The St. James Football Academy faces another high profile test

It is just the second season of The St. James Academy football program, but they are already going toe to toe with the big boys. Last week, the Strivers suffered a heartbreaking 44-42 loss against IMG Academy on a last second field goal. Despite the defeat, there were a lot of positives to take away from that performance.

The 42 points that the Strivers hung on IMG were the most allowed by the elite Florida based program since 2016. The offense was absolutely rolling. As senior wide receiver Cam Simmons put it, “Besides our turnovers we scored every drive”. If the Strivers want to beat the big boys instead of just challenging them, ball security will be key.

They will get another chance to play another one of high school football’s elite programs this weekend. The Strivers match up with the Baltimore based St. Frances academy. According to Rivals talent index, IMG and St. Frances are the two most talented teams in the country.

For Coach Darryl Overton and The St. James program, this game means a lot. St. Frances and The St. James Academy has the potential to become a marquee Mid-Atlantic high school football rivalry between two elite programs. 

The St. James Academy is only in its second season, but Darryl Overton’s program has already shown they can compete with anyone. Last year, the Strivers lost to St. Frances 35-0, but this year’s team is a different animal. They have already shown the ability to go blow for blow with a heavyweight like IMG.

Overton said he was proud of his team’s performance against IMG, but knows they made too many mistakes to win. The biggest reason the Stivers could not pull off the upset win is turnovers. Overton is making sure that gets cleaned up for this weekend. His message this weekend is “not what we do but how we do it”. Overton wants his team to practice and play with intent.

A big reason for the Strivers' success is their dynamic offense. Junior quarterback Kash Carter threw for 380 yards and 5 touchdowns. Despite turning the ball over, Carter never lost confidence and answered right back. His connection with Cam Simmons played a big role in that.

Simmons told me that he and Carter played youth football together at 12 years old. They had separate football journeys from there, but eventually the pair reunited at The St. James Academy. Despite the time apart, Simmons said that the chemistry between the two never went away.

Cam Simmons is one of the stars of this team and is committed to James Madison University. He said that his relationship with the JMU receivers coach was a big reason he committed there. Simmons also called head coach Billy Napier a “down to earth guy” who calls or texts him almost every day.

That offense will be put to the test on Saturday against St. Frances, who has elite athletes on all three levels of the defense. If there is one thing we know, the Strivers will not be scared. This season, they have the talent to deal with the best teams.

Coach Overton told me a big reason for that is improved play on the offensive line. Quarterbacks and receivers may get the headlines, but the line of scrimmage sets the floor for a team. The St. James Academy offensive line led by Rutgers commit Aaron Southard is much better equipped to handle big games this season.

While the offense thrived against IMG, the Strivers defense will seek their big moment this weekend. There is plenty of talent on this defense as well. The strength of the defense is the safety duo of Kenaz Sullivan and Eltonino Hicks. 

Hicks grew up playing against Darryl Overton’s teams. His admiration from afar led him to joining The St. James Academy. The UConn commit considers himself a “swiss army knife” who can do everything that is asked of a safety. Hicks and Sullivan will have to be at their best to stop the St. Frances passing attack.

Despite being a new program, there is some history between these two teams. These are arguably the two best teams in the area, so inevitably a lot of these players and coaches have crossed paths. Coach Overton told me he actually played in an arena football league owned by St. Frances coach Messay Hailemariam. The two coaches have also played in a flag football league together.

However, when they get on the field this Saturday, these two coaches will not be friends while their teams are between the lines. Overton acknowledged that it “Would mean a lot to our program” if they beat a renowned program like St. Frances. They almost knocked off a big name in IMG, but this weekend they are looking to finish the job.

While the Strivers performance against IMG was surprising to some, it did not surprise Coach Overton. The confident head of The St. James Academy football program told me, “To everyone else we exceeded expectations, but not ourselves”.

Cam Simmons echoed his coach's sentiment when he said, “We are a second year program with a lot to prove. Winning these big games will help take our program to the next level”. To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Strivers have an opportunity to get that marquee win on Saturday when they play St. Frances.