ORLANDO — One down, two to go.
The Gilroy Browns knocked off the Wareham Tigers (Mass.), 28-20, in the opening round of the 57th Pop Warner Super Bowl Junior Midget Division II Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
The Browns found themselves playing catch-up for most of the game before finally tying it 20-20 in the fourth quarter.Â
With just under five minutes left to play Gilroy came up with a big stop, holding the Tigers on 4-and-1 at the Browns’ 20-yard-line to get the ball back. Gilroy was able to score and came up with the 2-point conversion off the foot of Jacob Beardsley with just over a minute left to secure the win.
“They played their hearts out; we were behind the whole game,” Browns coach Richard Salazar said. “They stepped up. We’ve always been a second half team and they just started stepping up and putting every ounce of energy they had in to pull out that win.”
The win advances the Browns to the semifinals where they will take on the Jensen Beach Falcons at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday. The game will be be broadcast live on ESPN3 and will be shown at Stubby’s Sports Bar and Grill in Gilroy.
“They’re (Falcons) the favorites to win the championship,” Salazar said. “They’re big and they’re fast — actually, they’re really fast. …They’re a good team, but we’re a good team.”
The Browns game will be broadcast live from Orlando at 10:15 a.m. on ESPN3.
Stubby’s Bar and Grill, 707 1st Street, will be broadcasting the Gilroy-Jensen Beach game.Â
