Just a few weeks ago, many of the Plant City Raiders Elite’s players were facing each other in the playoffs and Superbowl. Last week, they came together to play in — and win — the Snapper Bowl.
These Raiders, a 12-and-under squad, included players from Plant City youth football teams and beyond. Some of the kids represented the Plant City Dolphins, Plant City Colts, Turkey Creek Trojans, Brandon Bears and Antioch Redskins, and some didn’t even play football this year.
“These guys were playing in the Superbowl on Saturday and then practicing with us on Sunday,” coach Armand Cotnoir says.
Cotnoir says the team only had three days to practice together, and then they had to leave Nov. 27, for Panama City Beach on. The Snapper Bowl tournament, which was single-elimination, was held from Thanksgiving Day through Nov. 30.
PICKING WINNERS
Although you could call this an all-star team, Cotnoir maintains that’s not the case. He says the selection process had less to do with physical tools and more about the intangibles.
“There are some kids (who) are better, (who) are taller, bigger, stronger than a couple of our kids, but they just didn’t fit our team,” Cotnoir says.
Two of the red flags the coaches were looking for while scouting were personal fouls and the use of bad language. They wanted this team to feature kids who play a clean, honest game every time they took the field and then displayed good character off the field.
“We looked at parents, athletes, grades … the whole character,” Cotnoir says. “We know we’ve got a good group of kids.”
The coaches began scouting in October but couldn’t formally assemble a roster or hold practices while the kids were playing with their other teams. After the season ended, everything became concrete.
SNAPPER BOWL SHOWDOWNS
Getting everyone to Panama City Beach cost the team a good chunk of money, but they managed to get some help from their church, Greater New Hope, and the parents. The Raiders don’t currently have enough sponsors to help them get to future tournaments, so they wanted to make a good showing in the Snapper Bowl to build excitement.
The team arrived on Nov. 27, and checked in to the hotel. In lieu of holding practice, the boys got to know each other.
“Watching the kids bond and grow together at the hotel was amazing,” Cotnoir says. “There were a lot of Madden tournaments. A couple of boys were whale-watching. They were convinced they had seen a killer whale, and it took us half a day to convince them it wasn’t a killer whale. Some of these kids had never even been to the beach before.”
Although they had to develop their chemistry in a very short time, whatever the boys did worked. In fact, it worked well enough that they outscored all four of their opponents by a combined total of 126-6.
There were 16 teams in the 12U age group, and Plant City got things started with a 52-6 win over a team from Huber Heights, Ohio. That was the only touchdown the team allowed all week. Next came a 28-0 win against a team from Atlanta, and a 16-0 win against a team from Union City, Ga.
The Una Bears, from Nashville, Tenn., took on the Raiders in the championship game. That one ended in a 30-0 win for Plant City.
“Ten different kids scored touchdowns,” Cotnoir says. “There was no single superstar. The boys had so much heart, they jelled so well together.”
The Bears did, however, select the MVP of the championship game. Running back Treshaun Ward, the nephew of Plant City High School coach Wayne Ward, was named the MVP for his two-touchdown effort.
Plant City definitely looked impressive out there, especially considering that they were sometimes greatly undersized.
“The tournament was unlimited weight, and the Bears’ O-line weighed over 225,” Cotnoir says. “We played at 150. We just had the speed.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
While the team was in Panama City Beach, Cotnoir says they were invited to play in the Pensacola Browns’ upcoming tournament — sponsored by the NFL’s Trent Richardson — which will be held Dec. 28 to 29. But, getting to that one won’t be as simple.
“The parents helped us out a lot for the Snapper Bowl, but we can’t put that burden on them again,” Cotnoir says. “We’re going to try and do some fundraisers so that they don’t have to pay again.”
Cotnoir knows for sure the next step for this team is to compete in the UYFL National Championships, which will be held this week in Plant City. With no travel costs to worry about, playing in this one was a quick decision.
“The kids are excited for this one,” he says. “They want to win the rings and jackets.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
RAIDER ROSTER
Twenty-four kids, from six teams, made up the roster for the Plant City Raiders Elite. Five of those teams are from the Plant City area.
Plant City Dolphins
Cameron Cotnoir
Tyiun Ingram
Michael Coton
Daniel Paul
Bryar Christian
Ben Gude
Jared Nickel
Blake Price
Coaches: Armand Cotnoir, Steve Gude
Turkey Creek Trojans
Chris Wilson
Deqwan Myers
James Range
Ashton Mincey
Tyreke Harrison
Demarcus Piersawl
Treshaun Ward
Coaches: Greg Ruth, Rabul Cantu
Brandon Bears
Ryan Greene
Reagan Jorgensen
Jonathan Catala
Antioch Redskins
Zachary White
Joshua Young
Plant City Colts
Keyshawn Green
Plant City Eagles
Austin Kaczmarek