By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

The Dolphins marched down the field with ease on the first drive of the game to score. The Bears, however, controlled the remainder of the game.

The Bears defeated the Dolphins 16-6 to win the 9- and 10-year-old Selma youth football championship at Memorial Stadium Monday. After surrendering an early touchdown, Keon Hope took over, accounting for all of the Bears’ 16 points to cap off an undefeated season for the Bears.

“We finished the regular season 7-0, and I told the guys before the playoffs started, ‘we only have two games to win, so finish strong,’” said Bears head coach Cajun Pritchett.

The Bears took the advice, outscoring the Dolphins 16-0 in the second half. It was the Dolphins, however, who started stronger.

The Dolphins’ Jayln Jones scored a 4-yard touchdown to put the Dolphins up 6-0 with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. With a chance to take a bigger lead, the Dolphins’ defense forced a turnover on downs, but the offense fumbled the ball away in the second quarter.

“We played them good for two quarters and then that one fumble changed up the whole game,” said Dolphins head coach Joe Dailey. “You can’t make mental mistakes like that.”

The Bears tried some passing plays in the first half, but the passes weren’t being completed. Pritchett said he decided to go back to what the players were more comfortable with in the second half.

“As a coach I had to adjust,” Pritchett said. “I was trying to run something new, but I had to take it back to the basics, and it seemed to work.”

With a gameplan more dedicated to the run, Hope seized control of the game in the second half. He broke off a 52-yard run early in the third quarter. He capped off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

The Bears took their first lead of the game when Hope ran in the two-point conversion.

Late in the fourth quarter, Hope put an exclamation point on the victory with a 3-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion.

“He did everything I asked him,” Pritchett said of Hope. “The guy goes 110 percent every play.”

Dailey said he thought his team was ready to win the game, but he was still pleased with the effort he saw from his players all season.

“I’m proud,” Dailey said. “We only lost two games to them and we beat everybody else.”