The DeKalb Middle School Saints were on the road last week, taking on the Trousdale Yellow Jackets for their last regular season game. The Saints were prepared for battle, and battle is what they got. The game would come down to the final seconds of the match.
The Yellow Jackets got the ball first, and started their first drive at their own 46. Sticking to the running game for five plays, Trousdale was set up at the DeKalb three, then a pass to Aiden Young was in for a touchdown. A two-point running play was stopped, but the Yellow Jackets were up 6-0, with 5:36 left in the first quarter.
The Saints would begin their first drive at their own 30, and right away bad snaps doomed the possession. A high snap backed DeKalb up at the 24, then on a fourth and 11 punt, the snap hit the ground, but the punter was able to get the kick away.
Trousdale would start at their own 48, but would not be able to take advantage on the field position. A holding call would back them up to their 37, and would doom the drive.
On the punt, DeKalb would return to their own 40, and would finally get some traction in the game. With some Jordan Parker keepers, and a pass to Axel Aranda, the Saints pushed down to the Trousdale 30. After an incomplete, and another couple of QB keepers, netted only six yards, the Saints decided to go for it. On a fourth and four, Parker called his own number, and ran it to the 20 for a first down.
Five plays later, the Saints faced another fourth down, this time from the Trousdale two yard line. Again it was Parker, up the middle for a touchdown. Parker kept the ball again for the two-point conversion and DeKalb took the 8-6 lead, with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Yellow Jackets started their next drive at their own 46, but would actually lose two yards before facing fourth down. Going for it as the first quarter came to a close, Trousdale failed to convert as the half came to a close.
DeKalb went three and out on the first possession of the second half, and the Yellow Jackets fielded their next possession at their own 30. Trousdale would move up to the 41 yard line, where a Young fumble was recovered at the 48. The next play saw a run by Aranda all the way in for six. A two-point run attempt failed, but DeKalb took the lead, 14-6 with 1:42 left in the half.
The kickoff went out of bounds, and Trousdale started their next possession at the DeKalb 45. Then, a run by Chandler Clemons resulted in a fumble recovery by Aranda, taking back to the 30.
Parker handed off to Aranda on the next play, taking it to the Yellow Jacket one. From there, a Parker keeper was in for a touchdown. A two-point pass attempt was now good, but the Saints were up, 20-6, with 1:13 left in the third quarter.
Trousdale was not about to just lay down however, and would stay with the ground attack for eight plays, driving down to the DeKalb four. There, another carry by Clemmons was good for a touchdown. The two-point try was no good, but the Yellow Jackets cut the lead, 20-12, with 5:12 left to play.
On the kickoff, it looked like disaster for the Saints. A fumble on the return gave the Yellow Jackets the ball right back, at the 50 yard line. From there, Trousdale proceeded to move the ball deep into DeKalb territory. In eight plays, the Yellow Jackets pushed to the DeKalb eight, but with time ticking away, the Saints defense stepped up. A Kyson Noble carry was stopped in the backfield, then DeKalb got a huge sack back at the 23 with just 31 seconds left on the clock.
Facing a fourth down, from the 23, a pass to Clemmons was good to the four, with 22 seconds left. The chain gang was called out to measure, and the ball was inches short. DeKalb took over on downs and was able to secure the victory.
"I thought we were a little timid," Head Coach Justin Poteete said after the game. "I don't know if it was the size of the other team or what. We were playing on our heels, and that's not us. That's not what we need to do to be successful. They adjusted and gritted it out pretty good."
"Axel Aranda played a heck of a game on both sides of the ball. Ty Webb played a heck of a game on both sides of the ball. Our offensive line played a heck of a game. Alex Lemmons played a good game, and Tucker Webb, a sixth grader, coming up and playing corner, stuck his head in there several times. As a team, they answered the bell."
DeKalb hosts the first postseason game on Tuesday, Sept. 29. "It's only the second time in history we've hosted a postseason game," Poteete said. "We're the number two seed, so we'll host that game, and we'll play the other side's three. We're looking at potentially Stone, Livingston, or York, depending on how they do."
