Never has a shortage of equipment been more welcome than by Polk County Youth Football this season.
Fresh off a season in which three of its four teams won league championships, PCYF has enjoyed record turnout this year for both players and cheerleaders. So much growth, in fact, that the program exhausted its existing supply of equipment before fitting all of its players and cheerleaders.
“We had to order more equipment,” said league co-president Shane Blackwell. “That’s a really good problem to have.”
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The normal turnout of 75-80 players has risen to some 130 footballers competing for either the Tiney Mites (ages 5-6), Mitey Mites (7-8), Junior Peewees (9-10) or Peewees (11-12). That group is being backed by a cheerleading squad of more than 50.
Clearly, success has bred access this year for Polk.
“We won three of the four Super Bowls in our conference last year, and the word has spread,” Blackwell said. “It has meant real success for our organization.”
The Wolverines compete in the Mid-Atlantic Carolinas American Youth Football & Cheer Conference, primarily facing teams in Rutherford, Cleveland and Gaston counties. Four games are held each Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m., with home games held at Polk Middle School.
“Nate Philpott started it,” Blackwell said. “We instruct them in good fundamentals, and teach these young men and women discipline and how to play the game correctly.
“We try to instill life lessons. They learn how to play football, but we also deal with a lot of life lessons. They learn to be part of a team, because football is the ultimate team sport.”
Four games into this season, Polk’s Tiney Mites share the league lead with Bessemer City at 4-0, having scored 69 points while allowing just eight. The Tiney Mites suffered their first loss of the season last week to Rutherfordton and are 3-1, as are the Peewees. The Junior Peewees remain in search of their first win.
The teams travel to Cherryville this Saturday before returning home on Sept. 28 to face the Upstate Titans.
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