A little rain or mud couldn't cloud the chances of eight local youth competing in a football skills competition in front of tens of thousands of National Football League fans.

Despite weekend rains that made field conditions less than ideal, 65 competitors ascended to the Buccaneers Athletic Club in Pasadena on Sunday to try their hands at the NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition, with five Pasadena residents advancing to the next stage of competition.

"The kids had a good time," said Gwynn Philhower, a sports director for the Buccaneers Athletic Club. "The rain might have dampened the turnout, but it certainly didn't...