Junior All-American Football: Seahawks become champions

Steve Virgen

BELLFLOWER - This is why they call it the Super Bowl, where young

boys act like men and heroes become champions.

The Newport-Mesa Junior Midget Seahawks made the most of their

experience in the Orange County Junior All-American Super Bowl with an

8-4 victory over the Carson Colts at Bellflower High Saturday night. The

win avenged the Seahawks’ only setback of the season, a 16-12 loss to

Carson in the season opener.

The focus on revenge, the excitement of their last game and a 2-0

halftime deficit was all the motivation the Super Bowl champions needed

to climb over the Colts. Chants of, “There is no tomorrow,” and “We

score. We win,” were heard on Newport-Mesa’s sideline, where league

president Jim McGee supported his team.

“They have been stepping up all year long, and this game they stepped

up when we needed it,” Coach Bernard Lee said of his Seahawks (11-1), the

American Football League champions. “I’ve been telling the kids all

along, defense wins championships.”

The Newport-Mesa defense did win the game, thanks to two goal-line

stances that sent the Colts (6-3) reeling. Lee was so confident in his

defense, he told his punter to take a safety with 3:43 left in the game

so the defense would secure the victory.

The Seahawks’ defense, spearheaded by Mike Orozco, Matt Lutton, Matt

Raiger and Michael Burgner, protected their goal even when doing so

looked bleak. After the safety, the Colts’ Jeremy Williams took the

ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Newport-Mesa 14.

On first down, the Seahawks’ defense held the Colts to a 1-yard gain

and on second down, Raiger came up with a huge defensive play in the end

zone. The defensive back crushed a Colts receiver to break up a possible

touchdown pass.

Then, on third down, Newport-Mesa’s Ryan Lance caught Williams from

behind after Williams tried to score on a reverse running play, which had

worked earlier in the quarter for a 20-yard gain. This time the play

covered three yards because of Lance.

With one offensive play remaining for the Colts, they called a timeout

to add to the suspense. From the Seahawks 10, Burgner poked through the

Colts’ offensive line to create pressure on the Carson quarterback,

forcing him outside. The Seahawks’ Delano McKenzie tracked him down after

a four-yard gain, one yard short of a first down.

The play sent the Newport-Mesa sideline into celebration mode, similar

to the emotion the players displayed after the Seahawks scored their

go-ahead touchdown with 2:24 left in the third quarter.

Newport-Mesa quarterback Thomas Jackson lofted a 25-yard touchdown

pass to Burgner. The ball sailed over the tight end’s left shoulder, but

he reached for it and cradled the ball in his arms with two Colts’

defenders hanging on to him in the end zone.

“I had to catch it,” said Burgner, one of several heroes for the

Seahawks. “I thought, this is my chance, and I just caught it. It felt

like the best thing in the world. This was just great.”

After the touchdown, John Angelo tossed a pass to Raiger on an

apparent fake PAT kick to complete the two-point play.

Burgner also caught a 16-yard pass on the winning drive, an

eight-play, 62-yard march. Another key play on the drive came when Lee

broke out the lateral pass. On third-and-14, Jackson threw a backward

pass to Angelo, who then threw a 23-yard strike to Raiger, who fought off

two defenders for the catch.

Burgner also came up with a huge stop on defense. After the Seahawks

went up, 8-2, the Colts drove 69 yards on 12 plays (11 runs) to the

Newport-Mesa 5. Then Burgner stuffed a a Carson runner for a 3-yard loss

on a third-and-goal, and the Colts failed to complete a pass on fourth

down.

“I had a lot of faith in them,” Lee said of the Seahawks’ defense. “I

put it in my defense’s hands and they came through. The kids never quit

even when (the Colts) looked like they were going to run it in. (The

Seahawks) never quit, that’s the team they are. The kids just did a great

job.”

The Colts, the National Football League champions coached by Mike

Cyphers, earned a 2-0 lead after Lui Afusia tackled a Newport-Mesa runner

in the Seahawks’ end zone with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

Lee will coach the Newport-Mesa All-Stars, as they head into action

next week. Angelo, Orozco, Lutton and Raiger will play on the team.