Small Grid Dynasty to End : Pop Warner Team Won National Title, 3 Championships

At any level, the impressive statistics produced in the past three years by the Palos Verdes Mavericks, a Pop Warner football team, are staggering.

The Mavericks have outscored opponents, 944-67, en route to a 36-0-1 record. The 1990 team, composed of boys ages 11-12, capped a 14-0 season with a national championship.

Last season, after moving up an age division but staying together as a team, the Mavericks gave up only one touchdown on their way to a 12-0 record. With an offense that gained nearly 3,000 yards, the Mavericks were assessed more yards in penalties (530) than their defense allowed (526).

This season, as members of the Pacific Coast Conference’s Midget Division (ages 13-14 and weighing under 130 pounds), the Mavericks (10-0-1) won their third consecutive conference championship. Last Saturday, they tied the San Diego Warriors, 22-22, at San Diego’s Balboa Stadium despite playing without their starting quarterback.

The Maverick dynasty will come to an end Saturday, when they play a regional champion from Nevada in the Silver Bowl Classic in Las Vegas. The game marks the final chapter for the boys, who have played Pop Warner football together for as long as five years. They will enter high school next year.

Because the Palos Verdes Pop Warner program allows boys to stay together as a team as they get older, moving to a higher age division each year, Mavericks players have developed close bonds among themselves and their coaches.

“It’s like we’ve become a family,” Coach Gerald Peeke said. “We’re very close. I have a lot of respect for the kids and we have a lot of fun together.” Peeke and assistant Steve Facer have coached together for six years, watching some of their players develop since they were 7 years old. They started coaching together with the Palos Verdes Ponies, a Mighty-Might Division team for 7- and 8-year-olds weighing under 75 pounds.

The bulk of the current Mavericks team played on the 1988 Ponies team (ages 8-9) that went 8-2 and lost to an Arizona team in the Junior Rose Bowl.

Peeke said he attributes the team’s success to the help he gets from his assistant coaches and the players’ positive attitudes. “The kids that we have are real quality people who have a real desire to compete,” Peeke said. “They have high standards for themselves and are very coachable.”

Facer, president of Palos Verdes Pop Warner, said the end of the Maverick dynasty is sad. He and Peeke have had sons go through the program. “These are kids who we’ve really grown to love and have a special relationship with,” Facer said. “The kind of commitment that’s required to achieve at this game builds strong bonds.

“This is a tough time of life, right now, when these guys move on to high school next year.

Most of the players will attend Peninsula High. Peeke, who will have a son entering Peninsula in the fall, will be a big fan of the Panther freshman team next season.

“I know most of the coaches at (Peninsula) high school and they are very aware of our team and what they’ve been doing,” Peeke said. “They are real excited and looking forward to the kids coming into high school next year.”

Marty Cheatham, who plays running back and safety for the Mavericks, said that although he is looking forward to playing high school football, he’ll miss Pop Warner.

“I think we’ll have a good team in high school too,” Cheatham said. “I wish we could keep going in Pop Warner football because it’s really fun.”

Peeke, a 1970 Palos Verdes graduate who played defensive tackle for UCLA in 1972-73, said his top players include Cheatham, quarterback-defensive back Damon Gourdine, halfback-defensive back Danny Maloney, defensive tackle Brian Corey and quarterback-defensive back Garrett Smith.

Peeke and Facer said they probably will continue coaching Pop Warner football next season. Although Peeke’s work schedule will not allow him to coach in high school, he expressed a desire to stay close to his players.

“I might be able to try and make a practice or two in the afternoon,” Peeke said.