Raiders Romp to First Morris County Pee Wee Football Championship

In order to win a championship, athletes need to dig deep down and pour themselves out, leaving everything on the field.

And when you’re 11-years-old, nothing else in the world can come close to the importance of that moment.

So on Saturday, when the Long Valley Raiders Pee Wee football team came out of halftime down 8-0 to the Randolph Bulldogs, the group of youngsters knew what it had to do.

The first-ever Morris County Pee Wee Championship was just two quarters away, and the entire team came out clicking.

Jack DiPietro kicked off the first drive with a long touchdown run to pull the Raiders within two. The defense stepped up its game, led by captains Michael Battaglino and Eli Gutkin, to keep the Bulldogs from causing any damage.

With just three minutes left in the game and Raiders staring down a 3rd and 16, quarterback Jeffrey Chaplin tossed a 22-yard pass to rookie Damien Barnes for the first down. Two plays later, Adam Smith hit pay dirt to put the Raiders up for good.

The complete team effort ended in a 12-8 victory over Randolph, and the Morris County trophy now resides in Long Valley.

Information and photos provided by Melissa Brennan.