Boca Braves Boast Best Season Ever

That Aidan Tropepe and the Boca Braves fell one point shy of attaining the improbable barely subtracts from achievements best classified as remarkable.

In his first season playing tackle football, Tropepe unexpectedly emerged as the Braves quarterback, leading the 14-under team to within a game of the American Youth Football national championship.

“That's a little unheard of, a first year quarterback taking his team to the Super Bowl, but it wasn't just me,” Tropepe said. “It's the amazing group of guys we have. They didn't hesitate to welcome me in and we just went from there.” 

Original starting quarterback Kirk Chery's injury in the final game of the regular season thrust Tropepe into the starting role. He promptly led the undefeated Braves through the playoffs, claiming the local Super Bowl title in his second career start. 

The wins didn't stop there. Buoyed by a stingy defense featuring linebackers Erik Decosta and Hunter Folkening, the Braves cruised through the ensuing regional tournament, defeating teams from Jacksonville and Tampa to earn a berth in the National Championship tournament. 

Boca prevailed over a Nevada-based team in the first round before falling 13-12 to a team from Michigan in the national semifinals. Tropepe threw a touchdown in the loss, with big-play master Steve Damus tossing the other off a jet sweep. Xavier Jimenez caught both touchdowns.

“They've been working hard since May,” said Mark Sainmervil, who pulls double duty as the 14-under coach and Braves football commissioner. “Love the accomplishment. From where they came from, where they started, to where we are now, they did an outstanding job.” 

The 14-under's Braves run capped the most successful season in the Boca Braves' 15-year history. Their 7-under team also fell in the semifinals of the national tournament. Never before had the Braves sent even one team to the national tournament.

“Very disciplined for being seven years old and how focused they are,” Sainmervil said. “I can't wait to see them when they're 10,11, 12. They're just gonna be dominant.”

Seven of the Braves nine teams reached their league's Super Bowl, with the 8-under and 10-under teams joining the 7-under and 14-under as Super Bowl champions.

All Braves' teams practice and play their home games at Patch Reef Park.

“Patch Reef is great, and since they've gone to artificial turf, we've been able to practice more,” Sainmervil said. “They never closed the fields down like they used to when it was grass because they didn't want us ripping up the grass halfway through the season. This has been our home.”

Sainmervil believes the Braves success this season validates the organization's approach to youth football.

“The mission here at Boca Braves is, starting from the kids at 5 all the way up to the kids that turned 15, is to get them ready for the next level - high school ready,” Sainmervil said. “Teach them the fundamentals and teach them right way to play football. Besides just football, we also try to get them prepared for school, get them prepared for life. We try to make leaders and mentors out of these groups of young men.”