Pop Warner team eyes title

WARWICK-Warwick Purple may not be the biggest team in the 8-and-9 year old Division of the Orange County Youth Football League. But they have a chance to prove they are the best. "With an 18-player roster, our team has very little depth, but what we lack in depth we make up for in heart," said assistant coach Rich Kersting. "Each and every player on our team is truly part of our success" The team finished the regular season 7-1 and are perfect in the playoffs. At 1 p.m. Sunday they challenge New Windsor at the MT. Airy Sports Complex in New Windsor in the Division 1 semi-finals. "Every player on Warwick Purple gives 100 percent playing against towns with much larger rosters (25-30). Our players have little time to rest during games so as coaches we try to keep the kids well conditioned with regular three-day-a-week practices since Aug. 1," said Kersting. We know they need to be better prepared to play without too much player substitution. Our strength does not come from size." Warwick Purple has an average player weight of 50-85 pounds. The division 1 maximum weight limit is 120 pounds. At this point in the post season only four teams remain out of 22 teams in two conferences. The winner of the Warwick Purple-New Windsor game will face the winner of the Minisk Valley/Cornwall White winner with a Superbowl date scheduled for Nov. 20. Here is the Warwick Purple roster: Brian Aviles, Joe Carpiniello, Dominick Christiano, Hunter Dolshun, Joe Englese, J.T. Harington, Ken Hicks, Michael Houlihan, Philip Kersting, Thomas Key, Zachary Klie, Ryan Knapp, Jake Krzymowski, Joe Lopez, Christian Perez, A