Youth football conferences crown champions

Youth football teams battled for bragging rights last weekend in the Suncoast Youth Football Conference and in the Pinellas Youth Football Conference.

While the SYFC football teams and cheerleading squads challenged for titles at St. Petersburg Catholic High, PYFC football and cheerleading teams were at Clearwater High. The East Lake Eagles were in Lutz competing in the Pasco Police Athletic League.

When the last down was played, the Gibbs Jr. Gladiators won the PYFC Flyweights and Mighty Mites, St. Pete L'il Devils the Pee Wees, and Manatee Mustangs the Midgets. SYFC champions were the Clearwater Jr. Tornadoes in the Flyweights and Pee Wees, Countryside Jr. Cougars the Mighty Mites and the Northeast Bandits the Midgets. East Lake finished first in the PPAL JV championship.

Northeast avenged an earlier loss to Dunedin with a 14-6 victory for the SYFC Midgets title.

An Olajuwon Simmons interception set up D.J. Williams' run for Northeast's first score in the second quarter.

After Dunedin answered with a touchdown, Simmons scored on a 5-yard run to give Northeast a 14-6 edge. Brooks, who played for Northeast as a youngster, praised the season efforts of wide receiver Michael Burke and running backs Alfreddie Jones Jr. and Darryl Jenkins.

"Alfreddie led the team in rushing, Michael in touchdowns and Darryl in all-purpose yards," Brooks said. "D.J. (Williams) and Joe Franks shared the quarterback position and combined for over 1,000 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.

'We actually had two distinct offensive packages that included D.J. when the quarterback was under the center and Joe when using the shotgun."

Brooks said that at times it was a challenge to get all of Northeast's talent on the field. Spearheading the defense were Arsenio Brinson, Zach Bayne and Dontrell Nelson.

Gibbs' Javontae Johnson connected on a pass to Javontae Maynor for a 22-yard touchdown to open the PYFC Flyweights championship game with the Greenwood Panthers, sparking a 26-0 win. Byronton Jackson scored the extra point and Gibbs was up 7-0.

"After our first score, it became a defensive game with Greenwood," Gibbs coach Paul Haywood said. "Not until Serrell Rollins broke through Greenwood's line to sack their quarterback and Darvin Jones made him fumble did we get a score from Calvin Swain."

That put Gibbs up 13-0 at the half.

Gibbs' leading rusher, Javontae Flournoy, who gained 110 yards in nine carries, put the Jr. Gladiators in key field position for Johnson to score on a keeper. Jackson added another extra point to raise the score to 20-0.

Kendrick intercepted a Greenwood pass to score on a 50-yard run for the final score and a second consecutive PYFC Flyweights title.

"We had big plays all season from Kendrick Butler, all three Javontaes (Johnson, Flournoy and Maynor), Darvin Jones and Brandon Brooks," Haywood said. Haywood complimented the efforts of first-year center Rashad Lewis and starting running back Nicholas Butler, who led the team in touchdowns with 10.

Darius Wright scored three touchdowns and Tarvon Jones added another to give the Gibbs Mighty Mites a 24-18 win over St. Pete. Last year's PYFC championship finished in the reverse order.

Jones notched Gibbs' first score on a 45-yard pass from Robert Lemon. Wright scored twice before the first half was over, with St. Pete scoring on a 5-yard run by Antwan Liverpool.

The L'il Devils opened the second half with a 10-yard score by Eddie Jones to get within 18-12. Gibbs answered with Wright's third touchdown of the day. St. Pete's Javon Oliver ran 8 yards to finish the scoring. "Gibbs is the only team to beat us twice in a season," St. Pete's Dobbie Moore said. "We've won lots of championships and I give Gibbs all the credit."

St. Pete beat Largo 28-0 for the PYFC Pee Wees championship and was led offensively by Decarieze Williams' four touchdowns.

Williams capped the opening drive for St. Pete, with Javonta Trotter kicking for the two-point conversion.

Leading 8-0, St. Pete's defense, led by Alan Brotler, Lamar Hall, Williams, Dontae Anthony, Willie Calhoun and Garrett Brunson, stalled Largo's offense and Williams scored again. Williams scored two more times for St. Pete and Trotter scored on the point-after kick for the 28-0 final.

"All season, we have relied on our backup quarterback and wide receiver Stephen Andrews, Alan Brotler, Marquis Lovett and Kelvin Powell, along with Willie Calhoun, Garrett Brunson and Decarieze Williams, for our offense," Harris said. "We were knocked out before the final round last year, so it's nice to be the winner again."

The Manatee Mustangs thwarted St. Pete's opportunity to defend last year's PYFC Midgets title when they won 19-12 in spite of scores by Jock Gibbs and Andrew Harris.

Other games in the SYFC varsity championships included Clearwater beating Pinellas Park 39-0 in the Flyweights, Countryside winning 14-0 over Clearwater in the Mighty Mites and Clearwater upsetting top-seed Dixie 20-8 in the Pee Wees.

Countryside dominated the Suncoast JV competition. Countryside No. 1 beat Clearwater No. 1; Countryside No. 3 defeated Clearwater No. 1; Countryside No. 2 won over Clearwater No. 1. Dunedin beat Northeast 26-22 in the Midgets.

In the PYFC JV competition, Gibbs No. 2 won the Flyweights, Gibbs No. 2 the Mighty Mites and Palmetto the Midgets. Gibbs also won the Flag championship.

SYFC varsity cheerleading competition winners included Pinellas Park in the Flyweights, Clearwater the Mighty Mites, Northeast Pee Wees and Countryside Midgets. In JV competition, Northeast No. 1 won the Flyweights small team and Countryside No. 1 large team; Dunedin the Mighty Mites small and Countryside No. 2 large; Countryside No. 1 the Pee Wees small and Dunedin No. 1 large; and, Countryside the Midgets.

In the PPAL, East Lake won the JV division, was second in Flyweights and Mighty Mites and third in Varsity.

St. Pete won the PYFC varsity Mighty Mites, Pee Wees and Midgets titles and Lakewood the Flyweights. JV champions included St. Pete No. 1 in Flyweights, St. Pete No. 1 in Mighty Mites and St. Pete in Midgets. Largo won the Flag division.

SYFC and PYFC varsity football champions will square off Dec. 8 at Clearwater High to determine the Pinellas County teams to compete in the Dec. 14 Game Day of Champions versus Hillsborough County champions at at Raymond James Stadium.

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