P.V. Will Battle for Pop Warner National Crown

The Palos Verdes Broncos will play a team from Gainesville, Fla., at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Pop Warner football national championship game at St. Francis High School in Mountain View.

The Broncos (9-1-1), coached by Allen Reed and Lew Persichina, were selected to represent the Pacific-Southwest Region after winning the Pacific Coast Conference title and defeating Tucson, 33-2, Saturday in the Junior Rose Bowl at Rolling Hills High.

Gainesville represents the Southeast Region.

The Broncos, a Midget Division team made up of players ages 12-14, suffered its only loss in conference play to the Redondo Beach Seahawks but came back to beat the Seahawks, 9-0, and the Torrance Patriots, 15-12, in the playoffs.

Offensive standouts for the 31-player Broncos are Aaron Taylor, Brian Reed, Justin Bower, Evan Etheridge, Kevin Perkins, Ryan Deming, Michael Margolf, Stephen Heyn and Tim Zichuhr. The defense is led by Chris Chapman, Tony Persichina, Corey Haugh, Gregg Hall, Oscar Hendricks and Chris Doran.

Rounding out the squad are Steve Thorpe, Matt Riley, Merrill Moses, Steve Batty, Justin Hungerford, Omid Bendavid, Ryan Gifford, Jeremy Sparling, Clark Haggans, Mark Stein, Steven Sullivan, Matthew Keefe, Scott Elgin, Jeff Stillittano, Dana Corrough and Steve Ishikawa.