Lakeview-Sibley has emerged as top rivalry

After five weeks, the Lakeview Lions and Sibley Saints understand that Saturday’s game against each other was for all the marbles.

Lakeview students have been practicing on their own, lining up in formations and doing drills after school without coaches or parents directing them.

The Sibley Elementary school lunchroom has been abuzz all fall as students there talk about upcoming flag football games before and after school, and at lunch.

“They’re very competitive,” program coordinator Bill Villarreal said, of the two teams. “When they win, they’ve got a little swagger.”

Villarreal said that the Hawthorne and Halverson teams are competitive too, but have fewer sixth-graders, and that Halverson will be the team to watch in the coming years.

The inaugural season of the Albert Lea Family Y youth football program, where each public elementary school has a team and play each other on Saturday morning at the Hammer Field complex, is going better than expected, according to Villarreal.

He said he has roughly 100 more players this year than last year.

“The kids are so fired up and they love playing football,” Villarreal said.

The biggest surprise for coaches is how quickly the athletes have caught on, according to Villarreal.

The teams have 11 players on the field at once and run all formations, including the shotgun.

Villarreal also said that the defensive lineman must start on their hands and knees because the best athletes could get to the quarterback too quickly.

“They’re going to be prepared for the next level,” Villarreal said, noting how excited he is to see these players form one team at the junior high level. “The program is much better than we had before.”

Villarreal also expressed gratitude for the Albert Lea Tigers football players that have helped out, the Grizzles players and Al Christenson.

“They put their heart into it,” Villarreal said. “They put in a lot of time, too.”

Saturday is the final week of the Family Y youth football program’s 2010 season.