2007 GREEN HORNETS MITES

SUPER SEASON RE-CAP

Practice began for the 2007 Green Hornets Mites in the sweltering heat of July 30^th … the first of 50 practices on the year.

The opening day of practice’s 2007 32-man roster was comprised of 24 first time players. Nine of these boys were 6-year olds, and fifteen were 7-year old beginners. The eight returning 7-year old players, from the 2006 7 – 3 – 1 playoff squad, were a great help showing our new players “how it’s done” and their leadership-by-example was invaluable in those early days.

The Green Hornets Mites coaching staff consisted of 4 1^st-year football coaches: John Burt, Chris Bolt and Jamie Stallings.  The 2007 Green Hornet Mites made history with this coaching staff as 1^st year Coach Kerri Cianciotti became the 1^st woman to ever coach on any WYFCL Football team in the 11-year history of the WYFCL.

The Green Mites Coaching staff was leveled by several veteran coaches including 8-year WYFCL leader Greg Scott, 7-year WYFCL Coach Scott Vinson, 4-year veteran Mike Mielczarek, and 2^nd year coach “Mr. Jumping Jack” Chuck Walker.

The first couple weeks of practice, the new football players were kept busy learning the basics of football (getting into good stances, drive blocking, form tackling,  running and hustling) … the things they’ll have to do their entire football careers.

The boys endured the month of August having 4-practices a week for 2-hours a day so that by the time August 25^th rolled around, they were nervous, but somewhat prepared for their first real-game experience.

n       AUGUST 25^th – In a day where every WYFCL team was to be in action in various scrimmage contests, the Green Mites were the only team to play as heat forced the cancellation of every other game. The Hornets tallied three touchdowns (Tadic Mielczarek, Ar’Mon Jones and Cesar Ward) in the scrimmage, but gave up 2 long runs and 2 kick-off returns for touchdowns as Gloucester-Red won the contest 26 – 21.

The following week, the regular season started. Practices dropped down to 3 2-hour nights a week as with the boys heading to school, and games came every Saturday for the next 12-weeks. Here’s the season wrap up, game-by-game:

n       SEPTEMBER 1^st  - The Green Mites hung with defending Superbowl Champion Hampton, but couldn’t overcome 7 false start penalties that kept the offense sputtering in the 6 – 0 loss to the Tornados. The Mites defense played inspired football led by Bryant Walker (8-tackles), Tadic Mielczarek (6-tackles) and Monii Burden (6-tackles). Walker tracked down a Tornado back who had a 20-yard lead on him to keep the game at 6 – 0 giving the Mites a chance to win. Offensively, Cesar Ward, Mielczarek, and Ar’Mon Jones hauled the pigskin with hard-nosed runs. Linemen CJ Bolt, Hunter Brittain, and Kade Campbell paved the way.

n        SEPTEMBER 8^th - The Green Hornets Mites forced 5 turnovers and tallied 9 tackles for loss to post a stellar 19 – 0 shut-out victory over the Back River Panthers. Ar’Mon Jones racked up 5 hits for loss. End Bryant Walker added 2 fumble recoveries. Cornerback Carter Weissenfluh (3-tackles) preserved the shut-out capturing a Panther runner at the Hornets 5-yard line. Wrapping up the game, Mickey Smith, Zachary Stallings and Jeffrey Shi tallied tackles on Back River runners. The Hornets got bruising TD runs from backs Tadic Mielczarek (6 carries / 21-yds) and Ar’Mon Jones (4 carries / 41-yds), while speedy Cesar Ward (9 carries / 71-yds) tallied a 32-yd touchdown run in the win.

n       SEPTEMBER 15^th - Cesar Ward scored on runs of 42-yds, 17-yds and 14-yds. Monii Burden returned a kick-off 46-yds for a TD, and D-lineman Ar’Mon Jones added a safety as the Mites cruised to a 27 – 13 win over the York-Seaford Bulldogs, and improved to 2 – 1 on the season. Stout blocking was provided by Zach Pope, Kade Campbell, Justin Ford and Lehman Montgomery. Young Hornet runners Ryan Pasterik, Jeremy Herslow and Zach Stallings carried for positive yardage while blockers Nicholas Doyle, Taylor Fowler and Cooper Minor kept the ‘dogs at bay during the Hornets 4^th quarter offensive show. Jones led all Mite defenders with 8-tackles. Burden added 7 stops, while Carter Weisenfluh was in on 5-hits. Adam O’Neil and Josh Womeldorf added tackles to round out the D’s day.

n       SEPTEMBER 22^nd - The Mites built a 14 – 0 halftime lead, then moved to 3 – 1 on the season rolling to a 27 – 13 win over Gloucester-White. Ar’Mon Jones added 7 tackles to his team leading stats. Clayton Vinson tallied 6 stops, while Bryant Walker and Cesar Ward each had 5 tackles. Hard hitting efforts by Sean Ferguson and Joey Cianciotti also hampered the White-Knights game. Offensively, Ward ran 29-yards for a TD, and Monii Burden got in from 8-yds in the first half. Bruisers Hunter Brittain, Kade Campbell and Michael Burt led the blocking brigade. Lehman Montgomery and Mickey Smith kept the holes open later. In the 2^nd half the Mites got twin kick-off return TDs on 48-yd runs from Ward and Jones. Young runners Ryan Pasterik (9 carries), TJ Davis (2 carries) and Jeremy Herslow (3 carries) hauled the pigskin in the 2^nd half, while blocking from Garrett Turner, Zach Stallings, Gunner Mueller and Taylor Fowler kept the offense rolling.

n       SEPTEMBER 29^th - With 38-seconds left, Cesar Ward (15 carries / 121-yds) threw a crisp pass to Tight End Zach Pope who snared the pigskin at the 5-yd line and scored sealing a 19 – 13 Hornets win.  Tied at 13 – 13, in the 4^th Quarter, the Hornets moved the ball on a 9-play drive to the Bull’s goal but stalled with less than 2-min to play. Strong blocking by Kade Campbell, Lehman Montgomery, CJ Bolt, Hunter Brittain and Tadic Mielczarek helped move the ball downfield. Bryant Walker (8-tackles) and Monii Burden (8-tackles) then led a defense that stuffed the Bulls and the Hornets took over on downs from the Poqouson 11-yd line leading to the winning score. Garrett Turner had a key tackle on the ensuing Taylor Fowler kick-off. Four plays later, game clinching tackles by Ar’Mon Jones & Michael Burt ended Poqouson’s day. Josh Farley (6-tackles) and Clayton Vinson (7-tackles) had big stops as well. Josh Womeldorf & Guenter Mueller shored up a defensive front that manned the field for a season high 49 snaps.

n       OCTOBER 6^th - Cesar Ward had just 7-rushes against Grafton-Tabb, but scored TDs on four of them, from 17-yds, 31-yds, 37-yds and 45-yds on his way to a 165-yd rushing day as the Green Hornet Mites moved to 5 – 1 by beating the Tigers 27 – 12. Hornet blockers who tamed Tiger defenders were: Tadic Mielczarek, Justin Ford, CJ Bolt, Hunter Brittain, Kade Campbell, Zach Pope & Michael Burt. Defensively Carter Weissenfluh, Ar’Mon Jones, Monii Burden and Clayton Vinson were all in on 8-tackles a piece. Bryant Walker added 4 stops. Josh Farley (4-tackles) and Josh Herslow (3-tackles) helped contain the outside. Grafton-Tabb got within 1-point late, but stops by Sean Ferguson, Joshua Womeldorf & Adam O’Neill kept the Tigers in check. Young Hornets TJ Davis & Ryan Pasterik gave glimpses of the future, carrying twice each behind blocks by Nicholas Doyle, Mickey Smith & Jeremy Herslow.

Next came a wake up call for the Green Hornet Mites as the team faced off against undefeated power house Yorktown.

n       OCTOBER 13^th - Despite trailing 20 – 0 at the half, the Green Mites bounced back rallying for a pair of 3^rd period scores in the span of 90-seconds to put a scare into Yorktown, only to fall to the league’s 1^st place team, 33 – 14. Cesar Ward tallied both Hornets TDs as he zipped 37-yds and 32-yds for TDs. Ar’Mon Jones added one PAT, and Ward the other. Keying the Hornets rally was an alert Carter Weissenfluh who pounced on an onsides’ kick-off helping get the Hornets close at 20 – 14. Ar’Mon Jones buoyed the Hornets defense racking up 9 tackles, while Weissenfluh came up with 6 stops. Josh Herlsow, Monii Burden, Bryant Walker and Joshua Womeldorf also fought hard. Late in the game, Ryan Pasterik ripped off 30-yds on 3 carries, Zachary Stallings scooted 20-yards on a handoff, and Jeremy Herslow and TJ Davis both ran strong. Good blocks were leveled by Nicholas Doyle and Mickey Smith.

Then the Hornets took a well deserved break, and in what was supposed to be an off-week, the 32-man Green Hornets Mites divided into 2 equal squads for an intra-squad scrimmage Green vs Gold game at William & Mary’s Zable Stadium.

n       OCTOBER 20^th - The Mites were divided for a day. Wearing opposing Gold jerseys vs Green jerseys for an intra-squad Colonial Bowl game, the two forces played to a 6 – 6 tie. Gold featured 10 running backs including regulars: Cesar Ward, Tadic Mielczarek, Garrett Turner, TJ Davis, Hunter Brittain, Michael Burt, Josh Herslow and Jeremy Herslow … plus defensive player Clayton Vinson and O-Line’s Lehman Montgomery. 7 different backs ran the pigskin for the Green team including: Monii Burden, Ar’Mon Jones, Ryan Pasterik Zachary Stallings, Carter Weissenfluh, Zach Pope and Bryant Walker. Blocking up front for the Gold Squad, CJ Bolt and Cooper Minor performed well. Green’s O-line was led by Mickey Smith, Justin Ford & Taylor Fowler and featured pancake blocks by Kade Campbell. Defensively, Gold saw super play by regulars: Mielczarek, Herslow, Ward and Vinson. Coaches also noted Gold players playing-out-of-position, TJ Davis and Hunter Brittain had excellent games. Gold defenders Joshua Womeldorf, Joey Cianciotti and Guenter Mueller got loads of reps on the D-Line. Green’s Defense featured usual hitters: Josh Farley, Burden, Weissenfluh,  Jones, and Walker. Pasterik, Sean Ferguson, and Adam O’Neill had big hits as well. Green D-line specialists, Ben Tyler and Jeffrey Shi plugged up the middle.

n       OCTOBER 27^th  - The Hornets scored on their 1^st offensive play and never looked back, moving to 6 – 2 on the season with a 29 – 0 win over the James City Silver Jaguars. Cesar Ward (2 runs / 100-yds) scored from 66-yds and 37-yds. Ar’Mon Jones added both PATs. In between, Ward and Jones put Defensive points on the board combining on a safety. Return man Monii Burden added excitement as he covered 79-yds on a punt from the Hornet goal line to the James City 1-yd line.

Michael Burt and Hunter Brittain ran the ball behind the blocks of Lehman Montgomery, Bryant Walker, CJ Bolt, Zach Pope and Kade Campbell. Brittain scored his 1^st career TD on 4-yd run; Burt added the PAT. Defensively 15 Hornets had tackles. Early, Joshua Womeldorf (2-tackles), Josh Farley & Clayton Vinson (2-tackles) had hits.

In the 2^nd half, James City was poised to score on a long run, but Sean Ferguson (3-stops) hunted down the Jaguar runner, then captured a fumble on the next play. Later, Ryan Pastirik (7 runs / 28-yds), TJ Davis (4 runs / 30-yds) and Jeremy Herslow (3 runs / 7-yds) ran well with blocking provided by Cooper Minor & Nicholas Doyle.

Adam O’Neill (3-tackles) took his turn in the defensive spotlight recording 2 tackles for loss on the Jaguars next drive. When the Hornets started again, Davis ripped off a 21-yd run. Then speedy Zachary Stallings followed the block of Taylor Fowler, and went 28-yds to the Jaguar goal. Pastirik completed the drive from 1-yd out tallying his 1^st career TD. Hornet Mickey Smith punctuated the outstanding defensive day as he was a one man wrecking crew recording 3 tackles in the game’s final 4-plays.

Next, came our season finale’. With a 6 – 2 record, it seemed improbable, but the Green Mites were faced with a “win-or-go-home” game against the 5 – 3 Tidewater T-Wolves. The winner of the last game of the season would make it into the PYFA Playoffs and the loser would start Thanksgiving planning early.

n       November 3^rd - Cesar Ward ran for 2 scores and threw a touchdown pass to Zach Pope to help power the Hornets into the playoffs in a 26 – 12 win over Tidewater. In the must-win game, Ward fielded the opening kick-off and followed the blocks of Mickey Smith and Josh Herslow for a TD. Ar’Mon Jones bulled in for the PAT and the Hornets were up 7 – 0. The T-Wolves bounced back though with a scoring run on their 1^st play from scrimmage. Hornets Monii Burden (7-tackles) and Carter Weissenfluh stuffed the T-Wolve PAT preserving the Williamsburg lead at 7 – 6.

The Hornets answered the bell with an 11-play drive featuring two 4^th down conversions before Ward faked a handoff to Tadic Mielczarek, then popped a TD pass to Tight End Zach Pope putting the Hornets up 13 – 6 late in the first period. Williamsburg’s defense then sent the T-Wolves packing on their next drive. Tackles by Josh Farley (7-tackles) and Hunter Brittain (3-tackles) keyed the stand. Hornet defenders played most of the 2^nd quarter as the T-Wolves moved in 3-yd bites. Stops by Ward (9-tackles) and Clayton Vinson (8-tackles) kept the T-Wolves from the endzone.

As the 2^nd half started, Williamsburg appeared poised to shut down the T-Wolves before a Tidewater runner ripped off a 48-yd scoring run. In another stout defensive play, Jones and Farley shut down the PAT and the Hornets led 13 – 12.

Williamsburg fired right back. This time Ward ran a counter play behind the blocks of Lehman Montgomery and CJ Bolt to go 21-yds for a TD. Ward then added the PAT putting the Hornets up by a crucial Mites level 8-point margin, 20 – 12. The Hornets defense was buoyed by the score and controlled the T-Wolves offense for the rest of the game. Hits by Michael Burt (5-tackles) and Josh Herslow (4-tackles) kept Tidewater in long yardage situations late.

The Hornets sealed the win in the final minutes after a strong defensive showing and nifty punt return by Ward gave Williamsburg the ball deep in T-Wolve territory. Ar’Mon Jones ran behind the blocks of Justin Ford and Garrett Turner for a 7-yd TD that wrapped up the scoring.

The Hornets Green Mites, at 7 – 2 had earned the 3^rd seed in the PYFA Playoff field that included: (9 – 0) Yorktown, (6 – 3) Hampton, and (9 – 0) Gloucester-Red … a formidable group of Mites teams. By lot, the Hornets opponent was drawn, and Williamsburg prepared to meet scrimmage day foe, Gloucester-Red, a team, that following the Hornets scrimmage game, had reeled off 9 regular season wins in a row to finish as league co-champions.

n       November 10^th  - Faced with containing a Gloucester-Red back who had tallied 35 touchdowns on the season and an undefeated 9 – 0 Red Knight squad averaging 30 points a game, the Williamsburg Defense met the challenge, curbing the Red Knight Runner, while advancing the Hornets Mites to the PYFA Super Bowl with a 19 - 7 playoff win.

In the mud, muck, cold and rain typical of late fall football, the Hornets looked to take advantage of an early opportunity when Josh Herslow (4-tackles) alertly recovered Taylor Fowler’s opening kick-off to Gloucester-Red effectively neutralizing the Red-Knights first opportunity on the day. The Hornets, while not scoring initially, did put together a 7-play drive moving the ball to the Gloucester-Red 15-yard line before giving way on downs.

Then, Williamsburg learned how one runner could amass three dozen TDs, as the Gloucester back quickly zipped off a 61-yd run giving Gloucester a 7 – 0 lead.

Williamsburg answered the salvo on the next Hornets’ possession. This time the Hornets put together a 7-play 50-yard drive on the shoulders of all-purpose back Cesar Ward (21 carries for 186-yds) and Ar’mon Jones (8 carries for 20-yds). Ward ripped off runs of 15-yds and 26-yds to set up the Hornets with a 1^st and goal situation. 3 plays later and still 5-yds from the end zone, Ward faked a handoff to Herslow, and then passed Jones who hauled in the pass at the goal line and stepped in for a Hornets TD. Williamsburg missed the PAT, and still trailed 7 – 6.

The Hornets defense then took control. Defensive linemen Josh Farley (2-tackles) and Tadic Mielczarek (8-tackles, fumble recovery) in his strongest defensive game of the year, combined to force and recover a Red-Knight fumble on the first play of the Red Knights 2^nd possession.

Williamsburg quickly took advantage as Ward tore his way through several Gloucester defenders while going 47-yds              to a touchdown and a 12 – 7 Hornets lead. That score also marked only the 2^nd time all-season that Gloucester Red faced any deficit.

The Hornets defense then had to step up … and they did. After allowing the Red Knights to move the ball to the Williamsburg 9-yd line, defenders Hunter Brittain (3-tackles) and Clayton Vinson (3-tackles) helped slow the charge. Then Ward laid a bruising hit on the Gloucester-Red all-star back who was carried from the field. That tackle, at the Hornets 9-yd line, tipped momentum in Williamsburg’s favor, as the Hornets turned up the front burners.

With their backs to the goal line, the Hornets defense, led my Monii Burden (4-tackles) dashed the Red Knights hopes. Burden reeled off 3 consecutive tackles for loss putting the Red-Knights in reverse, and what was a 1^st and goal from the 5-yd line ended in a huge defensive stand and a 4^th and goal situation from mid field as the half time buzzer sounded with the score still at 12 – 7 in favor of Williamsburg.

Williamsburg appeared ready to salt the game away at the start of the 3^rd period. Blocks by Kade Campbell and Bryant Walker opened up the Red defense, as the Hornets again put together a string of 8-plays moving to the Gloucester-Red 10-yd line. But, a flush of Hornets penalties ended the drive.

The Hornets defense gave the Red Knights no quarter as the Red Knights were sent packing after 4 short plays. Stops by Carter Weissenfluh (2-tackles) and TJ Davis (2-tackles) helped shorten the Knights’ day.

Williamsburg was finally able to put the game out of reach at the start of the 4^th quarter when Ward ran untouched 45-yds through a gaping hole opened up by a trio of pancake blocks by Herslow, Campbell and Jones for a touchdown. Ward added the PAT as Jones and Campbell again knocked three defenders on their backsides to give the Hornets a 19 – 7 lead.

Mielczarek recovered a Red-Knight fumble 2-plays into the next Gloucester possession, and the Hornets with blocking help from Justin Ford and Garrett Turner were able to run out the last 4-minutes of regulation with another clock-crunching 7-play drive.

Although the 7 – 3 – 1 2006 Green Hornets Mites did advance to the Playoffs, at 8 – 2 the 2007 Green Hornets Mites became the 1^st WYFCL Mites team to reach the PYFA Super Bowl in 8-years.  The Hornets took one final week to prepare to meet the 10 – 0 Yorktown Patriots, 26 – 19 playoff winners over Hampton.

n       NOVEMBER 17^th  - In the Williamsburg Hornets Green Mites first PYFA Super Bowl appearance in 8-years, the Hornets appeared ready to prove that they’d learned from their earlier regular season loss to the Patriots.

Unfortunately, the Green Mites struggled to build momentum on offense, drawing a season high 10-penalties, and the Williamsburg defense, while doing an excellent job containing the swift Yorktown runners, couldn’t hold back the flood gates all day, as the Hornets fell 31 – 18 to the 11 - 0 Yorktown Patriots.

The Hornets didn’t help themselves early, fumbling the opening kick-off and giving the Patriots the short field. On the drive, Williamsburg defenders appeared to have stretched and contained the Yorktown runner when the Patriot back reversed fields and ran across the width of the turf before racing to the end zone to give Yorktown a 6 – 0 lead.

The Williamsburg defense then found itself immediately back on the field after a 4-and-out Hornet drive. This time, and from then out, the defense did prove they were ready to play, as they turned back the Patriots.

TJ Davis (4-tackles) and Carter Weissenfluh (4-tackles) helped slow the Patriot attack and bring up a critical 4^th down and 4-yd situation. From there, Defensive MVP Ar’Mon Jones (8-tackles) burst through the Patriot blockers dragging down the Yorktown runner for a 5-yd loss and giving the ball back to Williamsburg.

Williamsburg strung together 6-plays for positive yardage on the next drive, but had 3 momentum stopping penalties before giving the ball back to the Patriots.

The Hornets defense hung tough forcing the big-play Patriots to move the ball in small 3- and 4-yard bits instead of their usual big play style. Defenders Tadic Mielczarek (2-tackles) and Josh Farley (2-tackles) kept the high powered Patriots moving slowly. Then on a 2^nd and goal situation, Ar’Mon Jones came up big again, as he powered through, and sacked the Yorktown Quarterback causing a fumble that he deftly retrieved.

With 4-minutes remaining before the half, and backed up on their own 5-yd line the Hornets looked for a single 1^st down that might eat up the remaining few minutes of the half. That idea floundered as the Hornets used up only 2-minutes while treading ground and gave the ball back to the Patriots on the ultra-short field before halftime. Yorktown scored on a 6-yd drive to build a 13 – 0 advantage.

Hornet return man Monii Burden sparked the Hornets on the ensuing kick-off running the ball back 25-yds to the Yorktown 20-yd line, but a pair of false start penalties sent the Hornets to the locker rooms down 13 – 0.

The Patriots received the opening 2^nd half kick-off hoping to put the game out of reach, but in 3-plays managed to get to a 4^th and 1-yd to go play … when yet again, Jones, proving why he deserved defensive accolades, plowed by Yorktown blockers to cause another fumble and prevent a Patriot 1^st down.

The Hornets put together a penalty ridden 10-play drive before yielding the turf to Yorktown again. On this series, Yorktown did break a long 40-yd scoring run to build their lead up to 19 – 0.

The Hornets offense was able to answer and draw the game closer at 19 – 6, when Hornet Offensive MVP Cesar Ward (25-carries / 85-yds) ripped off a 44-yard TD run behind the blocks of Michael Burt and Lehman Montgomery. That carry propelled Ward to the 1000-yard rushing platform for the season, getting him to 1,035 yards rushing on the year.

Yorktown immediately answered with another touchdown stretching the lead back to 25 – 6.

Bryant Walker countered the Yorktown score when he ripped off a 28-yd run for a touchdown behind the blocks of Justin Ford, Cooper Minor and Mickey Smith. Walker, from his normal offensive line position, also earned Game Honors as the Hornets’ Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman on the day. This score reeled the Patriots back within reach at 25 – 12 early in the 4^th period and set up the stage for a critical defensive stand.

Hoping to give Williamsburg one more shot, the Hornets defense played tough. This time Williamsburg pushed the Patriots backward. Crunching tackles by Clayton Vinson (8-tackles) and Hunter Brittain (3-tackles) forced Yorktown from the field, giving the ball to the Hornets on the Patriots’ 20-yard line.

On a 3^rd and 2-yds to go play, Ward carried for 11-yds and the 1^st down to the Patriots 5-yd line, but a penalty nullified the gain leaving the Hornets with a 3^rd and long. On the next play, a Yorktown player stepped in front of a Williamsburg pass, and took it the length of the field giving Yorktown a 31 – 12 lead.

The Hornets refused to roll over. After receiving the Patriots’ next kick-off, Hunter Brittain, who earned Defensive Line MVP Awards on the day, showed his ball carrying skills cutting up the middle of the Patriot defense, using the blocks of Taylor Fowler, Sean Ferguson and Jeremy Herslow to go 42-yds for a Hornet TD and the final score of the 31 – 18 game.

32 young 6- and 7-year old football players started the season on July 30^th, and 32 young football players played in the PYFA Super Bowl on November 17^th … a grueling stretch of practices and games covering 3 ½ months for both parents and players alike … a total of 65 days of games and practices spent together over that time … and an attendance ratio of 96% … meaning that most boys missed only 1 or 2 of those practices throughout the entire season … and fully one dozen boys had 100% attendance … an amazing feat.

These boys, and their love of football and their team mates, will be the corner stones for WYFCL football for the next several years. And these young players will be the center pieces and corner stones for football programs at Lafayette, Bruton, Warhill and Jamestown High Schools a decade from now.