Youngsters to punt, pass and kick at Sam Boyd Stadium

Kris Hill

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000 | 10:14 a.m.

One hundred Las Vegas youth will descend on Sam Boyd Stadium at 7:30 a.m. Saturday ready to punt, pass and kick their way to the American Football Conference championship.

Boys and girls from 8 to 15 years old will compete separately in four age divisions. Each of the competitors won qualifying events to get to this weekend's sectionals, which are sponsored by Nevada Youth Alliance.

Competitors will demonstrate their abilities to punt, pass and kick a football and will be given points based on how accurate their attempts are, Cheri Billington, a volunteer for Nevada Youth Alliance, said.

Top scores from each age division will then be compared with results from other sectionals in the region, which includes Nevada, Arizona and California, Billington said.

The youngsters with the highest scores from the region will then go to the national competition during the AFC Championship Game in January.

More than 10,000 local youth participated in qualifying events in late August and September to become eligible for the sectional competition.

Some children qualified during physical education classes, others in events hosted by youth flag football clubs and other organizations and businesses.

The competition will start at 8 a.m. Other activities will include a tailgate party on the practice fields.

Nevada Youth Alliance is sponsoring the sectional event in cooperation with UNLV, Las Vegas Jaycees, Venturing Boy Scouts, area businesses and other youth organizations.