It doesn’t get mo better than this.
A 9-year-old Brooklyn boy channeled his inner Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday, snagging a one-handed catch that helped lead his Mo Better Jaguars to victory in the Pop Warner football Super Bowl.
But Ron Rollock’s “SportsCenter”-worthy catch wasn’t even the highlight of the Brownsville team’s whirlwind weekend in Orlando, Fla.
Organizers said a game ball should go to the generous New Yorkers whose heartfelt donations made it possible for the team to go at all.
“It’s amazing. I’m overwhelmed. I’m still in awe,” said Cheryl Wray, the team’s program director. “I’m so grateful to the city of New York and the people who reached out and supported us.”
Just a week ago, Wray was fretting over how she was going to tell her undefeated team that they couldn’t afford to go to Florida to compete for the national championship.
The GoFundMe page wasn’t raising enough money, and word of mouth wasn’t moving fast enough.
It wasn’t until New Yorkers read about the Jaguars’ plight in the Daily News that the coaches and kids were able to start packing their bags.
Among the companies that kicked in for the cause was Junior’s Restaurant and Sammy Tawil, who owns Nasco Stone + Tile in Brooklyn.
Wray said just the opportunity to extend their season in Disney World would have been enough.
“But winning the tournament and bringing the big trophy home is something they will remember for the rest of their lives,” she said. “Most of the boys had never even been on an airplane.”
Still, boys will be boys. Wray said the most challenging part of the trip was getting the little running backs and receivers to eat their vegetables.
There were a lot of chicken fingers and french fries, Wray said.
“I demand something green is on your plate,” she said she told the boys.
“I’m proud of the program,” she said. “I watched them doing homework during downtime and in between games. They were excited at SeaWorld.”
The Jaguars’ undefeated season was a welcome respite from the drama and downfall of both the Jets and the Giants. The Jaguars’ 15 wins is three times as many victories as the lowly Jets and Giants combined have eked out so far this season.
“It was a good experience,” said Ron Rollock, who said he’d love to compare notes with NFL great Beckham.
“It just happened,” he said of his acrobatic snag. “I don’t know how it happened.”
The Pop Warner Super Bowl is made up of 88 football teams from across the country that advance to the nationals after wins in their regions. The teams are organized based on age and weight.
“We were the underdog,” Wray said. “They didn’t see us winning.”
The national championship was the organization’s 67th Pop Warner Super Bowl.
The festivities also featured The Pop Warner National Cheer & Dance Championships, which is in its 37th year, which drew more than 500 cheer and dance teams who competed at the four-day-long event.
Wray said she is not expecting the city to close down Broadway for a Canyon of Heroes ticker-tape parade.
But she said she wouldn’t mind if the city closed off Fulton St. or Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn for her boys to soak in all the glory.
Until then, Wray said she needs to get some rest.
“I’m tired,” she said. “I’ve been with these little boys all week.”
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