Delray Rocks football coach Eric Davis is always looking for ways to challenge his football team, and this year is no different. His 9-Under team is headed to Georgia.
Delray Rocks football coach Eric Davis is always looking for ways to challenge his football team, and this year is no different.
His 9-Under team, which currently holds the longest winning streak in the American Youth Football League at 26 with back-to-back undefeated seasons and back-to-back Super Bowl Championships in both the 7-Under and 8-Under divisions, is headed to Georgia.
They are participating against a team for Fayetteville, Georgia, and a squad from Alabama. He said it was made possible by a large donation from the Boca Raton law firm of (Joseph) Osborne and (Gregorio) Francis.
“We are going to take a bus up and the kids are going to experience things like the Mercedes Benz Stadium with the help of former Delray Rocks and Florida State University defensive back Bobby Butler,” Davis said of the Atlanta Falcons’ 1981 first-round draft pick. Butler played 12 seasons for the Falcons and eventually retired after the 1992 season.
“Then we are going to try and get to the Martin Luther King Memorial as part of the educational component and just bond,” Davis said. “They are going to play with kids from outside this area, which will be a first for these kids. They will be able to dream a little bit walking around an NFL stadium, seeing the locker rooms, and doing things like that.”
The Rocks will be headed to the Peach State on July 21.
“This is going to be huge for them,” he said. “I remember when the Rocks took me to Gatlinburg, Tennessee when I was 8 years old. I remember my teammates and seeing snow for the first time. It gives the kids a chance to get away, it’s not just a game, it’s a chance to educate and be able to dream a little bit.”
Davis said he is hopeful of making it a great time and experience for them as they play to shoot for a three-peat in league play.
“I think it is a great chance for them to see some live action before the season starts,” he said. “It gives us a chance to evaluate the players, along with the new players. Some kids, who may not have been starters last year, got better and this will give them a chance.
“They also get a chance to play outside their area,” Davis said. “It will also test the coaches. ‘What is your talent level?’ And can they make adjustments since we won’t know these teams because we haven’t seen film on them. We plan on having a great season. We are getting better, and we hope to continue to get better. It will come down to us executing our game plan.”
