Toms River Football Team Headed To National Championships

Twenty years ago, before he etched his name indelibly in the world of baseball, Todd Frazier was a football player.

As a member of the Toms River Raiders, Frazier got to help his Junior Pee Wee football team to the Pop Warner national title.

For the first time since that championship, a team of Toms River youth football players is headed the national championships again.

The Toms River South Raiders Cadets, a group of 9- to 11-year-old boys, advanced to the American Youth Football national championships, which begin Dec. 5 in Orlando.

The Raiders, who finished their season 9-2, reached the Cadet National Championships by beating a team from River Plaza in Middletown 7-0 in the quarterfinals; Southern 20-0 in the semifinals, and Fords from Middlesex County 39-27 in the Jersey Shore Conference championship game. Fords had been undefeated going into the title game.

The divisions are based on weight, and players in the Cadet division weigh no more than 114 pounds, including equipment -- 10- and 11-year-olds weigh a maximum of 94 pounds with equipment, according to the national AYF website.

The team is looking for community support to help offset the $36,000 cost of the trip, and has set up a GoFundme page (click here to donate). You can also check out their Facebook page for support options or email the team at trsraiders@gmail.com.

Local filmmaker Sandy Levine, who put together a documentary on Superstorm Sandy and Ocean County’s efforts to recover from the storm, put together the report below: