The DeKalb Middle School Saints Football Team opened their season on Thursday in a game that was supposed to be their second match-up. The team faced Gordonsville after the team’s first scheduled game on Aug. 13, with Smith County was cancelled due to bad field conditions.
The season opener looked promising for the Saints with their first possession. The team received the ball on their own 47 and from there Quarterback Tyler Cantrell converted on fourth down, throwing a pass to Paxton Butler for a touchdown. A two-point conversion run by Tyler Bundy gave the Saints the early lead, 7-0.
The lead would be short-lived however, as Gordonsville struck back quickly. After the kick off, Gordonsville would field the ball from their own 36, and on the first play from scrimmage run it in for a touchdown. With a successful two point conversion, Gordonsville tied the score, 8-8.
The snowball kept rolling for the Saints from there. The Saints’ next possession had the team turning the ball over on downs on the 48-yard line, where Gordonsville would strike again. On a third down, Gordonsville would run 44 yards for another touchdown. The two point conversion afterwards failed, giving the Tigers a 14-8 lead.
DeKalb’s next possession would again be lost to downs, and Gordonsville would mount a drive taking them to DeKalb’s one yard line. The next play the Tigers were in the end zone again. A two point conversion added to the lead, 22-8.
The Saints’ next possession cost the team more than points. The Saints on their own 37-yard line faced a third and eight when a pass was intercepted. After a clip from Gordonsville, the Saints’ Brayden Howard went down, landing on his arm and breaking both bones. An ambulance was called to the field, where Howard was taken to the hospital.
As play resumed, Gordonsville’s relentless drive continued and a five-play drive had the Tigers in the end zone once more. The half would end with Gordonsville 30, DeKalb 8.
It was Gordonsville’s ball at the beginning of the second half, started their drive on the Gordonsville 38-yard line. Five plays later the Tigers were in for a touchdown. With a quarterback keeper good for two, the score was 38-8 Tigers.
DeKalb started their next possession on the 35, and it looked as if the Saints might come to life. Paxton Butler took it to the 45 for a first down. Then a pass to Tyler Bundy gained yards. Bad snaps seemed to plague the Saints all evening and after a two more plays another bad snap put the Saints down fourth and eight on the 34. The team went for it, and a dropped pass by Grayson Redmon, gave Gordonsville the ball on downs.
The Tigers would drive to the 40 with a long run just before the buzzer for the end of the third quarter. When play resumed a run and a pass had the Tigers down to DeKalb’s six. The next play, a run for a touchdown, and a two-pointer had Gordonsville’s lead, 46-8.
On the Saints’ next possession, Isaac Hall would finally give fans something to cheer about with a 42-yard run for a TD. Luke Bryant would go in for the two-point conversion making the score 46-16 Tigers.
Saints Coach Tad Webb told the Review after the game there are several areas his young team has to work on. "On the first possession we were able to get into a little bit of a rhythm, but defensively, our outside guys cut up underneath and they got to our outsides. We, unfortunately, don’t have speed across the field. If they get to the outside, and they’ve got any speed, that’s going to be trouble for us. That’s what we’ve got to work on and continue to work on. We’ve got to set the edge and turn everything back in."
Poor tackling was another problem Coach Webb said the team needs to work on. "When we hit them, we’ve got to wrap them up and bring them down. We didn’t do that very well with that tonight either."
"We had some trouble getting snaps off and that gets you into a bad rhythm when you’re going backwards instead of forwards, or picking the ball up and rushing everything."
The Saints’ next game is at home against Macon County on Thursday.