Aviano's JuJu Las Salles, who rushed for more than 100 yards, breaks a tackle to score the first of three touchdowns during the Saints' 44-0 victory over the Rota Admirals on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy – The Aviano Saints crossed into the end zone eight times Saturday. Two of them didn’t count, but the Saints didn’t need them anyway in a 44-0 victory over Rota.
From beginning to end, the game was a display of what the Saints can do when everyone on the team contributes and plays their roles, coach Ben Dubenion said.
But he said his team still has “holes that need to be filled,” after its second win of the season in three contests.
The Saints bounced back from a 26-14 defeat to unbeaten Naples last weekend by piling up 229 yards of rushing and kept the winless Admirals from scoring early on a pivotal drive that could have changed the shape of the contest.
Junior Deon Walker took a handoff from his brother Andrew – the Saints QB – on the team’s second play from scrimmage and scored a touchdown. That came after the team scored on the opening kickoff, but had it called off due to a penalty.
Rota then drove the ball down the field and reached the Aviano 5-yard-line. But the Admirals couldn’t get closer and turned the ball over on downs.
It was almost all Saints from there, as Aviano scored the next three times it had the ball to take a 30-0 lead at halftime.
JuJu Las Salles scored for the third time on the day on a run to open the Saints’ second half after a long punt return for a score was called off by a penalty.
The Admirals then fumbled the following kickoff and the Saints recovered. The ball crossed the end zone again about halfway through the third quarter and the rest of the game was played with a running clock due to DODEA-Europe’s 39-point mercy rule.
Rota's Jaden Decastro catches a pass during the second quarter of the Admirals' 44-0 loss to Aviano on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano's Adrew Walker drops back to throw a pass in the Saints' 44-0 victory over the Admirals on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Daniel Guido tries to break a tackle during the Admirals' 44-0 loss to Aviano on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
