Posts Tagged ‘Novato Youth Football’

Yellow Jackets’ quest ends in overtime loss, Stingers also ousted

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 by

Workhorse: Keith Bradshaw scored all three Yellow Jacket TDs in their semifinal playoff game. SportsDashboards photo

The Novato Yellow Jackets fell just inches short in overtime in their Norcal semifinal playoff loss, 28-22, to the Southern Marin Broncos.

Overtime rules are different in American Youth Football, the body with oversight of the Norcal conference. Teams get the ball on the 25 yard line and have four plays in which to score. First downs cannot extend the drive. It’s four plays and then the other team gets the ball. The Yellow Jackets got the ball first and immediately handicapped themselves with two false start penalties, which meant that they had to go 35 yards to score in four plays.

Novato went to their bread-and-butter back, Keith Bradshaw. He reeled off runs of 9, 10, and 8 yards to move the ball to the 8 yard line with one play remaining. Again Bradshaw carried the ball. As with his other carries, he shucked off tacklers as he drove for the end zone. It took four Broncos to haul him down, just inches short of the goal line.

The Broncos made the most of their opportunity. Moses Johnson and Arturangel Lara made the going difficult for the Broncos, but that actually tells two stories. The first is the extraordinary effort the two defenders exerted to stem the tide. The second is the telltale fact that their tackles were being made in the defensive secondary, after Bronco runners had bolted through the defensive line. A quarterback sneak from the 1 yard line on the fourth play ended the contest.
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Stingers, Yellow Jackets advance in Norcal playoffs

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 by

Two-way threat: Sebastian Delgado (80) races toward the end zone for the Stingers' first TD. He snuffed the last Charger threat by intercepting a pass. SportsDashboards photo

The Stingers and the Yellow Jackets took opposite paths, but both ended up earning their way into the Norcal playoffs semifinals. The Stingers reversed an early season loss to the Central Marin Chargers, playing alert defense and just enough offense to gain a 12-6 decision. Offense was definitely not the problem for the Yellow Jackets, who hung 44 points on the San Benito Seahawks in a 44-28 conquest.

The Killer Bees distinguished themselves in defeat. In the first game of the season, they lost to the Central Marin Chargers 26-0. In the playoffs, they narrowed that gap to 14-0. The Mighty Bees struggled to the end against the Vacaville Bengals, losing 36-6.

The Mighty Bees got the mighty unfair playoff schedule
The Norcal conference has implemented both a local playoff system and a bowl system for postseason play. Many of the Division 1 teams enter the AYF playoffs, aiming to qualify for the AYF national championships. The local playoffs system is designed for the best teams that do not opt to play in AYF qualifying games. The bowl games are for teams who do not qualify for either playoff level.
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Novato teams making progress despite the Richmond results

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 by

When the score is mounting against your team, it gets easy to lose perspective. Against the Richmond Steelers, the scores got uglier and uglier for the Novato teams as the games progressed. The Steelers won all four games handily, beating the Mighty Bees 31-6, topping the Killer Bees 40-6, besting the Stingers 34-6 and downing the Yellow Jackets 45-20.

The difficulties facing a Division 2 team like Novato when facing a Division 1 team like Richmond have been documented previously. Even though the American Youth Football rules attempt to level the playing field by placing age and weight limitations on the players at each level of competition, there still remains a huge advantage to Division 1 teams because they can draw from a larger population of potential players. In practical terms, most of the boys on a Division 1 team are at the upper limit of age and weight for their group, while boys on Division 2 teams will represent a wider range of age and weight.

Those factors weigh heavily on the outcomes when teams from the different divisions meet; but all is not lost for Division 2 teams. The Mighty Bees, Stingers, and the Yellow Jackets all have experienced success against Division 1 foes this year. Still, the manpower advantage was clearly demonstrated Sunday, as the Richmond teams each piled up five or more touchdowns.

The decisive nature of the scores Sunday should not obscure the fact that each of the Novato teams has demonstrably improved as the season has progressed. That improvement is what distinguishes the Novato program and certifies it as successful.
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Novato Mighty Bees trounce Oak Grove Central; Stingers upset Oak Grove West

Thursday, September 29th, 2011 by

Mighty Bees win a laugher: Here the Bees defend against the Palo Alto Knights. Mack Carter (16), Josh Ball (21), Michael Pina (55), and Gavin Herrera (53) pursue the runner. Ball, Pina, and Herrera each scored against Oak Grove Central SportsDashboards photo

The Division 2 Mighty Bees took down their second Division 1 opponent Sunday, routing Oak Grove Central 33-0.

The Mighty Bees (3-1) have the best record in the Cadet Division of the West Section and Oak Grove Central has yet to win a game; but there was still that Division disparity to take into account. The Mighty Bees weren’t fazed. They ripped Central’s defense for four touchdowns in the first quarter en route to a win that ended with the teams playing under mercy rules.

Scoring offensive touchdowns for the Mighty Bees were Michael Pina, Kardari Gambles, Jake Rutledge, and Josh Ball. Gavin Herrera stripped a Central ball carrier, grabbed the ball and raced for a defensive TD.

An easy victory provides the players with the chance to explore positions other than their normal spots. This could uncover hidden talents and certainly leads the players to better appreciation of what their teammates face. The bench players get extended minutes.
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Novato Jr. Midgets drub Palo Alto Knights

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 by

Great Start! The Novato Rumble Bees got things off to a good start against Palo Alto. Defensive tackle Owen Walewander eludes three blockers to make the sack. Be sure to catch the video of their touchdown pass that accompanies their story. SportsDashboards photo

The Novato Yellow Jackets aren’t the defending national AYF Division 2 Jr. Midget champions for nothing and they proved that decisively Sunday with a 39-26 trouncing of their Palo Alto Knights counterparts.

Overall, this figured to be a tough day for the Novato teams, which play in Division 2 of the Norcal conference. Palo Alto is a Division 1 team. The significance of the different divisions is that Division 1 teams generally draw from a bigger pool of players, which usually means bigger rosters and, on average, advantages in speed and size. AYF imposes age and weight limitations to try to even the playing field, but the ability to attract more players tilts the field in favor of the larger programs.

Bigger rosters played a significant role in Sunday’s games, which were played under clear skies and a hot sun. The cry of “Water” was heard often and with intensity. The Knights, boasting larger rosters, were able to substitute more freely and more easily keep their players hydrated. Until the Knights met up with the Yellow Jackets, that advantage was palpable.
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Novato’s Mighty Bees trim Vacaville Bulldogs 7-6 in Cadet contest

Thursday, September 15th, 2011 by

The Novato Youth Football teams trekked to Vacaville Saturday to play the Bulldogs in Norcal conference play as part of the American Youth Football program. Novato came away with one victory in four games. That’s not a bad outcome, considering that Novato is a Division 2 program playing against a Division 1 team.

The Mighty Bees won the Cadet contest 7-6 when the Bulldogs were thwarted in their point after touchdown attempt. The Bulldogs scored first. The Mighty Bees seemed to contribute to their own downfall, committing several penalties. It is not uncommon for young teams to commit infractions.

But good young teams find ways to overcome penalties and that was the story for the Mighty Bees. They never quit trying and finally broke through with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. They pushed across the extra point and then held off the Bulldogs to secure the victory. The win left the Mighty Bees with a 2-0 record. That establishes them as the only undefeated Division 2 Cadet team in the West Section of Norcal. Two Division 2 teams remain undefeated in the East Section.

Novato was ever so close to coming away with a second win, as the Yellow Jackets, the defending AYF Division 2 national champions, put the fear of flying creatures in the Division 1 Bulldog Jr. Midget team before succumbing 33-25. The Yellow Jackets’ record of 1-1 matches the best Jr. Midget record in the West Section, where no team is undefeated. One East Division team carries an unblemished record.

The Jr. Peewee Killer Bees were overmatched by their Vacaville counterparts 32-0 and the Peewee Stingers dropped a 39-0 game to the Bulldogs. These outcomes are too common when Division 2 teams play against their bigger Division 1 rivals. AYF sets age and weight limitations to level the playing field, but the Division 1 teams draw from a larger pool of prospective players. The Killer Bees and Stingers are each off to 0-2 starts this season, but the Stingers represented Norcal at the AYF nationals last year and figure to be a presence before this year is out.

Sunday, the Novato clubs will again face a Division 1 foe when the Palo Alto Knights come visiting. The 10 a.m. clash between the Mighty Bees and the Knights features two undefeated teams. The games begin at 9 a.m. with the Rumble Bees and Knights in a Tiny Mites fray. The Knights’ Jr. Peewee team is also undefeated, while their Jr. Midget and Peewee teams are each 1-1.

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Marin County rivals split four games on AYF opening day

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 by

The Central Marin Chargers and Novato Youth Football squared off on opening day of the Norcal Conference of American Youth Football. Every game was won decisively, as the organizations split the four games played.

In the Junior Midget division, defending national champion Novato Yellow Jackets trimmed their Central Marin counterparts 33-6. Junior Midget teams include players 12 years and under, with a weight limit of 140 lbs., or older lighter 13 year olds with a weight limit of 120 lbs.

In the Peewee division, the Chargers, which showed strength in this division in 2010, shut out the Novato Stingers 24-0. The Stingers competed in the AYF national tournament in 2010. The Peewee division includes players 11 years and under with a weight limit of 125 lbs., or older lighter 12 year olds with a weight limit of 105 lbs.

The Chargers also dominated the Jr. Peewee game, topping the Novato Killer Bees 26-0. The Jr. Peewee division includes players 10 years and under with a weight limit if 110 lbs., or older lighter 11 year olds with a weight limit of 90 lbs.

The Novato Mighty Bees stung the Chargers 32-0 in the Cadet division. The Cadet division includes players 10 years and under with a weight limit of 110 lbs., or older lighter 11 year olds with a weight limit of 90 lbs.

Central Marin does not sponsor a Tiny Mites team, so the Novato Rumble Bees were idle.
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National AYF champion Novato Youth Football expands its program

Thursday, September 1st, 2011 by

Novato Youth Football has a tough act to follow as they prepare to open their season Sunday against the Central Marin Chargers. Last year, NYF sent two teams to the American Youth Football championships and the Novato Yellow Jackets came home with a national championship in the Division II Jr. Midget tournament.

The Yellow Jackets stomped the Westchester Raiders 30-0 to earn their way into the championship game against the Jets of Harlem. That game was knotted at 14-14 at the end of regulation. The Jets got the ball first in the tie-breaker period and scored to make it 20-14, but missed the extra point. After three failed attempts to tie the game, the Yellow Jackets were tempting karma big time as they faced fourth down from the 12-yard line. A Hail Mary pass into the right corner of the end zone connected to tie the game and the kick for the point after was good to give Novato a 22-20 victory. That ending will definitely be a tough act to follow this year.

The Pee Wee Novato Stingers also qualified for the year-end tournament. They had the misfortune to draw into the bracket with the eventual champion Marana Broncos. The Stingers were ousted 28-22 by the Yonkers Gladiators, who ended in third place.

In 2010, Novato fielded five teams in the Norcal Youth Football and Cheer conference. This year they will add a Midget team, which should benefit from players stepping up from the national championship Jr. Midget team.
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