MIDLOTHIAN – In a crazy year when life got turned upside down by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, just being able to play an entire youth season of football seemed like a tall task.
The Powhatan 9u Chiefs team not only did just that, but they also got to participate in one more tournament – a charity fund raiser for a family battling breast cancer – after it initially seemed like the season would end with the Chesterfield Quarterback League playoffs in early November.
“To able to have this one last tournament, get out here, get the boys together and do this was just phenomenal,” said Powhatan 9u coach Bobby Cook. “Coming out here win, lose or draw – it’s for the family we were doing it for, but also, getting the players together, they love seeing each other, so it was just awesome in this weird year we’re having just to have a little extra overtime.”
While the Chiefs, competing in the 9u tournament at Salem Church Middle School on Nov. 21, took losses in Saturday’s double-elimination tournament against Salem Church and the Evergreen Eagles, they did score two touchdowns overall against their high-powered opponents. They also did so with several 7u players stepping up to join the team – thus ensuring they had enough players to compete in the tournament – and help their older teammates.
Charlie Jamerson caught both touchdown passes from Mason Cook, and Hunter Freeman caught a two-point conversion. On defense, Aiden Kilbourne and Michael Gibbs each caught an interception, and Dylan Strickland defended several passes with just one hand due to playing with a soft cast.
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
