LAKEWOOD — “Coach, coach … Who would win in a battle between Superman and Batman?”

It was a question that Jeffco Midget Football Association (JMFA) head coach for the Dakota Ridge Eagles, Dave Loomis, faced in all seriousness during the middle of a “very intense play” earlier this season. It was the kind of question that reminded Loomis that coaching 8 to 10-year-old football isn’t as straight-forward as it might seem.

The question seemingly had nothing to do with the game, yet in that moment, it had everything to do with the game.

“We call our plays by superhero names,” explained Loomis. “We have a play called Hulk, Spiderman, Batman, etc.”

Which means the young man who interrupted Loomis’ concentration during a key part of the game wasn’t just asking an asinine rhetorical question; he was covertly asking his coach about the outcome of the plays attached to those superhero names. Pretty deep for a 9-year-old.

“The challenge is to teach these kids not only the fundamentals (of the game), but also to teach them lesson that they can take beyond football,” Loomis said.

Loomis coached his boys through a 9-2 season to win their first Carnation Bowl against the 8-3 Mountain Predators, 14-6, on Nov. 22 at Trailblazer Stadium.

At this level, the scoreboards rarely have two double-digit scores, yet most of these boys already have a thorough understanding about what’s needed to make plays happen.

Ten-year-old Jack McMann, Dakota Ridge’s quarterback, might seem like an average 4th grader, and by many accounts he is – his favorite superhero is Superman and his favorite food is steak. But McMann showed maturity and game-aptitude, passing the ball with accuracy and scoring a touchdown on a sneak play.

“I was feeling kind of nervous,” McMann said. “But at the end I was feeling pretty happy.”

The worst part of the game, he said, was watching the other team score a touchdown, but then he reminded himself to take deep breaths and refocus on getting through the rest of the game.

Michael Crane, a 9-year-old RB/LB for the Predators, who scored their only touchdown, echoed McMann’s sentiments about rolling through the ups and downs of the game. “If you get hit it hurts and it’s really hard to get back up,” Crane said. “But it felt great getting the touchdown.”

Predators head coach Tom Poholsky said he was proud of the boys’ effort.

“The kids had fun and they fought all year long and it didn’t stop today.”