By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

St. James Coach Rick Gaille says he’s never seen his team play faster than it did on Friday night, and that was bad news for Fisher.

The Wildcats, who already defeated their District 10-2A rival Gators once this season, ended Fisher’s season at St. James Friday night with a dominant 53-7 victory in a Class 2A bi-district game.

St. James will host Episcopal in the regional round on Friday night.

Gaille said there was no doubt that his team’s familiarity with Fisher (4-6) played a role in the final score.

“It eliminates any doubt that a player has in what he’s going to face,” said Gaille. “When you play without doubt, you can play really fast. And overall, that’s as fast as I’ve ever seen us play.”

Jaleel Steib rushed six times for 97 yards for St. James (7-3). Jarrell Williams scored two touchdowns, and Brad Phillips had two interceptions to lead the Wildcats.

St. James scored 46 first half points, including 26 in the opening quarter. The Wildcats’ defense allowed no points until the third quarter.

The Wildcats rushed for 235 yards and only attempted three passes — one of which went for a 90-yard score.

Even when things went wrong for St. James, they ended up right in the end. The Wildcats fumbled the ball away on their second possession, but regained it a play later after an interception.

“Every time we needed someone to make a big play, we came up with one,” Gaille said.

Williams scored touchdowns from six and 18 yards in the first quarter to put his team ahead 13-0.

On their next possession, three penalties set the Wildcats back 25 yards. Again, things turned up roses, as quarterback Marcus Dumas found Mason King for a 90-yard touchdown to make it 19-0.

Romell Steib would score the first of two St. James touchdowns via the kicking game, when he blocked a Fisher punt and ran it back 11 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-0.

“The greatest thing to boost morale on a team is to score in the kicking game,” Gaille said. “When you look at a lot of games, that’s the quickest way to see a turn around. I get much more excited for those. It always has a far reaching effect not only on your team, but on the other team.”

Jaleel Steib scored on a 36-yard run, and Shane Grows added a 6-yarder in the second quarter. Christian Verette added another on a 3-yard fumble return — again off an attempted Gators’ punt. Larohn Cambre added a 15-yard touchdown run to finalize the Wildcats’ scoring.

“We’ve played pretty well since the Higgins game,” said Gaille, whose team has won five of six since then, with the only loss coming at the hands of Curtis. “Our players not only feel more comfortable, but confident in the improvement they’ve made.”