AFC Championships...and an end to great season!

Cooper's team made it to the AFC Championships. The boys were so excited to get to play on the local high school football field on Saturday. There was a lot of pressure leading up to this game since our Patriot team (5-2) was up against the undefeated Chargers (7-0). It was a cold, windy autumn day, and Mimi, Gramps and even Poppe made it to the game.

The boys got a pep talk by Coach Tom before the game...

Cooper was co-captain for the game, and we won the coin toss...

Our team mom made a banner for the boys to run through before the game...

Let the game begin!
Cooper played QB on offense, and cornerback on defense. It is so neat to see the leadership role he has taken on and watch him call the plays and direct the team.

I love the passion this kid has!

The first half of the game was a wreck. The Chargers were very good, but the coaches were intense. After every play there was arguing with the refs, plays were stopped, penalties were called, and it was just ugly. It threw our boys off their game and they just couldn't get into their groove. There was a lot of blitzing and pressure on Coop, and the game got a bit rough at times.

The second half of the game was much better, and our boys put smiles on their faces and got to have some fun. Coop made some beautiful passes and pulled quite a few flags. The flags go so quickly I can never get a picture!

In the end, we just couldn't get the win and were shut out. The Chargers have all played together for 3 seasons now, and they are just plain good! I was so proud of our Patriots though, they have a lot of heart and determination and never gave up.

Coach Jim and Coach Tom were awesome coaches!

Poppe enjoyed watching the game, even though it was freezing outside. Not bad for an 89 year old...Cooper is a pretty lucky guy to have his great-grandpa at the field!


After the game the team met up at Shakeys Pizza for our end of season party.
Even with a loss, this is one happy kid!

Coach Jim made his presentations to the boys. Afterwards, he had some great things to say about Cooper. He is continually impressed with Cooper's ability to stay calm under intense pressure and get the job done. He was thankful to have Coop as his QB and hopes to be able to coach him again.
Our team mom made these great gifts. This is a piece of the team banner, along with their team photo, and the definitions for "flag football" and "teamwork". What a great keepsake for the boys!

After the game we headed back to the field to watch the "Super Bowl" game between the Chargers and Bears. At halftime, the league gave out their All-League awards to some of their best players. Cooper was chosen, so his name was announced and he was called out to the field to receive a gold football pin.
Way to go Cooper!
This truly has been one of the best sports seasons we have had. We enjoyed the coaches, players, and families. The games were exciting to watch, and it was so neat to see this team grow together. Cooper had fun playing with his good friend Adam too, and making some new friends along the way. For now it is time to move on to basketball, but we look forward to the spring season of football in a few months!