Fleming Island Dreadnaughts 10-Unders running back Ty Stephenson gallops into the end zone with 20 seconds on the clock to secure a 33-26 win over Soul Runners of South Georgia playoff game on Saturday in Jacksonville. Dreadnaughts advanced to the North vs. South Division championship at Lake Mary High School next week with a shot at the Pop Warner National Championship game in two weeks in Orlando's Citrus Bowl.

Oakleaf Renegades 10-Unders wide receiver Nasir Mensah scored the first touchdown in Renegades' 21-0 win over Grand Park to put Renegades in the North vs. South championship game at Lake Mary on Sat., 26 for a shot to return to the Pop Warner National Championship game in Orlando.

Fleming Island Dreadnaught 11-Unders defensive tackle Jamarian Lane holds up ball after fumble recovery off a quarterback sack in Dreadnaughts 38-6 playoff win over defending national champion Titletown (GA) out of Valdosta. Dreadnaughts advanced to the North vs. South Division championship at Lake Mary High School next week with a shot at the Pop Warner National Championship game in two weeks in Orlando's Citrus Bowl.

Headline: 3-for-3: Area youth football on to national chase

Subhead: 11-Under Dreadnaughts take out National Champs

By Randy Lefko

Sports Editor

JACKSONVILLE - One was a spine-tingler and two were dominant performances as two Fleming Island Dreadnaught teams (10-Unders, 11-Unders) and one Oakleaf Renegades (10-Unders) Pop Warner football team all advanced Saturday to their respective North vs. South Division titles games in Lake Mary next week with a shot at playing in Orlando's Citrus Bowl for the Pop Warner National Championship. The Fleming Island Dreadnaught 11-Unders won 38-6 over the defending national champion Titletown Titans out of Valdosta, GA.

For the Fleming Island 10-Unders, it was tight end Austin "Gronk" Anschuetz again who was the late-game hero with three spectacular pass catches; one a 25-yarder with six minutes to go to the Soul Runners of South Georgia 26-yard line that looked like a scoring drive, but failed on downs and allowed South Georgia to blow up an 80-yard scoring pass play that tied the game at 26-26 with 2:50 to go.

On the ensuing series, Fleming Island answered with Anschuetz again making a 20-yard grab to put Fleming Island at the South Georgia 32 with 1:10 to go. A pass interference on a pass attempt to Ezekiel Esther put the Dreadnaughts at the South Georgia 19-yard line with 42 seconds to go before an overtime period.

A scramble out of bounds by quarterback Michael Crowe III got a third and nine to go in the South Georgia red zone before running back Ty Stephenson ran left 12 yards and dove over the left pylon to win the game with 18 seconds on the clock; 32-26, 33-26 with a third Anschuetz catch; this one in the end zone with 18 seconds still on the clock.

For Oakleaf, the National Champions in 10-Unders last year, a second shot with a new team is possible with their 21-0 win over Grand Park (FL) on Saturday. Oakleaf scored two touchdowns in the first half then battled on defense to keep the shutout.

For the Dreadnaughts 11-Unders, a 14-0 first-half lead stayed the course with a 38-6 win against the defending national champion TitleTown Titans team out of Valdosta, Ga., to put that team into the North vs. South Division title next week.