By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

Local 8th graders Dennis Whitmore (left) and Jose Rios were selected to play on the Utah All-Star team in an upcoming National Championship tournament. Photo by Vernon Robison.

Local youngsters, Jose Rios and Dennis Whitmore are embarking next month on a path that could lead them to San Antonio, Texas and a national football championship. The two boys, who play as offensive linemen on the 8th grade Pirate Football team have been selected to play on a newly assembled Utah All-star Team in the inaugural Football University (FBU) National Championship.

The FBU National Championship begins Thanksgiving weekend. The tournament is five rounds long and features teams from 32 states across the country. The first three rounds will take place at regional sites and the semifinals and finals will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, following the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The winner will be able to lay claim to being the nation’s top 8th grade team.

For Rios and Whitmore, the adventure will begin on November 11 when the Utah team will begin a rigorous two-week practice schedule. Then the fun will really begin on November 26, when the Utah team will go up against the Nevada all-stars in the first-round game to be held in Hurricane, Utah.

The boys were selected for the Utah team because Pirate team competes in a Youth Football USA league based in southern Utah.

Though he is the father of young Dennis, eighth-grade Pirate coach Dennis Whitmore said he had little to do with the final selection for the team.

“I was asked to give the names of six of our best players on the team,” Coach Whitmore said. “I did that. But then they sent out a scout earlier this month to watch us play. Of those six boys, they chose only two to be on the Utah team.”

The boys were excited to be chosen as part of the elite team of only 35 all-star youth in all of the state of Utah.

“I was totally surprised to be chosen,” said Rios. “This is only my first year playing and I was not expecting anything like this.”

“I’m looking forward to playing football with the best of the best in our league,” said Whitmore. “It makes you kind of nervous to be joining a team where everyone on the team is a really good player.”

If the Utah team wins the Thanksgiving weekend game against Nevada they will advance to the next round which will be held in California. The third round will pit a Western bracket winner against a Northwestern bracket winner. The winner of that game will go to the Alamodome for the semi-finals and finals.

The boys’ transportation costs will be provided by the team. But other expenses including lodging costs are the responsibility of the boys, Coach Whitmore said.

“We will be going to the community trying to raise funds for the boys’ expenses,” Whitmore said.

Anyone wishing to be a sponsor for these two local athletes can contact Coach Dennis Whitmore at 702-682-8073.