After blowing through the competition until the final game in the Pop Warner football 14U Division 1 Super Bowl tournament in Florida over the past week, the Dorchester Eagles lost, 31-8, in the championship game the Pine Hill (Florida) team last Saturday.

Fielding one of the best teams to come out of the storied youth football program in Dorchester, the Eagles 14U team, led by what Coach Tony Hurston called the “three-headed monster” tandem of Isaiah Simmons, Mahki Dodd, and Jamari Robinson, had shown itself to be a strong team nationally – advancing to the championship game after beating the Richmond Heights (PA) Conquerors, 35-0, and the Hartford Hurricanes 29-0 before bowing to the Pine Hill eleven.

In spite of the loss, all the coaches said the kids had an incredible time competing and having fun in the Sunshine State Florida over the past two weeks – including attending the Pop Warner party. Eagles program director Terry Cousins said they took careful Covid-19 measures and it paid off with everyone returning healthy. He said they thanked all of those who donated to the team’s cause and gave a special shout out to US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, and clothing designer Calvin Leon.

For all that, the loss in the final left a sour taste with Eagles staff members.

“That was the first time the Citrus Bowl hosted the Pop Warner Super Bowl and the refs set a record by throwing 10 penalties in the first 10 minutes of the game,” said assistant coach Darryl Simmons. “It changed the momentum of the game. Hats off to Pine Hill because they were definitely a good team, but we couldn’t win. They had the refs, the cheerleaders and the hometown cooking.”

Cousins said that the league has had three teams advance to the championship game in the last 20 years, and 16 teams travel to Florida for the Super Bowl finals – and there’s always “funny business” against the northern teams.

“It bothers me as a grown man to watch our kids cry and feel they didn’t get a fair shake,” he said. “The coaches try to keep it professional, and we don’t complain because we don’t want to get in trouble and want to set a good example, but it’s frustrating…The northern teams don’t get respectful treatment when we go down to Florida.

“My coaches and I are going to look at our different options,” he said. “I’m going to speak to our league folks and guys I know who care about us and talk to our board about what we do moving forward.”