On a breezy Saturday evening at Cupples Stadium, youth league players convened for the opening week combine. As usual the fall season has attracted many new parents to our league due to our competitive yet family-friendly brand of youth flag football. Two of our newest parents are former Pitt Panthers and teammates Cliff Moncrief and Lance Markel. The collegiate athletes played together for several years in the early 1990s.

Twenty plus years have come and gone and the men remain friends to this day. Both of their sons are competing in the 10-12-year old division of the PFFL’s Youth League this fall. While the boys share a friendship with each other similar their father’s longtime bond, they are not going to let their closeness infringe upon their abilities to capture a championship trophy in their first season with the Youth League.