Pop Warner team of 13- to 15-year-olds play in Western Region
final Nov. 27
MORGAN HILL
Driving along Condit Road to the pristine Outdoor Sports Center for practice every weekday, Midget Raiders coach Steve Sorce and his players make it a point to listen to Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall,” an old-fashioned country diddy that has been the soundtrack for the best Morgan Hill Pop Warner Football campaign in 28 years.
“It’s I got your number. I got your back when your back’s against the wall.
“You mess with one man, you got us all.”
The story behind Morgan Hill’s rise to the Western Region Championship is in the lyrics. The Midget Raiders have had each other’s backs this fall, and few teams have messed with them, especially their defense.
Sorce’s team of 13- to 15-year-old man-children have surrendered an average of two points a game while amassing a 10-1 record and nine shutouts; they avenged their one loss Saturday by defeating previously unbeaten Sunnyvale 20-14 in the Division II Peninsula championship. Offensively, Morgan Hill pounds the ball inside with 160-pound tailbacks Jacob LeDon and Jesse Osuna.
That speaks volumes about the Raiders’ talent, but their chemistry is everything.
“I think it’s an overwhelming amount of heart and discipline these boys have,” Sorce said Tuesday. “I’d like to think me and the other coaches run good schemes and put them in the right places, but their discipline on offense and relentless pursuit of the ball … They don’t let up.”
Thirty-eight years ago, a football team represented Morgan Hill in the Pop Warner National Championships. The next group to do so could be Sorce’s. Saturday against Sunnyvale, the Raiders moved within a game of that milestone by reaching a new one. They delivered the city’s first Peninsula title since 1982.
It was touted as the game of the year, a rematch between two teams that were 19-1 combined. In Week 8, the Rockets edged Morgan Hill 12-6 on a late scoring drive. The teams seemed destined for a highly anticipated second meeting — more than 300 Raiders fans showed up to watch at Andrew Hill High School’s Jack Germaine Field.
Morgan Hill’s defense, led by end Michael Porras, strong safety Brandon Sorce and tackles Ryan Quadros and Daniel Dunham, had allowed 14 points all season. The unit was caught off guard when the Rockets scored first with relative ease.
Morgan Hill’s defense, led by end Michael Porras, strong safety Brandon Sorce and tackles Ryan Quadros and Daniel Dunham, had allowed 14 points all season. The unit was caught off guard when the Rockets scored first with relative ease.
Morgan Hill’s vaunted rushing game turned the tide as LeDon broke off several runs of 15 or more yards, and Osuna rushed for three consecutive touchdowns on dive plays from 1, 26 and 3 yards out.
That was more than enough cushion for the Raiders’ defense.
“It was a battle,” said Steve Sorce, whose team passed twice. “We were a little nervous at first after they went downfield like that, but the kids stayed focused.”
Before the game, Morgan Hill’s coach may have been the most anxious member of the team. Sorce coached a similarly talented group of Midgets to the Peninsula title game in 2008. They lost 17-14 to Cambrian Valley, turning the ball over on fourth-and-two with time running out.
Sorce says he thought about that loss at least once a day for the next few months.
“The excitement from this season, I tell you. I haven’t slept in weeks,” he said. “Everybody’s just been amped up. You have to understand, it’s been 28 years. The level of competition since then is 10 times more now.”
The Raiders program has taken notice of its strong support from the community and the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance, which allows the team to practice in the OSC.
On Nov. 27, the Raiders have a chance to be the best Pop Warner team in the Western U.S. when they face the Douglas (Nev.) Tigers in the Pacific Northwest Region final at Woodside High School. Kick-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. The winner advances to the Dec. 5-11 Pop Warner “Super Bowl” National Championships in Orlando, Fla.
You can guess which song the Raiders listen to on the way there.
RAISING FUNDS: The Midget Raiders program is accepting donations to help pay for its possible trip to Florida. Should the Raiders win the Western Region Championship game Nov. 27, they will leave four days later.
For more information, those interested can send e-mails to bs********@***oo.com.
The Western Region final is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Nov. 27 at Woodside High School.
2010 MORGAN HILL MIDGET RAIDERS
Players
(Number, name, position)
55 Josh Araiza MLB/LG
5 Dalton Craig CB/QB
9 Justin Dziuba DE/TE
73 Willie Long DE/OT
2 Jacob LeDon OLB/TB
52 Jesse Osuna OLB/FB
28 Allen Engle CB/TE
57 Michael Porras DE/TE
45 Caleb Holderfield CB/WR
44 Daniel Dunham DT/OT
53 Ryan Quadros DT/OG
94 Hunter Kirk DT/OT
72 Josh Carvalho DT/OG
76 Joey Burch DT/OT
30 Justin Ide DE/TE
40 Morgan Brum CB/TE
12 Andrew Arnold CB/TE
62 John Ziyada DT/C
1 Brandon Sorce SS/WR
64 Ariston Dell DT/OG
14 Riley Vandagriff CB/TE
95 Andrew Millard DT/OG
8 Joey Amaral CB/WR
4 Frankie Gomez FS/WR
23 Andrew Knight SS/TB
Coaching staff
Steve Sorce, coach
Cody Welch, defensive coordinator
Danny Ramos, running backs, linebackers coach
Bill Zangara, offensive, defensive line coach
Randy Kirk, offensive, defensive line coach
Steve Sorce III, quarterbacks coach
Becky Sorce, team mom
Kendall Place, team representative
