San Diego Youth Football & Cheer’s version of the NFL Super Bowl — the Q-Bowl – took place Nov. 15 at Madison High School. South County youth football programs were well represented with five teams.
The Otay Ranch Broncos advanced three teams to the championship finals, one each in the Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee and Jr. Midget divisions, while the Eastlake Panthers (Mitey Mite) and Bonita Buccaneers (Pee Wee) each qualified one team.
The Panthers and Bucs each came away with Q-Bowl championships to highlight the showing for South County programs.
The Panthers Black defeated the Los Toros Bulls, 22-8, while the Bucs topped the Broncos Blue squad 8-6.
Otay Ranch secured three runner-up finishes in the five division finals at Madison High School.
Buccaneer pride
The Q-Bowl championship was the second consecutive for the Bucs, who won last year’s Jr. Pee Wee title against the same Broncos team.
The Bonita program only got its start in 2009.
“Two Q-Bowl championships in six years – it’s huge for the program,” club president Brian Miller explained. “It’s a testament to the coaches and the kids on the team.”
Miller noted this group has lost just one game in two seasons.
The Bucs finished 12-0 in winning the Jr. Pee Wee title in 2013; this year’s Pee Wee team finished 11-1.
The Bucs avenged their only loss this season with a win over Otay Ranch in the championship game.
Alonso Ramirez scored the Bucs’ touchdown on a 12-yard run; the ensuing two-point conversion kick gave Bonita a 8-0 lead in the second quarter.
The Bucs’ touchdown was set up by a long run downfield by Jaheem Williams.
The Broncos scored their touchdown in the third quarter but missed the conversion kick.
The game proved to be a defensive battle, with the Bonita offensive line dominating the game.
Otay Ranch had averaged 40 points per game, yet and the Bucs defense held the Broncos to six total points in the championship game. Bonita linebackers Justin Locke, Christian Aguilar and Gabriel Acosta accounted for 21 tackles while Diego Posada came up big with two touchdown-saving tackles.
The game came down to the final second when Ethan Knight intercepted an Otay Ranch pass in his own end zone to secure the win.
The Bucs advanced to the American Youth Football national championship tournament Dec. 6-14 in Kissimmee, Fla. after defeating San Tan Arizona Valor, 22-0, in the Pacific Desert regional championship game Nov. 22 in Phoenix. One hundred-fifty teams will participate in the multi-division national championship event.
Teams qualify for the tournament through regional play. The Bucs qualified as the Southern California regional representative.
Over the top
Bonita had its most successful season this year by qualifying five teams for the playoffs. Besides the championship Pee Wee team, the Bucs’ Mitey Mite, Jr. Pee Wee, Jr. Midget and Midget teams also got a taste of post-season action.
Miller said the Bonita program has come a long way since its debut.
“That first year we had three teams — two tackle teams and one flag team,” Miller said. “The second year, we had six teams. Bonita is surrounded by four other organizations, but as we’ve started being more successful and attracted more notoriety, both the number of kids and fans has increased.”
Miller said the Bucs fielded seven teams this season.
Panthers on the prowl
This year’s Mitey Mite championship was the fourth for the team’s coaching staff, according to Panthers coach Clark Moses. Previously, the coaching staff had guided Eastlake teams to Q-Bowl titles at the Mitey Mite (once) and Jr. Pee Wee (twice) levels.
It is the sixth overall Q-Bowl title for the Panthers program.
“It’s great for the program — it’s exciting it’s at the Mitey Mite level, those kids will play as a group through the eighth grade,” Eastlake president Burt Grossman explained.
Moses said the coaching staff also won two national championships prior to this season — one at the Mitey Mite level and another with an eighth-grad all-star team.
“We were starting all over this year at the Mitey Mite level,” Moses said.
This year’s Eastlake Mitey Mite team finished 12-0 with the league’s best defense, having allowed just 22 points in 12 games.
Tre Edwards scored two of the team’s three touchdowns in the Q-Bowl victory while teammate Isaiah Lane scored one touchdown.
The Mitey Mite age division includes third and fourth graders, children aged 8 and 9 years old.
“At this age, all the kids are eager to learn while being introduced to the game of football,” Moses said. “We had a great group of supportive parents, which you tend to have at this age.”
The Panthers will continue their season Thanksgiving Weekend at the National Youth Football Championship tournament in Las Vegas.
The Panthers qualified six teams for this year’s playoffs: Mitey Mite Black and Mitey Mite Grey, Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Jr. Midget and Midget.
In the second component of the SDYFC organization, Eastlake captured three first-place finishes in the county cheer competition: Flag, Mitey Mite and Senior divisions.
For more information, visit the websites at http://bonitabucs.com, www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=eastlakeyouthfootball and www.otayranchbroncos.com.
