Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 7, 1993 TAG: 9311070137
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ADRIENNE PETTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Their plays and formations appeared just as daring and complex, their passes were crisp, their tackles were fierce.
They'd mastered all the elements of football style: the perfectly adjusted shoulder pads, the stately swagger after making the game-winning touchdown, and the three-point stance, which many of them, no doubt, have practiced in front of the mirror while in full uniform.
Even the fans were whooping and hollering "Whoomp, there it is!" as if they were watching the San Diego Chargers vs. the Cleveland Browns rather than the North Roanoke Chargers vs. the Botetourt Cavaliers.
But when Lorenzo Lewis, 8, of the Inner City Falcons rushed off the field for a second to hand his coach the tooth that fell out of his mouth during the last play, you were reminded that these were just a bunch of 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds having fun.
Among the Pee Wee teams playing were the Falcons, who put the finishing touches on a 7-0 season with a 34-12 win over the Northwest Raiders, and the Cavaliers, who beat the Chargers 35-0.
The teams were extremely competitive and focused on the game. The roaring of the fans and commands from the parents didn't seem to distract them at all.
The coaches were just as demanding of them as they would have been to players twice their age.
"Come on boys, let's hustle," one of North Roanoke's coaches barked at his players as they headed to the locker room trailing 29-0. "You've been loafing all game."
The boys' parents were a little more compassionate. After all, some of these players in their first season hadn't experienced the agony of defeat yet.
"I just tell them to keep their chin up and keep going," said Jeri Edwards, mother of Dustin on the North Roanoke team. "They made it this far, and it's not over till it's over."
Amid the fumbles and flags, most fans agreed that the boys gave it their best shot.
The real follies occurred off field, where the players let their guard down and acted very much their ages.
It's anyone's guess what National Football League players do when they feel a cold or virus coming on, but the Pee Wee leaguers generally sniffle, snort and wipe their noses on the sleeves of their uniforms every chance they get to take their helmets off.
And on this brisk November day, the Pee Wee players pressed their hands between their knees or under their thighs to keep warm.
One player even began to spin in the grass, pretending to be a helicopter, to pass the time before he went back out.
And when the game was over, one player spotted his mother in the bleachers and yelled, "Mom, are we going to Pizza Hut now?"
by CNB