Palo Alto Knights Palo Alto Knights (December 17, 2003)finish as winners

Knights bounce back from 30-0 loss in semifinals to beat Connecticut team for third place in national championships

by Rick Eymer

The Palo Alto Knights didn't bring home the championship they were after, but the Junior Pee Wee Pop Warner football team didn't come home empty-handed, either.

The Knights (13-2) fought off the disappointment of their national semifinal loss to Florida on Wednesday to beat the Meriden (Conn.) Raiders, 14-8, on Saturday and earn the third-place trophy in the Tomlin Division of the Pop Warner Super Bowl National Championships in Orlando, Fla.

"It felt good to leave with a win," said Knights' coach Mike Piha. "I thought we overachieved. The kids did a great job. Everybody knows about Palo Alto now."

After a nerve-wracking 30-0 semifinal loss to the Florida Razorbacks, Palo Alto settled down and played "a regular game," according to Piha.

Palo Alto took the field in the semifinals hampered by illness, injuries and just plain youth.

"We had four kids who had never flown on an airplane," Piha said. "We were very nervous on Wednesday and had a couple of players sick and hurt. We would have had to play a perfect game. It was just one of those days we laid an egg."

Durham (N.C.) defeated the Razorbacks to capture the national championship.

The Knights played their usually solid game on Saturday to beat Meriden. Defensively, Palo Alto limited the Raiders to 54 total yards.

Jamari Beverley scored twice for Palo Alto, on runs of two and 53 yards. His first touchdown was set up by a 46-yard run by Brandon Bradford. Beverley and Bradford combined to rush for over 200 yards.

It was Palo Alto's third trip in five years to the Pop Warner Super Bowl championships.

"We're old pros at this," said Piha. "We just have to win one of them."

Palo Alto has had its title quest ended by Florida teams all three times.

Against Florida, the Knights came up short three times when they had the ball inside the 10-yard line.

"We just couldn't put it in," said Piha. "We ran into a wall. Florida was just too quick."

Most of the group will be playing together at the Pee Wee level next year and Piha thinks the team could compete for the national title again.

"This team has a great chance at it next year," he said.

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