Winnacunnet Little Warriors beat Merrimack to capture youth football championship
HAMPTON — Marshall Chernoff scored the only touchdown of the game, and that was enough for the Winnacunnet Little Warriors third- and fourth-grade football team to beat Merrimack, 8-2, and win the Northeast Junior Football League Division I championship last Saturday at Winnacunnet High School.
“This is exactly what all these kids have worked for,” Little Warrior head coach Ryan Eaton said. “They worked so hard for this all season long. They put in the work, they listened, they did everything that we asked and they got it done. They were on a mission this year.”
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Eaton, a 2021 graduate of Winnacunnet, was a Division I all-state running back when he played for the Warriors. This was Eaton’s second season coaching in the Little Warriors, also winning the third/fourth grade title last year.
“I loved playing football, and being able to help the youth and still be able to be a part of this program is amazing,” Eaton said. “It’s great to have a great group of kids I could help teach and pass on what I learned.”
The Little Warriors went 6-1 in the regular season, and then beat Portsmouth (16-0) and Dover (14-6) in the playoffs to advance to the championship. The lone loss of the season came to Timberlane.
“We started sloppy in the championship, but our defensive side of the ball was the best,” Eaton said. “We stopped them, and that is what won us the game.”
Teddy Marceau sacked the Merrimack quarterback in the end zone for a safety in the final minutes of the game. Other defensive standouts included Chernoff, Connor Griffin, Cooper Francoeur, Jaxton Abrahams, and Connor O’Mahony all starred in the win.
Other members of the team included Damon Cassen, Vince Costa, Joshua Tsonas, Will Moriarity, Jaxon Pileggi, Grayson Letourneau, Hunter Turcotte, Gannon O’Dell, Hanley Reynoso, Gio Jones, Koda Harwood, Greysen Haley, Joseph Newcomb, Julius Merrill, Jaxon O’Brien, Parker Christopher, Brady Heisler, Grantley McDaniel, Jordan Elwell-Delafuente, and Ivan Lopez.
Eaton was assisted by Cameron Duquette, James Robillard, Steve Vitale and Brandon Pileggi.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Winnacunnet Little Warriors win 3rd/4th grade football title
