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Dreadnaughts receive national tournament bid

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 12/2/20

FLEMING ISLAND - The Fleming Island Dreadnaughts 10-under Pop Warner football team, coached by Mike Kenny, recently lost their region semifinal playoff game; 18-6, to a strong Titletown Titans team …

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Dreadnaughts receive national tournament bid


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND - The Fleming Island Dreadnaughts 10-under Pop Warner football team, coached by Mike Kenny, recently lost their region semifinal playoff game; 18-6, to a strong Titletown Titans team out of the national football breeding grounds of Valdosta, Georgia two weeks ago.

“We played the best team in the nation in their own backyard and came home with our pride a little sad, but our resolve strong as we were the only team to score points on their defense,” said Kenny. “The way things turned around this morning (Mon., Nov. 30) was quite the surprise.”

According to Kenny, the losing teams of the each of two regions in the Pop Warner National Championship Tournament that was cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, were chosen as alternates in a newly formed Mid-American Southeastern Region Challenge Game. The two regions of eight nationally; Mid-American Region and Southeast Region have both agreed to stage their own championship tournament this weekend in St. Cloud, FL.

“Due to some teams having travel or COVID restrictions in getting to the Mid-American Southeast Region Tournament, we were offered a bid to play to complete the brackets,” said Kenny. “I thought about it and the idea of getting in because a team could not get here, but with the country dealing with some serious stuff, I’m excited that the kids on the team get to play at least one more game; possibly two for a championship.”

The Dreadnaughts, led at quarterback by Wyatt Rapoza with running back mate Blake Mulanax with the offensive line led by Kade Carey ran a strong fourth quarter last week to score on the Titletown team.

On defense, Anderson Fortner is a top attacker with Tristan Stevenson on the outside secondary position.

Kenny noted that Fleming Island will play a Indiana-based team, the Portage Indians, on the Saturday match (at 1pm in St. Cloud, Hickory Tree Field, 2355 Old Hickory Tree Field, St. Cloud, 34772). A win puts the Dreadnaughts in the championship game on Tuesday also in St. Cloud. The Fellowship Lions (Ft. Myers, FL) will play the Next Level Athletics (Ohio) in the opposite semifinal. One thing Kenny lamented was the Titletown was one of the teams that dropped out.

“We would have liked to have a second shot at them,” said Kenny.