Tigers become apex predators at Super Bowl

Nov 21, 2022

Sunday, Nov. 20 was a cold and sticky day for Walter Crumbley — in the best possible way.

That frigid afternoon, Crumbley, Head Coach of the Wareham Tigers Midgets football team, was doused in Gatorade. His Midgets pounced on the Old Colony Youth Football League Super Bowl trophy for the first time in history, savaging the Lower Cape Bluefins 44-8 in Sandwich. 

“It’s such a great feeling,” Crumbley said. “I’ve been coaching these kids since they were 7, 8 years old.”

The Midgets, comprised of seventh and eighth graders, started the game strong and refused to let up. Crumbley attributed the win to the team’s teamwork an defense. At halftime, the score was 36-0. Running backs Ty-Rell Pires and Caleb Biedugnis each scored two touchdowns.

On the field, the Midgets were ruthless, but Crumbley said that they are “growing up to be young gentlemen” from the discipline and cooperation that comes with being on a football team. 

“I want to lead them in the right direction,” he said, “after all is said and done.”

Crumbley said that everything the Tigers did, from playing to celebrating their victory, was done “as a family.” He thanked the players’ parents for their trust over the years, and the town of Wareham for showing their support.

The Tigers Mites, the team comprised of third and fourth graders, also made it to the Super Bowl, but lost to the Sandwich Bulldogs 8-0. Head Coach Joseph Silvia called the game “a hard-fought battle” between “two evenly-matched teams.”

“We struggled to move the ball against them and we had a couple of costly turnovers,” he said. “Turnovers are what did it. The kids fought to the very end.”

The Bulldogs scored all of their points in the first quarter of the game.

“It was a defensive battle the whole way,” Silvia said. “We were in the game the whole way, just came up a little short. It doesn’t take away from the great season these guys had.”

This season, most of the Mites had no football experience, which Silvia said was “part of the struggle.” He saw them improve throughout the season, and is proud of the job they did.

“They really came together as a unit,” he said, “they trusted each other and they came hard all season. Everyone wants to be where we are.”