Pee Wee team goes 11-0, into Super Bowl

Yosemite team earns tough gridiron victory

(Updated: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 10:25 PM)

The Yosemite Youth Football PeeWee Badgers moved one step closer to achieving its dreams Saturday when it ground out a 15-6 victory over Kerman in round two of the Youth Football playoffs held in Los Banos.

In winning a hard-fought defensive game the mini-Badgers won a birth in the Super Bowl.

The Badgers moved out quickly taking the opening kickoff and driving 65 yards for what would be all the points the team would need to win.

On a first and 10 from the Kerman 25 yard line, Yosemite quarterback Jeremy Miller connected with Brian Woolsey on a swing pass for the score.

Miller's PAT pass to Jayson Lee was complete, and the Badgers led 8-0.

The Badgers lost a fumble on their next possession and Kerman didn't waste the opportunity.

On its first play from scrimmage, the Kerman tailback broke off tackle raced 62-yards the touchdown.

Lee threw the Lions' running back for a loss on the PAT attempt, but Kerman had cut the lead to 8-6.

The game became a defensive struggle until midway into the fourth quarter when the Badgers' defense corralled the Kerman running back behind the line of scrimmage and forcing a fumble recovered by Yosemite linebacker Chase Maurer.

This Badger offense moved the ball down field with three consecutive first down plays.

After an incomplete pass, Miller passed to Luke Tovar over the middle for the Badgers second touchdown. Miller, with a block by Woolsey, ran it in the PAT and with 5:39 remaining in the game, the Badgers led 15-6.

Neither team could mount a threat in the remainder of the game and the Badgers added win number 12 against no losses for the season and will next face Los Banos on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Firebaugh in the Super Bowl.

"We came out in the first half flat - it was almost as though we were sleepwalking," Yosemite head coach Joe Maurer said. "We were missing blocks, dropping passes, hitting the wrong holes of offense, lining up wrong on defense. At half time, we made a number of adjustments.

"We were playing with three starters from the offensive line out sick or injured, so a number of kids were playing positions they had never played before on offense line - they stepped up and met the challenge."

"We are now one victory away from our goal to win the Superbowl," Maurer said.

Lee blocks two punts, Pee Wees blast Avenal 49-0 in playoff opener

The Yosemite Youth Pee Wee football team opened its post season play with a 49-0 blowout of Avenal. The Pee Wee's record is 10-0 on the year.

The Badgers first scoring drive was the result of Jayson Lee's blocked punt, his second of the game, which was recovered by Chase Maurer on Avenal's 15-yard line.

On the next play, Lee ran off tackle for 15-yards and the touchdown. Miller's PAT pass to Brian Woolsey was good and the Badgers went up 8-0.

The Badgers defense, which dominated all day, held Avenal to four downs and Yosemite took over on the 33.

After two complete passes, to Lee for 17 yards and one to Woolsey for 11, Miller kept the ball on a third and five and raced untouched into the end zone for the Badgers' score.

The PAT failed, and with 3:59 left in the first half, Yosemite led 14-0.

The Badgers put two more scoring drives together in the first half, Miller connected on a pass to a wide-open Woolsey who sped 56 yards down the left sideline for the third score. Miller's PAT was good, and the Badgers led 21-0 with 2:30 left in the half.

Woolsey recovered an on-side kick on the 47, and the Badgers quickly put up more points on a Miller to Woolsey pass for the fourth touchdown.

The PAT was good, and Yosemite led 29-0 to end the half.

Lee took the Avenal second half kick off 47-yards to the Avenal 22-yard line.

On first down, Lee ran off tackle for 17 yards to the five and Miller passed to Woolsey for the score. The PAT was no good but Yosemite led 35-0.

Avenal was again held to 4 downs by the Badger defense, this series led by Cade Cross with 3 great tackles, and Yosemite took over on the 25.

Two plays after Avenal went four and out, Woolsey took the ball into the end zone for a 20-yard score, and when Lee caught the PAT, the Badgers had upped the ante 43-0.

Avenal got a first down on its next series, but on second and eight from its own 43, Lee, Yosemite's defensive end hammered the Avenal halfback causing a fumble recovered by a Woolsey.

Jayson Lee took a Nolan LeForge handoff off-tackle right for a 39-yard touchdown run.

The PAT was no good, and with 5:01 remaining in the game, Yosemite led 49-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lee crushed the Avenal receiver causing a fumble, recovered by Wyatt McKee on the 44. The Badgers then ran out the clock on running plays and Yosemite prevailed 49-0.

"I couldn't have asked for a better performance by the entire team. I called upon our key players, Jayson Lee, Jeremy Miller, Brian Woolsey, Chase Maurer and Garrett

White to set the tone of the game, and they did so with enthusiasm and authority, evidenced by the great coordinated effort I saw on Saturday by every one of our players," Coach Joe Maurer said.

"Offensively, we picked them apart and rolled over them. Our special teams were flawless and aggressive. This was a superlative effort. We look forward to our next game as we continue to get better and better."