By Robert Haugh

The Mission City has yet another youth sports team excelling. The Santa Clara Lions Pop Warner Wildcats 11U team will be representing Santa Clara in the Pop Warner Super Bowl in Florida soon.

The team launched a GoFundMe to cover travel costs to the tournament starting in December.

Fundraiser organizer and Wildcats Head Coach Roger Young writes, “Our 11u team is the first ever youth football team to advance to the Nationals at this level. After defeating a great Creekside team, these young men and Lady earned the right to compete in Florida.”

The Pop Warner Football National Championships are held in Orlando. Of the 108 teams in the Nation, the Wildcats won the Pacific West Region Championship in triple overtime, earning them the opportunity to be one of eight teams to compete for the Pop Warner Youth National title.

This is the first year that the Pop Warner organization has allowed an 11U age group to compete for a National title.

The team is gathering on Tuesday November 29 at Senore’s Pizza on Monroe for a send-off party.