EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The East St. Louis Junior Flyers are heading to nationals.
The team needed to raise $10,000 by Thursday to travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the National Youth Championship. The money would pay for boarding, travel, activities and food for all 28 boys on the team.
On Thursday, they hit their goal thanks to more than 100 donors on GoFundMe.
The National Youth Championship is an invite-only event for the best teams in the nation, and the Junior Flyers are right up there.
The 13-year-old eighth-graders beat all 10 teams they played this season and went on to win the JFL Super Bowl 13U Division Title.
They are the top junior football team in Illinois and the seventh-best team in the nation.
"My guys are smart, fast and they listen to all of their coaches. The boys put the work in. The sweat and tears. The hot days in the summer. The cold days in the winter and it all paid off," said Marcell Phiffer, the team’s head coach.
The young football players say capturing the national title will be a win-win for their team and East St. Louis.
"I think it will be really fun. We come back with a big trophy and put the city on the map," said Jamil Thomas, one of the players on the team.
The East St. Louis Senior High School Flyers football team captured the Class 6A state football title last weekend. They finished the season with a perfect 14-0 record.