PIT TOUCH and FLAG FOOTBALL in WINNIPEG MANITOBA - FOOTBALL!

A record 25 divisions were up for grabs in the Winter including two newly formed flag divisions. Within those 25 divisions an uncharacteristically high number of divisions had undefeated teams. Ten undefeated teams entered the playoffs as heavy favorites but in playoffs anything can happen and almost half of those teams were knocked off, some in shocking fashion! A lesson to never underestimate your opponents as anything can happen in the PIT…and often does.

U20 Flag Division: Team PIT Football defeat Vincent Massey Trojans 41-24
A call was put out to all U20 players before the season started about potentially putting in a team to show Football Manitoba that we had some of the best players in the province! Only seven players answered the call and despite having the smallest roster and the biggest egos the “Bad News Bears” of touch football won the championship and a trip to Halifax to represent Manitoba May long weekend in the National Championships. Vincent Massey, who were ever graceful in defeat, were lead by future stars Brayden Saville with two circus touchdown receptions and Andre Dueck with three TD passes. Team PIT Football was lead by these guys:

Yep a disaster combined with a catastrophe. Football Manitoba we apologize to you in advance.

Masters: Evansville Crimson Giants defeat Hartford Blues 21–16
Evansville dropped 21 points on Hartford in the first 10 minutes of the game then held on to a five-point victory after a furious comeback attempt by the Blues. Evansville was led by the three touchdown passes, two sacks, and two points by Jas “Don’t throw the damn ball” Atwal. Five different players had points for the Hartford Blues who might have won this one if there were only a few more minutes left on the clock. As with all Masters games, both teams hit the lounge for some much needed electrolyte/carb loading after the game. If you are over 40 and wanting to play some competitive, albeit with beers, football this is the division for you.

Coed Competitive: Assassins Legends defeat Flying Squirrels 34-32
Another great finale in coed as the Legends get revenge for their championship loss in the Fall. Both defenses were helpless to stop the opposing offenses as each team turned the ball over only once during this game. Bob Campbell and Tyler Wilcox scored all the Legends points while the Squirrels opted for a more spread offense with four different players hauling in TDs. These two teams have combined to win the last five championships with the Squirrels leading the series 3-2. Both teams are back in the Spring and favorites to meet again in the final.

Coed Recreational: Coed Free Agents defeat Down to Football 40-27.
Jordan Demerchant almost willed Down to Football to victory with a huge second half, throwing for three touchdowns and running in a fourth all despite suffering a pretty nasty knee injury the night before that left him with a pretty severe limp. Without the heroics of Damian “four touchdown” McKenzie the Free Agents would not have picked up their first ever championship. Both teams spread the ball out to all of their players as it should be in coed football. Chantille you still owe us a box of wine!!!!

Elite: Iced Earth defeat the Horde 28-25
In one of the closest games of the night Iced Earth captures the elite championship by out converting the Horde. These two teams have combined for the last six elite championships but have only played each other twice during that time with each team now claiming a victory. Keith Bourgeois, Andrew Westwood and Jeff Draper all had two touchdowns in this barn-burner that started off slow but hit a fevered pace towards the end.

Division 1: Guild of Calamitous Intent defeat Polk Jr High 39-13
Polk Jr High came into the night a bit shorthanded however they pulled the upset over the Gentlemen in the semifinals and looked to do the same in the championship game. Things were going Polk Jr High’s way early as the Guild failed to convert three straight series in red zone but they final caught their stride and blew the game open courtesy of the four touchdowns by Taylor Renaud. The Guild win their fifth consecutive indoor championship however they won’t be around in the Spring to try to win a sixth, thus opening the door for another team to inscribe their names on the Guild...err Division 1 trophy.

Division 2: Peg City Misfits defeat The Knights 38-25
The Knights were the highest seeded undefeated team and the highest undefeated seed to go down to defeat. The first half was a back and forth affair with Peg City scoring late in the half on a Hail Mary play which seemed to turn the tide as the Knights couldn’t get it going in the second half while Peg City in contrast poured it on. In a battle of the youngest quarterback in the Winter versus the "more elder" quarterback in the Winter, youth was served. However, the Knights will get a chance to get their revenge very quickly as both teams are back to battle it out in the Spring! A huge weekend for the QB prodigy Garrison Trinder who won both the Division 2 title and a trip to Halifax for the U20 provincial team. He now becomes the youngest QB to compete for a Division 1 title.

Division 3: Mapetown defeat the Tribe 33-19
Mapetown is making the Maples great again, one championship trophy at a time. Dharmpal Brar, fresh off a broken hand, pulls the cast off and throws for five touchdown passes in an all-time performance. The Tribe got off to a 13-0 lead but could only muster a late touchdown as Mapetown took over after a slow start. Two straight championships and a trip to Division 1 mean that Mapetown is the best thing to happen to the Maples since I left it!

Division 4: Monstars vs Maddcatzz
The championship game was postponed to this Friday so if you want to see a shootout of up and coming players make time in your schedule this weekend! Schwark get well and give me money (well do the first part at least)!

Division 5: The D defeat Strange Brew 20-0
Quite the year for Kelsey McKay, first he coaches the Vincent Massey Trojans to the High School Championship then he quarterbacks the D to their first ever PIT Championship...and doing it in style with an undefeated season! Kelsey threw two touchdowns to Max Jenson and another to Quinten Harris which was enough to secure victory as the D lived up to their namesake shutting out the normally high octane offense of Strange Brew.

Division 6: #D1 Bound defeat Red 21 28 -6
#D1 Bound told me three years ago that they were going be in Division 1 one day soon (hence the name!). Big talk for a team that began their careers in the PIT in division 18. Three years later they have moved up to and won Division 6. Maybe their prophetic words will come true much sooner than anyone would have expected. QB Xander “Cruz” Tachinski threw four touchdowns and had a pick in helping knock off the reigning fall champions Red 21.

Division 7: Million Dollar Wound defeat Barley Broz 33-15
The most bipolar team in football, the Million Dollar Wound/South Side Trojans either decimate a division or get decimated. After an outdoor season of being decimated the Wound comes in and cleans house going 7-0 during the season finishing off the Barley Broz in steadfast fashion in the final. If these guys could find the right combination of meds/booze/women or whatever they need, they would be contenders each and every time out. The Barley Broz lived up to their namesake as they were one of the most consistent teams in the lounge after games. Beer does the body good.

Division 8: Knighthawks defeat Wiserhood 30-19
Another hotly contested division with 2 points separating first place from fourth. The Nighthawks were led by Division leader Neil Walton’s five touchdown passes, two each to Ian Bowie and Phil Siemens while Max Jenson of the Wiserhood, who was fresh off his Division 5 victory, threw for two touchdowns and was on the receiving end of another. The Knighthawks like #D1 Bound have been moving up divisions very quickly and hope to secure another championship in the Spring, this time in Division 3.

Division 9: Silverbacks defeat Hail Mary Heroes 26-13
The best division in terms of parity in the Winter (perhaps ever), wherein every team had at least two victories and there was a four-way tie for the final playoff spot! It comes as no surprise that there was no clear cut favorite and the team who finished first was felled in the final (say that last part five times fast). The Silverback’s Scott Hjartarson threw four touchdowns, three to Marc McPike while Jason Raposo countered with three interceptions and two TD passes for the Heroes.

Division 10: VG-Unit defeat the Avengers 38-25
VG Unit is our third team to go undefeated on the season defeating an Avengers team that gave them their biggest scare during the regular season. Tyler Krasowski made sure this game wasn’t as close this time round throwing forsix touchdowns, two teach to Inderveer Deol, Jasen Leung and Jeffry Weselake. The Lowen brothers kept things interesting with Jordan throwing for three touchdowns while Ryan was on the receiving end of two of those passes while also hauling in two interceptions.

Division 11: The Squad defeat the Rouge 32-6
In a division in which first place through fourth had only two points separating them it was not surprising that each team in the top four had one another’s number and that the finals would come down to match ups. The Rouge were the only team to defeat No Limit Training and did so not once but twice, which was great news from the Squad who couldn’t get past No Limit but could beat the Rouge…twice…handily. Game MVP Jonathan Remple threw five touchdowns and had a pick as the Squad get their names engraved on a PIT trophy for the second straight Winter season.

Division 12: The Kings defeat the VaudeVillains 19-0
The Kings are the hottest team in football having won 14 consecutive indoor football games posting their second straight undefeated season. They took Division 13 in the fall and now Division 12 in the Winter…they have their work cut out for them in the Spring as they catapult up to Division 4. The Kings were led by the three TD passes of Nick Jessamine and a defense that bottled up division leading scorer Chase Sweeney, holding him to zero points. They were right when they said Vaudeville is dead.

Play me off Johnny!

Division 13: Chuggernauts defeat Can’t Cut List 19-0
The Chuggernauts run the gauntlet defeating both Swift Kick and Can’t Cut List in back to back games, shutting out the latter in a great defensive game led by the two interceptions of Cliff Caines and three sacks from Damian McKenzie who secured his second championship of the night. There was much trepidation in Chuggernauts-ville prior to the start of the season as they thought they were in over their heads in terms of divisional placement, after going undefeated their fears were definitely unwarranted…and will have to move up in caliber for the Spring.

Division 14: No Punt Intended defeat Steve Sarkasian's Drinking Team 46-19
No Punt Intended must have really enjoyed their championship game as they ran off with the game card! Once they took a picture of it and sent it to me it appears that Matt Martin went off throwing for six touchdowns, running in another and getting a pick. Colton Smith also had a big game with 18 points. Luke Jacobucci threw three touchdowns for the Steve's but it wasn't enough to hold off the onslaught. At least they are a Drinking Team and can ideally have some shots of Patron and pitchers of Coors light and black out the night.

Division 15: The Untouchables defeat Third and Schlong 32-12
Ryan Pang was saving up his stats for the championship game. After going the season with a stat line of 2 sacks, 1 interception and 8 points, Ryan went off for 24 points and an interception in a career game. Championship games are always nice to have your breakout performance! The Schlongs were lead by the six points and interception from Stephan Zettergren but in the end they just didn’t measure up!

Division 16: Average Sized Giants defeat A535 Heat 25-7.
David “Living the Dream” Noorden captures his first PIT championship trophy and with it the (non-deformed) championship t-shirt that had so many times eluded him in previous seasons. Dave put his MVP stamp on the game scoring two touchdowns and intercepting an errant pass. Dave can now wipe the smirks off all the people at the gym who wore their PIT t shirts with pride as he now joins the ranks of PIT champion…and can now look down with disdain at anyone else without appropriate championship attire!

Division 17: The Pylons defeat Interlake Thunder 22-0
The Pylons go through the playoffs with two consecutive shutouts, demonstrating what a solid defense can do for a team’s championship chances. Mark Rodriguez threw three touchdown passes while game MVP Bryce LeBlanc had 18 points and two interceptions on the night. The Pylons were another undefeated team that was able to cap their perfect season off in style!

Division 18: Graceful Giraffes defeat Guardians 12-6
The undefeated team did not go wire to wire in this division as the Giraffes spoiled the Guardians quest for PIT immortality in this uncharacteristically low scoring game. Abriel Saria led the way for the Guardians with four sacks while Nate Bach and Benny Bruce put up sixes for the Giraffes who bottled up leading scoring Brent “Objectionable Conduct” Fabris. Patrick “OG” Rykes had some big catches and viscous knockdowns for the Giraffes while Cara “clutch” Isaac caught a third down pass on the final drive to seal a long deserved victory for the Giraffes who up until this game tended to lose very spectacularly in their championship games.

Division 19: Waverley Warriors defeat Magic Mike XXXXXXXL 20-16
Kory “Red” Stagg wins his second championship trophy of the night throwing three touchdown passes to three different receivers as the Warriors avenge their regular season loss to the rotund Mikes. Kory's counterpart Anthony Raposo also threw three touchdowns to three portly Mikes but the difference in this game came down to a convert scored by Steve “I usually only catch INTs” Nabess. The Warriors win their second championship in a row and wanted a chalice for their beers so badly they simply drank out of the trophies of the teams still battling for their respective championships. Nice dedication to the beers gentlemen! Here are the Warriors drinking from the PIT trophies:

The eye of the Looch gets them every time.

A big thanks to each of the teams across the record 25 divisions who participated in the Winter season. We now go from the Marathon to the sprint as spring season starts this upcoming weekend before we head outdoors to enjoy another great Winnipeg summer.

The PIT Crew