - 0 --   6

First Quarter

SJ-Cade Alt 12 run (William Gillespie kick)
L-Reese Dunaway 33 pass from Titus Poore (kick failed)
SJ-Johnson 5 run (kick failed)

Second Quarter

SJ-Johnson 6 run (Gillespie kick)
SJ-Johnson 2 run (Gillespie kick)

Fourth Quarter

SJ-Johnson 2 run (Gillespie kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: SJ-Brayden Johnson 33-114, William Gillespie 11-71, Henry Dryden 2-31, Cade Alt 7-23, Lucas Salgado 3-11.

PASSING: SJ-Alt 8-12-1 94.

RECEIVING: SJ-Gillespie 3-49, Michael Poinsette 4-41, Gabe Nelson 1-4.

TACKLES (Total Tackles-TFL): SJ-Johnny Jaraczewski 13-3, Joe Patterson 12-2, Salgado 5-1, Hayden Fayssoux 5-0, Gabe Nelson 4-2, Walker Wolfram 4-1, Dryden 4-0, Chase Kennedy 3-0, Gillespie 2-0, Nathaniel Coffi 2-0, Tradd Coulter 2-0, Poinsette 1-0, Jack Flynn 1-1, Hayes Roberts 1-0, Hayden Courchaine 1-1, Walker Jones 1-0, Collins Langdon 1-0.