Two West Lynn Pop Warner teams set sights for Florida

LYNN – Two West Lynn Pop Warner football teams are setting their sights on a trip to the Pop Warner nationals championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in December.But each team — both named Rams — has work to do before the players can start packing their bags.The West Lynn D squad, coached by Jeff Hill, must win three more games to head south. The West Lynn A squad only needs to win its game Sunday against the Boston Bengals to qualify.The D team (11-0), whose players are 9-12 years old, will play Blackstone in Billerica on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the New England regional game. The A team, whose players are 13-15 years old, will play the Boston Bengals at Billerica at 2:30 p.m. The A team (7-1), coached by Maurice Cordy, has a shorter road to the nationals because their division has fewer teams.Hill?s players, excited about the playoffs, are focused heading into Sunday?s game.?The last several weeks we?ve become more of a complete team on both sides of the ball,” he said.Hill?s team balances the offense between the running and passing game, with Tahj Purter the go-to guy on the ground.?He?s a good, versatile back with explosive runs. He?s tough to bring down,” Hill said.Purter shares the carries with Victor Mafo, who moved up from the E squad along with Lionel Rivera and Omri Merryman. The trio has made a big impact this season, Hill said.?When those three came in it solidified our defense,” Hill said.Hill?s son, Jeff Hill Jr., is the quarterback and pretty much runs the show out there. He has a couple of very competent receivers in Lance Williams and tight end Malik Purter. The team has scored 291 points and allowed just 32 points in 11 games. Six of the wins were shutouts.?I try to spread the ball around,” coach Hill said.Hill said the defense has stepped up this season, adapting well to new situations. That showed in the game against Dracut when many of the West Lynn players defended against a wildcat offense for the first time?It took them a quarter to figure it out, but after that it was fine,” he said.The D team?s play-off drive started with a win over Wilmington, followed by wins over Saugus and Dracut.?I?ve been coaching these guys for a while and I?ve never been so proud,” Hill said. “It?s been exciting and it?s been fun,” Hill said.Cordy?s A team is no stranger to the pressure of the playoffs. Five players were part of the A squad that reached the national championship game last year. They lost 6-0 to a team from Palm Bay, Fla. In 2012, the A squad lost in the national semifinals to the same team. Palm Bay didn?t qualify for the nationals this year.One of the players returning from last year?s team is quarterback Tyler Thompson. Thompson has a talented offensive line and a solid defense that?s helped pave the way. The team?s relies heavily on its ground attack.?We?re a power run team,” Cordy said.Leading the effort are running backs Alphonso Robinson and Ishmael Bangura, who have 17 and 11 touchdowns, respectively. The Rams are generally good for at least 30 points per game. Hill?s assistant coaches are Eric Lane, Dan Mullen and Andre Robinson.UThe possibility of having two teams qualify for the National Championships in Florida has West Lynn Pop Warner in overdrive to raise money quickly. The A squad has a “Night Out” scheduled for tonight at the Lions? Club on Fays Ave. in Lynn from 6 – 10:30, with live entertainment, a DJ, dancing, raffle and food served by members of the team. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door (there are a limited number remaining).UThe D squad is running a gofundme account to help raise money. The cost per player is $1,500, and $31,500 for the whole team. Those who would like to donate can go to gofundme.com/fgh9o4 or by contacting Janet Peterson at 781-844-0956. WLPW also has a Thanksgiving Eve Throwdown on Nov. 26, from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. at Fran?s Place in Lynn. Tickets are $10.