Youth football: FBU National Championships return to Naples starting Sunday
In 2014, the FBU National Championships hosted the semifinals and finals of the sixth, seventh- and eighth-grade national championships in Naples.
Three years later, with the addition of eight 9U teams and eight 10U teams, the National Championships has expanded to 42 teams from across the country.
Beginning Sunday through Dec. 21, FBU also will host a Freshman All-American Bowl on Wednesday at Gulf Coast High School that will feature ninth-grade all-stars from around the country in an East vs. West format.
“Wednesday night is just going to be a showcase of the best 70 freshmen football players in the country that will consistent of 25 kids or more that already have multiple Division I offers,” said Steve Quinn, vice president of All-American Games.
Playing at a variety of high schools throughout Collier County, teams from all around the country who came out on top in FBU's regional competitions will travel to Naples with the hopes of becoming national champions.
"It really is a vast variety of teams that stretch from L.A. to Rhode Island, and Indiana to Texas and Seattle to Miami," Quinn said. "We have three teams from the L.A.-Orange County (area), three teams from Seattle coming, three teams from Dallas coming, two from Kansas City, one from Indiana, two from Massachusetts, one from Rhode Island, three from Maryland, two from Georgia and three from Florida."
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There will be a bit of local flair to this year's national championships. Palmetto Ridge High School freshman wide receiver Kamonte Grimes is in the Freshman All-American game, and there are local teams in the lower divisions.
"At the 9U and 10U level have a local team at the 9-and-under level the Estero Mustangs and then we have the Lee County Hawks participating in the 10U level," Quinn said. "We'll also the Cypress Lake Hornets out of the 10U level that are going to be competing in the tournament as well."
Team Tampa, one of three Florida teams competing in the national championships at the sixth- and seventh-grade level, has high expectations coming into its third year competing in Naples.
"We feel it's our time," Team Tampa director Damon Ratcliffe said. "We have found the mix of talent and coaching this year and our kids are hungry. We look forward to taking the field against the best teams in the country."
While some teams have an easier travel route to Naples than others, Team Seattle is excited to travel to Florida and compete in the national championships once again.
Youth football: FBU National Championships to bring even more talent to Naples
"The last few years from the time that they actually started in Naples, we each had a team participate down their every single year, which is something that we really hang our hat on,” said Rob Mason, Team Seattle director and eighth-grade team coach.
While some people associate youth footballs with states like Texas and Florida, Mason said it's important for Team Settle to represent the state of Washington.
"I feel like the Pacific Northwest up here in the corner of the United States, we tend to get overlooked when it relates to football," Mason said. "To be able to bring multiple teams down I think shows that not only do we have talent up here, but we are rich in football as well."
All of the eighth-grade games, the Freshman All-American game and the national championship games at all five levels will be televised by Eleven Sports.
Expanding from 12 teams its first time in Naples to 42 teams its third time around, Quinn says the FBU National Championships will give people in Collier County the chance to see what the best football has to offer at the sixth-, seventh-, eighth-grade and freshman level.
"It’s important to have the best teams and have the best talent, because it is the one true national championship that kids get an opportunity to compete in," Quinn said.
FBU National Championships
Monday
National Quarterfinals
6th grade
10 a.m. -- Kansas City vs. Massachusetts at Community School
Noon -- GFL vs. Maryland at Community School
2 p.m. -- Dade vs. Dallas at Community School
4 p.m. -- Tampa vs. Orange County at Naples High
7th grade
4 p.m. -- Metro Maryland vs. Kansas City at Barron Collier
6 p.m. -- Seattle vs. Massachusetts at Barron Collier
6 p.m. -- GMSAA vs. L.A. Central at Naples High
8 p.m. -- Dallas vs. Tampa at Barron Collier
8th grade
3:45 p.m. -- Maryland vs. Orange County at Gulf Coast
6 p.m. -- Dallas vs. GFL at Gulf Coast
8 p.m. -- Seattle vs. Indiana at Naples High
8:15 p.m. -- Dade vs. Rhode Island at Gulf Coast
9U
Noon -- Cecil County vs. Kendall Kolts at Fleischmann Park
4 p.m. -- Delaware Ducks vs. Gulf Coast Mustangs at Fleischmann Park
10U
2 p.m. -- Delaware Ducks vs. Grayson Rams at Fleischmann Park
4 p.m. -- Pittsburg Jr. Pirates vs. Cypress Lake Hornets at Community School
6 p.m. -- Parkland Raiders vs. Cleveland Bombers at Community School
6 p.m. -- West Kendall Dolphins vs. Lee County Hawks at Fleischmann Park
Tuesday
6th grade
4 p.m. -- Consolation, Kansas City/Massachusetts loser vs. GFL/Maryland loser at Golden Gate
6 p.m. -- Consolation, Dade/Dallas loser vs. Tampa/Orange County loser at Golden Gate
6 p.m. -- Semifinal, Kansas City/Massachusetts winner vs. GFL/Maryland winner at Naples High
8 p.m. -- Semifinal, Dade/Dallas winner vs. Tampa/West Orange winner at Naples High
7th grade
4 p.m. -- Consolation, Metro Maryland/Kansas City loser vs. Seattle/Massachusetts loser at Naples High
4 p.m. -- Consolation, GMSAA/L.A. Central loser vs. Dallas/Tampa loser at Barron Collier
6 p.m. -- Semifinal, Metro Maryland/Kansas City winner vs. Seattle/Massachusetts winner at Barron Collier
8 p.m. -- Semifinal, GMSAA/L.A. Central winner vs. Dallas/Tampa winner at Barron Collier
8th grade
4 p.m. -- Consolation, Seattle/Indiana loser vs. Dade/Rhode Island loser at Gulf Coast
8 p.m. -- Consolation, Maryland/Orange County loser vs. Dallas/GFL loser at Golden Gate
8:15 p.m. -- Semifinal, Seattle/Indiana winner vs. Dade/Rhode Island winner at Gulf Coast
8:15 p.m. -- Semifinal, Maryland/Orange County winner vs. Dallas/GFL winner at Gulf Coast
9U
Noon -- Consolation, Cecil County/Kendall Kolts loser vs. Delaware Ducks/Gulf Coast Mustangs loser at Fleischmann Park
2 p.m. -- Cecil County/Kendall Kolts winner vs. Buford Wolves at Fleischmann Park
4 p.m. -- Delaware Ducks/Gulf Coast Mustangs winner vs. Cleveland Bombers at Fleischmann Park
10U
Noon -- Consolation, Delaware Ducks/Grayson Rams loser vs. Pittsburg Jr. Pirates/Cypress Lake Hornets loser at Community School
2 p.m. -- Consolation, Parkland Raiders/Cleveland Bombers loser vs. West Kendall Dolphins/Lee County Hawks loser at Community School
4 p.m. -- Semifinal, Delaware Ducks/Grayson Rams winner vs. Pittsburg Jr. Pirates/Cypress Lake Hornets winner at Community School
6 p.m. -- Semifinal, Parkland Raiders/Cleveland Bombers winner vs. West Kendall Dolphins/Lee County Hawks winnerr at Community School
Wednesday
7:30 p.m. -- FBU Freshman All-American Bowl, Team Adizero vs. Team Three Stripe at Gulf Coast High School
Thursday
National Championships
6th grade
8 a.m. -- Seventh place, at Community School
10 a.m. -- Fifth place, at Community School
2 p.m. -- Third place, at Golden Gate
3:30 p.m. -- Championship, at Gulf Coast
7th grade
Noon -- Seventh place, at Community School
2 p.m. -- Fifth place, at Community School
4 p.m. -- Third place, at Golden Gate
6 p.m. -- Championship, at Gulf Coast
8th grade
4 p.m. -- Seventh place, at Community School
2 p.m. -- Fifth place, at Barron Collier
4 p.m. -- Third place, at Barron Collier
8:30 p.m. -- Championship, at Barron Collier
9U
8 a.m. -- Consolation, at Fleischmann Park
10 a.m. -- Consolation, at Fleischmann Park
2 p.m. -- Championship, at Naples High
10U
Noon -- Seventh place, at Fleischmann Park
2 p.m. -- Fifth place, at Fleischmann Park
4 p.m. -- Third place, at Fleischmann Park
4 p.m. -- Championship, at Naples High