(Originally posted in the Union-Tribune Dec 8, 2005)

The Rancho Bernardo Broncos football team will leave Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with a fifth-place finish in the Pop Warner Super Bowl.

The Broncos (11-2) topped the Cardinals of North Carolina 16-2 yesterday to wrap up their visit to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with one win and one loss. In its first game Sunday, RB fell 13-0 to the Eagles of Dorchester, Mass., who also won yesterday to advance to the final.

“These kids have worked so hard and to get beat by a team playing in the final and then to come back and win, they will carry this with them,” coach Dave Duggin said of the Broncos, who compete in the Midget Division for players ages 12-15 weighing less than 150 pounds. “When they walk onto a high school field the knowledge that they played on a national stage like this and succeeded is a huge confidence builder.”

Rancho Bernardo quarterback Jade Cavinder connected with Isaac Harkless on touchdown passes of 13 and 20 yards, and the defense notched a pair of interceptions, both in the end zone.

“It was real important for us to come out here and get a win,” Harkless said. “We were down and our pride was hurt. (The team from Massachusetts) came out and they beat us pretty good. So we knew in the second game, we had to come down and show all the teams down here how we got here.”

Duggin, who also brought a Rancho Bernardo team to Florida in 2001, attributed the Broncos’ loss Sunday to jitters.

“The kids came out today and didn’t make the mistakes that they did in the first game, and they weren’t intimidated,” Duggin said. “They were a little anxious, a little nervous and the first time out we made too many mistakes. But they did a phenomenal job in the second game. They all played hard and together as a team to finish fifth. That’s a pretty good national position.”

Added safety/running back Ricky Seale: “We had a really good pass rush today and that forced their quarterback to just throw it up there and we were able to get the interceptions. We had some mixed feelings about our first game and we wanted to come out and show that we can play well and win together as a team.”

Rancho Bernardo gained entry to the Pop Warner Super Bowl with a 24-12 victory over the Arizona Region champion two weeks ago at the WESCON championships in Murrieta. WESCON is made up of 15 conferences from California, Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada.

(Originally posted in the Union-Tribune Dec 1, 2005)

Armed with “what could have been” memories from four years ago, coach Dave Duggin is preparing to lead another Rancho Bernardo squad to the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Rancho Bernardo Broncos, a Midget Division team, are set to leave tonight for Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The Broncos (10-1) are guaranteed two games and will play their first game Sunday against the New England Region champions. The tournament, which hosts football and cheer competitions, will run from Dec. 4-10. The Midget Division is made up of players ages 12-15 who weigh less than 150 pounds.

“This group has really started to believe in the team concept,” Duggin said. “They do stuff together outside of practice, they go to other games together and as a coach that makes things a lot easier. They understand this opportunity.”

Duggin was coach of the 2001 Rancho Bernardo Raptors, who took a 12-0 record to the Pop Warner Super Bowl but lost both games. The Florida humidity caught up with the team. Four players became dehydrated, making a run at the title more difficult than expected. This time, the coach said he’ll be prepared.

“Half the time as coaches we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off because we didn’t really know what to expect,” said Duggin, 46, who has been coaching for 14 years. “It’s such a great reward for the kids, but I think we drank too many Cokes and kind of lost sight of why we were there.

“We’ll give them free time and still treat it like a vacation, but also realize why we are there and realize the opportunity they have been given. It can be quite a circus, but we’ll have more of a sense of what is going to occur.”

The Broncos are paced by tailback Isaac Harkless, 15, who has 18 touchdowns and is also an asset at linebacker. The fastest player on the team is Ricky Seale, son of former Chargers cornerback and current Green Bay Packers West Coast scout Sam Seale. The 13-year-old safety also has 13 touchdowns.

Rancho Bernardo gained entry into the Pop Warner Super Bowl with a 24-12 victory over the Arizona Region champion last weekend at the WESCON championships in Murrieta. WESCON is made up of 15 conferences from California, Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada.

The Broncos are still accepting donations to help pay for travel expenses, which are estimated at $40,000. For details, visit rbpopwarner.org.