PIT TOUCH and FLAG FOOTBALL in WINNIPEG MANITOBA - FOOTBALL!

One heck of a championship weekend with a record 28 divisional trophies handed out! Championship night blew the roof off the Garden City complex as we saw not only a record number of teams but a record number of fans come out to cheer our combatants on. We had overtime, huge upsets, great individual performances and at least six games decided on the last play of the game! Most divisional leaders walked away empty handed as upsets were the norm, showcasing the parity that existed across divisions. The games were so big that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have taken notice and posted the scores and some pictures from our epic night. Check out the Bomber article here: http://www.bluebombers.com/2017/03/20/amateur-pit-parade-champions/

High School Division 1 Flag Football: Vincent Massey Trojans (Grade 10s) defeat Vincent Massey Trojans (Grade 11s) 22-20 (Overtime)
Both high school flag games had unbelievable displays of skill and the youngest team in the Division 1 flag league ended up being the best! Vincent Massey put in three teams and all three teams were still in action in the semi-finals with the championship game turning into an intra-squad game as the VMC Grade 10s faced off against the VMC Grade 11s. This game did not disappoint! Game MVP Jackson Tachinski had three touchdown passes and three interceptions and hit Lucas Szpigiel and Christian McCarthy in overtime to seal Vincent Massey’s second consecutive high school flag championship. Kudos to VMC coach Kelsey McKay for running an amazing program with not only great athletes but great kids who have the utmost respect for the game!

High School Division 2 Flag Football: PIT Football Academy defeat The School of Football 31-27
PIT Football Academy went down 20 points to McCheyne’s School of Football who dominated the regular season on route to an undefeated regular season. The TSN turning point occurred when, on third and long, Tyrece Viner-Cox took down one of the most amazing one handed catches in PIT history. Check it out here: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/843284936178061312 (As of this writing the catch has had over 3300 views already!) That seemed to energize the Academy who put up 25 unanswered points. Leading 25-20 the School of Football thought they had put the nail in the coffin by scoring with just 6 plays remaining in the game (flag runs 5 plays rather than a three-minute warning). The PIT Football Academy then scored in three plays when game MVP Simon Winsnes threw the winning touchdown pass to Michael Goldenstein. Simon then proceeded to pick off the final play of the game for victory. Both flag games demonstrated how good football in this province is, these kids really are the future of the game! Oh yeah, not the first time Tyrece has been caught on tape doing the one-hand thing: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/837899157817831426/video/1

Coed Division (Competitive): Bloodbath & Beyond defeat the Super Dillos 40-26
Rookies Bloodbath and Beyond snuck into the final seed in the Coed Competitive Division and then proceeded to start a bloodbath going on a streak that knocked off the second seeded Two-Minute Drill in the semis and then the top seeded and defending champs the Super Dillos in the finals! Rare that a rookie team can step up and win a championship! Now in the Spring Season Bloodbath will go from the pursuer to the pursued as they try to repeat their performance and the other coed teams try to knock off the new champs!

Coed Division (Recreational): There’s No Crying in Baseball defeat Down to Football 39-30
There’s No Crying in Baseball avenge their regular season loss to Down to Football in an awesome back and forth game with all 39 of their points being scored by Corrie Krahn (18), Courtney Dyck (15) and Andrea Tyler (6) - the first time a championship game in which all the scoring by the winning team were from their female contingent of players! The top-seeded Down to Football made a valiant effort to win their first coed championship, however there was just no crying on this day!

Masters Division (Over 40): Frankford Yellow Jackets defeat Tonawanda Kardex 25-19
In a battle for the ages (of the ages?) our two Masters combatants went at it with epic results! The two evenly matched teams traded touchdowns with Frankford going ahead late. With Tonawanda driving with under a minute left, Al Bloomfield made a huge third down stop to preserve the victory! Cliff Kitchen punches out two interceptions and six points for the Kardex, while all-world player Jason Cassie puts in 13 for the Jackets! In the Spring the Masters will expand to three teams as the guys over 40 prove they have a lot left in the tank!

Division 1: The Knights defeat The Guild of Calamitous Intent 34-30
While this game started slow it ended in a barnburner with both teams trading touchdowns in the second half. The Knights took the lead with three minutes remaining however the Guild marched the field and scored what they thought was the winning touchdown with only 18 seconds remaining. Cue some broken coverage coupled with a beauty throw from Jim Bell to Sean Lehmann and the rest is history! The Knights win their second Division 1 trophy and prevent the Guild three-peat in the process!

Division 2: Great White Buffalos defeat Mapetown 19-14
Another amazing finish (there were many this night). Mapetown was up 14-11 with only a couple of minutes remaining and the ball 1st and goal from the Buffalos five-yard line. An interception by Zach Regert started the comeback and was finished by Julian Banaras who drove the field and hit Jamie Ybarra Jr on the final play of the game for victory. The two top divisions showed the fans how the game is played and how no lead is safe no matter what the time on the clock!

Division 3: Meat’s Pizzeria defeat Madcatzz 32-19
Meat’s Pizzeria is a perennial finalist starting their football careers with multiple championship trophies as they ascended the divisional ladder. Lately they have had trouble getting over the hump but after this championship weekend they add more hardware to their legacy. Brandon Labonte held the top-seeded Madcatzz QB Julian Banaras in check with three sacks defensively and 12 points on offense while Patrick Smoke and Jeremy Lomonaco combine for five touchdown passes, two interceptions and 12 points. Meat’s keeps adding trophies like toppings to a pizza.

Division 4: The Kings defeat You Belicheck Yoself 21-8
The Kings requested to run the gauntlet championship night having back to back games for their semis and finals. First they knocked off Patalia Island and then You Belicheck Yoself to take home Division 4 glory. The Kings were one of the few top seeds to win their respective championship (as most top seeds went down in flames all night) and did so in style capping off an undefeated season by giving up only 15 points combined in their two playoff games!

Division 5: The D defeat Knighthawks 18-12
The legacy of the Vincent Massey Trojans continues as their coaching squad led by head coach Kelsey McKay knocked off the Knighthawks in a battle of two of the best teams in the PIT. The Knighthawks are multi-time champions and finished the season in first place winning their regular season matchup versus the D by just a score. The D however avenged their defeat, and win by a score themselves, demonstrating how evenly matched these two teams were. The D were led by the three TD passes from Coach McKay to Quinten Harris while the Knighthawks were led by perennial MVP Neil Walton who threw for two TD passes and had an interception on defense.

Division 6: Flying Squirrels defeat Trojans 44-12
The Squirrels moved from coed to men’s this Winter and had a great season in which the ladies would test out their compete level in a very high division. On this day, the veteran Squirrels roster took advantage of a young (and if they stay together perhaps one day the best team in the PIT!) roster from Vincent Massey (notice the VMC trend?). The Squirrels put up 44 points however it was a bittersweet victory their all-time leading scorer Laurene Bachand left the game on just the second play with a serious knee injury. The Squirrels won one for Laurene but must trudge on without her for at very least the Spring season.

Division 7: C’Mon Man defeat Gym Class Heroes 41-0
C’Mon Man is definitely known for their defense but their offense on this night kept pace and as a result we see one of the few lopsided scores. Cole Corlett-Hedley has himself a day scoring 26 points on four touchdown receptions while quarterback Pierre Feng throws for five touchdowns and added an interception and two sacks en route to an MVP performance!

Division 8: Barley Broz defeat Can’t Cut List 24-6
Another top seed and another undefeated team down in flames! Can’t Cut List cut through the competition all Winter but ran into a veteran Barley Broz team who weren’t fazed by the bright lights and media attention of Championship night! Lionel Gauthier threw for four touchdowns, two each to Brett Thurston and Adam Loszchuk. That was enough scoring for this day as Liel LaFreniere kept the ever-dangerous Taylor Allen in check as the defense played stellar from start to finish.

Division 9: Dez Dropped It defeat Ninjas In Paris 47-26
Two up and coming teams faced off in this very entertaining final as the score clock kept climbing from start to finish! Dez Dropped It redress their regular season loss to Ninjas as three receivers (Darnell Wyke, Braden Sul, and Mike Brennan) scored in double digits. Ryan Piece dropped 19 on Dez however it wasn’t enough on this night as another top seed fails to clinch a championship. These two teams will dance together once again in Spring Division 4. If Ninjas are going to get revenge, they will have to stop plays like this one: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/843340672409075712

Division 10: Bear Back defeat Fail Mary 34-0
Bear Back played some Bear Bryant style defense pitching the shutout against an undermanned Fail Mary Squad. Fail Mary and Bear Back knocked off both the top seeds as they entered the playoffs as the third and fourth seeds respectively. Parity was the word of the day in this division. In the finals the Bear Back defense finished with five interceptions and two sacks to lead the charge. Reincarnated as the Law Firm for the Spring, this team will put their defensive know how to the test in Division 4.

Division 11: Hurricanes defeat Hoffs Heroes 33-6
Hoff’s Heroes took the regular season divisional crown and their head-to-head matchup versus the Hurricanes by just a single point but the Hurricanes showed the Heroes who’s the boss in the final racking up a convincing victory on the back of Dustin Desmarais’ interception, seven points and three touchdown passes…an amazing performance considering Dustin isn’t the team’s starting quarterback! Joel Janzen tried to keep the game close racking up a sack and two interceptions for the Heroes but it was just not enough to stop a hurricane!

Division 12: Red 21 defeat Mayhem 46-12
Red 21 went wire to wire this season knocking off Mayhem in the last game of the regular season to capture first place in Division 12 then again in the championship final. James Gerardy has perhaps the best individual statistical night registering four interceptions and twenty points for the champs. Red 21 are ready for a big jump in divisions as they have the necessary skill to play higher up!

Division 13: The Bullet Club defeat Third and Long 26-19
The Bullet Club Is quickly becoming one of our most decorated teams as they keep taking names and winning trophies! Pretty sure before the season started this team thought the division was too good for them but after putting up the most points and having the second stingiest defense in the division it is time for them to once again move up to a bigger challenge in the Spring! Chris Skitteral comes back from injury to throw four touchdown passes, two to Travers (the GOAT) Cummings who transitioned to receiver during the offseason. No matter who is quarterbacking these guys all they do is win!

Division 14: Blue Balls defeat Outlaws 21-12
Only four points separated first from fifth in the division so it should come as no surprise that the championship final was so close and that the top seed didn’t win the hardware. Tim McDowell threw for two touchdowns and had seven points for the eventual victors the Blue Balls while Luke Jacobucci countered with two touchdown passes and an interception for the Outlaws. A great first year showing by the Outlaws team who nearly knocked over a very stacked and veteran Blue Balls.

Division 15: Unwanted All-Stars defeat Guardians of Troy 40-33
What a barnburner! This game featured multiple scores in the final three minutes. The All-Stars scored to take the lead and then Guardians of Troy fought back to tie the game with seconds remaining. Thinking this game was destined for overtime, Troy let their guard(ians) down and the Unwanted All-Stars hit a strike heard round the complex stunning the crowd and giving the Unwanted All-Stars the victory. This game was a pleasure to watch from start to finish and featured every conceivable play in the touch football playbook including this one here: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/843335245780803584

Division 16: Snow Mexicans defeat FG Ducks 36-13
Two of the top U18 teams in the league faced off in a battle to see who would represent the PIT at nationals five years from now! The FG Ducks are the U16 provincial flag football team from last summer while the Snow Mexicans have a huge tackle football pedigree. Tackle vs flag in a battle for touch supremacy! Tackle won out on this day (Flag won the day during the season) as Cam Lesay threw five touchdown passes for the Snow Mexicans whereas fellow future quarterback superstar and high school champ Jackson Tachinski threw for two for the Ducks.

Division 17: Bad News Kennels defeat the Boozers 33-12
Bad News Kennels were definitely bad news for the Boozers on this day as quarterback Jas (6 whiskeys in) Atwal nearly threw a touchdown for every Crown Royal he drank, while MVP Nathen Patti had three touchdowns and two interceptions in victory. Boozers quarterback Jerome Swarath countered with two touchdown passes to Nick Pagano and Dillon Rapinchuk but on this day the Kennels were off the leash and could not be contained. Check out the Commish throwing darts in a pressure third and ten situation: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/842974257218908162

Division 18: Dem Boiis Hot defeat Team Potato Wedges 32-31
Another game that came right down to the wire. Dem Boiis and the Potato Wedges tied during the regular season with identical 4-1 records and on this day their play was also almost identical. Team Potato Wedges took the lead in the final minutes of the game which Dem Boiis Hot retook with little time remaining. Potato QB Jean-Guy Mercier showed his veteran presence calmly bringing his team down the field and on the final play of the game hit a touchdown pass to bring the Wedges within one. Down by one point what do you do - go for the tie or the win? The Potatoes made the decision to put destiny in their hands and while the two-point convert fell short giving Dem Boiis Hot their first ever PIT Championship, it is always the correct decision to go for the win when you can do so…of course rushers don’t usually do this: https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/842976997957558272

Division 19: Spartans defeat Loose Cannons 25-14
All-Star defensive back Bobby Hiebert decided to try his hand at the quarterback position and found himself the victor throwing for four touchdowns, three to his huge wide receiver target Dave Wiltshire. Bobby also helped himself out by pulling down four interceptions to help the defensive cause against a very mobile Loose Cannons quarterback. The Cannons had a bounce back season in the Winter and have already showed as one of our new teams the potential to be moving up the divisional rankings in the years to come. Meanwhile Bobby is still drinking chocolate milk in celebration.

Division 20: The Dilligafs defeat Medal and Company 32-30
In one of the best games of the night, the Dilligafs pull ahead by eight points late in the game however Medal and Company drive the field and hit the touchdown. Needing the two point convert to tie the game and send it into overtime this happened:
https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/843338754152574976
An outstanding play by Scott Groot as these two teams battled right to the end in a back and forth affair and the Dilligafs earn themselves a well-earned trophy on the night! Amazing how so many games came down to the final plays of the game!

Division 21: Mustard-Tigers defeat Young Wild & Free 10-6
In a defensive battle the Mustard Tigers win Division 21 via a safety in a very close game between two teams that did put up a lot of points during the regular season, but as they say defense wins championships! Congrats on your first PIT football title gentlemen, I won’t say much here instead I will let a broadcast of the championship game do the talking!

Division 22: Brew Balls defeat The ‘Lens 25-21
The action was found in the lower divisions on championship night as pretty much all games were decided by a play here or there and all of them seemed to come right down to the wire. Division 22 was no different as the Brew Balls win it late on a touchdown by Trayvon Albert! The lead changed a few times in this game as the Swaffelins put up quite the fight including what might have been the nicest pass of championship night as their QB Cole Havens threw an absolute strike from center field to the back of the Brew Balls endzone! See the footage here:
https://twitter.com/PITFOOTBALL/status/840810878295449600
A great season ending game from both teams.

Division 23: Savage AF defeat Deflated Balls 21-14
In the Division 23 championship these two teams put up a thriller to end our record 28 divisional championship list! This game was tied until late in the game when Savage AF QB Gilbert Babakhanians hit Baljit Gill on a long bomb corner route to break the tie and take home the coveted trophy. Kudos to the Deflated Balls who were gamers all season. Gabe Fiorino threw two touchdowns for the Balls, one each to Joseph Zukewich and Brandon Westra. These two teams will get a chance to face one another in the Spring as they battle it out for the Division 15 crown!

Congratulations to all our championship teams from the Winter…now onto the Spring season which will see a record 86 teams and 20 champions crowned!