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Naples, FL– The FBU National Championship tournament concluded yesterday in Naples and it was a tremendous display of some of the most talented middle school athletes in the country. Team North Texas 8th grade completed a third consecutive championship win by blowing past GFL from North Georgia to the tune of 30-0. Coach Ray Mickens of North Texas is the first coach in tournament history (since 2011) to win three titles and all consecutively.
His team beat one of the best programs in the tournament, GFL, who has won two championships in 2012 and 2013 at 8th grade under the leadership of Ken Burge.
Team Broward County also made history.
They won both the 6th grade and 7th grade championships with ease over North Texas 6th grade and Seattle, Washington in 7th grade. Sixth grade head coach Johnny ‘Mal’ Gaines led his team to an outstanding tournament finish, where they were never really tested in the six games they played. Coach Chris McGonigal’s 7th grade team had a similar run, playing their closest game against in state rival, team Dade County in the first round of the tournament.
McGonigal, the Broward County Team director, was a runner-up at 6th grade last year but this season he won it all.
Broward becomes the first program to win multiple championships during the same tournament year. No team has ever won more than one.
Overall, the championship was a great display of athleticism and sportsmanship and was excellently run by Football University. Take a peek through the eyes of our Football Hotbed cameras to experience what it was like to be in Naples this past weekend. Hoover over the photo album to click through the photos below.
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