Coach Patrick Davis said his goal when he formed the Saints youth football team three years ago was to give young boys an occupation that would keep them on the field rather than on the streets.

“(New Hope Church) decided to give the kids in the community another way to express themselves besides crime and things of that sort,” Davis said. “(Assistant coach) Sammy (Norman) and I decided to get the church behind us and start a football league.”

The Natchez-based team travels throughout southern Mississippi and northern Louisiana, playing games Saturday mornings in the Southern Independent Youth Football League. According to the league Facebook page, it is a non-profit organization.

There are three classes of Saints squad, divided into age groups of five to eight years old, nine to 10 and 11 to 12.

Davis and Norman are coaches of this season’s 11-12 team, which he said made the playoffs last season as 9-10 years olds.

Schedules are 10 games long, with five home games and five away games in the nine-team league.

Davis said registration fees cover travel expenses, in addition to fundraisers that help the teams’ causes.

“Fees cover travel and we had to do fundraisers,” Davis said.

Davis said his goal is to develop the Saints’ patronage into its own local league. He said the Saints previously played in the same league as the Natchez Falcons, another local travel football team that develops youth talent.

“Our goal is for this team to become a league, which is expensive with equipment,” Davis said.

Davis said the turnout to play for the team improves year after year, and the level of competition in the league is growing.

“They get better every year. Kids return and we even have kids from different areas (in Mississippi and Louisiana),” Davis said. “The league we play in is more competitive because we play teams from McComb, Brookhaven, Bogue Chitto, Tallulah, Ferriday and Jackson.

Ferriday’s team, the Little Trojans, is coached by McKinley Bates. Davis said Ferriday will host the playoffs this season, and the “Super Bowl” or championship game is played at Natchez High School, which gives the youngsters a chance to experience a big stage.

As for the Saints, Davis said the key to his team’s success this season will be a stout offensive line. Effective passers are hard to come by in youth football, and the Saints will have to do its damage on the ground.

“In youth football the main thing you need is a line,” Davis said. “If you have an offensive line you can succeed, but you have to have an offensive line. … If they can’t get any blocking it’s hard. But you can be successful with misdirection plays.”

The SIYFL kicks off the season Aug. 27.