In Defeat, Charitable Pee Wee Dodgers are Winners

This past Sunday, the Pee Wee Dodgers football team faced a tough Denville Blue Angels squad. While the Dodgers lost the football game, 25-0, they showed themselves to be true winners by participating in a Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser with pink ribbons on their helmets.

All divisions of Madison Junior Football (MJF) are helping the Madison High School field hockey program raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As part of the "Tie One On" campaign, MJF players proudly displayed a pink ribbon on each of their helmets, for which they each donated $5. MJF will match each ribbon purchase with an additional $2.50.

Head coach Bob Strelec Strelec was also proud of the way his team hung in for the entire game against the tough Angels. The Dodgers defense had a tall task in trying to stop the Angels' speedy running attack. Several defensive stops denied two point-after-touchdown attempts, both with tackles by Tommy D'Ambola.

Will Scavone and Trevor Jasen sacked the Blue Angels' quarterback deep in the backfield. Andrew Novotny also chipped in with some stellar defense, stopping Denville from converting a first down in the second quarter.

The offense did its best to move the ball, as both Stephen Egea and Emilio Esposito took turns at quarterback. Despite a jarring hit, Running back Sam Rosselli continued to carry the ball throughout the game. He was joined in the offensive backfield by Matthew O'Donnell and Kyle Monaco.

Michael Kearney caught a 16-yard pass in double coverage and a half-back option pass was performed perfectly, gaining 18 yards when Rosselli caught the pass from Esposito after the pitch by Egea. 

The MJF Pee Wee Cheer Squad was also involved in both the game and the fundraiser, sporting neon pink shoe laces and cheering the team on the entire game, no matter the score. The half-time dance, with Lauren Ebert, Rachel Hall, Riane Monaghan, Krysta Parisi, Nicole Parisi, Julia Prout, and Fiona Purce, dancing to Dynamite by Tao Cruz, was impressive. Their energy and spirit were important to the young Dodger team, who were experiencing their first loss in over a year-and-a-half.    

Last year the high school field hockey program raised over $5,600 for Breast Cancer Awareness and MJF hopes its participation will help exceed that figure this year. 

Sunday's Pee Wee team roster included Santiago Arcila, Matthew Boyd, William Capuder, D'Ambola, Dante Di Ionno, Max Downing, Egea, Esposito, Cole Fennimore, Jasen, Kearney, Brian Kraska, Monaco, Tommy Neville, Novotny, O'Donnell, Christian Pedersen, Max Perrello, Rosselli, Bobby Samara, Scavone, Ryan Schmitz and Ryan Weck. 

Strelec, defensive coordinator Whitey Vitale, and assistant coaches Jordan Ellis, Ted O'Donnell and Robert Weck helped lead this group of players to an undefeated season in 2009, and with new assistant coach Matt Talmadge, they started the 2010 season off with two victories. But their undefeated streak finally came to an on Sunday. The Denville head coach said his team had been particularly geared up to avenge its three consecutive losses to this group of Dodgers (pre-clinic in 2007, clinic in 2008, and super pee wee in 2009).

The Pee Wee Dodgers next head to Newton to play the Braves this upcoming Sunday at noon at Newton High School.