Penn Hills players help Pittsburgh Elite flag football climb national rankings

Last fall, the Penn Hills football program won its first PIAA championship since 1995. Jayvin Turner, a Penn Hills graduate, is trying to do his part for future championships by laying the foundation for the next group of Penn Hills athletes.

Turner is in his second year coaching the Pittsburgh Elite 10U travel flag football team that consists mostly of players from the Penn Hills community.

The Pittsburgh Elite 10U team, which is ranked second in the nation out of nearly 60 teams in the division, has jumped out to a 10-1 record this year. The team has won a tournament and was the runner-up in a second tournament.

“Last year, we were playing up. We should’ve played at 9U, but we played up in the 10U. This year, we’re in our right age division. I guess that can play a big factor in our success this year,” Turner said.

In the opening Mid-Atlantic tournament in Maryland in April, the Pittsburgh Elite 10U team outscored opponents 131-27 in five games. The team secured a title after a 32-0 win over the Calvert Steelers in the championship.

With the tournament win, the Pittsburgh Elite earned an automatic bid to the national championships in Tampa Bay, Fla., on Jan. 18 and 19.

The Pittsburgh Elite 10U team looked to be on its way to another tournament title at the Beast of the East in Potts­town on May 18 and 19 but fell short after losing to Ryan Football, 12-0, in the championship.

“For the team to have this type of success early on, it just shows we have a bright future, especially with all the tournaments we have left. We can only get better, and that goes for all the teams in our organization. The goal is to put Pittsburgh Elite on the map,” Turner said.

This season, the team is led by two players who excel at wide receiver and defensive back — Rio Stotts and Robinson Rea. The quarterback is Devin Harris.

Stotts was named most valuable player of the Mid-Atlantic tournament, while Robinson was named defensive most valuable player. Both made numerous touchdown catches and interceptions.

Other team members include Zion Hauser, Kam Beckley, Jayden Beckley, Jordan Creach and Carter Bonner.

Turner believes he has an opportunity to teach important fundamentals of the sport as the players progress through the age groups in the years to come.

“It’s great since seeing Penn Hills win the state championship this year now I have an opportunity to coach these kids up to give them another opportunity to win a state championship whenever their time comes,” Turner said. “It’s great to give back to the community and be a big role model to these kids that might not have one or is in need of one.”

The 10U team, which is one of five teams in the Pittsburgh Elite organization, will look to participate in many more tournaments leading to the national championship tournament in January.

Turner believes the team will participate in the Battle in Bethlehem on June 9, the Grid Iron Wars in Elizabeth, N.J., on July 7, Summer Nationals in Canton, Ohio, on July 19-21, as well as the Steel City Showdown at Schenley Park on Aug. 4.

This will be the first year in which the Steel City Showdown will have a bid for the national championships on the line.

Turner is excited to show off his hometown and for his players to show off their talents to their friends and family.

“Not everyone gets to experience the Pittsburgh feel. Not everyone knows the true definition of black and gold. When you play your rivals from Virginia, you want to show off Pittsburgh,” Turner said. “There are family members for the 60 kids in the organization that don’t get to see them play on this travel team. When the kids get to finally play at home, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

The Pittsburgh Elite program, which has teams that span all of the Pittsburgh area, has its 9U (sixth) and 11U (eighth) teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The 14U team is ranked 16th, while the 12U team is ranked 28th.