PEE WEE SUPER BOWL:Seahawks in big game

By early December, most Newport-Mesa 11-and 12-year-old football players are usually getting ready for winter vacation, firing up their newest video game or looking forward to what’ll be under the Christmas tree.

Most years, the Newport-Mesa Junior All-American Football Seahawks aren’t playing this far into the postseason. In the Orange County Junior All-American Pee Wee Division, the Seahawks haven’t made the championship game, according to records from the Orange County Junior All-American Football that date back to 1990.

So this year has already been a magical run for the NMJAAF Pee Wee Seahawks, who play for the Orange County Junior All-American Pee-Wee Super Bowl on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Mission Viejo High.

Now, the Seahawks (10-2) aim to take it one step further against the undefeated Carson Colts (12-0), who defeated them, 26-16, in the first round of the playoffs last year.

At practice on Thursday, players from Newport-Mesa’s last Super Bowl team — the 2003 Jr. Midget squad — came to give encouragement to the team. Those players included Carlo Valdes, Matt Barkley, Brett Hanrahan, Austin Reiger, Max Steigler, Robby Boyer, Tyler Harmon and James McKennon.

“The look on our players’ faces when they heard those older players talk was priceless,” said Newport-Mesa Coach Tim Kuzmic, who has been coaching football since 1999 and has also served as an assistant coach at Foothill High.

Kuzmic said the Pee Wee division Seahawks’ cohesiveness this year has led them far.

“They’ve worked really hard this year, and the fact that they’re a close-knit group is what’s gotten them here,” Kuzmic said. “All of the kids really like each other and enjoy football. “It’s a great, tight-knit group of players that’s been fighting for this for years, and now they’re finally getting their reward.”

He said that the more experienced players on the team have also helped make the nine first-year players feel comfortable.

“Nine first-year players, that’s 30% of our team,” Kuzmic said. “Having that, it’s incredible for us to accomplish what we did. The veteran players who have played all the way through growing up have really accepted the new players. They’ve helped them get up to speed.”

The Seahawks had one of their biggest wins of the season in the AFL championship game (OCJAAF is divided into AFL and NFL divisions). There, Newport-Mesa topped the Mission Viejo Cowboys, 20-16.

There are six divisions in OCJAAF — Junior Clinic, Clinic, Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midget and Midget. Mission Viejo, traditionally a powerhouse, is in the Super Bowl of four of the divisions this season.

“They’re like the crowning jewel,” Kuzmic said of Mission Viejo. “Beating Mission Viejo was a huge accomplishment for these guys because they’re obviously the best team.”

But the Seahawks made sure they wouldn’t be in the Pee Wee division Super Bowl, shocking the Cowboys by building a 20-0 lead and then hanging on from there.

“We stopped them on their last drive, and were able to get the ball back and take a knee to end the game,” Kuzmic said.

Sunday’s game will also offer a chance for revenge. Last year, Newport-Mesa Pee Wee went 5-1 in the NFL Atlantic Division before losing to Carson, 26-16, in the first round of the OCJAAF playoffs.

Kuzmic knows the Colts will be tough, but he also knows that his team will be ready to play — on Sunday as well as down the road.

“Most of the kids go to Newport Harbor High or Corona del Mar,” he said. “That’s always a neat thing. You get to see the future players at our high schools at this level.

“What you see at this level is really kind of building the foundation for high school football.”