Pittsburgh Elite 10U rises to No. 1 ranking nationwide

After winning two of three tournaments to start the season, the Pittsburgh Elite 10U flag football team is now ranked No. 1 in the nation in a division that consists of around 60 teams.

Pittsburgh Elite (15-1), coached by Penn Hills alum Jayvin Turner, recently won all five games in the Battle in Bethlehem on June 9 to capture a second tournament title.

In Bethlehem, Pittsburgh Elite 10U outscored opponents 146-0, and quarterback Devin Harris was named tournament MVP after throwing no interceptions.

The tournament victory comes off the heels of their first loss in the championship game of the Beast of the East in Pottstown on May 18-19.

“It just shows the kids are hungry to get better and they got that taste of a loss. They showed me how they overcome a loss. They showed me they won’t just give up. After one loss, they know to come back, practice and get better,” Turner said.

In the Battle in Bethlehem, Turner’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Korey Rea, confused opposing offenses with their new look scheme.

During the tournament, there was only one time the opposing team threatened to score on Pittsburgh Elite 10U. However, Robinson Rea made an interception deep in their territory to thwart the scoring threat.

Earlier in the year, Pittsburgh Elite 10U team won the Mid-Atlantic tournament in Maryland where they outscored their opponents 131-27 in the five games. The team captured the tournament after a 32-0 win over the Calvert Steelers.

After playing up in age last year, Turner is pleased to reach the top spot in their division in just the program’s second year.

“Honestly, to be No. 1 in the country is the best feeling ever. The hard work is paying off. We have one more goal to be national champions. I got to keep the kids humble and not let this stuff get to their heads,” Turner said.

With the tournament wins, the Pittsburgh Elite 10U team earned an automatic bid for the national championships in Tampa Bay on Jan. 18-19.

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

“Practice just gets harder. I don’t let practice get easier after wins. I don’t want them to get too comfortable with where they are. I just want them to know they can get better every single day,” Turner said.

Before the national championships, the Pittsburgh Elite 10U team will participate 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.

“Going into nationals with the No. 1 seed would mean that I, as the coach, would need to keep the kids humble. I might tell them that we aren’t the No. 1 seed at that point,” Turner said.

“I will let the kids know that this is another moment where their hard work has gotten them. The kids have to remain humble if that moment comes to us.”

Aside from potentially having the top seed in the national championship tournament, Turner wants to make sure his team is peaking at the right time.

“We want to keep the momentum going,” he said. “We don’t want to suffer another loss. The goal is come out and play football at 100%. We want to win each game and tournament so we go into nationals on a high note.”