The Dorchester Eagles U14 Pop Warner football team bringing the national championship title back home to the Bay State and making history in the process.
"This is our first time winning in Boston, so it means a lot," said captain Christian Simmons.
"It's awesome. It was so much fun to be down in Florida," said wide receiver Tommy Kelly.
This team of eighth graders didn't just win in Florida, they dominated — finishing the championship game 20 to nothing.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
"We was just driving the ball down the field, strong, fast, keeping up the pace, and then I just end up punching it in from like five yards out, and that being like the momentum, and like we all started like clicking in and I feel like that just got us to where we needed to be," said captain Cyrus Cousins.
"This is special to a lot of us because we tried so many years over and over and over — came up short. But we never gave up," said Dorchester Elite Eagles Pop Warner president and coach Terry "Beefy" Cousins.
Cousins and coach Tony Hurston have mentored Dorchester's Pop Warner players on and off the field for nearly three decades each.
They said this year, the boys' poise, hard work and desire to win as a team was the key to bringing home the bling.
"It's a special group. A lot of these guys have been playing since they were six years old. So, to come up through the program and finally finish off with a championship, a national championship, that in itself was gratifying," said Hurston.
About as gratifying as getting a police escort back home to Dorchester, to celebrate their success with their families and friends.
"The main key to winning was just to stay focused. Never brought your teammates down, just always pick them up," said 14-years-old Jahlio Roderique.
"Our team wasn't perfect from jump but, you know, we worked through it and now look where we're at — smiling, happy, cherishing these little moments," said captain Jadon Beatty said.
