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Uploaded: Friday, November 9, 2012, 11:24 AM
M-A Vikings reach Pop Warner semifinals
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 | By Bob Williams of the M-A Vikings
The Menlo Atherton Vikings, the local Pop Warner football organization, hosted the first round of the Peninsula Pop Warner (Division 1) playoffs at Menlo-Atherton High School on Saturday, Nov. 3.
Entering the semi-final round of the Peninsula Pop Warner Championships this upcoming weekend, the Vikings will have two teams still is the chase.
On Saturday, the M-A Vikings Peewee's (6-3) faced off against the Santa Clara Lions (6-2-1) in a heated battle between two teams that played each other in week 4 of the regular season. In the previous game, the Lions won 39-14 in true blow-out fashion.
The divisional playoff game, however, saw a different Vikings team. The Lions came out confident and strong on offense. Taking the ball right down the field and scoring on the first possession of the game. The Vikings needed just four plays on their first possession to answer the Lions first drive. Vikings Quarter back Andres Atkins hit his favorite target, tight-end Spencer Corona, for a 75-yard play that took the ball down to the one yard line, where bruising tail-back William Beasley powered in for the score.
The game was tied 6-6 after both teams missed their point-after attempts. The Lions took the ball and drove down the field to score on their second attempt as well. When the Vikings got the ball back they responded behind tough offensive-line blocking led by starting center Ola Fifita and right guard Mathew Azzopardi. Tailback William Beasley scored on another short-yardage run, and after Spencer Corona connected on the point-after attempt the Vikings lead was 14-12.
The end of the first half saw the Vikings stingy defense tighten its ranks! With an outstanding effort by Defensive Tackle Isaiah Norton who made the tackle on the final play of the half inside the 5 yard line, the Vikings held the Lions to no-gain on fourth down on a goal line stance.
In the second half the Vikings came to life with an outstanding play by free safety Andres Atkins. After recovering the onside kick, the Lions had the ball on third and 12 at the 50- yard line. The Lions quarterback dropped back to pass to the tightend, who was in the middle of the field. Atkins intercepted the pass and was sprung free by a crushing block by nose guard Davon Williams. Atkins cut back and with nothing but the green of "Menlo Atherton High School's Coach Park's Field" in front of him returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter after recovering a fumble, the Vikings pounded the ball between the tackles eating up the clock. William Beasley ran a counter and was off to the races for a 50-yard gain to the 4-yard line. On the next play Atkins took it in on a quarterback sneak.
Spencer Corona was 3-4 on two-point point-after kick attempts, and the Vikings captured the win with a final score of 30-18.
"I hope more kids come out to play with us next year," said M-A Vikings Peewee Head Coach Harold Atkins. "These boys work hard and have a lot of fun in the process. Every kid should have an opportunity to feel like our kids feel right now. They feel real good about themselves and what they accomplished today."
The semi-final round is Sunday, Nov. 11, with two Viking teams still in the hunt for the Peninsula Conference Championship. The Viking Pee Wee team, with their victory over Santa Clara, face off against Oakland's East Bay Warriors, at Santa Clara's Townsend field on Sunday, Nov 11, at 10 a.m.
The Viking Junior Midget team, coming off a well deserved bye week with their perfect 9-0 record, face the Almaden Mustangs in the semi-final round. They met at Branham High School in San Jose at noon on Sunday, Nov. 11. Almaden beat the Cambrian Valley Longhorns at M-A High School on Nov. 4, to earn a rematch against the Vikings. The Vikings beat the Mustangs 34-12 to close the regular season.
Winners of this semi-final round will compete for the Peninsula Championship on Sunday, Nov 18, and automatic berth as the Pop Warner Pacific Northwest Conference Champions, earning the opportunity to compete in the Pop Warner Super Bowl at ESPN's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, starting Dec 1.
Admission for both games is $10.
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Posted by Voicing what everyone else is thinking but won't say, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm Why is there always so much coverage about Pop Warner Football and relatively so little coverage about all the other high school and college sports. No one cares about Pop Warner other than those participating in it!! Obviously the Pop Warner people are tied in close with the Weekly/Almanac and do a great job of submitting articles...but enough is enough. It is only Pop Warner, a club sport. NO ONE CARES!! It is NOT newsworthy -- especially not to the extent you cover it. Local High School Sports are MUCH more newsworthy. Please spend more time covering those rather than writing stories about your buddies on Pop Warner.
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Posted by Vikings fan, a member of the Menlo-Atherton High School community, on Nov 9, 2012 at 12:16 pm What a big weekend for the Vikings!
Good luck to the Viking PeeWee team and the Viking Junior Midget team!
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Posted by Bob W, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2012 at 12:54 pm @Voicing what everyone else...
Sorry you're so disappointed in the occasional coverage of youth football in the Almanac. Please allow me to correct a couple points:
- ...always so much coverage? We play a nine game season and have only posted a few articles. As we are currently in the playoffs, as time permits, I or another volunteer will hopefully submit timely information to keep MA Pop Warner fans and alumni informed on our player's progress and the exciting quest for a championship.
- ...Pop Warner people are tied in close with the Weekly/Almanac? No. Never met them or communicated in any way other than submitting the occasional article. However, we are very appreciative of the ease of reporting that the Almanac allows through it's website. Type it up and click!
- Local High School Sports are MUCH more newsworthy? Of course! However, youth sports can also excite a local community as well. Perhaps you followed the progress of the Petaluma team this fall as they chased a national title in the Little League World Series. I, along with many others who are not parents of team members, enjoyed the coverage of the team in the regional papers as well as local TV reports.
Perhaps you would like to submit articles covering your interest in Local High School Sports so that the rest of us can share in your excitement.
In the meantime, two MA Pop Warner teams chase a Peninsula Championship in the upcoming weeks, as noted above. The Peninsula Pop Warner champion team earns the opportunity to compete for a national title at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
Peninsula Pop Warner Little Scholars is comprised of 35 non-profit associations, run entirely by volunteers for the benefit of the 7,000 youth cheer and football participants and our community. These clubs play the game at a very high level and are known as national contenders, having competed frequently at the Pop Warner Super Bowl. Just last year, the MA Viking PeeWee team and the Redwood City Jr PeeWee team earned the opportunity to participate in the PW Super Bowl.
It was an experience the players will never forget, much as the Petaluma team will never forget their experience or a high school athlete pursuing a state championship.
Pop Warner teaches players a love for the great game of football. Come on by and watch a game!
www.mapopwarner.com
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Posted by Mike, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm
@ Voice
How could you be tired of hearing about young kids doing something positive in the community? Would you rather here about the kids getting into trouble or losing their lives over petty acts of pride? This is what local reporters usually cover when they are covering this age group.
Hat's off to the Almanac for their coverage of the local Pop Warner program that doesn't get much coverage!
I agree with you, the coverage shouldn't stop at the Pop Warner level. We should continue to cover the positive aspects of the youth in the community through High School, including high school sports.
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Posted by Joe, a resident of the Atherton: Lloyden Park neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2012 at 7:49 pm Truth hurts why was my post taken down ? I watched the game seems like with all the national coverage he was trying to make his son look good. Sad politics in Pop Warner I guess
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Posted by old coach, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Nov 10, 2012 at 9:44 am A lot of youth games feature QB's that run. I was out of the program by then, but I recall that game. If I recall correctly, that team had three QB's, they all ran some. twenty keepers, though? Not as I recall, a silly exaggeration.
Personally, when I constructed youth offenses, I used the QB as a running threat far more than passing threat, at least until they get to be 13 or 14. Why have a talented kid just hand off the ball to another talented kid? Have the back lead for the first kid, along with mixing up your plays, of course.
Seems like some bitter feelings in a couple of these messages -- one wonders if they are from parents that were dissatisfied with reliving their old glory through their child?
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Posted by Kelly Feick, a resident of the Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park neighborhood, on Nov 10, 2012 at 3:43 pm I enjoyed reading the article with all of its color- I love great competition in any sport! Kudos to the coaches who give their time and volunteers who submit articles.It's got to be fun for the team to see the success of their efforts captured in print.
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Posted by Nice work!, a resident of the Menlo Park: Suburban Park/Lorelei Manor/Flood Park Triangle neighborhood, on Nov 11, 2012 at 4:32 pm The article is well written and local youth news is GREAT to include in our local paper. It is doubly impressive this program volunteer run. I am hopeful that many youth are being positively influenced by the coaching and mentorship a youth sports organization provides. Mr. Williams, congratulations on the program and thank you for your grace in the reply to the first commenter.
I normally do not comment on articles, but I'm shocked and saddened by that first comment. I would suggest to that reader to simply skip around the news and only take time to read articles you think you have an interest in rather than bash a good local story.
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