PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Quarterback Mathias Fowler is a skilled talent under center for the East Lynn Pop Warner B team.
By HAROLD RIVERA
Prior to the start of the season, East Lynn Pop Warner B team coach Duke Wilson had goals for his players that reached beyond the football field. Wilson and his coaching staff preached the values of hard work and family. Now, those values are paying dividends for the Bulldogs.
The B team “family” will clash against the New Haven Steelers at Foley Stadium in Worcester Saturday at noon. The stakes in the contest include a New England championship and a trip to Disney World in Florida to play for a national championship.
Wilson said he expects the Steelers to bring toughness to the field.
“They’re going to be tough and fast,” Wilson said. “They’re well coached. They’re an inner-city team so they’ll bring some toughness and speed.”
Wilson and the Bulldogs will rely on an athletic duo to pave the way for the Lynn team in quarterback Mathias Fowler and running back D.J. Green. Fowler and Green carried the Bulldogs in last week’s 36-12 win over the Boston Raiders in the regional round of the playoffs.
“Mathias and D.J. are thunder and lightning,” Wilson said. “I’ll put our best against their best any day.”
Wilson also noted that preparation will be key for the Bulldogs, as it has been throughout the season.
“Cream rises to the top and sugar sinks,” Wilson said. “Preparation equals success. These kids have been well prepared.”
Assistant coach Victor Bellamah shared a similar thought.
“These kids are prepared,” Bellamah said. “They’ve been prepared all year. They’ve seen everything we’ve thrown at them.”
When the Bulldogs got together for their first team practice on August 1, they broke their huddle with the chant “champs.” As the season progressed, the “champs” chant became more than just a huddle routine. One win away from the New England crown, “champs” has morphed into a reality for the Bulldogs.
“We have a mindset here,” Wilson said. “We go for the North Shore championship, then the Eastern Mass championship, then the state championship and now New England. The kids have done everything we’ve asked of them.”
Assistant coach Carl Cox said the Bulldogs have been working hard to earn their tickets to Florida from the moment the team got together.
“We came out in the beginning of the year and we grew into a family,” Cox said. “A lot of these kids have never been to Florida. This isn’t a family vacation or something that you can pay for. They had to earn this week in and week out.”
With New Haven standing in their way, the Bulldogs will have to continue to give their top effort to earn Florida football.
“They’re ready to put the nation on notice,” Cox said. “They want to put Lynn on the map. They’ve been preparing since August. Now it’s time to seize the moment.”
In preparation for Saturday’s game, the Bulldogs stuck to their usual practice routine. With a regimen that’s proved to be effective, Wilson hasn’t felt a need to make any changes.
“We have a blueprint here and it works,” Wilson said. “On our staff, there’s a lot we can do. We can throw, we can run, we can use power. We can be up-tempo, we can run ball control. It’s a fun system and its exciting.”
Wilson’s staff includes Bellamah, Cox, Edward Carlson, George Franklin, Spiro Lamberis and Mark Marino.
As kick off inches closer, Wilson and his coaching staff offered a few final pieces of advice for their players on Friday.
“We’re going to outwork our opponent tomorrow,” assistant coach Lamberis said. “We’ll find a way. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
“The kids have been working hard all week,” assistant coach Marino said. “They’re ready and they’re well prepared. I think we’re ready to give a good effort on the field.”
Harold Rivera can be reached at [email protected].