After putting in hours of hard work all season long, the Enterprise Midget football team claimed the Super Bowl Champions 2021 title on November 6, with a historic 22-0 win over Southeast Lauderdale.
Michael Verley, who is the commissioner for the Central Mississippi football league and has run the Enterprise league for 26 years, is thrilled to see the progress that the team has made this year.
“This is their third year to actually play. The first two seasons, I think they won one ballgame,” explained Michael. “We just kept driving the basic fundamentals in them and not quitting, and they seemed to blossom this year. They outscored their opponents 158 to six this year and won all seven games that they played.”
The team was determined on the field and did everything they could to learn what they needed to be successful in the positions they were playing. When they combined the knowledge they gained at practices with playing as a true team, they were unstoppable on the field despite not being the strongest or fastest team in the league.
“They wanted to hear everything we had to say and learn their positions. They wanted to be coached, they wanted to learn, and they did that,” acknowledged Michael. “They definitely weren’t the fastest team out there, and they definitely weren’t the strongest. They played so well together as a team, and they complemented each other so well. They were just hard to beat. They played their positions like we asked them to do and followed their assignments.”
They had some great coaches who were willing to invest the time and encouragement they needed to learn the game and be successful. Coaches Doug Bell, Ricky Robinson, Justin Dearman, and Pryce Bell were with the team every step of the way.
“I can’t say enough how dedicated they were to the kids,” boasted Michael. “They brought this team together and built this team from the ground up. I’m very proud of them.”
Pryce Bell, Enterprise School Sports Correspondent and a coach of the Midgets, also managed to get an interview with Coach Michael Verley about the season.
Why was this team so successful this year?
“Mostly their attitude and we’re to Aniston everything they were taught”
What makes the EYFL (Enterprise Youth Football League) different from the other teams in the league?
“The community we have…the parents and community come out to support the kids and help establish an expectation of excellence”
How do you compare this team with past teams?
“A few teams have done this before but not the way this year’s team did it. But I’d have to say this year’s team is a top three overall.”
How many ex EYFL players do you know play high school ball?
“Nearly every one of them, along with schools like Southeast Lauderdale and Clarkdale. I’d say over fifty”
Verley was impressed with this year’s team led by coaches Doug Bell, Ricky Robinson, Justin Dearman, and Pryce Bell. The kids and coaching staff plan on continuing to dominate as they move up to the pee wee level next year. Go Dawgs!
Congratulations to the Enterprise Midgets on winning Super Bowl Champions 2021!
