0-24

If you followed the team from last year, then you know the score was not good for our team 😦  Though it is better than the 0-30 drubbing from last season. So, I guess I did run out of wishes for the year XUP!

The scenario is that they again made it to being one of the top 16 teams in the nation for D1 (highest skill) at their level (PeeWee this year). They ended up playing the same team as last year. A team with a much larger roster of what we call older/lighter players who are literally recruited from around their region. Apparently they also have paid coaches vs all dad volunteers. And they also have the support of their regional pop warner associations to cross over boundaries. Their QB lived almost an hour out away from the ‘home’ association. Yeah, it stinks and it is largely unfair but its all legal with national pop warner. Consequently they are a football machine. Pro teams would be envious at their precision and success. If you are not playing them, and you are a football fan, it’s really something to watch. Lack of a level playing field aside, it would be like entering a golf tournament with Tiger Woods in the field – you are thrilled with second 🙂 Last year they were scooled big time. Fell behind so fast they couldn’t think and really the score could have been much worse but the other team let and the boys finally caught on to a few moves.

This year, despite the score, the Falcons played SO MUCH BETTER! The other team had to WORK for every yard. Early on the first two scores were total flukes. A really bad penalty call on 4th down and then an interception which gave them the ball on the 2 yard line. But the defense was stopping them! Forced punts several times. The big problem this year was that the offense never got in a rhythym. As impressive as their offense is, their defense is also very very good. Our QB had someone in his face at every throw. Plus, he was just a tad off on his accuracy and then – a rare occurence – the receivers dropped the fwe good ones. So frustratin to watch the defense play their hearts out and really take it to this team only to have the offense stall every time they got the ball. But I must say, our team was not down at all. They did not come off the field sobbing, they played to the end and I know that the other team recognized how they had improved.

And I must just brag right now about the parents. We were awesome today!! I swear we were louder and more coordinated with our cheers than we had been all year. We were ON OUR GAME. Especially at the end when time was running out and we were drumming our feet on the metal stands and chanting “We Are Proud of You, Yes We Are Proud of YOU!” Of course, Sportsboy and another player told me later that they couldn’t really hear us! Figures. But WE had fun!

So thus endeth another fantastic season of pop warner football for the family. 3 years in a row as conference champs. 2 years as finalists in the regional game. Representing the all volunteer local player only division of pop warner with class and heart 🙂