ORLANDO - A second-quarter 65-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Cameron Thomas and rugged running from tailback Johnny Mizell fueled a 32-0 blowout championship win for the Fleming Island Dreadnaughts 11-Under Pop Warner team at the Pop Warner Super Bowl championship game on Saturday in Orlando's Camping World Stadium. Fleming Island defeated California's Santa Margarita Cowboys. Both teams were undefeated before the game; Fleming Island is at 13-0 now.
"This is only the second national title from Clay County since I've been here; 27 years," said First Coast Conference Pop Warner President Dean Prince. "Oakleaf won the 2022 title so this is something special for the Dreadnaughts."
Prince recalled the motivation of former Dreadnaught Connor McKay as part of the Dreadnaught push for a title.
"We always remember No. 7, Connor strong," said Prince, recalling the impact of former Dreadnaught defensive end Connor McKay, who passed with a brain tumor in 2022 after his 10-under Dreadnaughts lost in the Pop Warner national tournament in his final season.
For Dreadnaughts coach Mike Kenny, the win comes after an unbeaten season and a handful of shutouts, including a 29-0 semifinal win over the Drucat Middies of Massachusetts just three days prior. Fleming Island won a tough 27-12 quarterfinal game over the Capital City Steelers of North Carolina a week ago.
"Our defense has played spectacularly all season and the last two games we have had great games by a lot of guys; especially the pass defense with Cam's pick-six today and one from Zane Hudson in our semifinal game," said Kenny, who coaches with his son Tripp near him on the sidelines. "We tell our kids not to worry about the results of plays, but to trust the process. We have been behind in many of our games in the first half, but these guys find a way to win."
Fleming Island scored their first score after recovering an attempted onsides kick by the Cowboys at midfield.
With a pounding run game behind Hudson, Mizell, Thomas and Ty Stephenson all getting reps, quarterback Michael Crowe II deftly kept the chains moving with a third and two at the Cowboy with Mizell making the first down rumble.
"We make it hard for defenses to key on one guy in our offense," said Tripp Kenny, who has called plays all season. "If we get a guy on a roll, we shift our offense to let that guy carry the rock."
At the 11-yard line, as the end of the first quarter loomed, Fleming Island got a holding flag to go backward to the 24-yard line with a second and 14 to go as the first quarter ended.
"I think the nerves of the game got us a little in the first quarter, but we got past it," said Mike Kenny. "Once we settled in, we got to our game."
A slant pass to Hudson got Fleming Island to the eight where Santa Margarita stuffed a couple of run attempts to the Cowboy's five-yard line.
With Thomas and Mizell in front of him, Crowe pounded to the two-yard line, then Mizell blasted the final two yards to paydirt. With kicker Mason Adams set for the kick, Mizell took the snap around the left end for a two-point conversion for a 7-0 lead as the second quarter started.
Adams would have his name over the stadium speakers moments later with an interception on the Cowboy's drive near the Dreadnaught 30-yard line with 6:51 to halftime.
"Big-time play at the right time," said Kenny.
Kenny's second big play of the half came with Thomas' 65-yard interception return to put the halftime score at 16-0.
On a third and 12 from the Dreadnaught 22, Crowe lofted a long pass toward the sideline to Hudson with two Cowboy defenders, but Hudson failed to secure the ball.
On the first play for Santa Margarita after Hudson's miss, Thomas snagged a sideline pass attempt and sprinted untouched 65 yards to put the Dreadnaughts up 16-0.
"We always tell them bad plays happen, but champions keep moving forward," said Kenny. "That interception was a great play at the right time to forget about the pass drop."
In the third quarter, Crowe hit wide receiver Andrew Blockinger with a 40-yard scoring pass to put the Dreadnaughts up 24-0.
In the fourth quarter, Mizell's dive from the two-yard line after a 25-yard scamper almost got a score but put the Dreadnaughts at the two. Fleming Island's offense failed at the one-yard line to give Santa Margarita possession, but the first play, a Cowboy pass play missed, and a second attempt got sniffed out by the Dreadnaughts front line and three defenders pummeled the Cowboy quarterback out of the end zone for safety credited to Parker Blackwood with 4:46 left in the game. Matthew Thompson was also in on the safety tackle.
After the safety punt by Santa Margarita, Mizell pounded to the Cowboy 25 before Stephenson danced in from the Cowboy 25-yard line for the final score for Fleming Island and a 32-0 final score.