La Costa Canyon Pop Warner’s 13U Maverick football squad is living the dream, headed to the 2024 Pop Warner Super Bowl on Dec. 7–14 in Orlando, Fla.
One of “Great Eight,” the Mavs are among the best eight Division 2 teams in the entire country. The roster includes a group of talented boys from Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe, as well as some players from San Marcos and Fallbrook. The team boasts an offense run by Drew Brees, the former San Diego Charger and Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints who was recently inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
On their playoff run, the West Coast Conference Division 2 Champions fended off teams from Tustin and Antelope Valley. On Nov. 23 at the Orange Empire Conference Regional finals in Orange County, they beat the Arizona Far West Gators 40-7 to secure their spot in the Super Bowl. After the Gators drove it down to score on their first possession of the game, the Mavericks made smart adjustments and were able to shut them out for the next three quarters.
“We are playing some of our best football right now,” said Head Coach Pat Walker. “The boys really showed up, I think it was probably the best game we’ve played all year. We want to be peaking at the right time and hopefully our best football is still ahead of us.”
The dominant Mavs are 9-3 on the year, losing twice to a strong Oceanside squad. The core of the LCC team has been together for the last four years, with a 45-7 record.
The team puts up an average of 40 points a game, with one of the best eighth-grade quarterbacks under center with Luke Labrum. “He throws the ball all over the place,” said Walker of Luke, who has tossed 34 touchdowns this year.
Their star running back Nate Taylor unfortunately broke his collarbone three weeks ago but Kole Schornstein and Hudson Bonneau have stepped up over the last two games as the next kids up. Kole’s twin Zane is another key contributor on offense and Bowen Brees is a “really gifted” wideout, pulling in nine touchdowns on the season. Austin Biggs is one of the leading tacklers on defense, along with Johnny Walker.
Johnny is a triple threat, playing free safety, wide receiver and serving as kicker, having a very successful season scoring valuable points for the team.
Having Drew Brees on his staff as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the last two years has been a “tremendous” resource for Walker.
“It’s a little bit like having Picasso teaching your art class to be honest, the way that he sees the game and coaches our boys and sets up the offense,” Walker said. “The success we’ve had offensively is a direct reflection of Coach Brees.”
No matter how Brees draws it up, the boys still need to execute. Walker said the boys take to his coaching style and are able to manage some of the more complex plays through repetition, practice and a healthy dose of self-belief: “Coach Drew instills a tremendous amount of confidence in our boys.”
This strong core of players will soon be heading into high school, where they may face each other playing for La Costa Canyon, Torrey Pines, Santa Fe Christian or Carlsbad High.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that all 30 of these boys will be major contributors at the freshman level and varsity level over the next couple of years,” Walker said.
Walker said he feels blessed to have been able to coach these young men and be on a journey with them for the last four years, building relationships not just with his players but their families. In their first year together as a 10U team, they made it to the Super Bowl where they had a memorable experience going 1-1 and have been working to get back. They fought through the pandemic years and survived a challenging 2023 when they went undefeated and suffered a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals.
“I think that loss has a lot to do with where we are today. This is just a very resilient group of kids who dedicated the last year and their offseason to getting faster, stronger and better at what they do,” Walker said.
Football is a physical, demanding, uncomfortable and unselfish sport and Walker said being a part of the team comes with high expectations. Since August, the players and their families have been committed —the hope is all that hard work is rewarded in the Super Bowl.
“It’s a once in a lifetime- for us twice in a lifetime- opportunity that we don’t take lightly,” Walker said.
La Costa Canyon Pop Warner, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, is going through a bit of a resurgence. They fielded three 13U teams this year and with 13 teams across the age groups, several were WCC regional champions.
“LCC Pop Warner couldn’t be a more beautiful experience,” said team parent Valerie Schornstein, a Carmel Valley resident. “It’s an incredibly well-run youth organization.”
Walker said the organization’s success is a credit to the locals who are committed to the kids and have poured their resources and time into the league, like board like Brian Dunphy and Thomas Citrano who no longer have kids in the program but still go to all the games and make calls to help fundraise. Advisors to the board include three former NFL players including Brees, Kyle Boller and LCC football alum Joe Toledo.
Walker said he is proud to have played a small part in the rebirth of a sport that was such a critical part of his development as a young man. Born and raised in Solana Beach, he went to Torrey Pines High School where he was a three-sport athlete, playing football for the legendary Coach Ed Burke, who had a huge impact on him. Following Burke’s example, he coaches his kids to be great in school, to be great representatives of their community and to rep their colors well. He understands the lessons he is ing on to his team go beyond just blocking, tackling and catching.
“To be back and to be a part of the community and have an impact on the kids today is a real blessing and it’s been an incredible experience for me, for our coaches, families and the boys,” Walker said. “We’re just trying to have an impact on future leaders in our community…We coach ‘em hard and we love them extra hard.”
Recently the Mavericks were fundraising for the Super Bowl in front of the Encinitas Target and Vons. The goal is that every kid and at least one parent gets to go on the cross-country trip, regardless of their situation. To help meet their fundraising goal visit tinyurl.com/595h3huz
