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By Ethan McSweeney

D1 Maricopa, a local youth football program, is seeking to fill a few remaining spots on its teams ahead of the upcoming fall season.[quote_box_right]For more information go to www.d1maricopa.com or www.facebook.com/D1Maricopa/[/quote_box_right]

The program is looking for a few additional players for its third and fourth grade football team, as well as a couple of open spots on its fifth and sixth grade team, said Desmond Williams, president and founder of D1 Maricopa.

Sign-ups will take place at Pacana Park on Sunday, July 10, and again on July 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration can also be done online if it isn’t possible to make it to one of the registration events, with the cutoff date being July 24. The cost for registration is $350, which includes decals, uniforms and fees, Williams said.

D1 Maricopa is part of the Alliance Youth Sports football league, which is a youth football organization that consists of teams across Arizona from Maricopa to Flagstaff.  The season runs from August through November.

D1 Maricopa’s fifth and sixth grade team has won the league’s past three championships, which are hosted at Northern Arizona University’s J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. This is the first season D1 Maricopa is fielding a third and fourth grade team, Williams said.

All of the coaches have played Division 1 college football or have some professional football experience, said Williams, who played football at Michigan State and arena football for two years in Boise, Idaho.

D1 players also get to choose their own design for their helmet — a college they like or might want to attend, Williams said.

Williams said he hopes to establish D1 Maricopa as a stable program for young athletes in the community.

“I’m here to get the best kids in Maricopa to go out to win a championship and become a better man and a good citizen,” Williams said.

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