By JOHN ANDERSON
The Wellsville Pee Wee B football team defeated Portville, 12-6 for the Cattaraugus County Midget Football League Championship at Veterans Park Stadium in Salamanca on Saturday morning.
There will be a fire truck parade on Main Street at 5 p.m. The football players and cheerleaders are gathering at Island Park and going on a victory parade ride.
Sullivan “Sully” Kehrer scored on two long touchdown runs in the first half. His first touchdown was on the first play of the game, running behind Jacob Kear and Gage McDonald.
THE FOOTBALL COACHES said the cheerleaders were a big part of the championship win. On Saturday, several times coaches couldn’t find players who had to go in the game because they were cheering and yelling with the squad! The cheerleaders were coached by head coach Paige Bierman and assistant coach Bree Buentello. The cheer team is: Lydia Shutt, Lyla Hanchett, Eleanor Pensyl, Zurie Greenan, Brooklyn Snyder, Laney Witter, Briar Giesel, Emma White, Paisley Cole and Amiyah Hunt.
“Jacob Kear had an absolute powerhouse block on the second touchdown as well, it was a massive play as the lead blocker on that play,” said Pee Wee head coach James Cain.
Sully Kehrer had seven carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns on the day.
While Wellsville led 12-0 at the half, Portville made the halftime adjustments and shutout the Lions in the second half.
The Portville Panthers scored with less than one minute left to cut the lead to 12-6. The league does not do kickoffs so you can’t do an onsides kick.
However, the league has a rule: You can ask to have th ball placed at the 40-yard-line and the play is a 4th-down and 15 yards to go. If you get the 15 yards and a first down, you keep the ball and your drive is alive. If not the other team gets it.
Portville had a chance for the first down and then only need to go 45 yards for a tying touchdown.
On the play, Portville tried to go outside, then went inside where the Wellsville defensive line was waiting to make the tackle.
“It was a ‘pride’ of Lions there to stop him, veryone was there. We don’t call it a gang, it’s a pride,” Cain said.
The league has a play rule and all Wellsville players got their plays in during the victory. After stopping Portville, the Lions had one second on the clock. The coaches sent out every player for the final play who will go up to the midgets next season. They kneeled for the win and the final snap of their career culminated in a championship win.
“The defensive line Finn Clark, Gage McDonald, Hunter Mitchell and Landon Ordway really stopped Portville’s offense,” Cain said. “Without those four lineman, no one got by them. Our linebackers barely made any tackles because of that.”
Portville did have a solid offense. However, Finn Clark recovered two Portville fumbles to stop drives. One fumble was caused by the defensive line, the other fumble was forced by Blake Lamphier.
Lincoln Brubaker and Elliott Strife ran the offense to perfection as a quarterback tandem on the day.
“It was a season of growing and at the end of the season when we needed them to play the most, this team came together, bonded together and didn’t stop playing. Cain said. “It was our goal to keep playing and have fun. But they wanted more. They were hungry, they kept driving and winning.”
Cain said, “We asked the kids individuals during the last three weeks, ‘Who are you playing for?’ They all had different answers. A family member or their whole family, their friends … one kid played for his dog! But we also made sure they played for themselves. Win for yourself. And in the playoffs, win with your “‘shield or on it.’ If we don’t win the Super Bowl? It’s not the end of the world, you played with your shield or on it.”
The Pee Wee division is ages 7 and 8, with 9 year-olds depending on when your birthday is.
“The cheerleaders were a big part of this, we really appreciated their support,” Cain said.
Cain also said having players from Genesee Valley and Scio was fun as they all made new friendships. The Wellsville varsity football team has Genesee Valley/Belfast players and the team is having an outstanding season.
The team members are:
Luikas Baker, Kayden Benson, Lincoln Brubaker, Carter Burdick, Cash Clark, Finn Clark, Seth Claypool, Caleb Dickerson, Beau Johnson, Jacob Kear, Easton Kear, Sullivan Kehrer, Alexander Kemp, Caden Kimble, Blake Lamphier, Colson Manhart, Gage McDonald, Hunter Mitchell, Landon Ordway, Benson Osterhout, Judson Pensyl, Greyson Shutt, Makenna Shutt, Callie Simmons, Elliott Strife and Bailey Wiezczyk.
The coaches are: Head coach James Cain, assistant coaches Ryan Dibble, Matt Tronetti, Aaron Brubaker.
See a slide show of photos from the league’s Facebook page:
