Eagles, Chiefs renew crosstown Pop Warner rivalry
There is nothing like a crosstown rivalry to open the youth football season. That especially holds true when the showdown is between the Pompano Eagles and the Pompano Chiefs.
Those neighboring programs locked horns in Gold Coast Pop Warner League play on the Eagles’ new turf at North Pompano Park.
The two proud programs have a rich tradition on the gridiron and have seen many former players go on to have great careers in high school, college and even the National Football League.
The Gold Coast Pop Warner organization features tackle football, cheer and dance programs. The organization serves Broward and South Palm Beach counties.
The 2016 season saw the Pompano Eagles win the coveted Super Bowl trophy in the Jr. Mitey Mites and the Bandits divisions, while the Pompano Chiefs claimed the Junior Varsity and Varsity divisions. Both programs have high aspirations this season.
The Eagles moved to North Pompano Park after the Pompano Steelers program was dissolved. The Eagles had practiced at Kester Park and played their home games at Pompano Beach High School before the relocation.
The Eagles got off to a fast start against the Chiefs as they won the Tiny Mites, Mitey-Mite Juniors and Mitey Mites games, but the Chiefs rebounded in a big way and prevailed in the Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee and Junior Varsity divisional contests.
Anthoin Smith, who presides over the Pompano Eagles Booster Club, was glad to see how quickly the program has become competitive after it was resurrected in 2014 following a seven-year hiatus.
“Last year we had the most teams in the Super Bowl for Pop Warner with four clubs, and that shows us we are on the right track,” Smith said. “Our expectations are to just have a good competitive season and we hope to get better and better every year. The players are getting better on the field and the coaching is improving as well.”
Pop Warner has education standards that are enforced, and the Eagles stay in compliance by having tutoring and homework preparation one hour before practice from Tuesday to Friday. Study sessions are held in the North Pompano Park recreation building.
“(In this program) we have everything that we need,” Smith said. “We enjoy the rivalry with the Chiefs who have been around for ages and we just have to stand toe to toe with them and go blow for blow. We have 300 players and 150 cheerleaders and the girls are the best in the business.”
The programs also boast several National Football League players, including Patrick Peterson (Arizona Cardinals), Jamari Price (Minnesota Vikings), Henri Crockett (Atlanta Falcons), Zack Crockett (Oakland Raiders), Al Harris (Green Bay Packers), Clint Session (Indianapolis Colts) and Asante Samuel (New England Patriots).
Futurevest@aol.com — Anthoin Smith, Club presides over Pompano Eagles Booster