Scores and highlights of West Hartford Youth Football championship games on Nov. 2, 2014.

Submitted by the West Hartford Youth Football League

The West Hartford Youth Football League (WHYFL) crowned its 2014 Division Champions Sunday afternoon at Sterling Field with championship games at the Mighty Mite (7, 8 and 9 year olds), Pee Wee (10 and 11 year olds), and Pony (12,13,14 year olds) divisions.

PONY DIVISION – WEST HARTFORD CHAMPIONSHIP

The Eagles defeated Raiders 34-0 to win the West Hartford Pony Division championship, running their record to 9-0.  The Eagles will face Farmington White next weekend in the Super Bowl.

The Eagles started on defense and kept the Raiders of the board led by big hits from David Regan.  Jeff LaRosa ran back the punt 25 yards to the Raiders 29.  LaRosa and RB Anthony Palace bit off small chunks of yardage on the ground until QB LaRosa hit WR AJ Guevera for a 15 yard TD pass.  FB Todd Crevedi bulled in for the extra point to put the Eagles up 7-0.

The Eagles defense once again stood strong on the Raiders next possession led by hits from Guevera and Palace.

After Guevera took the punt to the Raiders 42, LaRosa rumbled 42 yards for a TD, escaping numerous tackles on the way. Crevedi once again ran in the extra point to put the Eagles up 14-0.  The Raiders took over and moved the ball to midfield on a nice 12 yard run by CJ Denson.  Their drive stalled and they turned the ball over on downs.  On the first play from scrimmage, LaRosa hit a wide open Guevera with a short pass and he took it the full 65 yards for a touchdown.  Guess who, Crevedi, took the handoff again and hit paydirt for the extra point pushing the lead to 21-0.

The Eagles forced the Raiders to punt again as the defense, this time led by Jonathon Perez and Anthony Mancini, held their ground.  AJ Guevera took the punt 18 yards to the Raiders 2 yard line where RB Rodrigo Munoz ran it in from there for a score and then took the handoff for the extra point.  The Eagles went into the half leading 28-0.

The Raiders, coming into the game without RB Silas Bridges and were hit hard with injuries to RB Otis Donaldson and WR Jack McHale in the first half.

The Eagles received the kickoff to start the second half and quickly scored on a 50 yard TD run by Anthony Palace.  The extra point pass was incomplete and the Eagles were up 34-0.  The remainder of the game was scoreless as both teams traded possessions and short gains.

Also playing well for the Eagles were Shea Henderson and Jason with hard hits on defense.

For the Raiders, CJ Denson, Jack Toussiant and James Cheverier were standouts on defense.

The Superbowl game vs. Farmington White will take place Sunday the 9th at Sterling Field at 12:00.

The top seeded Brewer Paving Eagles remained undefeated and outlasted the #2 seed West Hartford Health & Rehab Raiders 34-0 Sunday afternoon at Sterling Field to advance to next week’s Super Bowl against Farmington #3 seed A Squad White (2 p.m., Sterling Field).

Farmington # 3 seed Farmington A Squad White 13 – Farmington #1 seed Farmington A Squad Blue 7

The #3 seed Farmington A Squad White team upset top seeded A Squad Blue 13-7 Sunday afternoon to advance to next week’s Super Bowl against the #1 West Hartford seed Eagles.

 

PEE WEE DIVISION – WEST HARTFORD CHAMPIONSHIP

WH #1 seed Dick’s Sporting Goods Patriots 14 – WH # 2 seed Hartford Healthcare 49ers 0

On a cold and blustery Sunday afternoon, the #1 seed Dick’s Sporting Goods Patriots survived a defensive battle with the #2 seed 49ers to pull out a well-played and hard fought 14-0 victory to win the 2014 Pee Wee Division Championship in front of a packed sideline at Sterling Field.

The Patriots’ offense was captained by quarterbacks Jack Brown and Wyatt Reid and led by a bevy of ball carriers, including Dillon Bent, Robert Parrotta, Luke Duzan, and Logan Murphy.

The 49ers were once again led by the talented backfield of quarterback Matt Schwab, and half backs Devine Edwards, Nick Urso, and Josiah Rivers.

The teams exchanged offensive jabs throughout the first quarter, with both offensive squads struggling to pick up first downs. The 49ers held strong on defense, as Edwards and Urso were consistently in the Patriot backfield to bring down the opposing ball carrier. Likewise, the 49ers also struggled to move the ball, as Edwards, Urso, Rivers, and Schwab were hurried all day by Patriot linebackers Bent, Parrotta, and Murphy, and contained by solid play from defensive ends Dylan Swift and Tommy LaSpada.

The Patriots were fortunate to force a turnover late in the second quarter, and drove the ball down to the 49ers 1-yard line, but Parrotta’s fourth down rushing attempt was met with a flurry of 49er defenders, as Marcus Ramsey, Mason Chabot, Edwards, and Urso tackled Parrotta short of the goal line for a big stop. The teams entered the half tied 0-0.

The weather had an impact in the second half, as Bent’s opening kickoff swirled and knuckled and was eventually recovered on a great heads up play by Patriot DJ Romano. As the temperature began to warm, so did the Patriot ground game, as Bent and Duzan worked off tackle, and Parrotta and Murphy dove up the middle for solid gains to matriculate the ball down the field. Brown called his own number on a pivotal third down play, and followed Murphy’s lead block on his way to a fantastic 20-yard run. Three plays later, the Patriots were finally able to punch it in on a great run by Parrotta behind the lead blocks of pulling lineman Joey LaSpada, Ben Brockway, and Walker Beverly to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead at the end of the third quarter, following Bent’s rushing conversion.

The 49ers responded with a flurry of rushing plays to open the fourth quarter, as Edwards and Schwab worked several sweeps to move their team up field. Facing a key fourth down midway through the fourth quarter, Schwab ran a quarterback keeper left and nearly converted if it was not for a great heads up play by defenders Ethan Tiffany, Duzan, Swift, and Bent to bring him down shy of the first down marker and force a turnover on downs.

The Patriots capped the scoring on their ensuing possession as Bent scored from 15 yards out to push the score to 14-0. The 49ers would not be denied, and marched the ball down to the Patriot 25-yard line on solid gains from Rivers, Urso, and Schwab before time expired.

The Patriots received outstanding defensive play from Parrotta (two quarterback sacks and several big tackles on key downs), Bent (forced fumble and several big tackles on key downs), Luke Duzan (sack), DJ Romano (fumble recovery), Tommy LaSpada (sack) Brockway, Beverly, Joey LaSpada, Maldonado (great stop on several key downs), Swift, Ethan Tiffany, Aidan Dorian, Murphy, and newcomers Abraham Dunn and Daniel Chavez.

The 49ers also had key offensive and defensive performances within a great overall team effort by Schwab, Edwards, Urso, Rivers, Chabot, Ramsey, Scott Labranch, Brooks McConnell, Izzy Henriques-Sento, Eli Salomons, Eziah Velasquez, John Schulz, Jackson McDonald and Andrew Reicher. The 49ers finished the 2014 season with their highest win total (seven) since 2009, when they went 7-0 en route to their third consecutive Pee Wee Championship.

The #1 seed Patriots advance to next week’s Super Bowl where they will face #3 seed Farmington B Squad Blue Sunday at 12 noon at Sterling Field.

Farmington #3 seed Farmington B Squad Blue 13 – Farmington #1 seed Farmington B Squad Maroon 0

The #3 seed Farmington B Squad Blue upset #1 seed B Squad Maroon 13-0 Sunday afternoon at Farmington High school to advance to next weekend’s Super Bowl against #1 seed Patriots.

 

MIGHTY MITE DIVISION – WEST HARTFORD CHAMPIONSHIP

WH #1 seed Macca Plumbing Cowboys 27 – WH #2 seed Doctors Express Urgent Care Steelers 19

(#1 seed) Macca Plumbing Cowboys 27 – (#2 seed) Doctors Express Urgent Care Steelers 19

Regarded as one of the WHYFL finest games ever played and reminiscent of the Staubach and Bradshaw era, the Cowboys were victorious over the Steelers 27-19 Sunday afternoon to win the 2014 Mighty Mite West Hartford Championship.

The Cowboys offensive play calling was led by the field general Declan McCann and great offensive line play from Bruce and Luke Jones, Braden Sohn, Jaime Kennedy, Jack Archambeault and CJ Nelson that led to long runs from the triple threat of Chase Fountain, Walker Disque and Trevor Tanis.  The Cowboys defense also rose to the occasion with key tackles and forced fumbles.

The Steelers opened the game finding the end zone behind team blocking from Brian Hernandez, Andrew Hunter, Grant Kanaga, Bode Smith and the fast legs of Dylan “D-Jax” Jackson.  The Cowboys denied the conversion and the Steelers lead stood at 6-0. The Cowboys responded with a long kickoff return by Trevor Tanis putting the offense in Steeler territory.  The Cowboys started the drive with a series of runs by Chase Fountain and Walker Disque which was capped off with a QB keeper by Declan McCann.   On the following play Declan McCann successfully completed a pass conversion to Trevor Tanis in the back of the end zone putting the Cowboys up 8-6.

In the second quarter the Steelers pulled together another offensive drive with Jay McNamara at the lead and riding the legs of Dylan Jackson as he scored on a slashing run that got him around the outside.  The Steelers successfully completed a running conversion putting them back up 13-8.  With a few minutes left before the half, the Cowboys orchestrated a series of runs and pass that led to a powerful run up the middle by Chase Fountain behind the blocking of the Jones brothers.  The following extra point was converted on a run by Walker Disque putting the Cowboys up 15-13 going into the half.

After motivating half time speeches, both teams came out in the second half with strong team tackling, fumble recoveries and traded stops.  In the third quarter the Cowboys capitalized on a series of runs by Tanis and Fountain but were pushed back due to penalties.  Facing a pivotal 4th and 17 to go, Declan McCann broke lose around the outside with lead blocking by tight end Jaime Kennedy and receiver Rashad Collier for a first down by a ball length.  The Cowboys continued the drive that ended with a TD run by Disque but were stopped on the extra point conversion holding the Cowboys score at 21-13.

The Steelers offense pulled together and executed another drive that led to the third Jackson touchdown of the day closing the gap to 21-19.

Behind a roaring crowd of fans, the Cowboys marched down the field in the fourth quarter to score on a TD run by Fountain bringing the score to 27-19.

As the game winded down, the Cowboys resilient defense held strong as Bruce Jones recovered a fumble sealing the win for the Cowboys.

Defensive standouts for the Cowboys include special teams and safety play by Tyler Walsh, Brian Acevedo, Noah Macko; a pursuing defensive line of Chase Fountain, Jack Archambeault, Nathaniel Corona, Bruce Jones, and Walker Disque; as well as corners and linebacker crew of Rashad Collier, Jaime Kennedy, Trevor Tanis, CJ Nelson and Declan McCann.

Defensive standouts for the Steelers include Dylan Jackson, Jay McNamara, Grant Kanaga, Xavier Burgos, Christopher Ortiz, Brian Hernandez, Andrew Hunter, and Chase Hanawalt.

As always, the Steelers played as a solid team the entire season, and left it all on the field Sunday afternoon. Coaches Alex Burgos and Andy Smith did an excellent job coaching a great group of players to one of their best-played games of the season.

On Sunday (11/9) the Cowboys move on to represent West Hartford in the Super Bowl and face Farmington Black at 10am at Farmington High School.