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HEAD COACH: ROB ROTH ASST.COACH: DENNIS O'LEARY PLAYERS:
After the wonderful pregame cheerleader performance, the first half started with the Saints winning the coin toss and electing to take the ball. The Chargers immediately stifled the high-powered Saint offense and the Saints had to punt the ball without recording a first down. The Chargers started on offense and a few plays later scored on freak play even though Saints rookie outside linebacker T.J. "Tough Justice" Long had the ball carrier stopped cold in the backfield for a loss, but somehow he escaped and ran for a 45 yard touchdown. The Saints stopped the extra point. On the Saints next possession, the Saints again had to punt which led to another long break-away Chargers run for a touchdown. Again the Chargers failed on the extra point making the score 12-0 Chargers. After the second touchdown, the Saints were a little down, but were able to stop the Chargers on their next possession and they elected to punt right after the first quarter ran out. The coaches made some minor adjustments during the middle of the second quarter by shifting some of their players around and putting one of their top defensive hitters, Connor "Hollywood" Caulkin, at the defensive left end position where he crushed anyone that came his way all day long. When the Saints eventually got the ball back, on the second play of the drive the coach called an outside run around the left end and flanker, and to everyone's amazement, Aidan "Too Fast" O'Rourke took the ball like a loaf of bread and rambled for a 47 yard touchdown. The Saints tried a two point conversion by trying to pass the ball to the left end, but the quarterback could not get the pass off and got tackled for a loss. Eventually, the referee blew the whistle for halftime. Halftime score 12-6 Chargers. The second half began with the Chargers on offense, but they would only get two more first downs the rest of the game because of the stellar play from the revamped Saints defensive left side led by T.J. "Tough Justice" Long and Connor "Hollywood" Caulkin. On the Saints next offensive possession they ran for a small gain with a dive through the left side. On the next play, from midfield, the coach (named by some as the second coming of "Air Coryell") called a "pop-pass" to the new right end, but the quarterback had trouble setting-up and the right offensive end drifted toward the sidelines and another ten yards downfield, but the quarterback threw a perfect spiral, bullet of a pass, twenty yards in the air. It was caught! The right offensive end ran for the Saints second touchdown with almost 25 yards after the catch (YAC). The entire Saints team went crazy with excitement, but the Saint's coach noted that when the left end left his position to go out for the pass, the play would not have been possible without the crucial block by same Aidan "Too Fast" O'Rourke. The Saints then converted the extra point by running off the left tackle. For the first time in the game, the Saints took the lead by slightest of margins 13-12. Now the Saints had to hold-on. On one of the first plays of the Chargers next possession from about midfield, the Charger's running back was able to break a few tackles and bolt for the end zone down the sideline; the enthralled crowd gasped with anticipation, but Maeve "The Closer" O'Leary, made the touchdown saving (game saving) open-field tackle. From then on, the defensive was able to hold the Saints on their next few possessions to solidify the win behind the chants, "Holly - wood, Holly - wood", from the sidelines. Final Score: Saints 13 - Chargers 12. At the post game team meeting Coach Dennis stated, "The important lesson that the Saints team learned today, was never give-up or quit."
The Saints tried to build off of their
first win of the year on Sunday against the Buccaneers at Oceanside
Stadium field. It was a partly cloudy day approximately 63 deg F.
with the sun peaking through during the course of the game when the
three captains came out for the coin toss. The Saints won the toss
and elected to take the ball. The offense came out with a dive off
of the right tackle, a sweep to the right, and a backfield screen
to the left; but a holding penalty caused the first drive to stall
and the Saints had to punt. But the stout Saints "D" was also able
to stop the Buccaneers on their first drive highlighted by Kevin
"A.D." Roth (sometimes means: all day-caught 4 passes, sometimes
means: absolute destruction-made 4 tackles for loss) with a two yard
loss, pinning the Bucs back on the first play. On the Saints second
offensive drive, the Saints stalled again, but this time after a first
down about when the first quarter ended. This offensive series was
highlighted by a ten yard game, again off of the right tackle by the
right running back. The Saints defensive, in turn, stopped the Bucs
offensive after a couple of sweeps, an offensive offsides penalty,
and a gang tackle by the some of the stars of last week's game preventing
the Bucs from getting a first down. The Saints got the ball back after
a Bucs punt with only 2:56 left on the clock before halftime at their
own 20 yard and began what would be their longest drive of the day
directed by Casey "The Blonde Bullet" Long at quarterback.
The Saints recorded four first downs on eight plays. He would complete
three of his eight game pass completions on this drive in only eleven
attempts in the game, definitely making his performance an all time
pee wee record. In the first two games, some fan noted that no other
team has yet to even have one completion. Not the Saints. Also in
the drive, the Saints had a well executed flanker end around run by
Connor "Crowbar" Langdon, but he could not pry away from the
Bucs defenders. In the Second half, Crowbar was also pivotal in some
of the gang tackles, by making the final blows to take the runners
down. The drive was almost stalled at midfield on third down and two,
but Mason "No-Stressin' "Von Essen coolly accepted the coach's
challenge and was able to snap the ball on "two" causing the Bucs
to go offsides on defensive. The Saints got the first down and were
able to continue the drive, but time ran out with the Saints on the
Bucs four yard line. Halftime Score Bucs 0, Saints 0. The Bucs started
the second half with the ball, but after their first first-down of
the game, they were stopped by the Saints "D" on downs, turning the
ball over to the Saints. In this offensive set, the Saints were able
to move the ball on the ground for a first down, with a couple of
dives and counter as the third quarter ended. Unfortunately, the Saints
were unable to get into a rhythm and could not convert the next first
down after a failed pass, a completed screen, sweep to the right,
and another competed pass to the split end. The Saints had to turn
the ball over on downs, and the Bucs had two large gains for a total
of 33 yards. But the Saints did not panic and stuffed the Bucs and
held them for no gains the rest of the gains until the clocked clicked
0. Final Score: Bucs 0, Saints 0. After the late game also ended in
a tie, the Saints are in a tie for the division lead going to their
third game of the season against their archrival the Bengals… stay
tuned.
The weather turned for the worse this weekend. Because of the game-time temperature of 43 deg F, a steady drizzling rain, the flu, and fear of more team sicknesses, the late game resulted in a smaller than usual crowd and depleted squads for both teams. The Saints won the coin toss and deferred receiving the kick-off so that they would have the wind at their backs during the first quarter. The Bengals took the kick-off and had to punt after a net loss of one yard on three plays: a right sweep, a fumble, and a no gain, tackled by no. 45, Nick "Freight Train" Hartofelis at middle line backer. He was all over the place on this cold dreary day; it almost seemed like he was in on every defensive play with twelve tackles, some for losses and others for no-gains. The Saints could not move the ball on their first possession either while the players got adjusted to the severe weather. They also had to punt. The Bengals then got the ball and after a holding penalty and short gain and stop by "Freight Train", no. 88 Brian "Basher" Boyle (in this case "Bengal Basher") at defensive tackle had a crushing tackle to stop the second down. Unfortunately, the Bengals drove down the field mainly on a twenty-five yard pick-up which confused the Saints because the Bengal's center exchanged the ball with the quarterback in an unconventional way and the Saints "D" thought it was a fumble. After that play the Saints could not regain their composure and allowed the Bengals to score after their third first down in a row from the fifteen yard line… but a nice goal line stand prevented the extra point. The Saint's "Golden Wall" premiered this weekend for the second straight season anchored by some key blocking from Nick "The Silencer" Shimkin and "Lethal" Liam O'Rourke, along with the "Basher". Even giving-up a twenty pound weight disadvantage, they all stopped the Bengals defensive line with ease for four quarters. For the second week in a row, the Saints went into their 'four-minute offense with four passes and six sweeps, but could not score before the halftime whistles blew. Again the Saints were on the verge of scoring at about the ten yard line. It was nice example of one of the Saint's short-lived season, vintage, twelve play drives with 3:07 left before half. The Saints were able two call a few plays at a time and work with their no huddle offense. Halftime Score Bengals 6, Saints 0. The halftime was held short because of the weather and the lack of spectators and cheerleaders; the team was allowed a quick nature call, were one of the coach's scouts suggested a brilliant new play: a draw play because of the threat of the famous Saints passing attack. The Saints started the second half with the ball and executed three nice plays for large gains: A sweep by the left running back, a pass to the right tight end, and a quarterback bootleg on the new unpracticed draw play that broke down. Unfortunately, the ebb and flow of the game went against the Saints and a gust of strong wind blew the quarterbacks screen pass into a defender for an interception. Penalties on both teams really upset the rhythm of the game and the next set of downs for the Bengals was a good example of this type of disturbance and they had to turn the ball back to the Saints on downs. Again, the Saints got the ball with less than four minutes left. The Saints were able to muster a few first downs on interference call, and three dives to the right by the right running back, but got stopped on the Bengal's 15 yard line on fourth down and had to give the ball back. The Bengals then ran out the clock. Final Score: Bengals 6, Saints 0. In the post game team conference, the coaches explained that the day was a perfect example of "football weather" and you have to be able to play in the elements and football is definitely not like other sports such as ballet.
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SAINTS 
Game #1 Sunday 10/4/2009 
