HARLINGEN — While Friday nights are usually associated with high school football, Saturday afternoon belongs to the future stars like those on the Texas WolfPack BabyWolves flag football team.
At 2 p.m. Saturday at the Harlingen South mini-stadium, the BabyWolves will face off against the Mission Mustangs in a battle of unbeatens.
“This is a huge game for us,” said Sandy Flores, whose 4-year-old son, Shaun Flores Jr., is a member of the team. “They’ve been working hard this season and this is a game against a very good team.”
The BabyWolves have indeed been solid this season as they sport a 5-0 record with two games left to play after this weekend.
The team began the 2016 season with a 33-13 win over the Weslaco Thunder. They followed that win with a 48-0 shutout victory over the Brownsville Falcons.
In their third game of the season, they thumped the Brownsville Cowboys 46-6, beat up on the Edinburg Saber Tooths 34-0 in their fourth game and, just last week, ripped the Edinburg Javelinas 48-7.
“This is the first year my son has played football and he absolutely loves it,” said Sandy. “It’s been a lot of fun seeing how far he and the rest of the team has come in the short time since they started this season. They’ve all learned a lot and they are having a great time playing.”
Naturally, Sandy realizes that if Shaun Jr. decides to keep playing football, he will eventually have to trade in his shorts and football flags for a helmet and pads.
“As a mother it does concern me about what they say about football, head injuries and future health problems. Any mother would feel concern,” she said. “But at the same time, it’s up to him if he wants to continue playing football and if he does, I’ll support his decision.
“But right now, I’m just enjoying watching him and his team learn the basics and have fun. It’s so interesting to see how hard they work and how focused they are.”
