Publication Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2004
POP WARNER
The future is bright for Knights
The future is bright for Knights
(December 15, 2004) Palo Alto expects to return to Super Bowl after losing in finals
by Keith Peters
ow that Palo Alto Pop Warner Football teams have played in two straight Super Bowl national tournaments, there's no reason not to expect the Knights to send another team in 2005.
"It's pretty exciting for next season," said Mike Piha, who coached Palo Alto's Jr. Pee Wee team that fell to the Norfolk (Va.) Saints, 31-8, in the national Warner Division finals Saturday in Orlando, Fla. "I have confidence we'll be back next year."
With signups for next season set for January, plans are already under way for the next campaign. Piha said he will move up to the Pee Wee level next season, bringing 16 players off his Jr. Pee Wee squad while leaving 13.
More important, three Palo Alto teams in 2005 will have 10 or more players with Super Bowl experience.
And, as Jr. Pee Wee quarterback Jordan Piha reminded his dad after Saturday's game: "Last year we were third. This year we were second. We're climbing up the ladder."
Palo Alto was well-prepared to win its first national title until star running back/linebacker Jamari Beverly suffered a severe cramp early in the third quarter while chasing a Norfolk player during a punt return. The play went for a touchdown and 12-0 lead and Beverly went to the sidelines, lost for the remainder of the game.
"That really hurt," Piha said. "That just threw everything off. He's the best player on the team . . . You lose a lot of confidence when your ace isn't there."
The Knights gave up another touchdown shortly thereafter to fall behind 18-0, and just weren't the same the rest of the game.
"We just ran into a team that played better football than we did," said Piha, who said his Knights were only the second team this season to score a touchdown on the Saints, who finished the year 15-0 while averaging 31 points a game.
"So," Piha said, "they were a pretty good team."
The Knights, meanwhile, finished 12-2-1 this season while appearing in their fourth national tournament in six years. While this is the second time the Knights have lost in the national finals, the Palo Alto players know there's still work to be done to achieve their goal.
"They were upset," Piha said of his players. "They weren't happy."
While Palo Alto didn't get the championship trophy, the Knights are being considered for the Sportsmanship Award, given to only one team that competed in Orlando.
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