Pop Warner athletes recognized for academic excellence

FALLBROOK- Fallbrook football fans congratulated 17 Pop Warner athletes during halftime at the junior varsity football game on November 9; all 17 achieved academic excellence and met the criteria for all-American status as established by the National Office of the Pop Warner Little Scholars organization.

To be eligible, students must participate in the Pop Warner football or cheer program; be in the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth grade; carry an overall GPA of 96 percent or higher; and submit a complete prior year’s report card.

Athletes gathered at the edge of the track and waved to the crowd as their names were read. These athletes include Lloyd Ewers, Jarred Moore, John Saunders, Jasmine Aguirre and Brianna Panalez from the Midget Apaches football and cheer teams; Justin Hukill and Trevor Salyers from the Junior Midget Chiefs football team; Connor McClelland and Austin Whitson from the Junior Midget Renegades football team; Blake Burley, Emanual Juarez, Brandon Kawabata and Joel Maddock from the Pee Wee Warriors football team; and Devon Alkema, Dakota Clark, Logan Genduso and Alec Whitson from the Jr. Pee Wee Tribe football team.

The Pop Warner program philosophy has been that athletics and scholastics go hand in hand; good scholastics are required for participant eligibility during the regular season. The standards set by the program give athletes a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for academics and athletics that will help them develop later in life. “As an organization, we encourage doing well in school and being a good citizen as well as doing well on the field,” said Cari Dale, the association’s Little Scholars representative.

Pop Warner programs seek to develop well-rounded young men and women who learn not only the fundamentals of football and cheerleading but also the importance of education in an atmosphere conducive to developing sound character while having a good time. More information on Fallbrook’s program can be accessed at the organization’s Web site, http://eteamz.active.com/fallbrookpopwarner.