(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.