Most kids never get to play in a championship game. Few kids get to experience winning one. And how many kids get to ride on a fire truck with a police escort to the big game?

For the junior Dolphins Coral Springs flag football team, that was exactly the case at the C.S.F.F.C. 26th Annual Super Bowl at Aiello Field.

Yet the team, filled with 10- and 11-year-olds, was so excited for the game that players took to an open field just beyond the parked fire engine and scrimmaged with each other while waiting for the procession to start.

Coral Springs' Engine 71 led the motorcade, along with as many as eight Broward Sheriff's Office escorts that raced ahead and closed each intersection to allow the Dolphins' procession through. The truck was followed by 16 motorcycles from the Wings of Gold Club, Post 162 Deerfield Beach and Post 277 Boca Raton and was sealed up by a trail of decorated vehicles full of parents and fans who escorted many of the players on the back of decorated pickup trucks.

The event was heavily attended, and the games didn't disappoint. All three title games were close, with the final outcome hanging in the balance until the very end in each of the three matchups.

The junior Dolphins motorcade went from Betti Stradling Park to the playing field, stopping everything in its path and gaining excited and supportive approval from the community it passed. The Dolphins players maintained that emotion by gutting out a 14-13 title victory.

Michael Edme's 14-yard touchdown catch with only 1.2 seconds left in the first half broke a 7-7 tie. Conn followed with an important extra-point kick that gave the Dolphins (12-4) a lead they would not relinquish.

"Our kids were ready, and they played hard. Our defense played hard," Dolphins coach Frank Biro said. "The Colts are an awesome team, and both teams belonged here. It made for a great game."

The Colts (14-2) answered right back at the start of the second half, as Joshua Sloan ran 62 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage. But the extra point failed and the Colts were held to minus-10 yards the rest of the way.

Shane Carlin opened the scoring for the Dolphins on a 51-yard touchdown run with 2:39 left in the first quarter. Conn followed with the extra-point kick for the 7-0 lead.

The Colts responded with their most impressive drive, going 70 yards in 14 plays and capping it with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Josh Cerra to Sloan. Sloan followed with the extra-point kick to tie the score with 4:55 left in the first half.

The Dolphins' defense then tightened, as Colbacchini and Matt Becker had interceptions and the defense held on for the final five drives.

The games kicked off with the freshman division, ages 7 to 9, pitting the undefeated Cowboys against the upstart Ravens. The Ravens had gone 7-7 in the regular season, before taking three in a row in the playoffs to enter as the underdogs in the Super Bowl.

The Ravens looked every bit as though they belonged there, holding an 8-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

But on the third play of the Cowboys' first possession of the fourth, Max Lazar had a 5-yard touchdown run for the deciding score. He followed with the extra-point kick and the score that would hold at 14-8.

The Cowboys had completed the perfect 18-0 season and were the freshman champions.

Bradley Lindstrom had a 58-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Spoto for the Ravens, and Cameron Brooks had a 70-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Jaren Debolt.

The Ravens (10-8) nearly answered back right at the conclusion, but Griffin Cerra made a touchdown-saving tackle on Lindstrom and the Ravens ran out of time.

In the toughest, most physical matchup of the day, the Cowboys defeated the Bears, 6-0, for the senior's championship for players ages 12 to 14.

Casey Slakman caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dameon Concepcion with 38.9 seconds remaining in the first half for the game's only score. Concepcion finished with 79 yards passing on six completions. Slakman had three catches of 35 yards and an interception on defense.

Jonathan India had 46 total yards and Sam Kuebler totaled 25 yards for the Cowboys (17-1-2).

Trevor Newman had 17 total yards and three solo stops and was an emotional and vocal presence on a defense that held the Bears to only 89 total yards.

Max Fisch accounted for more than half the total offense for the Bears (12-7-1), with two catches for 49 yards. Austin Vaughn added a 26-yard reception on a pass from Nick Abenoza.

The Cowboys' Sam Kuebler ended the 2008 C.S.F.F.C. Super Bowl in grand fashion, swatting down a pass from the Bears' Peter Holt as the clock ticked to zero and then running into a front flip to lead his teammates in their title celebration.

Rick Duteau can be reached at rduteau@sun-sentinel.com.