Long Island youth football team gets to play at MetLife Stadium before Jets-Falcons game

If you’re too focused on finding Aaron Rodgers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you might miss the Franklin Square youth football team taking the field.

The team of 12-year-olds won the Nassau County Youth Football League championship on Nov. 19. The 32-6 victory over Bellmore capped a 10-0 season.

Franklin Square will scrimmage against North Burlington at MetLife Stadium before the Jets take on the Falcons.

“I’ve had pretty much the same core kids since they were 8,” coach Rich D’Orsa said. “It’s been a nice ride.”

Jake D’Orsa said it’s fun to have his dad as his coach, especially when he’s yelling at the team filled with his friends. Although the team has made the trip to the stadium before, it’s another thing to arrive as league champions.

“We had more chemistry down from playing over the past few years,” Jake D’Orsa said. “We just played our hardest every game.”

Logan Alvarado, who is a Jets fan, said he’s most excited to play on the same field his favorite team plays on, even if he doesn’t have a favorite player.

Quarterback Thomas Niedermyer shared that sentiment, saying he’ll always remember the shutouts and big plays from this year, even if there were too many to count.

“[Winning the championship] feels good, because we eliminated the team that eliminated us last year,” Niedermyer said. “That adds a lot to it.”

Teammate Dylan Blot, whose favorite player is Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, scored three touchdowns in the championship game.

“It’s just fun playing with [my teammates],” Blot said. “They’re aggressive.”

Rich D’Orsa stressed that there was no shortage of impressive players throughout a sterling season. Take offensive lineman Declan Medica, for example. D’Orsa described him as a “player-coach” on the field, which makes sense, given that Medica’s father is one of the coaches.

“The biggest, most consistent reason we won was because of the offensive line,” D’Orsa said. “. . . The kid’s football IQ is through the roof. He makes line changes, he calls plays out there. He’s a very smart player, very consistent and never misses practice.”

Now there’s only one more call to make, and that’s to get on the road for the drive to East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.

“It’s been amazing to see them grow,” D’Orsa said. “The majority of them are going to go to school at Carey High School together. So it’s going to be fun, as a fan and as a dad, to watch them continue their careers and get better.”