When the dust settled from Saturday's MYFA State Championships at Gardner Stadium, the Columbia Outkast Tinamites stood tall — at least, as tall as possible at ages 5 and 6 — as champions of their division, claiming a 14-12 victory over the Meridian Wildcats.
The Outkast never trailed in the championship game. Jordan Osgood scored the opening touchdown just minutes into the contest, and Omari Coleman tacked on another in the third quarter, followed by a two-point conversion from Kameron Shaffer to give Columbia a 14-6 advantage. Meridian scored one last time in the fourth, with an opportunity to tie the game with an two-point conversion, but Columbia's defense held them short of the goal line to hang on for a 14-12 win.
For head coach Nicholas Peters, Saturday's contest was about proving the doubters wrong and reaffirming in the minds of his players that anything is possible if they work hard and support one another.
"What separated (our team from the rest) was that they were hungry," Peters said. "We told them since Day 1 that nobody believed they could do it, and all they cared about what proving everyone wrong."
Peters said he and his fellow coaches are already looking forward to next fall, when they'll have the opportunity to work with new groups of young players, but he knows this year's team and the exceptional season they put together will stick with him for a really long time.
"I enjoy working with the kids more than I enjoy the games, honestly. Small kids with big personalities is literally unmatched," Peters said. "What I'll remember most about this team is that they had heart, drive and determination. And they were cocky. They knew they were the best, and they backed it up."
Long after their trophies and uniforms have been stashed away by their parents for keepsake, Peters says he hopes his players will still find useful ways to utilize the lessons they've learned on the gridiron. Whether they're competing on a field or just tackling life in general, the sky will be their limit if they're willing to work hard enough to reach their dreams.
"More than any of the X's and O's, I just want them to have the confidence to know what they're capable of achieving," Peters said. "As long as they work hard and believe in their brothers, they'll never be disappointed."
