Ferndale community helps youth football team, cheerleaders get to Florida for nationals

FERNDALE, Mich. – Members of the Ferndale Pop Warner Eagles football team and cheerleaders are headed to Florida for the nationals.

In its first season, the football team won the conference, state and regional championships.

"The way these kids have been performing is, like, breathtaking," coach James Lewis said. 

Lewis and coach Fred Borden said that getting to the nationals wasn't easy, from getting uniforms for the players and cheerleaders to funding the trip.

More than $20,000 was needed to get more than 70 children to Florida.

Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins said that they were $17,000 short Monday, but he refused to let the team and cheerleaders miss the chance to attend the nationals.

"We need money to make the endgame happen. We were scrambling," Collins said.

The community and business owners stepped in to make sure the kids got the money they needed, and the players and cheerleaders are on their way.

"The community did exactly what I knew it would," Lewis said. "At the end of the day, I knew these kids were working hard."

One brother and sister are playing and cheering in honor of their mother.

Miko Motley was an Eagles cheer coach before she died of breast cancer at the end of the season.

"We constantly prayed during the games, every timeout. We would pray and say, 'We love you, coach Miko,'" Borden said.

Miko's son Deven will play for her and her daughter Quiana will cheer in her memory.