Just as they did for the past few weeks, parents and friends of the Nansemond-Suffolk Pop Warner Pee-Wee football team got together to watch their youngsters hit the gridiron on Tuesday evening, checking out the second-oldest of five Saint teams pound the ball past their opponents on the grass of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

There were just a few differences. The game wasn’t live; it was on a DVD that coach Billy Hannah had put together to commemorate the team’s 5-3 season. And the adults weren’t crowding up the bleachers at NSA; they were in the banquet room of the Fire Mountain on Main Street to celebrate the season.

&uot;The large turnout is indicative of the support that the coaches and players received as a team,&uot; said coach Robert Lamm. &uot;As quickly as we compliment the parents, we quickly compliment the players for being a fine group of young men.

&uot;This was a great season,&uot; Lamm said. &uot;Not by accident and without exception, everyone on the team improved this year. They were looking to be better; they didn’t take shortcuts. It has been very enjoyable working with them on a very successful season. Hopefully, they can I day share it with their sons.&uot;

Bobby Lamm got the Offensive Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the Golden Helmet honor, presented to the player who best exemplifies the team’s philosophy of &uot;Pride, Respect, Love, Protect, Togetherness!&uot; Chris Moorefield got the Defensive MVP award, while Darius Miller was named the team’s overall MVP.

&uot;I have always loved football, whether playing or watching,&uot; said team founder David Birdsong, who was presented a likeness of himself by the Pee-Wee coaches. &uot;So when I began to coach, I realized how important it was for me to teach the sport and all that came with it. I have always tried to share my love of the game with the young men.

&uot;I’ve learned that you leave a little piece of yourself with everything you teach,&uot; said Birdsong, whose junior midget team won the first state title in league history this season and heads to Winston-Salem tonight to play in the Mid-South Regionals. &uot;So as I look around the room at these young men who came out to play football on Aug. 1 when they could have had another month of the summer to sit around, some of them do no know what a strong sacrifice they made, because they simply love the game of football.&uot;

&uot;I will admit that this was a bigger deal than I thought it would be. There is no way it could have been done without the coaches you see tonight and the parents as well. It was a group effort, and I am very proud of everyone that made it happen.&uot;

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com