The DeKalb Middle School Saints football team continued its winning streak last week after securing another shutout, this time against their long-time rival the Upperman Yellowjackets. There was a large crowd on hand at the Saints’ last home game of the season, which also served as Eighth-grade Night. The game was moved from Thursday to Tuesday, after organizers feared possible rain chances later in the week.
The Saints would receive to start the game and got down to business right away. Starting at their own 47, a Collin Donnell keeper was good to the 49, then a Gavin Fraizer run was down at the Upperman 40. Reed Midgett had a run to the 20, but a hold would call the play back. Donnell would keep on the next play, down to the 30, then another Midgett run was good to the four. Midgett got the ball one more time and punched his way in for the touchdown. The big man, William Soto was handed the ball for the two-point conversion, but a flag killed the play. Donnell then passed to Rocky Cantrell, in the endzone for two. With 5:37 left in the first, DMS was on the board 8-0.
On the kickoff, an onside attempt ended with a scramble for the ball, but Upperman would prevail. It wouldn’t matter though. Starting at their own 34, the Saints’ D-line pushed them back to the 20 before they were forced to punt.
Once again, the Saints would strike. The punt would roll dead at the Upperman 47, where a Donnell keep was downed at the 33. Frazier would get a carry to the 31, then another keep was stuffed at the line. Donnell would take to the air next, connecting with Levi Cripps for the touchdown. This time a Soto run for two was good and with 42 seconds left in the first, the Saints led 16-0.
An unsportsmanlike penalty after the score would back the Saints up on the kick, but it wouldn’t matter. The kick would roll dead to the Saints’ 38, where an offsides flag put the ball at the 32. As the second quarter began, the Saints defense stood like a wall. The Yellowjackets would only gain two more yards before deciding to gamble on fourth and three. The running play was stopped at the line and DeKalb would take over on downs.
On first and 10 from their own 20, Fraizer was handed the ball and broke loose all the way for six. A Midgett carry for two was stopped, but with 6:56 left in the half DMS held a 22-0 lead.
The Yellowjackets just could not get any momentum. Their next drive started at their own 43, and they would manage to hit some running plays down to the Saints’ 26. There, a pass play fell incomplete, then a fumbled handoff ended with Midgett falling on the ball at the 32.
Midgett would get a run on the first play of the drive, downed at the 50, then Donnell called his own number to the 34. Another Midgett run was good to the 30, then another Frazier run was stopped at the line. Donnell kept the ball for another first down at the 23, then another keeper was good into the endzone. A fumbled snap on the PAT killed the play, but with 1:10 left in the second, DMS was up 28-0.
The second half of the game was not any kinder to Upperman. The Saints’ kick would go out of bounds, giving the Yellowjackets the ball at the Saints 46, but Upperman would go three and out, losing three yards.
A Donnell pass to Midgett was good to the Upperman 47, then a keep was down at the 20. There a hold would back the Saints up, then a pass fell incomplete. DMS reached the 26, but another penalty, a false start, doomed their momentum. On a fourth and 31 play, a Donnell pass to Bryson Redmon would fall incomplete, and Upperman would take over on downs.
Upperman would again fail to move the ball. A pair of runs would lose yards, then teams would trade penalties with an offsides then a false start. Another Upperman run gained two yards, but on a fourth and 11 play, a pass fell incomplete.
The Saints, in good field position, would ice the cake in three plays. A keep was down to the nine, a Midgett run was down to the four, then another Midgett carry was in for the touchdown. A Donnell keep added two points and with 6:36 left to play, the Saints had a 36-0 lead.
The mercy rule then came into effect, and the clock began to tick away. Upperman would return the kick to the 40, but would only reach the 21 before time expired. The Saints claimed another shutout, 36-0.
Donnell made six pass attempts with two completions, and ran for 139 yards with one touchdown.
Frazier ran for 83 yards and one touchdown, Midgett ran for 54 yards, had one catch on three passes, and one touchdown, and Cantrell had one catch for 10 yards and one touchdown. Soto had three yards running with a two-point conversion, and Cripps had one catch for 30 yards and one touchdown.
Through seven games, the Saints have outscored their opponents 232–20. The Saints’ regular season comes to a close this Thursday with a big match on the road against White County.
