Since Charles Brown spent his days teaching at John F. Kennedy Middle School, the Inner-City Steelers Pop Warner football team has spent its autumn nights giving local children a different kind of education.

&uot;They’re winners,&uot; Brown said, watching the Steelers and their cheerleaders prepare for upcoming gridiron battle. &uot;I’m very proud of them. The coaches are the best teachers in the world. To win, you have to bring everyone together. They teach the kids to be courageous, to be fair, and to respect their opponents.&uot;

For the next two Saturdays, the kids will get a chance to show what they’ve learned away from Suffolk; this weekend, the flag football team, which went 7-1 this season, will take part in the Olive Branch Flag Jamboree. On Nov. 19, the junior midget team – also a 7-1 finisher – and the midget team will head down to Gastonia, N.C. for bowl games.

&uot;It’s special, because it’s a bowl game,&uot; said junior midget quarterback DeQuan Fofana. &uot;We have to do better. I’ll help by running, and most of my touchdowns came from throwing this year.&uot;

His flag counterpart Travis Ingram was ready as well.

&uot;I feel good,&uot; Travis said. &uot;I’m going to try to get the ball off. I like it when my momma cheers for me.&uot;

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com