The Hollister Pop Warner Football Jr. Pee Wees made a valiant
try at capturing the league championships Sunday at Westmont High
in Campbell, but the season is finally over for the local 11.
The Hollister Pop Warner Football Jr. Pee Wees made a valiant try at capturing the league championships Sunday at Westmont High in Campbell, but the season is finally over for the local 11.
The Vikings gave up two late touchdowns to the East Bay Wolverines and fell 13-0.
The Wolverines have given up just one TD the entire year.
For the first three quarters, the teams played to a scoreless deadlock as defenses on both sides made one great play after another.
The East Bay defense was tough to run on from the start and passing was tough due to a wet ball.
Ryan Shorey booted two long punts in the first period to keep East Bay at bay, so to speak.
The Vikings Nick Acosta recovered two East Bay fumbles to end two scoring threats by the Warriors.
Hollister finally drove the ball late in the first half behind great runs from Andre Cornell and Taylor Green. The drive ended on the East Bay 25-yard line.
With the score 0-0 at the half, Shorey kept the score tied in the third period with two touchdown-saving tackles from his safety position to stop breakaway runs. Josh Greenwood made a big fourth down stop on an end run to get the ball back for the Vikes.
Cornell donated a fourth quarter sack, while Armando Lerma made several tackles in the East Bay backfield.
A costly turnover by the Vikes, which gave the ball to East Bay at the Vikings 17 with six minutes left in the game, proved to be the difference.
The Warriors scored on the very next play. The Vikes took the kickoff and gained a first down, but an errant lateral ended up in the Warriors mitts and the game was done. The Warriors eventually tacked on an insurance TD.
After the game, league commissioner Joe Tobia presented Vikes head coach Gino Andrade, as well as, the entire Vikings team with the league runner-up trophy. Spirits were high for the Vikings, for most of the key players return next year and more are moving up from the Mitey Mites Division, which fielded a strong team this year, also.
