The Marshall Heights Bison win 2011 Pop Warner Pee Wee National Football Championship

Pop Warner Contact: Kevin Clark, (202) 498-2243
DPR Media Contact: John Stokes, (202) 288-7275

Washington, DC - On Saturday, December 10th, a DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) youth football team, the Marshall Heights Bison, became the 2011 55th Pop Warner Division 1 Pee Wee National Football Champions. The Bison defeated the East Bay Wildcats from California 34-6 in the final game to claim the title at the Pop Warner Super Bowl held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. During the week long Super Bowl the Bison won games against the New Havens Steelers, 23-0 and the Texas Oak Cliff Titans, 27-6. Their record for the season is an outstanding 15-0.

DPR is only one of two recreation departments in the country to hold a Pop Warner charter.

The 2010 Pop Warner Champion Beacon House Falcons, also from DC, are the 2011 National Junior Pee Wee National Runner-up Champions. The 2011 Eastern Regional Champions lost to the Sweetwater Ravens from Florida, 13-7 in double overtime. Beacon House also won the 2007 Pee Wee National Championship title. The Falcons end the season with an impressive record of 14-1.

"DPR is extremely proud of the Marshall Heights Bison and the Beacon House Falcons for representing the District at the Pop Warner Championships,” said DPR Director Jesus Aguirre. “The combination of strong discipline, professionalism, dedication and hard work by the parents, coaches, youth, community and government staff led to the historic moment where two teams from DC participated in the championships. For the third year in a row DC teams have brought home the hardware."

Mayor Vincent C. Gray will host a pizza celebration in honor of the Marshall Heights Bison and the Beacon House Falcons at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW at 5:30pm on Tuesday, December 13th. The celebration is sponsored in part by the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation.