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East Bay Bucs To Hit Gridiron At Raymond James

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By JOHN CEBALLOS

jceballos@tampatrib.com

Published: December 4, 2008

GIBSONTON - With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road this weekend for a crucial "Monday Night Football" game, a group of young Bucs will take the field at Raymond James Stadium the day before.

After winning the West Coast Youth Football Conference Super Bowl on Nov. 22, the East Bay Buccaneers midget football team will play a game Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

The event will be part of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission's Day of Champions. Established in 1994, the program invites eight youth football teams and their cheerleading squads to play and cheer on a professional football field every year.

"I think it's going to be a real thrill for the players to play on such a big field and even for the cheerleaders, who get to cheer on the sideline of an NFL stadium," said Tracy Howard, whose son Ryan Dixon, 11, plays on the defensive line for the East Bay Bucs.

The team will also get a chance to board the pirate ship inside the stadium and tour the Buccaneers locker room.

The West Coast Youth Football Conference includes teams from South Shore, Brandon, Plant City, Temple Terrace, Wesley Chapel and Lakeland.

In their conference Super Bowl, Jordan Griffin of the East Bay Bucs kicked a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and ran for the game-winning touchdown in the third overtime, giving his team a 30-24 victory.

The Bucs' opponent for their game at Raymond James Stadium will be the New Tampa Wildcats.

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555.

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