In what is one of the most anticipated non-professional/college football games in the Pacific Northwest since Bellevue played Concord, California’s De Le Salle High School in 2004, The Seattle Ravens’ 8th grade team, ranked #4 in the country, will battle Coach Snoop’s (rapper Snoop Dogg aka Calvin Broadus) Pomona Steelers of Diamond Valley, Ca. at 12 noon this Sun., Oct. 23 at West Seattle Stadium – 4432 35th Ave. SW in Seattle.
The Ravens, who have amassed an impressive 46-0 record over the past few seasons, are averaging 45 points per game this season, and have outscored their opponents 270-18. The core group of this team (Paolo Banchero, Style Tu’u, Jordan Call, Antwan Brown, Jr., Xavier Bowen, Shane Nowell, Silk Harris, Kalib Price, Jamir Jackson, Owen Prentice and Jaelin Hubbard) have been together since they were 7 years old and have won 5 championships – including league titles in the South King County Junior Football League, the Nisqually Junior Football League and the Northwest Premier Junior Football and Cheer.
“As a little league football coaches our job is to get the kids better prepared for the next level,” said regular season head coach Matt Wayman. “We put this game together not only to showcase the talent that we have in the Northwest, but to also to expose our players to a much tougher, elite level of competition that they may not see here in Seattle during the regular season.”
“Over the past few years, Seattle has been a hotspot for basketball and hopefully this game will help give that same type of exposure to inner-city football,” added Wayman. “With Garfield and Rainier Beach both being 7-0 right now, we are hoping to put Seattle on the map as not just a basketball town, but also a football town. Which hopefully transcends into Seattle becoming a recruiting pipeline for college football teams across the country.”
Head Coach Snoop, a staunch supporter of youth football, takes his team across the country throughout the season to play the best of the best. His team recently suffered a heartbreaking loss to the #1 ranked Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes, and the Steelers are eager to get back in the national conversation with a victory over the Ravens. With West Coast bragging rights at stake, Coach Snoop’s team will definitely bring their “A” game.
“Coach Snoops takes his duties as head coach very seriously,” says Rhonda Smith-Banchero, one of the event organizers. “He stresses that this is about youth football being a positive environment and uplifting for the kids involved. We are excited that his team is coming to Seattle to play the Ravens. It should be a great event for everyone involved.”
The event, presented by Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and the SNOOP Youth Football League (California), will feature music by Seattle’s own DJ Kun Luv, halftime entertainment and more. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for kids and are available through Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2696575).
This event is a fundraiser for the Ravens football program. Proceeds from the event will go towards new uniforms and travel expenses for the Seattle Ravens to participate in FBU National Football Championships later
