CYFL Check-in: Super Bowl champions crowned

Last Saturday, three Clay Youth Football League Super Bowl champions were crowned. The winners and their game recaps are listed below:

Pee Wee

Ace Hardware Bulldogs head coach Chad Jordan wasn’t sure how the 2022 season would go for his young Bulldogs.

The season turned out pretty good.

The Bulldogs defeated the Riddell National Bank Lions 43-7 to capture its second straight pee wee league Super Bowl Title.

“We were young and we were small and I wasn’t sure how we would match up size wise against the other teams, but it worked out for us and everything came together toward the end of the season,” Jordan said.

Jackson Pestoff finished off a terrific season leading Bulldogs with five touchdowns, including an interception return for a touchdown. “The heart of the Bulldogs was Jackson Pestoff,” Jordan said.

Wesley Wilson found the end zone as well for the Bulldogs. Kaston Lowry along with Pestoff each led defensively with six tackles each.

Lions head coach Chris Ferry was proud of the season that his Lions had. “We had a great season, the kids played hard and we got better each and every week. I’m proud of each and everyone of my kids,” Ferry said.

Liam Fabbri scored the Lions touchdown. Marius Ghent led defensively with four tackles.

Both Jordan and Ferry agreed that the whole league was very balanced this year.

“This season was the most balanced it’s been out here since I’ve been out here. Anyone of these four teams could have won it all,” Jordan said. “Every team out here beat at least everybody once and that’s about has balanced as it can get buddy,” Ferry said.

Junior League

Max Raetz was the first pick of the Junior league draft for a reason.

Raetz led The Hoosier Homes and Land Cowboys to a 28-8 win over The A’s Pampered Palace Outlaws to capture the Junior league Super Bowl Title.

Raetz scored three touchdowns and recorded 11 tackles.

“He’s not only talented, but he’s tough. He’s well boned and saddle leather tough. What makes Max so special is he has such a huge heart and he keeps coming and coming and coming,” said Cowboy head coach Scott Wiley.

Case Bath also found the end zone for the Cowboys as well.

The Cowboys defense had a strong game as well as it did all season. Jonah Harrington finished with 10 tackles, Eli Nauman had seven, Jennings Pirtle and Beau McGuffin finished with five and four tackles respectively.

Wiley also praised his defense.

“We’ve got a lot of hero’s on defense, Case Bath has had big hits all year long. Raetz and Bentley (Bennett) on the corners and Eli Nauman coming off the edge. You keep hustling, keep coming and playing, good things are gonna happen. Overall very pleased with the way our defense played,” Wiley said.

Outlaws coach Brian Baumgartner was very proud of the fight his team put up especially after changing up the entire offense before the playoffs.

Trinton Monteith scored the Outlaws touchdown.

“After running Northviews offense all season we decided to simplify it for the boys. We used four different running backs; Kade Wilson, Ben Eder, Bentley Neese and Trinton Monteith. Bentley came out as a beast and Trinton wouldn’t go down.

Austin Lara led the Outlaws defensively with four tackles and Braylen Bruce added three tackles.

Baumgartner also praised the Cowboy defense.

“Max Raetz, Case Bath, Bentley Bennett, Jonah Harrington, Pirtle they all played well. They’re just well coached and a very good defensive team.”

Senior League

Ethan Smith promised Carbon Heating and Cooling Bears head coach Ed Deakins that the Bears would win the Super Bowl and it would be dedicated to Deakins.

Smith and the Bears made good on that promise defeating the Wabash Valley Plumbing Colts 38-6.

“I told Ed that we would win and I wanted to dedicate it to him,” Smith said.

“It all started with my sixth graders, Ethan Smith came up to me first practice and said he was going to get me a Super Bowl,” Deakins said.

Smith ran for two touchdowns and caught another one from Bryer Killion, who threw a total of two touchdown passes. Killion also connected with Jaydin Chadwell for a touchdown. Chase Wilson also added a touchdown for the Bears. Offensive Lineman Brayden Monteith was rewarded for doing the dirty work all season by scoring a two point conversion as well.

Brockton Stewart led defensively with five tackles. Killion and Logan O’Farrell each finished with four tackles.

Dylan Withers scored the Colts touchdown.

Zaiden Reisinger led defensively with eight tackles and Carter Swaim added four tackles.

Colts coach Travis Wilbur was proud of the season his team had despite being short handed most of the season

“I’m really proud of the effort this team put forth this season, we had a couple of kids quit which left us short handed. They never gave up and played hard all season long,” Wilbur said.

Deakins was presented with a team signed football after the game to celebrate his first title.

“It feels really good, but it’s all about the kids at the end of the day; this ball means more to me than the trophy.”