The DeKalb Middle School Saints marched out of Cookeville with a season-opening win, dominating the host Avery Trace Raiders in the first half only to have to hold on with a white-knuckle grip to claim a 16-14 victory.

The kickoff to the season in Cookeville looked to be well in hand for the Saints as the Justin Poteete-coached squad imposed its will on the hosts early.

“We were able to move the ball on the ground,” Poteete noted, "and we did well defensively in the first half."

Helping establish the ground game was running back Colby Barnes who carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards in the first half alone. He accounted for the first of his team’s two touchdowns, romping into the end zone on a one-yard burst. A Briz Trapp to Josh May pass gave the Saints an 8-0 lead in the first, the loud DeKalb County crowd drowning out their hosts with the clanging of cow bells.

Avery Trace was unable to answer the early volley, a couple of dropped passes stopping their first drive. Their frustrations continued as penalties, dropped passes and a complete inability to move the ball on the ground left them without a single first down the entire first half.

Meanwhile, the Saints had no problems moving the ball up and down the field for the rest of the first half. However, they were unable to punch another score into the end zone, a near miss coming when the ground forced the ball out of Gabe Hollingsworth’s hands after Trapp hit him with a pass in the end zone from 30 yards out.

The Saints didn’t waste much time adding to their lead in the third quarter as Josh May took it in for a touchdown and was then able to add the two-point conversion to give DeKalb a 16-0 lead. The Saints then looked to turn the game into a route only to fumble the ball away, the miscue leading to a change in momentum.

“They started hitting their passes,” Poteete explaining, adding the Raiders were able to turn the tables, scoring two touchdowns in the second half to make the score 16-14 after Avery Trace missed a crucial two-point conversion.

Having lost momentum, the Saints were stuck in a dire situation with just two minutes to go – a fourth and four situation.

“We had to have the first down,” Poteete said.

Their solution was the solution they had used all day, their work horse back Colby Barnes, who took the ball and galloped 10 yards for the first down, sealing the win.

The Saints look to make it a perfect start to the season as they host Jackson County this Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.