Local Pop Warner team plays for national title

Mike Sciacca

For a team that is in its first year playing together, the Huntington

Beach Jr. Pee Wee Green Chargers have made the most of the 2004 Pop

Warner Football season.

Huntington will play for the Jr. Pee Wee Division national

championship Friday at Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in

Orlando, Fla.

The Green Chargers earned a shot at the national crown by routing

the Rhode Island Chiefs, 26-0, Tuesday in a Jr. Pee Wee Division

doubleheader at the sports complex.

Huntington (12-1) will take on the North Philadelphia Aztecs --

who defeated the East Tampa Bandits in the other division semifinal

game -- in Friday’s championship game at 9 a.m. EST.

“This is truly unbelievable and unexpected,” Huntington coach Marc

Dubois said. “For being a first-year team, it’s hard to believe where

we are. It doesn’t get better than this.”

Actually, Huntington’s performance Tuesday exceeded Dubois’

expectations.

The only thing Rhode Island, champion of the Eastern Conference,

won Tuesday was the opening coin flip. The Chiefs, however, deferred

to the second half, and gave Southwest Conference champion Huntington

the opening kickoff.

The Green Chargers set the tone from there.

Huntington took the opening kickoff and put Rhode Island in a hole

immediately. The drive was capped by Josh Peth’s touchdown run on a

power play, which made it 6-0.

The Green Chargers struck again in the second quarter, when Chris

Ogilvie charged into the end zone on a power-left run and Peth’s run

for the point after made it 13-0 at the half.

Huntington continued its dominance in the second half, with

Brandon Trulli scoring on a trap up the middle and Joey Sandoval

running in the extra point in the third quarter. Chris Dubois capped

the scoring on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter.

Huntington’s defense bottled up Rhode Island’s wing T offense

throughout the game.

It was the first time this season that the Green Chargers had gone

up against such an offense.

“The wing T is very deceptive and I thought our defensive line did

an excellent job holding the line,” Marc Dubois said. “Our defensive

backs also did an excellent job filling in the gaps.”

While Dubois noted that it was a complete team victory, he said

that the play of his offensive line was the “most remarkable.”

“Our line was really coming off the ball and because of that, we

were able to stay within our offense,” Dubois said. “We just came out

right away and pounded the ball.

“I think that our offensive line played its best game of the

year.”

Huntington, which brought an entourage of more than 100 to Orlando

that includes players, parents and relatives, is one game away from a

national title.

“No matter what happens Friday, whether we win this thing or not,

it’s incredible to be playing in the national championship game,”

Dubois added. “It’s just amazing what these kids have accomplished.”