Community

First, there were 5

After building the team from the bottom up, the undefeated Chargers are out to clinch their division.

By CHRIS WAGENHEIM, Times Correspondent
Published November 2, 2007

Players with the Salvation Army League's Chargers run laps during football practice. At 2 p.m. Saturday, the squad, made up of 12- to 14-year-olds, have to face their toughest competition to date, the Lions.
	[Stephen J. Coddington | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Stephen J. Coddington | Times] Chargers head coach Brett Hayes directs practice on a recent Friday evening. He and his coaches encouraged the players to bring their friends along to join the team.

They may not have the most players, the speediest players, the biggest players or the thickest playbook, but the Chargers youth football team is undefeated and undaunted.

The squad, composed of 12- to 14-year-olds, plays in the Salvation Army League and will try to clinch the division against the Lions at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Not unlike the script for We Are Marshall that the players have rallied around, this team started this year with humble beginnings.

"When we started this we only had five guys to start with," head coach Brett Hayes said.

Hayes and his coaches started contacting players they coached on former teams and the current players started bringing their friends along. Soon the roster was 16 strong, not enough to field an offense and defense at practice, but enough to start winning some games.

"All of the sudden we are the team to beat," assistant coach Mike McBride said.

And again, just like We are Marshall, some of the kids on the team are dealing with difficulties off the field. Some are on scholarships to play. But the players look out for one another. Team members pitched in to buy cleats for a player who needed them.

"Unfortunately, most of our guys come from broken homes and tougher lives," Hayes said. "It's good for them to do this."

With players arriving to practice in groups of three or four, Hayes is quick to point out that the coaches themselves and a few dedicated parents are constantly driving the boys to and from practices and games.

And when McBride told them that he would throw them a party if every guy on the roster showed up for three straight practices, the cars were packed just a little tighter than usual.

"We watched some game film and then we watched We Are Marshall,McBride said. "At the next practice they all got together and we heard them shouting 'We are Chargers,' like they do in the movie. They have really come together ever since that night."

That was a month ago. Now the Chargers have to face their toughest competition to date, the Lions. The last time the Chargers faced the Lions was Sept. 29 and the score was close.

"The Lions, they are pretty tough," McBride said. "They have a kid that played middle school football and he had a lot of success, but when we played them he hurt his finger and sat out for the game. Their excuse was that we beat them 14-6 because he didn't come back in the game. Now we have a new motive for Saturday."

The Chargers could clinch their division, they could stay undefeated and they could keep surprising opponents.

"We are all just the one team," said team captain Aaron Agazarm.

They are the Chargers.

Submit feedback, story ideas to communitysports@tampabay.com or call 352 544-9480.

[Last modified November 1, 2007, 21:58:42]