BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – At one end of the bridge you’ve got the Melbourne Ducks. At the other, the Satellite Beach Seahawks.
These birds do not flock together.
“It’s a friendly rivalry, I guess you’d say, instead of a tough one. But it’s a rivalry nonetheless,” said Butch Grantland, head coach of the Melbourne team.
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They’ll square off in the East Coast Conference’s Pop Warner Super Bowl Sunday at Merritt Island High School.
“We’ve always kind of done well, you know, but we sort of get close and never get to extend our season this deep,” Satellite Beach head coach John Wallace said.
This is the 12 and under division.
A lot of these rivals know one another, and there’s a common thread.
“I’m really lucky to be here and really grateful to be on this team,” said Satellite Beach linebacker Stella McChrystal.
Coaches have had to tread carefully along the way.
“Keeping separation as much as possible, working more in groups than whole team,” Grantland said.
But despite all the safety protocols and some roster turnover, this is the payoff.
“I think these kids were starving for the social interaction they weren’t getting,” Wallace said.
Sunday’s kickoff is set for 1 p.m.