Home field advantage

DNYF plays at home for 1st time this season on Sun.

Adam Kell of the Del Norte Youth Football League AAA team goes up for a reception during practice on Wednesday.

While it has been a little bit of a wait  to finally play in Crescent City this season, the good news is that being away from home hasn’t stopped the teams, which feature kids 8-14 years old, from having good starts.

Out of five teams, three squads, the A Gold team, the AA Blue team and the AA Gold team are undefeated at 3-0. Last season, all five DNYF teams made the playoffs and the AAA squad won the title.

“All the kids are doing really well,” said DNYF president Lance Scribner.  “To travel the first three weeks is kind of hard and all the teams are doing pretty good. Everyone is really happy to be home this weekend ... All the kids are looking forward to playing in front of the home fans.”

This season, about 150 kids are playing football and about 45 are taking part in cheer squads, Scribner said.

The A Blue team is 1-1 and the AAA Warriors are 1-2 after earning a 15-0 win against Arcata on Sunday.

“The boys earned it,” Jim Maready, the AAA head coach said. “They worked hard.”

The victory was a confidence booster for his team, which lost the first two games by narrow margins, he said.

DNYF AAA head coach Jim Maready goes over plays with his offense during practice on Wednesday at Del Norte High School. The team, along with the rest of DNYF, play at home on Sunday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

It also does not hurt to finally be able to play in familiar surroundings.

Maready said the squad is pumped up about playing at home and is looking forward to a large crowd of fans that have regularly attended games.

Del Norte, he said, has quite loyal fans, who sometimes outnumber the fans of opposing teams even when the local teams are on the road.

“We’re glad to be back home, that’s for sure,” Maready said.

All the games on Sunday will take place at Mike Whalen Field at Del Norte High School.

Here is the schedule:

• DNYF A Gold team versus EJLF Green, 8 a.m.

• DNYF AA Gold team versus EJLF Green, 10 a.m.

• DNYF A Blue team versus ERV Silver, noon

• DNYF Blue team versus FYF, 2 p.m.

• DNYF AAA versus FYF, 4 p.m.