The Northwest Raiders win 13-8, advance to Pop Warner National Championship game

The Northwest Raiders advanced to the 2011 Pop Warner National Championship finals with a 13-8 victory over the Pfafftown (NC) Packers on Wednesday afternoon.

The game was scoreless until late in the third quarter when Nasir Bonner broke a pair of long runs to put the team in scoring position. Penalties prevented Yusuf Tribble from giving the Raiders – who play and train in Germantown – a two-touchdown lead with just over seven minutes left in the game.

That became a problem when their opponents took an 8-6 lead on an 83-yard touchdown pass with just 3:46 remaining. The undefeated Raiders, however, didn’t sulk. Rather, they drove down the field and Shaquille Jones scored the winning rushing touchdown with 1:18 left.

The Raiders will face the winner of the Florida City Razorbacks vs. Detroit Dolphins game to be played this afternoon.

“We’re going to relax and enjoy this one, then we’ll get back on the field,” Raiders Coach Duane Watson told an interviewer from ESPN3 immediately after the game.