Maricopa 15U football team wins title in first season

Another youth football team in Maricopa has won a championship game in its first season.

The Pinal County Elite 15U team capped off a 7-0 record with an appearance in the May 15 championship game against the Elite Reapers from Phoenix.

It was the third game of the spring season against the Reapers and the third win, with the local team taking home the National Youth Sports championship trophy and rings in a 19-13 victory.

The game was an inspiring finish for a team that dedicated its season to Tony Nelson, a Maricopa High School football player who died tragically earlier this year at 17. His father, Stephan, is a football coach at Maricopa High School and leader of the Maricopa Junior Rams youth football organization.

Elite teammates decided to forgo their names on their jerseys, playing instead with a drawing of Tony holding a Captain Marvel-like shield on their sleeves. The artwork was done by his younger sister.

The team presented the championship trophy to Stephan Nelson and the family.

The Maricopa team was brought together by two men active in the local football scene, with an assist by a third. Gerald Campbell, quarterbacks coach at the high school, and Matt Catherman had talked in recent years about forming a 15U team to keep talent from playing for teams beyond Maricopa.

“Gerald and I want to keep the kids involved, keep them off the streets and away from the extracurricular stuff that gets them in trouble,” Catherman said. “We’re here for the kids.”

The 2020 season was to have been the Elite’s inaugural bid, but it was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the winter, as the team prepared for its Spring 2021 season, Campbell and Catherman were approached by Daniel Ramirez, a Casa Grande resident and football coach at Heritage Academy in Maricopa.

Ramirez wanted to know if there was any interest in combining the Maricopa and Casa Grande programs. Campbell and Catherman said they liked the idea and the teams came together.

Campbell serves as co-head coach and offensive coordinator. Ramirez, coordinates the defense as the other co-head coach, while Catherman is a floating coach and handles player personnel. Other coaches include John Jayne, Will Ivory, Anthony Lott, Ruben Montez and David James.

The team was composed of 42 kids from both cities – including one girl – and they all played in just about every game, including the title game, Catherman said.

“This is a hotbed” of football, he added. “They don’t have to play out of these two communities. We have legit D-1 football stars in this town and Casa Grande that will be playing on Saturdays some day.”

The champions’ second season will start up in January 2022, with games from March to May. All but seven players are eligible to help the team defend its title. The team practices one night a week at Pacana Park and another night in Casa Grande. A 16U team may be formed by next season, Catherman said.

Catherman said team leaders did all they could to make the program affordable for parents – $200 per player – including buying cheaper jerseys. PC Elite players also borrowed helmets from Heritage Academy, only having to pay a reconditioning fee.

“Gerald and I want to keep the kids involved, keep them off the streets and away from the extracurricular stuff that gets them in trouble,” Catherman said. “We’re here for the kids.”

The Maricopa Mambas 12U team won the state championship in December in its inaugural season.

For information about the PC Elite 15U program, call Gerald Campbell at 314-437-7615.