BREMERTON — They played their little hearts out. But in the end, the Pee Wee Ds will have to wait a year to have another chance at the championship.

Abraham Logan had a touchdown and an interception as the Chico Ds beat NK 8-0 at the Pee Wee championships Saturday at Bremerton High School.

“We had our chances,” said Joe McMullen, who coaches the Ds’ 7- and 8-year-olds. “But we just didn’t execute the way we had all year, in practices and in games.”

The loss was the first of the season for the North Kitsap team, which had won its first seven games. But against a tough Chico defense, the ground attack didn’t quite get going.

“We have been an ‘up’ team all year,” said McMullen. “We just hadn’t faced adversity like this and once our guys were a little down, we couldn’t get it rolling.”

But the loss does not mean the season was without success. After all, a 7-1 season in which the team qualified for the championship game is nothing to ber ashamed about, McMullen commented.

“This team is like a family,” said McMullen. “Most of them started at (age) 5 and 6 together.”

“In the huddle, no one is down on each other,” he added.

The start of the game proved to be a stalemate, until the NK offense was forced deep within their own zone early in the second and Chico was able to pick up a safety to go up 2-0.

Soon after, Logan broke through the NK defense for a 30-yard touchdown run, and after a missed extra-point, Chico was up 8-0.

Kendall Gill had an interception for NK in the second half, but the offense struggled to pick up many first downs to move the yardsticks.

The loss also marked Chico’s revenge on North Kitsap, after NK beat the team 12-8 in regular season play.

Nonetheless, the NK team has plenty to be excited about.

McMullen said he has been impressed with NK quarterback Jacob Velarde’s play all season long.

“(Velarde) has been the workhorse for us all season long,” he said. “I put a lot of the big plays on his back. He told me once he gets nervous about that sometimes.”

But those nerves didn’t deter Velarde, who lead his team to a 7-1 season.

NK’s other team leader, Connor McCorkle, has also impressed coach McMullen.

“(McCorkle) has been all over the place making tackles this season,” he said. “Both (players) have been our team leaders.”

In other action, the NK Pee Wee B team made the championship game as well, but lost to Silverdale 24-0.