The Mountainburg 3rd and 4th Grade team made history on Saturday, November 9th as they played in the little league football program’s first WCFL Championship game. The season itself was full of gradual growth for the team as they started off slow, but was able to bow up when it mattered as the season progressed. The Dragons showed the entire league the absolute definition of determination.
Mountainburg began the season with a low number of players which put them at a disadvantage in most games. The Dragons took tough losses against Mansfield and JC Westside, but with the heart of a Dragon and great coaching, Mountainburg ran a three-game winning streak against Magazine, West Fork, and Greenland. Not only did they win, but they also handed their opponents a big ol’ goose egg on the scoreboard with three straight shutouts. The streak came to an end though as Mountainburg lost a close one against rivals Cedarville in the final game of the regular season.
With every negative, there is a positive though. The Dragons finished with a 3-3 record which landed them with the #5 Seed in the 3rd and 4th Grade WCFL Playoffs. Not only did they make the Playoffs, but they would also go on to defeat the Cedarville Pirates in the first round to gain redemption for their loss a week earlier. With the victory, Mountainburg would not only face the task of playing perineal powerhouse and #2 Seeded Hackett, but they would do so on the Hornets home field. You don’t just walk into Hackett as a #5 Seed and walk out with a victory right? Wrong. Mountainburg sent shockwaves throughout the entire league when the Dragons set the Hornet Hive on fire with a scorching 14-0 victory. The win made the 3rd and 4th Grade Dragons WCFL Championship bound.
Mountainburg went toe to toe with the #1 Seeded Mansfield Tigers for the WCFL Championship gold. Mansfield’s high powered offense had laid waste to all opponents in the year including the Dragons with a 36-8 blowout in Week 1 of the season. That was Week 1 though. The Dragons had eaten five of their eight opponents since then and were still hungry. Mountainburg’s powerful defense held the Tigers to 16 points in the game which was Mansfield’s lowest score of the entire season. They also were able to backup and stuff the Tigers for a safety in the game. Although the Dragons played an awesome defensive game, their offense just couldn’t keep up as Mountainburg fell to Mansfield 16-2.
The 3rd and 4th Grade Mountainburg Dragons finished their season with a 5-4 overall record and brought home the WCFL Runner-Up Trophy to the Dragons Cave for all to see. Down but never out, these young players fought their way through adversity and a daunting schedule to find success. Mountainburg’s football program will fly high in the future with these “Dragon Hearts” leading the way.
