Two Valley teams just missed a title and two others claimed third place Friday in the AYF National Championships at Austin Tindall Park in Orlando.

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All six CAYFL representatives at the weeklong youth-football tournament finished with 2-1 records, but the Phoenix 8th-grade All Stars and the Midget division Scottsdale Firebirds fell a little short of national championships. The All Stars lost to Chicagoland 17-14 on a late field goal, and the Firebirds fell to the Staten Island Hurricanes 32-24 in overtime.

Two other Scottsdale teams won third-place contests Friday. The Jr. Midget Firebirds spotted the Liberty Lions a 7-0 lead and then scored 38 unanswered points in a 38-7 win. The Pee Wee division Birds pounded the Naperville (IL) Patriots 40-14.

Stunned Stars

Phoenix and Chicagoland lived up to all-star billing on AYF championship day, fighting a fierce battle on a cold, wet field in the Conference All-Stars championship. Chicagoland scored all 17 points in the fourth quarter, aided by Phoenix mistakes and a disputed call by the referees.

The Phoenicians turned the ball over three times and Chicagoland once in a ferocious first half that featured hard hitting and punishing defenses. A goal-line stand by Phoenix early in the second quarter was the highlight of the half, as Chicagoland could not close out a nine-play drive despite a first-and-goal from the 3.

A 32-yard kickoff return by Oche Myers set up Phoenix at its 41 to start the second half. Sam Sasso completed an 18-yard pass to Nicholas Ramirez and a 6-yarder to Quinton Pierce, with a 1-yard run by Trey Lauer in between, to give Phoenix a third-and-3 at the Chicagoland 34. Lauer then burst over right tackle, slipped a tackle at the 30 and dashed to the end zone for the game’s first points. The conversion kick was wide, and Phoenix had a 6-0 lead.

Chicagoland managed just 4 yards in four plays after the ensuing kickoff, and Phoenix took over at their own 44 at the 5:58 mark of the quarter. They then ran 10 straight times between the tackles, blowing the Illinois defense off the ball and marching to the Chicagoland 10 as the quarter came to a close. Tight end Qualen Cunningham’s devastating blocks were particularly effective, springing Lauer for a 9-yard run and Cory White for a 7-yarder.

Lauer started the final quarter with a 5-yard run on third-and-inches at the Chicagoland 10, and White carried the final 5 yards on the second play of the quarter for the TD. Ka’Wuan Ellis’ conversion kick made it 14-0, and Phoenix seemed to be in control.

Chicagoland answered with an impressive drive, aided by a roughing-the passer penalty on Phoenix and a game-changing fourth-down play.

Phoenix had just sacked the Illinois quarterback on the drive’s 10th play, setting up a fourth-and-20 at the Phoenix 35. Chicagoland attempted a pass into the left corner of the end zone, a dying quail of a throw that seemed certain to be incomplete until two Phoenix defenders tipped the ball into the hands of the receiver for an improbable touchdown.

Jaimesan Joseph-Naeole blocked the conversion kick, and with only 4:46 remaining in the game, Phoenix still seemed in control. The boys from Illinois forced a quick three-and-out, however, and took over at the Phoenix 34 following a short punt. They needed just three plays to score, kick a two-point conversion and tie the game 14-14 with 1:59 remaining.

That’s when the day’s most controversial call finished off the Phoenicians.

Lauer gained 1 yard on the first play after the kickoff and was clearly on the ground when the ball popped loose. The referees called it a fumble, however, and Chicagoland recovered at the Phoenix 14.

Three runs into the middle of the line netted 4 yards, and Chicagoland set up for a game-winning field goal. An encroachment penalty on Phoenix moved the ball 5 yards closer, and the Illinois stars hit a 22-yard field goal with 14.6 seconds on the clock to claim the crown.

“I am very proud of our team,” Phoenix coach Steve Dunn said. “It was a great experience to see kids from all over Arizona become so close so quickly, and then be so close to winning it.”

Birds fall in OT

The Midget division championship was equally exciting but in the end just as disappointing for the Valley team.

The Firebirds drove 70 yards in eight plays at the end of the first quarter to take an early 8-0 lead. Nick Carovillano’s 3-yard run helped set up a 30-yard TD pass from Brian Woodward to Ryan Castellani, and Ben Sweet nailed the conversion kick with 37.8 seconds left in the quarter.

Staten Island came roaring back, driving 65 yards in 10 plays, but a missed conversion kick kept Scottsdale on top 8-6 with 5:26 left in the half.

The Firebirds managed just 1 yard in three plays and were forced to punt the ball back to the Hurricanes, pinning the New Yorkers back at their own 18. Staten Island drove the distance, though, in 11 plays to grab a 12-8 halftime lead at the 20.1-second mark.

That grew to 18-8 when they took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 57 yards in six plays, but the Firebirds had an answer. Starting at their own 27, Scottsdale put together an impressive 14-play drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown run by Carovillano on the first play of the final quarter. Sweet’s conversion kick pulled the Birds to within two at 18-16.

The Hurricanes needed just four plays, however, to score again, taking a 24-16 lead, and then forced the Birds to punt with just more than four minutes remaining. Castellani hit a beauty that rolled all the way to the Hurricane 1, where Will Edwards downed the ball, giving the Firebirds some hope.

Momentum shifted again at the 3:44 mark when the Hurricanes inexplicably decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 10 and got 2 yards on a quarterback sneak, turning a questionable decision into an apparent Bird-breaking first down. They picked up 3 yards on first down and 4 more on second. One more first down, and the Birds were cooked.

That’s when Joe Nauert stepped up for Scottsdale. He ripped the ball out of the hands of a Hurricane ballcarrier at the 17 and rumbled to the 7. Two plays later, Woodward hit Romano Bottini with a 5-yard TD pass, Sweet nailed his third conversion, and the game was tied 24-24 with 59.4 seconds left.

Staten Island twice almost won the game in regulation. First they returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but it was called back by a holding penalty. They then drove to the Firebird 20 before Castellani intercepted a pass inside the 5, and the Birds took a knee to go into overtime.

The Hurricanes got the ball first in OT and needed just two plays to go the 10 yards for a TD. They also hit the conversion kick to take a 32-24 lead. Carovillano gained 8 yards on first down and 1 more on second, but he was thrown for a 2-yard loss on third down, and the Hurricanes sacked Woodward on fourth to win the title.

Third-place games

The Jr. Midget Firebirds fell behind 7-0 at the 3:08 mark of the second quarter, but that was all the Liberty Lions could muster. Scottsdale scored twice before half and never looked back.

Brad Nordstrom hit Cules Rose with a 9-yard TD pass at the 1:44 mark, and Austin Percy’s conversion kick made it 8-7. Sean Robertson returned a punt for a TD 26 seconds later, Percy hit another conversion, and the Birds led 16-7 at half.

Nordstrom threw another TD pass to Rose early in the third, then scrambled and found Robertson in the end zone late in the quarter for a 30-7 lead. The second TD was set up by a Nick Mendoza interception.

Another Nordstrom scramble set up a TD pass to Gary McKay in the fourth. Percy’s conversion closed out scoring.

The Pee Wee Firebirds were down 8-0 to Naperville after a quarter but scored three times in the second to take control. Brandon Matonis capped a long drive with a 1-yard run four seconds into the period, and Ryan Coleman’s conversion tied it 8-8.

The Firebirds then recovered an onside kick, and TK Vandall dashed 48 yards on the first play from scrimmage to give the Birds the lead. Coleman’s conversion made it 16-8.

Keevile Brown closed out scoring in the first half on a short run with 4.6 seconds left. Another Coleman conversion made it 24-8.

After Naperville scored on the opening drive of the second half to make it 24-14, Matonis scored on another TD run. Coleman’s kick made it 32-14.

Dakota Miller closed out scoring with 43.6 seconds left in the game on a short run behind the block of Parker Nelson.