Oakland spoils Pee Wee’s Super Bowl dreams
Once the final whistle blew in the Pop Warner regional
championships and the thought of the 13-10 loss set in, the
emotions on the Hollister Vikings sideline overflowed.
One Jr. Pee Wee player ripped off his helmet and pounded it into
the ground, while other teammates openly sobbed.
Oakland spoils Pee Wee’s Super Bowl dreams
Once the final whistle blew in the Pop Warner regional championships and the thought of the 13-10 loss set in, the emotions on the Hollister Vikings sideline overflowed.
One Jr. Pee Wee player ripped off his helmet and pounded it into the ground, while other teammates openly sobbed.
For three and a half quarters, it was a defensive war between the Hollister Vikings and the East Bay of Oakland Warriors at Westmont High School in San Jose Sunday morning.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, the team was unable to hold off the Warriors, who advanced to the Pop Warner Superbowl.
“We tried our best,” said Vikings quarterback Trevor Fabing. “They have a really good defense. It was hard to move the ball against them.”
The aggressive defense of the Warriors ended the hopes of the Junior Pee Wee Vikings for a return to the Pop Warner Superbowl in Orlando, Fla.
The Warriors capitalized on a fumble by the Vikings deep in their own territory with six minutes left to play, earning a shot at the title in two weeks. The Vikings ended their season earlier than they wanted, but still they lasted into the playoffs longer than any other local team.
“I’m too proud of these guys right now,” said Vikings coach Gino Andrade after the loss. “We played a hell of a game against a great team.”
After the final whistle the Vikings players solemnly lined up for the post-game handshake. Some of the Vikings watched with wet eyes as the Warriors celebrated the win a few feet away.
It was a contest that featured two premier defensive squads that refused to give up ground, or points to one another. This season the Warriors surrendered only one touchdown, while the Vikings, too, were lauded for a stingy defense.
After 34 minutes of punishing football, both teams were scoreless, but then the tide shifted Oakland’s way.
One a first-and-10 on its 22-yard line, the Vikings attempted a pitch to the right but the ball bounced off the running back’s right shoulder pad and onto the turf. Warriors linebacker Alfonzo Turner pounced on the loose pigskin to set up Oakland’s first scoring threat of the morning.
On the ensuing play, Warriors quarterback Keenan Greene, under heavy pressure from the Vikings, eluded the rush before sprinting down the sideline 19 yards for the touchdown.
The Greene TD seemed to take the wind out of the Vikings and shifted momentum to the Warriors.
After a Warriors kickoff, Oakland defensive lineman Ryan Smith-Murphy sacked Fabing on the first play from scrimmage.
Two plays later the Warriors recovered a missed lateral pass before Oakland wide receiver Deante Wilson punched in a 25-yard touchdown run to make it 13-0 with 1:26 left in the fourth.
Oakland’s extra-point attempt failed but the damage was already done.
“We lost to Gilroy last year, and we were determined to win this game this year,” said Warriors coach Herb Hall. “We have a good, strong defense and that’s hard to beat.”
Given the fits Hall’s defense gave the Vikings, it’s hard to argue with the Warriors’ coach.
The Vikings best scoring opportunity came late in the second quarter. The drive started on the Oakland 37-yard line after Hollister recovered a fumble.
Hollister was on its way to another three-and-out series until a penalty on the fourth-down punt drew the Vikings within a yard of a first down.
Andrade decided to go for it, and it paid off as running back Ryan Shorey plowed through the defense for a two-yard gain. Shorey’s run led to a 13-yard, bobbling catch by Andre Cornell, which gave Hollister another first down and the Vikings were in business.
The Warriors stiffened, however, and pushed the Vikings back eight yards in two plays to force another punt.
“They’re really tough. They have not been scored on all year,” said Andrade. “We played 34 minutes of solid football. We just could not get it done today.”
The Vikings finished the regular season with an impressive 5-3 record, won two post-season games and came within a few minutes of toppling the Warriors.
