Pop Warner Team Fighting For Donations To Get To Championship

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Southside Falcons have worked diligently on the field all season and kept their grades above a 2.0. As such, the Southeast Dallas Pop Warner team closed the year with an undefeated record.

However, money may keep the boys out of the league's Super Bowl, which is held in Orlando Florida.

The team's coaches say it will cost $25,000 to transport the team and coaches by bus and to pay for hotel rooms. Donors have stepped up to the plate and parents have pitched in all they can. But team organizer Rodney Agee said they're still several thousand dollars short and they have until Thursday.

"We're thanking God for the donations that people have given us, but we can't afford to go," said Savon Rollison, 14, who plays running back and middle linebacker. "But we're trying, we're trying."

The coaches have searched for additional donors and on Wednesday, radio station K-104 donated $1,000 to the team.

Head Coach Anthony Anderson said many of the boys live near the poverty level and with single parents.

"There's always someone around to recruit them," Anderson said. "Recruit them into gangs or recruit them into selling drugs."

The Southside Falcons ended their regular season last weekend with an impressive 11-0 record. Many of the parents hope to also go to the Pop Warner Super Bowl if the team raises enough money for the trip.

"It surprised me, honestly, but then after I saw a couple of games and seen that we didn't have one child talented. We have four, five, six, seven boys that are actually talented," said mother Toya Guinyard, who has two boys who play for the team.

Arico Evans is 13 and the quarterback. His mother Lashunda Edwards said Arico is maturing under Anderson's leadership.

Many residents who live near the Juanita Craft Recreation Center, where the team practices, come to see how well they play.

"My son, I don't know, that's all he talks about," Edwards said.