Torrey Pines Pop Warner 10U Falcons squad wins D2 championship

Nov. 20, 2022 12:23 PM PT

They may have been younger and smaller but this year’s Torrey Pines Pop Warner 10U Falcons did not lack in toughness.

In October, the Torrey Pines squad won the West Coast Conference (WESCON) Division 2 regional championship, putting them on the path for the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando. The Falcons traveled to Arizona for the semi-finals on Nov. 12, taking down the Arizona Cowboys 20-12. The Falcons’ Super Bowl-bid ended with a tough loss in the WESCON Regional Finals to Saddleback Valley Blue Bears on Nov. 19 at Poway High School.

“The kids have accomplished a lot,” said Coach Bill Malloy. “The bond that these kids formed together is amazing, it’s equally as amazing as their record.”

Many of the team’s players live in Rancho Santa Fe.

Malloy comes from the Jeff Garcia coaching tree—the former NFL quarterback Garcia led last year’s 10U to the regional championship and moved up with the team to the 11U division. Malloy said he learned a lot from Garcia and built his own coaching staff that included talented players with NFL and collegiate experience.

Falcons lead the way for running back Austin Haynes.

“We are really small, we have an extremely young team, ”Malloy said of his boys. Half of them could play in the 9U division but were combined with 10U this year. For 85% of the team, this is their first year of tackle football. “I”m proud of all of them but especially the younger players for stepping up.”

The Falcon boys this season were dedicated and hardworking, practicing twice a week with a weekly film study. They were fast on offense and stingy on defense, chalking up victories with lopsided scores like 36-0, 40-0, 34-0. “Overall we are just a really balanced football team.”

Malloy plans to move up to coach the boys at 11U, some players will continue to play 10U.

He is also hoping to raise awareness about Torrey Pines Pop Warner and hopefully revive the cheerleading program. The nonprofit provides scholarships for players and promotes a positive team culture that builds self-esteem and instils the importance of both athletics and scholastics.

“This is a foundation that supports kids on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,” Malloy said.

To learn more visit torreypinespopwarner.com
To donate to support the team visit torreypinespopwarner.com/fundraising or givebutter.com/TPPW

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