Peewee football off to solid start
By Joseph Cyr
CARIBOU — They may not be the biggest athletes to don football gear, but their heart and determination is plentiful.
They are the Peewee Huskies, a group of football players comprised of fifth- and sixth-grade students from Presque Isle, Caribou, Washburn, Fort Fairfield, Mapleton and Mars Hill. Jointly sponsored by Taco Bell and Time Warner Cable, the peewee Huskies are coached by Taylor Defelice with assistant coaches Rob Langner and Ashley Corriveau. The Huskies have experienced a fair share of success on the gridiron, boasting a 3-1 record.
On Saturday, Oct. 9, the Huskies defeated 19-6. The Knights scored first with a touchdown on their second possession of the game. Thereafter, the Huskies defense settled in and did not let Houlton score again, while the Huskies rattled off 19 unanswered points.
“This is the first year of peewee football across the County,” Langner said. “Houlton has had an in-house program for a couple of years. This first year has each team play four games, playing each other twice, with a possible championship game if teams are tied.”
The Huskies are currently tied with Houlton with each losing to the other. The third team in the league is a squad from Madawaska.
“We hope to continue with the peewee football program moving forward,” Langner said. “The biggest hurdle has been getting kids interested. We do not want to take kids from the soccer programs, but we do want to offer an alternative to soccer. Most of our players are boys who did not play soccer anyway. We are sponsored by local businesses and all coaches and officials are volunteers. Our players may not have the size of high school, college, or professional players, but their hearts are just as big.”
Members of the Peewee Huskies include Apollo Grondin, Camden Dumont, Carter Doherty, Christopher Michaud, Evan Michaud, Grant Bridges, Greyson Sonntag, Jarred Jordan, Jarred Kilcollins, Josh Chandler, Malcom Langner, Marcus Caudill, Tre Caudill, Matthew O’Connell and Riley Hall.
Staff photos/Joseph Cyr
PUNT RETURN — Malcom Langner, right, catches a punt as he gets hit by a Houlton player. In the background is Huskie Marcus Caudill.
STIFF ARM —Running back Greyson Sonntag gives a stiff arm to a would-be Houlton tackler.
