From Pop Warner Teammates to Rivals in America's Game

When they were playing Pop Warner together on the Naperville Chargers as young kids, Mitch West and Jon Rhattigan never imagined that one day they’d be competing for the Commander-in-Chief Trophy in one of the nation’s most important and historic college football rivalries.

How long were the two of you Pop Warner teammates?

JON: I played for the Naperville Chargers Pop Warner team for three years from 5th -7th grade. Mitch and I were teammates for two years in 6th and 7th grade. We also played lacrosse together in the spring so we were year-round teammates for about two years.

Have you stayed in touch over the years?

JON: Yeah we’ve definitely stayed in touch. We’re from the same town. He went to a private school but we remained friends all throughout high school.

MITCH: Yes, we have been good friends since playing youth football together.

What was it like playing against each other at the collegiate level (especially as part of such an iconic rivalry)?

MITCH: It was really cool. Our football careers have come full circle. It was truly special.

JON: Mitch had actually committed to another university but things didn’t end up working out so he reached out to me because he was getting a lot of interest from the Naval Academy and he knew I had been accepted to West Point. We talked about it and he ultimately decided on the Naval Academy.

It’s a privilege for us to play for such incredible institutions and to be part of such an iconic rivalry. It was really a dream come true.

We were warming up and I got to see Mitch on the other side of the field, which was really cool. It’s something we both dreamed about and there’s no greater feeling -- but we both have a long way to go in our careers.

Did the two of you talk about the military when you were younger?

MITCH: No, we didn’t. My decision came down to a combination of things - football tradition, academic opportunities, and of course, serving my country.

JON: I used to talk to my brother and some family about potentially joining the military but Mitch and I never really talked about it at that age. We talked about college football and were huge fans, but we never talked about the military or possibly getting the chance to play in the greatest rivalry in college football history. I think our paths came about naturally because football is a great route to attend such a prestigious academy with great tradition in both football programs.

How did Pop Warner prepare you to play for a D1 program?

MITCH: The fundamentals of my football career were definitely built when I played Pop Warner.

JON: I think Pop Warner is a great organization and it was an amazing learning experience. I learned all the fundamentals and it prepared me to play in high school.

I also had fantastic coaches and all the events were great. Mitch and I actually got to go to Orlando for the Pop Warner Super Bowl when we were in the 7th grade. And even though the Chargers didn’t bring home a National Championship title that year, it was an experience neither of us will ever forget.