ORLANDO - After a 26-0 second-half scoring blitz, the Fleming Island Dreadnaughts 11-under Pop Warner football team finished with a 32-0 win in Saturday's region championship at Lake Mary High School and has advanced to the Pop Warner National Championship game to be played Saturday in Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The championship bracket was to be determined on Tuesday, December 3.
"We are now undefeated in 10 games, but this game against Naples was one of the toughest," said Dreadnaughts coach Mike Kenny. "We only had them 6-0 at the half, but I think we made some adjustments and the kids started to read them better and execute. They came out fired up in the second half."
The Dreadnaughts 11-unders are just one of three area teams to advance into the final games with the Oakleaf Renegades 11-Unders losing on Saturday. Fleming Island Dreadnaughts also had a 10-under team a week ago, losing a double overtime 31-30 playoff game against Titletown Titans out of Valdosta to end their unbeaten season.
The Fleming Island 11s beat a team from Gulfport, Mississippi last week in that region semifinal while Oakleaf won a tough 13-12 game over Sanford Orlando to advance.
Last year, Kenny's team lost in the region final.
"I've known some of these guys since they were six, seven years old," said Kenny.
At the Dreadnaughts 11s game against Naples, Kenny noted that his unsung hero for the game was Zane Hudson who scored twice in the second half.
"He was a defensive player for most of the season, but we needed to do something different to shake up the Naples defense," said Kenny. "He stepped up big after playing tight end most of the season."
Kenny commented that the low-scoring first half may have been some coaching decisions after the first score.
"We had a couple of fourth down plays that we went for and maybe we should have kicked away," said Kenny. "We decided to do what we have done the entire season in the second half and the kids responded."
Kenny also noted that his Dreadnaughts gave up the ball a few times in good field position for Naples, but tackling from safety Johnny Mizell proved to be a difference-maker.
"Johnny Mizell was just excellent tackling in the open field," said Kenny. "Tristan Stephenson got a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter too."