Henderson team advances to youth title game

By Sean Ammerman

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008 | midnight

James Silvas was surprised to see how competitive the National Youth Football League had become.

Silvas had coached Henderson-based teams to the league's championship game between 1999 and 2003. He left the youth ranks to join joining the coaching staff of Bishop Gorman in 2004 and Foothill in 2005, where his son played.

He had a new challenge when he returned to the youth league this fall as coach of the Henderson Cowboys, whose members are 7 and 8 years old.

"It had changed dramatically," he said. "Half the teams in our division were feeding off club teams. Their teams were hand picked."

But the Cowboys advanced to the title game on Nov. 22 against the North Las Vegas Ravens, a team Silvas called bigger and more experienced.

The Cowboys were held scoreless in the second half of a 20-13 lose, but reaching the title game was still an accomplishment.

"We lost it at the end but we were still happy with how the season went," said Silvas' son Brock, a linebacker for the Cowboys.

Silvas said most teams in the league recruited from across the valley. He opted to place fliers throughout Henderson. The Cowboys finished the regular season 6-5 and entered the 10-team playoffs as the No. 5 seed.

To reach the title game, they had to win three games in eight days.

"That ended up taking its toll because our starting linebacker and tailback were out by the second half," Silvas said. "Everyone was fatigued and they weren't firing off on the snap like they were before."

Silvas said his team was still riding high from its 20-12 semifinals win against the North Las Vegas Buccaneers, a team previously unbeaten.

The victory was clinched when receiver DaQuan Futrell leaped to catch a pass from Aaron Mcallister and took it 55 yards for a touchdown and an eight-point lead.

"I will take that game with me to the grave," Silvas said. "We took it to them and they played the best game of their lives. They never did come down from that bubble. That was our Super Bowl."

The Buccaneers had previously beat the Cowboys 26-0 in the regular season match, but Cowboys tailback Joey Mazzara said his team was vastly improved by the playoffs.

"That was a very big win," Mazzara said. "I think a lot of us were hurt but we sucked it up and never gave up. After that game we deserved to play in the Super Bowl."

Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].