North Red Knights beats Fort Myers to win Pop Warner title
After the North Fort Myers Pop Warner 12U football team went 2-7 last year, everyone, from the coaches to the players, had to take a hard look at themselves and see what they had to do to make themselves relevant again.
What a difference a year makes. The 2022 team was unbeaten and on Saturday, at the Peace River Conference Division 1 championship game at North Fort Myers Regional Park, the 12U squad showed the kind of team they have become.
Helped by two touchdowns by Josiah Bataille, North held on for a 26-20 victory over the Fort Myers Firecats to win the championship and the right to face the Palm Beach Garden Gators on the east coast next weekend, in a rematch of their regional battle in 2017 that the Gators won.
The Red Knights overcame a huge performance from Fort Myers quarterback Jaydon Henderson, who rushed for two touchdowns the threw for another.
12U coach Steve Brown said both teams had to earn everything they got in this one.
“Henderson wasn’t going to let his team lose and he was a force to reckon with. They had us on our toes for much of the second half, but we held on n the end,” Brown said.
North recovered an onside kick on the opening kickoff and jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on touchdowns by Jace Jacobs and Bataille, the later of which came on a broken play after a bad snap from center.
The Firecats did not go down quietly. Jaydon Henderson scored on a run where he broke several tackles enroute to the end zone as time expired in the first half to make it a 14-6 game.
North took the ball to start the second half and held it for six and a half minutes before Bataille scored on a short run on fourth and inches to make it 20-6.
The Firecats responded late in the third when Henderson fired a 25-yard touchdown pass into double coverage to Rashad Matthews to cut the lead to 20-14. Brown called it the greatest catch he has seen in Pop Warner.
Bataille scored in the fourth quarter on a long touchdown run to give North as 26-14 lead with 5:34 left. The Firecats responded with a quick drive and a Henderson 7-yard touchdown run with two minutes left in the game before the Red Knights jumped on the onside kick and ran out the clock.
“Our plan was to play slow and keep their offense off the field because the quarterback is so dangerous,” Brown said. “Our entire defensive plan was geared to stopping him.”
Bataille said the victory was a total team effort.
“It’s all about the team. They have helped me get this far. Last year we weren’t that good, but now we’re undefeated,” Bataille said. “This year we have more discipline, we’re not selfish anymore.”