The future of football looks bright in DeKalb County with one of the Junior Pro teams going all the way and winning the Super Bowl last weekend. The Junior Pro “Super Bowl” Conference Classic was played at York Institute in Jamestown last Saturday, where the DeKalb Pee Wee team would take the day in a double overtime thriller.
The six and seven year old DeKalb Pee Wee Tigers were undefeated during their six-game regular season. “Our season went great,” said Head Coach Nathan Shepherd. “We went undefeated through the regular season at 6-0, then we moved on and beat both teams in the playoffs. Then we won the Super Bowl so we went undefeated for the whole year in the Western Conference Championship.”
The Pee Wee Tigers defeated the Overton County Outlaws 31-13, the Monterey Wildcats 26-20, the Junior Panthers of Stone Memorial 27-0, the White County Warriors 48-26, the Junior Jets of Cumberland County 31-0, and the Upperman Stingers 14-6. In the western conference playoffs the Pee Wee Tigers took down the White County Warriors 36-0 and the Upperman Stingers 14-7
During the Super Bowl game, it was a stalemate through to the third quarter when the Fentress County Bulldogs came away with a touchdown to take a 6-0 lead. “We had a rough start at the beginning of the game,” Coach Shepherd said. “No one scored until the third quarter when the Bulldogs scored. They had a really good running game, and we had a good defense, but they got us running up the middle and got a touchdown on us.”
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Kayden Hunt ran it all the way back 70 yards, for a touchdown to tie the game. The score would remain tied 6-6 through regulation, sending it into overtime.
“We went into overtime and we both had a possession starting at the 10 yard line,” Shepherd explained. “They scored on us, but no good on the extra point, then Kayden Hunt scored on them but no good on the extra point. The game was tied 12-12 and went into double overtime.”
In Pee Wee League there is no kicking game. PATs are decided by the running game. A run gives the team one extra point, while a pass in the end zone awards two points.
“So, we went into double overtime and they scored on us again,” Coach Shepherd said. “We went to a fourth down and 10 yards to go, when Colton Hutchings scored right up the middle. We came right back and Arian Wiggins barely made the extra point to win it overall. It was a heart attack waiting to happen, with the score ending up at 19-18 DeKalb.”
“They were crying and deserved every bit of that,” Coach Shepherd said. “They all got championship rings and a big ole trophy.”
Coach Shepherd had high praise for his undefeated team, naming some of his outstanding players this season. “Quarterback Gunner Shepherd did amazing this year. He had amazing passing and could run up the middle and stiff arm everybody. He’s not very fast, but he loves stiff arming and running over kids.”
Passing in the Pee Wee league is kind of rare, but every time they did pass Coach Shepherd said they usually got a touchdown. “Ninety percent of the time, if we were passing the ball, we were going all the way with it.”
Shepherd also commended the driving force of the team, his running backs. “Our running backs Kayden Hunt, Arian Wiggins, and Colton Hutchings rans their hearts out and are really quick kids. If they got wide, they were gone. They made magic happen. If there was nothing there, they would find a way to get down the field.”
Of course there are two sides of the team and Coach Shepherd thanked his defense for hard work this season. “Our defense was our bread and butter of the team. We ran a 4-4 defense and had William Key, the biggest guy on the team and probably the league, as center and defensive tackle. He is eight years old at 5’2” and weighs 146 pounds. He in a monster on the field.”
Coach Shepherd said that none of his players could have stood out without the cooperation of the whole team. “My team came to play every day. They showed up to practice every day. They have tremendous talent, and have big huge hearts for the game with a lot of passion. That’s what won it all this year. The coaches put all they had in this year, and if it wasn’t for the kids giving their all it wouldn’t have mattered what the coaches did. The kids stepped up and we proved that we are the best.”
Shepherd’s Pee Wee Tigers were also coached by Offensive Coordinator Cole Parsley, Defensive Coordinator Cody Atnip, and Assistant Coaches Will Key, Jeremy Ashburn, and Brent Collier.
Players for the 2022 DeKalb Pee Wee Tigers are Arian Wiggins, Baylin Wiggins, Camden Grandstaff, Gunner Shepherd, Wesley Bowen, Kayden Hunt, Rhett Davis, Sandler Sutton, Braxton Poss, Colton Hutchings, Alejandro Bravo, Easton Hoke, Titus Stone, Lincoln Holmes, Maddux Hale, Haven Patterson, Kohen Skinner, Jeb Culwell, Grayson Neal, Thomas Brelje, Knox Bowen, Liam Key, Xavier Billings, Rusty Chapman, Marsed Caldwell, Payton Bullard, Brody Odom, Nolan Martin, Liam Taylor, Landon Collier, Liam Collier, Raylin Ashburn, Dyllan Bates, Bentlee Shepherd, Tucker Stanfield, and Conner Redmon.
Coach Shepherd said he looks forward to the future when his players move on to the DCHS Tigers football team. “That’s what we’re getting them ready for.”
DeKalb Junior Pro Football
Pee Wee Roster
1 Arian Wiggins
3 Baylin Wiggins
4 Camden Grandstaff
5 Jorge Santiago Viel
6 Gunner Shephard
7 Wesley Bowen
8 Kayden Hunt
9 Rhett Davis
10 Sandler Sutton
12 Braxton Poss
14 Colton Hutchings
18 Alejandro Bravo
20 Easton Hoke
22 Titus Stone
24 Lincoln Holmes
25 Robert "Maddux" Hale
28 Haven Patterson
35 Kohen Skinner
36 Jeb Culwell
42 Grayson Neal
48 Thomas Brelje
50 Knox Bowen
51 William Key
52 Xavier Billings
53 Brantley Littleton
55 Rusty Chapman
62 Samuel "Marsden" Caldwell
65 Payton Bullard
66 Brody Odom
74 Nolan Martin
75 Liam Taylor
78 Landon Collier
79 Liam Collier
80 Raylin Ashburn
81 Dylan Bates
86 Bentlee Shepherd
88 Tucker Stanfield\
92 Conner Redmon
DeKalb Junior Pro Football
Pee Wee Cheerleaders
Adelann Taylor
Aleeya Graham
Alexis Shepard
Aubree Orcutt
Ava Roller
Claire Cripps
Ember Betsworth
Everly Keith
Katie Jo Prichard
Kendyl Atnip
Laken Thomas
Madilyn Kitts
Makenlee collier
Neyland Garrett
Oaklynns Hale
Paisley Adams
Rylee Redmon
Zaylen Woods
Coaches Andria Keith, Nicole Cripps, and Erica Garrett
