While the Douglas Junior Pee Wee football team made the trip to the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando nearly eight full months ago, they are still receiving honors for their immensely succesful 2006 campaign.
Douglas, which won titles in the Sagebrush Empire League and the Pacific Northwest Region while piling up a 12-2 record and allowing no points through its first 10 games, was given the Pop Warner/NFL Players Super Bowl Sportsmanship Award for the character it showed during its week-long trip to the national championships.
"This award is one of the hardest to win in all of Pop Warner and on any given year can be given to as many as eight teams and as few as zero teams across the country," said Josh Pruce of the national Pop Warner office. "This award is a great honor and congratulations (should go out) to the Douglas Tigers."
Pop Warner officials monitored each of the 64 football teams at the Super Bowl, watching them during games, practices, in the bleachers while watching other games and even in the teams' hotels.
"It is better than winning a championship," said Douglas Pop Warner president Jim Valentine. "It shows that the kids are learning important lessons.
"We teach our kids that everywhere they go, they represent our community. We're glad that it is getting through to them and that others are noticing. That is why we're so proud about it."
The Douglas Midget cheerleading squad, whch also made the trip to the national championships, was one of five squads nominated for the spirit award.
"Our coach got to go up on stage and accept a medal," Valentine said. "Just being considered for that award was a highlight."
It marked the second time in as many years that a Douglas football team got to compete for the national championship.
"We look at it (the sportsmanship award) as a community thing," Valentine said. "The community was such a big part of our being able to go to Florida. We raised 134,000 in five days, they really stepped up for us."
Valentine said the Douglas board made the determination during the offseason that they wouldn't be going to Florida again.
"We'll try to set up a state championship with the North vs. South in the coming years," Valentine said. "The community stepped up big-time for us the last two years. We're sure the community would have continued to support us, but it is such a big hit to them.
"This was just so exciting to get this kind of recognition on a national level. It's really a reflection of our values and principles as an organization."
The award was presented to Junior Pee Wee coach Clay Peterson on Saturday with his staff, Brad Hoyt, John Fisher, Jesse McKone, Andy Nolting, Brad Garner, Mark Munoz and Dylan Zigenis.
All of the Pop Warner coaches met Saturday for their annual coaching clinic.
"It's where we get our 'Douglas Edge,'" Valentine said.
The Douglas Pop Warner teams are practicing at Stodick Park every weeknight. Games start in early September.
-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.
