For the upcoming Federal Way Hawks Junior Football League season, almost all the classifications finished the 2006 season with promise, lending close predictions for the upcoming 2007 season.

"We had a lot of teams do well," said 89ers head coach Spencer Swanson.

Three teams -- Midgets, Pee Wees, 89ers - made the playoffs, with the Midgets losing in the championship.

So, who this year looks like the best promise of a team being a champion for the Hawks when this year is said and done?

Will it be the Pee Wees, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to Benson last year and were 7-2 overall, or the 89'ers, who went 6-2, and also lost in the first round of the post-season to Benson.

Or, will it be the Midgets, with the best record of every division of 8-0, then losing in the championship game only all season long?

Or, could it be the Sweet Peas, bouncing back from a 3-5 no playoffs season, thanks in part to a new coach with a successful track record?

The Bantams went 4-4 last year, but is Landin blowing smoke or do his lofty words put his team with championship status in the end?

Of all those classifications, let's name the team that looks like they will be the ones to drill every oncomer this JFL season. And, that group is the team that is not wee, though they are Pee Wees.

That's right! The oldest age group looks like a bunch of sweat hogs, fighting and clawing cat-quickly all the way to the top.

Head coach James Wilson takes this team back on his capable shoulders again, hoping for better than just getting to the playoffs.

"We are not weak anywhere," said Wilson.

That should translate to one and done for most teams these Pee Wees play, as in ''won and done," so to speak. Wilson inherits a ton of players from the Midgets division coach, Gerald Freeman, whose team lost but one game in the championship, 19-14, to Kent.

So, who's going to make the Pee Wee's go celebrate when this season is through, trophy held high and coach Wilson on their shoulders?

Wilson put high marks on a lot of players but remarked for a few to come over returners of last year and one new guy to take the lead for questions for what to say of why the Pee Wees will be so good this season.

"We're all stars," said Carl Moss, a wide receiver and cornerback.

"We're going all the way," aid Shane Kurosky, right guard and right tackle.

More '"all stars" spoke, and, remember these guys walked the talk last year, so why not do some time talking now.

"Because we're gonna bounce back from last year," said Xavier Conway, a running back and strong safety who was a fast player on the Midgets last year, according to Wilson.

He had good things to say about the others, too.

About Kurosky?

"You seen the size of that kid, beast," said Wilson.

De'Aris Lyles is a transfer from Auburn and Wilson called him a "beast," too.

Lyles will be a fullback plowing through the middle and an outside linebacker making sure no one skirts outside for long gains.

And the quarterback, a returner from that good Midgets team, too, is Deidric Harris.

"He is a quick learner," said Wilson. "He is very quick and mobile and he has a super arm."

And Harris said for himself, "I've been playing since I was an 89ers. Most of us have played a long time."

You have good experience?

"Yeah," he said.

The 89ers start playing at age seven so that tells you how long it's been since Harris, who will become a freshman at Decatur this year, has played football.

Wilson just put it down to brass tacks for he and his coaching staff that includes Steve Springstead, EJ Curran and Randy Kurowsky.

"It's a good coaching staff," said Wilson.

Everyone must be getting on the same page because Springstead and Wilson were naming off names after practice of guys that showed up to play. A whole bunch of names were spouted off.

"This is your best practice so far," said Wilson afterward, talking to the players.

Moving on to the teams that should not be the best but will be ones to watch next, include head coach Gerald Freeman's Midgets. Though he lost a handful to the Pee Wees, he still likes what he sees out there on the Lakota practice fields in these two hour a day practices going on for close to two weeks as of Aug. 16.

"We're looking to have same strength, same intensity, a couple new faces will be in there, and we have good coaching," said Freeman, mentioning the likes of Michael Barnhart and Clark Colvin, defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively.

Players mentioned by Freeman include Khalil House, a 'four-back,' which is essentially a fourth running back that runs the outside. Quarterback/tailback Travis Butler will be ready to go, says Freeman.

"I am ready to hit," said Butler, a lanky, sinewy kid who looks like one you don't want to be hit by him.

What else did Butler have to say?

"We're going to the championship," he said.

Shaquan McClain, also a knowledgeable player, will spend time throwing the ball at quarterback, too.

"He's fast," said Freeman. "He very good game-wise. He's smart on the game."

It would be dumb to count out the Bantams from making a bigger win-loss record splash than the so-so, ho-hum, ordinary .500 record they posted last season. That's because Ed Landin really likes what he sees as the first year Bantams coach. He is seeing everything come together in only the second week of practices. That would be chemistry.

"This is beautiful," said Landin, and, he was not talking about the kids, yet. "The coaches are all working together running things, achieving a common goal. I don't even have to do anything."

Landin said this as he was being interviewed and watching his players tackle and run at the same time while his coaches pointed out things to do and not do hitting the holes and bringing guys down, and.

"I think we will have a postive year," said Landin. "I have seen more positives, more self-sacrifice from this team than any other team I've been associated with.

Landin has been with Hawks football for longer than one can count fingers on one hand, so those words say something.

"From the word go, it's just blown me away," said Landin. "These kids have come with great attitudes."

Who has the most?

"Just too many guys too name," said Landin, asked of his key players that will make the most difference this season. He even chose a play on words to sport his answer.

"I am going to say the key player is attitude," he said.

Is a .500 season ahead?

"I will be surprised if we don't do that well," said Landin. "Our goal is to win the whole thing."

Landin mentioned some key kids like Devon Wise.

"He's the fastest kid, a good cutter, a good scatback," said Landin.

The quarterback will be Niko Delacruz.

"He's fast and tough. The team looks to him as a leader," said Landin.

Ty Lucero, the center who keeps Delacruz from getting crushed.

"He's the guy hiking the ball," said Landin. "It's a thankless job. The other side seems to always put their powerful athletes at nose guard and they always blast him. But he's doing his job."

Another good player for the Bantams should be Keenan Curran, He's a returner, along with defensive players D.J. Redd and Mitchell Garza.

"We have a good team, a lot of speed and power," said Curran, who will go to Sacajawea and play football as a sixth grader "I think we should go 10-0."

Landin was not far behind with that prediction by Curran.

"Our goal is to win the whole thing," said Landin.

And, speaking of good numbers, and, almost having been a part of last year's Hawks team, the only one, that nearly won the whole thing, look no further than Sweet Peas head coach Mike Bible. He was the offensive coordinator on the Midgets that went through the season undefeated before losing in the championship.

"I've moved down to the Sweet Peas," he said.

Bible has a lot of things to overcome. He might even want to say what that book that is his name says to do just about more than anything else in it -- pray.

There were a ton of kids on the sideline, so a natural question was: "It looks like a good turnout, coach."

"Yeah," said Bible. "But when you have 30 first-year players, that is not going to get it."

And, yes, that is not good to have that much inexperience on the Sweet Peas team. That is called first string with no string to take the place when that string needs reinforcing.

But Bible's a winner. He comes from the Midgets' successful coaching mix and he was really doing his part.

"I was the offensive coach," said Bible. "That's why we were scoring 50 points per game."

Other coaches give the confident Bible their backing.

"He's a super coach," said Wilson, the Pee Wees coach.

"I like his offensive scheme, and how precise it is," said 89ers coach Swanson.

So if anyone can take a team filled with first-year players and make champions out of them, Bible can. And he does get some nice inheritance in players like Chico McClatcher, who ran the 89ers into the playoffs last year. The Sweet Peas have a quarterback that Bible is schooling and teaching his offensive prowess of plays. That player is Dominique Moore.

"He's learning a complicated offense," said Bible. "Once he gets his steps down, he's going to be good at running this offense."

And the team?

"Look for us to be excelling by the third or fourth game," said Bible.

Players to watch include others like Keyshawn Porter running the ball as a back and Keyohn Pickens doing the same. Only one returner from last year's 3-5 midget team returns in Sam Lavoie, a center and noseguard. That is a key position for setting up the defense and offense revolving around his movement and Lavoie's dad, Jeff, is an offensive line coach for the Sweet Peas.

So time will tell for the Sweet Peas success, but it shouldn't have to tell for long, according to Bible.

There's one last group still to speak of, that being Swanson's 89ers. It is hard to tell with seven and eight year olds just how good a season is going to be, but if it is anything like last season then it will be good. Making the playoffs is good.

"We split during the season with Benson and in the playoffs we had a chance, but lost 13-6," Swanson said.

But they do lose McClatcher to the Sweet Peas and he was sweet business running the football, according to Swanson. In McClatcher's place is Andre Ellingson, D'jimon Jones, and, Mason Delacruz and Dionte Wyse also fit into the mix.

"We are pretty deep at running back," said Swanson.

That's a good thing, too. At ages 7 and 8, there is very little throwing of the football by the quarterbacks as the coaching turns to running. Turnovers happen way less frequently that way.

Swanson, last but not least, mentioned his quarterback, O'Shea Williams. He's a fast good one, too, he said.

Swanson also mentioned Demarius Clarke, a defensive end, and Justus Ructor, the center.

Swanson added, "I'm excited. We are a little small so we will have to do it with speed and athleticisim."

Hit the website, www.fwjfa.org , for more information on the Hawks.