Pop Warner Opens Season

Winchester players have been practicing for 21 days, four times a week to get to Thursday night.

The Winchester elementary Pop Warner team did play their first scrimmage on Tuesday, but this was different. This was at home. For over three decades Winchester hadn't fielded a pop warner team. And now the program, with five teams, three of which played last night, are in full swing.

"We've got a good group of kids here," said coach and Chairman of the Winchester Pop Warner Executive Board, Brandon Bergstrom. "We're real excited for them to start playing."

While Friday's game was only an exhibition against Reading, it was still a memorable event. Not only was this the first home game for the Sachems, but it was also the first time they played on the new field at Knowlton Stadium.

The Winchester Field Development Committee, led by Paul Manganaro, helped raise money to install a new turf field, along with a scoreboard and bleachers. The field opened last November and fielded one high school football game before the season concluded.

Now the pop warner, middle school and high school teams all have their own home field to play on.

"We're very excited to be on this new field," said President of the Executive Board, Mike Bongiorno, Sr. "This is also the first time they've been in their real uniforms. It's very excited and was a lot of fun."

In the program's first exhibition game on Tuesday, the Sachems travelled to Wilmington to play on the grass field in the rain and the mud. Thursday night's experience was a little more pleasant.

"That first exhibition game, it was pretty sloppy," Bongiorno said. "But this is the perfect night to open up our field."

"I really like it," said Winchester tail back John Abbott talking about playing on the team. "We're the first ever pop warner to play on this field, so that's pretty fun. I thought we did well, (Reading's) a tough team."

The Sachems had three of their five teams going last night and will open the season Sunday, Sep. 12 against Westboro. The program is still finalizing its schedule so location and times are yet to be determined. 

"That first game's going to be a big day for our program," we can't wait," Bongiorno said. "We're all counting the days."

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