The opening night of the Pittsburgh Flag Football League Youth season provided the stage for several youngsters to showcase their abilities. Perhaps the kid that took that opportunity and ran with it most was 10-year-old Raymond Hart, who led his Falcons to a dominating victory over the Ravens Friday night under the lights of George Cupples Stadium.
"It's a lot of fun playing football," Hart said. "I just really like to be able to play out here."
Hart had his talents on display from the very first drive, when the 10-year-old speedster caught a short pass from quarterback Anthony Stevenson and took it the distance. Much like Hart's excitement for playing the game, Stevenson feels the same.
"My passes feel good right now. I just like giving the ball to everyone," Stevenson said. "I have good teammates that like playing hard, so it's a lot of fun."
And while the offense was in check all game for the Falcons, it was the team's stifling defense that changed the momentum of the game. The aggressive Falcons were able to turn four interceptions into touchdowns, perhaps because of the preparation the team had during its practice time.
"We spent a lot of the practice doing one-on-one drills," Coach Jason Bialek said. "We were just learning how to pull flags because a lot of these kids have never played flag football before."
The game may not have gone the way that the Ravens or Coach Shor D Wolford may have wanted, but 10-year-old Alex Hill said the thrill of being out on the field was good enough.
"It was really fun because I just like being able to play football."
