The DMS Saints were playing picture-perfect football on their opening drive, moving the length of the field to Upperman’s two-yard line after five first downs. The Bees thwarted the Saints’ drive however, with a pick-six changing the game’s momentum as Upperman took the win 44-16.
“We did what we wanted to the first quarter,” said DMS Saints Head Football Coach Justin Poteete. “We flipped up formations so we didn’t sit in any one particular formation. We mixed it up, we were moving the ball well picking up our keys and getting down to fourth and goal on the two-yard line. We got the corner open in the end zone but we just don’t get enough air on it and they pick it off and that kind of made it flat but that’s no excuse.
“We’ve got to answer and we’ve been down before and they can’t just throw in the towel when we’re down eight points,” Poteete said. “We’ve got to answer after that and we were just kind of flat. We have to clean up a few things. There were too many pointless turnovers, blocked kick, fumbles, interceptions. We’ve just got to take care of the football.”
Starting on their own 28-yard line, Saints QB Kolter Kilgore’s pass to Brady Hale combined with two runs by Isaac Knowles brought them out to the 41-yard line and a first down. A run by Josh May secured the next first down, followed by more running by Knowles, two completions by Kilgore to Andrew Vickers and May, which led the team to the Bees’ 2-yard line.
Struggling for the last two yards, Kilgore’s pass to the end zone was picked off by Upperman’s Carter Shanks who took the ball all the way back downfield for the 6-0 lead. The Bees extended their advantage to 8-0 with a successful PAT conversion at 7:48 in the second quarter as the Saints had dominated time-of-possession on its first drive ending the quarter.
DeKalb’s next possession ended in disaster as a blocked punt by Upperman’s Ty Dutchess left him with the pigskin, which he took 40 yards to extend the Bees lead to 14-0 after a failed PAT with 5:50 left on the clock.
DeKalb turned their next possession over on downs and Upperman was able to capitalize on a long third-and-10 with another score further deepening the deficit to 20-0 with 2:12 remaining.
Following another turnover on downs by the Saints, Upperman’s QB Dutchess found Daniel Metzgar for  a 25-yard TD pass leaving DeKalb down 26-0 at the half.
Coming onto the field in the third quarter, the Saints – trying to get something happening offensively – tried an onside kick that was unsuccessful but gave the Bees good field position on their own 47-yard line. Despite a false-start penalty and a fumble, the Bees took the ball to the Saints 20-yard line and Dalton Kolath scrambled in for another Upperman score for a 32-0 lead with 4:03 left in the quarter.
Things got worse before they got better for the Saints who were forced to punt on a fourth-and-7. Upperman moved the ball well again to close out the third quarter with another score by Metzgar for the 38-0 lead. The Bees struggled all night with their PAT attempts, not making one since scoring in the first.
The Saints had their first successful drive midway through the fourth quarter after May made a 45-yard TD run and Knowles converted to put DMS on the board 38-8 with 6:56 remaining in the contest.
The Bees responded with another score on the subsequent possession by Elijah Petty, leading 44-8 with 6:08 left to play.
DeKalb closed the gap some more with 3:11 left on the clock with some misdirection by QB Andrew Vickers – in the game for Kilgore – which fooled Upperman’s defense enough for Kolby Barnes to find the end zone and Vickers made the conversion for a 44-16 final score of the game.
The DMS Saints have a bye week next week, and are scheduled to play host to Macon County on Thursday, Sept. 21 for Homecoming and eighth-grade night. Game time is 7 p.m.