PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Edwin Castro shuffles his feet during a drill in practice on Friday afternoon.
By HAROLD RIVERA
It seems as though the East Lynn Pop Warner D team has its sights set on a new accolade each week.
Last weekend the Bulldogs edged the Boston Raiders, 7-6, to win the Massachusetts state championship. Saturday the Bulldogs make the trip out to Worcester for an 8:30 a.m. game at Foley Stadium against the Hartford Hurricanes for the New England championship.
Although the Bulldogs haven’t met Hartford this season, Lynn coach Pete Dow has grasped a number of pointers on the Hurricanes from studying game films.
“We have some game films on them so we can see what they do,” Dow said. “We can prepare a little bit for them. It’s always difficult because you can’t see everything they do but I think we’ll be prepared.”
Dow added, “They’re (Hurricanes) a mix between Dorchester, West Lynn and Boston. They’re big on the offensive and defensive lines. They have a quarterback who has a good arm and likes to run. The tailback is a good athlete. They don’t show too many weaknesses.”
The key for the Bulldogs will be a strong defense that pressures opponents from the moment the ball is snapped. Dow said that his team’s defense has carried the group throughout the playoffs.
“We’re going to do what we did all throughout the playoffs,” Dow said. “In the last 16 quarters, we’ve only allowed one touchdown. Once they (Hurricanes) get space in the open, they can be good. If we can smother them before that, that’s our key.”
After winning the first state championship in the history of the East Lynn’s D team, Dow said his players are living on Cloud 9. Although most 9-year-olds might carry a sense of nervousness into a big game, the Bulldogs are approaching Hartford with a business-like mentality.
“It’s all about business,” Dow said. “They’re really focused on putting things into our game. I don’t see nerves at all, I see confidence. Preparation and confidence is what I’ve seen all week.”
Dow added, “For us to do what we’ve done and be where we are, it’s truly amazing. They never gave up. I’ve been coaching 20 years now and the resiliency they’ve shown is truly amazing.”
Although the majority of the players on the D team are 9-year-olds with little football experience, the team has been able to look to older football players within the community for guidance.
The East Lynn B team, with players ranging in ages from 11-13, has been able to set a template for the D group to follow. The B team is also playing for the New England championship in Worcester tomorrow (noon).
“We follow the lead of the B squad,” Dow said. “They set the tone and that trickles down.”
Players from Lynn English have also served as mentors to the kids on the D team. All three teams practice on the football fields behind English High School, allowing them to build a close connection.
“They’ve shown a lot of support,” Dow said. “They come over and hand a lot of advice to us. The coaches and players at Lynn English, they’ve really been an inspiration to these guys.”
Dow’s son, Aidan, a Lynn Classical quarterback and linebacker, has also dropped by a number of practices to give the younger players tips and advice.
“These guys come around and they’re almost like mentors to them,” Dow said. “Aidan plays at Classical and he comes around and they look up to him. It’s been special for us.”
If the Bulldogs beat Hartford, they’ll get to play for a national championship in Florida. Dow noted that only two teams in Lynn East history have had that opportunity.
With Saturday morning’s game quickly approaching, Dow said he’ll borrow a mantra from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick when he delivers his team a final message.
“Just like Belichick says, ‘everybody do your job.’ We’ll stay humble and focused. If we go down early, we’ll persevere. We never give up. We persevere and play four quarters.”
Harold Rivera can be reached at [email protected].