They're not on News 3's Friday Football Fever show just yet, but hardworking football players and cheerleaders kicked off the local Pop Warner league season Saturday.

While the Junior Pee Wee Bears of Huntsville battled the Franklin Cowboys on the field, the Bears' cheerleaders pumped up the crowd from the sidelines.

Around 1,500 kids played and cheered in games all day long Saturday at Bryan's Henderson field.

Organizers say the Pop Warner league teaches positive lessons through athletics.

"It keeps 'em out of trouble, gives them something to do," said Joe Menjares of the Bryan Buccaneers. "Keeps 'em busy and at the same time also, they're here and they're also learning and at the same time there's also role models which in the community we have all walks of professionals here working with the kids, so its great," said Menjares.

Teams from the College Station Raiders and Bryan Buccaneers also clashed Saturday.

The Bucs and the Franklin Cowboys had to make do with practice uniforms. Storms in the tropics delayed their uniform shipments.