Oviedo Lions Roar at the Pop Warner Super Bowl
by Kevin Fritz
Let’s stand and cheer for the Oviedo Lions Pop Warner football program, which closed out 2024 by competing on a national stage and proving that its players are some of the best in the country.
The Oviedo Lions Division 1 9U football team fell just short of bringing home a national title. It was an especially impressive showing, because this was the first year that the 9U team had reached the Nationals, also known as the Pop Warner Super Bowl. The tournament features regional champion teams, in several divisions and age groups, all vying for national titles.
For the Lions, the tournament came to an end at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, when they lost 41-8 in the semifinals to the Concord, North Carolina-based Odell Eagles.
“Pop Warner did a great job of making it a memorable experience for the kids,” says Lions Coach Daniel Mattingly, who led his team to a regular season record of 7-1 along with assistant coaches Mike Siciliano, Jeff Crawley, Zach Barr, Brock Smith, and Mike Vallot.
They’ll Be Back
Coach Mattingly, who serves the City of Oviedo as a police officer, has been coaching the Lions for the past five years. Some of the boys have played together since they were five years old. Coach Mattingly’s son Clayton plays quarterback for the team and is eager to get back on the field.
“It was cool to play for a national championship,” says Clayton, “and I will be back next year for our team to try again.”
Adds Coach Mattingly, “Before we started playing in the Super Bowl, I told them no matter what, we were still one of the top eight teams in the country. The hard work was done. I told them to enjoy it and have fun.”
The team’s journey to the Pop Warner Super Bowl began with conditioning in May before the season kickoff in August. Ultimately, the Lions finished as one of the top three Pop Warner football teams in the nation.
“With hundreds of Pop Warner teams throughout the country,” says Coach Mattingly, “it is an amazing accomplishment, and I couldn’t be prouder of the boys.”
A Force To Be Reckoned With
To advance to the Pop Warner Super Bowl, the Lions first had to win the Mid-Florida League Championship, followed by the Regional Championship. Teams that win at the regional level advance to the Super Bowl, a seven-day event in Orlando, for the opportunity to be crowned national champion in their division of play. More than 70 teams participated in the event this time around. Division 1 9U was made up of eight teams from various parts of the country, with the Lions representing the Southeast Region.
The Lions dominated play all season long. The team’s only loss was to rival Lake Mary, 13-12, in its second-to-last game. In a subsequent grudge match, the Lions bested the Rams 20-6 in the Mid-Florida playoffs before defeating Tampa’s West Chase Colts 14-0 in the Regional Championship, carrying a 12-1 record into the Nationals.
The Lions first test in the Super Bowl was the Billerica Warriors from Billerica, Massachusetts. The Lions took control of the quarterfinal game, shutting out the visiting Northerners 32-0, posting their final win of the season before their loss in the semifinals. For the season, the Oviedo Lions Pop Warner Division 1 9U totaled 13 wins and two losses. Coach Mattingly was not surprised at the team’s many accomplishments.
“When the kids showed up for conditioning last spring, we thought we had a chance,” says Coach Mattingly. “And then they kept winning and winning. They played with such heart and determination all year.”