“POULSBO – The football players trotted off the field, hair darkened with sweat, faces red from labor. Then they all lined up for Capri Sun snack drinks. North Kitsap Pee Wee football started up this weekend, with the C team victorious over North Perry 44-0 and the B team falling 18-0. Those games were played at Hamilton Field, while the D and flag teams played away. Matt Tougas, wearing number 13, was one of the athletes on the C team. He plays tight end and linebacker. As he talked, he carried his snacks in his upside-down helmet. The part I really liked was when they put me in at punt return and I caught it and was ten yards away from a touchdown, Tougas said. His other great play? A fumble recovery. Tougas’s evaluation of the recovery goes like this: I just saw the ball rolling around and jumped on it, said the 11-year-old Tougas. Mike Lucas was one of the coaches of the team. I think they did excellent, he said after his team’s victory. They worked hard for several weeks, and then executed well. The team has been practicing for over a month, Lucas said. Much of that practice is conditioning. We’ve got to get those boys in shape, he said. They seem well on their way, with a 44-0 victory. The ultimate goal is not victories, Lucas said, but a good time. We’re having a blast, he said. That’s what it’s all about. Everybody gets to play. Everybody has fun. Head Coach Kerry Stevens shares the positive evaluation of the team. All levels of the team did well, Stevens said, from the starters down to the guys with limited experience. They played their hearts out. The season, Stevens said, is a team effort, from the kids to the four regular coaches and two assistant coaches. Even the parents. We’ve got really good parent support at every level, Stevens said. Pee Wee Football in North Kitsap is made up of three teams – B, C and D levels, plus a flag football team for younger kids. Each player is evaluated on a combination of size, age and weight, then put on an appropriate level. The ages of the participants run from 5-14. They practice three days a week and play a game each Saturday. The North Kitsap teams play teams from other districts, including Chico, East Bremerton, South Kitsap, Silverdale, and Bainbridge Island. Two more of team’s veterans walked off the field – Chase Munroe and Keenan Huschke. Munroe wore 20, Huschke 77. Both are 11, and both are in their second year of Pee Wee football. How’d the game go? Awesome, said Munroe. Awesome, said Huschke. I was playing kickoff, Munroe said, and I ran down and made a tackle all alone. It was pretty cool. Munroe added, We’ve been practicing really hard. Huschke agreed. The position he enjoys the most is running back. You get the ball and you get touchdowns. Munroe agrees. You get to hit people and stuff, he said. “