Charging on to regional championship game
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Following the lead of his blocker Dylan Wyman, running back Jackson Sheehan reeled off a long yardage run in the opening round of the Pop Warner Massachusetts Division 2 Play-offs. The win vaulted the Chargers into the New England Regional Championship game, which will be held on Sunday, Nov. 25, at Szot Park in Chicopee. COURTESY PHOTO

The Oakmont Pop Warner Midget team won the State Championship game on Sunday and will be playing this weekend in the New England Regional Championship game in hopes of hitting the road to National-level games.

The team beat Reading, 18-12, in triple overtime on Sunday, Nov. 18, after Evan Brown scored on a touchdown on a 65-yard return of the opening kickoff. The score remained the same until the fourth quarter, when Reading's offense finally made it through the Oakmont defense to score a touchdown, sending the teams into their first overtime.

During the first overtime both the Oakmont Chargers and their Reading opponents scored touchdowns, but both defenses held during the second overtime.

"It was very, very exciting," said head coach John Harrington. "We had scouted them. We knew their strengths and they knew ours."

The final score of the game came from Jackson Sheenan, who scored the winning touchdown.

"This is what we wanted," Harrington said. "We came into the season wanting to clinch states. Now we have one more step to go."

The team is comprised of 14- and 15-years-olds from Ashburnham, Westminster and Winchendon.

The team will take the field against a team from Newington, Conn., on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at the Szot Park in Chicopee.

"I've spend the weekend driving around collecting film from other coaches," Harrington said. "We have the strength and the speed. We need the metal toughness."

He said the goal is to keep the players' attention on the game ahead.

"It's just like the first day of practice, we have to go one day at a time," he said.

The team lost only one game this season, and that was against a Boston Raiders team that scored four touchdowns against Oakmont. The only other opposing team to score on the Chargers' defense was Grafton.

"We had a very strong defense," he said. "These are all kids that have played from Mighty Mites, at the age of 7 or 8, together. They are ending their Pop Warner careers on a high note."

If the team wins on Sunday, they will take the field on Dec. 2 in Florida.