A journey from zero wins to unbeaten
Pee Wee football team earns invite to national finals at Disney World
Carlos Leon yelled for the Portage Pop Warner Pee Wee football team’s offensive players to huddle up. When a couple of the players didn’t hustle to the huddle, Leon yelled again.
“I said, let’s go!” the coach screamed on this chilly, windy Monday evening.
Under the lights at Willowcreek Middle School in Portage, the group of 10- to 12year-old boys practiced their plays, just as they have done for months during this football season. Another huddle, another reprimand, another pep talk.
“That play was horrible!” Leon told the team. “Come on, think. You guys got this, I know you do. You guys are great. Make it happen, guys, make it happen. Let’s go.”
“Trips left!” yelled another coach, Joe Fadely, referring to the receivers set.
The boys lined up again at the line of scrimmage.
“Be great, come on!” Leon told them.
Quarterback, Kodie Young
barked out the play call. He rolled to his left and tossed a deep pass into the end zone. Perfect release, perfect spiral. Right into the hands of his wide receiver Alex Hazelton.
“That’s six, baby!” Leon yelled, clapping his hands.
Other players cheered. Head coach David Fadely quietly smiled. Months of long, hard, repetitive practices like this one – three times a week – have paid off. The team’s 8-0 season earned players an invitation to the national finals at Disney World next month.
Even more remarkable, the team had zero victories last season.
“They’ve worked hard,” Fadely told me on the sideline. “If we let them, they’d practice even longer than they already do.”
This day, the players practiced a few new plays for their upcoming state championship game against Michigan City. (Watch a video of the team’s practice on my Facebook page.)
Play after play, drill after drill. In the cold. At night. Some parents kept warm inside their vehicles. My fingers felt stiff after just 30 minutes of watching practice.
“My hands are freezing,” one boy told me without a hint of complaint.
Pop Warner rules regulate how many hours a team can practice per week.
“We are actually below that number, believe it or not,” said Stacy Fadely, David’s wife and official team parent, while watching near the stands.
Her 11-year-old son, Devin, named after Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester, plays wide receiver.
“Scoring a touchdown is my favorite thing to do,” Devin told me during a break.
Pop Warner divisions were typically based on weight. In the Pee
Wee division, players cannot weigh more than 138 pounds with pads on. This season, unlimited weight divisions were offered, meaning players did not have to meet weight requirements, only age requirements.
The Portage team, which includes boys from Gary to LaPorte, chose to keep the weight limit restriction even though some of their weightunlimited opponents have out-sized the Portage players. Devin, for example, had to gain weight to make the team, researching websites on his own to do it in a healthy way.
“Our team was forced to play seven of our eight games against teams that had boys well over six feet tall and 200 pounds,” Stacy Fadely said.
Still, the team dominated its opponents. I typically don’t list every child’s name in a column about sports teams. Space is limited. But these kids deserve it. Here’s their full roster, listed in order of the 22 players’ jersey numbers.
Lashon Tolbert, Aiden Jones, Matthew Churlin, Owen Shell, Carlos Leon III, Kodie Young, Jacob Garrett, Gabrial Stucker, Patrick Varney, Alex Hazelton, Brody Mueller, Devin Fadely, Tristan Burelison, Kameron Hazelett, Francisco Martinez, Michael Cruz, Robert Miller, Carson Fabion, Dominick Ramirez, Emmanual Thomas, Mason Garner, Javan Price.
The other coaches are Kevin Schwalm, Mike Cruz and Rocky Jones. The team’s play counter is Samantha Oswald. The players’ parents should be highlighted as well for raising $1,200 per boy for the upcoming trip to Orlando through bake sales, tag days, a pancake breakfast, a taco dinner, and team rummage sales.
“We have been fundraising like crazy,” Stacy Fadely said. “We have gone from, ‘We might go,’ to ‘We are going.’”
There have been a few businesses who’ve helped, but not enough (hint, hint).
“The goal is to get each player and one parent there, along with the coaches,” she said.
If you’re not familiar with Pop Warner, it’s formally called Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc., a nonprofit organization promoting not only youth football and cheer programs, but scholastic requirements for its more than 300,000 participants. “Pop Warner programs teach fundamental values, skills and knowledge that young people will use throughout their lives,” its website states.
I watched this philosophy in action during the team’s practice under the lights. Discipline. Teamwork. Dedication. Frigid fingers and all.
“Devin, what the hell are you doing?” yelled his father after one botched play. The next play, Devin caught a pass in the end zone.
David Fadely, who played football in high school and college, was discouraged last year with a winless season, but told his players, and their parents, to keep the faith. They did. It showed this season.
“These players are just all around good kids,” Stacy Fadely said. “I have never been in a position, besides being a mother to our three boys, which has been more rewarding than this.”
Youth football has been rightfully scrutinized these past few years with “concussion protocol” becoming a heightened priority for parents. I understand their concerns. This sport, though, still scores major points for kids and their development — as people, not just as players.
“It’s just amazing how the coaches, parents, and players all came together to make this happen,” Stacy Fadely said. “It’s truly a Cinderella story.”
Instead of a glass slipper, a football helmet is the perfect fit.