YMCA teams win Super Bowl titles

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 9, 2005

For the past three years, Evergreen's YMCA mighty mite football teams have kept a strong hold onto the Super Bowl title.

But this time the fourth try was the charm for the Greenville Tigers, who finished the season unbeaten at 8-0.

Trailing for the first time all season, the 6-8-year-old Greenville team rallied from a 6-0 deficit to score 12 unanswered points to win the YMCA Super Bowl title on the Jaguars' home field in Evergreen Saturday afternoon.

&#8220I was always told the last man standing wins the ring,” Greenville mighty mites coach Willie Miller said. &#8220This bunch of kids played their hearts out. I was just happy to be out there with the kids and my fellow coaches.”

After allowing a late first-half touchdown, the Tigers rebounded in the second half to shut out the Jaguars.

D'Raylen McGrew tied the game up in the third quarter, and then Arlyric Posey scored the game-winning touchdown with about 1:40 left in the game.

&#8220Every player on the team played hard and they practiced hard,” Miller said. &#8220They are a good group of kids. Some of the kids told us that they were going to win (the Super Bowl) for the coaches, and that made me feel good.”

The Greenville YMCA termite (9-10-year-old) Tigers added another Super Bowl title to the YMCA's trophy case by blanking the Evergreen Aggies, 22-0.

These two teams split in the regular season, but the Tigers won where it counted. The win by the Greenville termite team marked back to back Super Bowl victories.

&#8220This is the game our kids waited for,” Tigers coach Jerry Brooks said. &#8220We lost to this team in the first game of the season, then beat them in the regular season before taking the title on their home field.”

Demontrez Dean scored on touchdown runs of 50 and 60 yards, while Jonathon Robinson added a 60-yard TD run to cap the scoring for Greenville.

&#8220We had the best backfield in the league,” Brooks said. &#8220If they reached the corner, it was all over.”

Evergreen only threatened once deep inside Tiger territory on its first drive of the game.

The Aggies managed to reach the Greenville 10 yard line, but they shot themselves in the foot with penalties. The Tigers later went on to take over on downs when Evergreen failed to reach the end zone.

The shutout for the termite team was nothing new. The Tigers allowed just 20 points all season in seven games.

&#8220We had a great defense this year,” Brooks added. &#8220(The coaching staff) knew if we were going to give up any points, it wouldn't be many.”