The Suffolk Steelers Pee Wee and Midget football teams will be taking their talents down to Greenville, North Carolina on Saturday to put the finishing touches on two excellent seasons.

The Pee Wee team put together a 7-1 regular season record and last Saturday, the Steelers romped to a Beach Bowl victory in Virginia Beach against Apex, N.C., 31-6.

The Midget team meanwhile had the combination of a bowl game and a big rivalry game.

Squaring off for the third time against the Virginia Beach Mustangs, after each side had a win in the regular season, the Steelers won, 14-6, improving to an 8-3 record.

&uot;It’s been a really good year,&uot; said Pee Wee coach Fred Greene on Tuesday at practice at John F. Kennedy Middle School while both teams prepared for Saturday.

&uot;Everyone’s come a long way.

We have a good nucleus and a lot of younger guys who will be back on the team next season.&uot;

&uot;It’s been a long time since we’ve had an 8-1 record.&uot;

For the Midget team, last Saturday’s win, &uot;was very big,&uot; said coach Kevin Shepherd, Sr.

&uot;They have been our main rivals.

That made it very special to beat them.&uot;

&uot;I wanted revenge,&uot; said Steeler player Walter Boykins, &uot;they beat us the second time we played them.&uot;

Boykins scored one of the Steeler touchdowns and had an interception against the Mustangs. Boykins has four TDs on the season and has led the defense in tackles.

Ty Lewis was another key player Saturday, rushing for about 100 yards.

That makes over 900 yards on the season and Lewis leads the team with seven touchdowns.

&uot;I’d have more, but most of them have been called back,&uot; said Lewis.

&uot;It’s a really good team,&uot; said Lewis, &uot;there’s a lot of teamwork.&uot;

&uot;Our coaches are the best coaches,&uot; said Boykins, &uot;they’ve taught me basically everything I know, especially Coach Shep.&uot;

One of the Midget assistant coaches, Steve &uot;Biggie&uot; Myrick, has been sick throughout much of the season, said Shepherd, but Myrick is now doing better.

Shepherd thanks Myrick, his assistant coaches and the parents for the season, as well as a number of team sponsors around Suffolk.

Those sponsors include, the Suffolk Booster Club, Please Wash Me, B. Love Racing, Scooby’s Dream I and II, B. Lab Entertainment, Professional Touch Barber Shop, Antonio Simmons, the Public Works Department, S and S Racing and Leroy Scott, Jr.

Since the Steelers have a winning record on the field, that excitement and success makes the non-football goals of the Steelers just a little bit easier for Greene and the other coaches.

&uot;We try to teach them about dignity and respect, and the importance of education, that’s what we try to instill in these young men.

&uot;We want these guys to be role model citizens.

We make sure they are making good grades,&uot; said Greene, &uot;and we have quite a few A and A/B students.&uot;

&uot;Thanks to the other coaches, and Johnnie Edwards, the president, and David Baker, our founder.

And thank you to all the parents and especially all the kids,&uot; said Greene.