The 2010 Tournament of Champions (TOC) was held in the nation's capital, chaired by ONTFL and TFO President Ed Laverty. Despite massive amounts of cold November-like rain a few days before the event, and a forcast calling for more, athletes were treated to warm and sunny weather, perfect fall football conditions, a few mucky fields aside.
There are so many people to thank for making this Tournament a success, but we, the Laverty family, would like to pay a special tribute to Rolly Smith Dorian, the Menard's and of course the Charon family for all of their help.
Please scroll down this page to find picture and video links from the event, as well as recaps from each division. For any questions, concerns or fixes, please email me, Gordie Laverty, via gthemvp@hotmail.com.
Pictures and Video
We'd like to thank Christie Murtha for her giant picture gallery, as well as Vince Bell and Steve Menard for helping out with filming. Hold shift while left clicking the links below to open them in new windows, allowing an easy return to this homepage.
Picture Gallery
Christie Murtha's Gallery
Tournament of Champions Video
Part-1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
Men's AA
Spartans Win 4th Straight Title
For the fourth consecutive season, the Burlington Spartans finished as Canada’s best team, despite spending much of their season as a team that could seemingly lose to anyone. Not to take anything away from the teams that defeated them in Ontario’s Trillium Tour, but it was apparent from the Spartans’ nonchalant attitude that the only victories that mattered to them were the ones that took place at the Tournament of Champions (TOC).
The Ottawa Capitals and Kitchener Gaels were actually the favourites heading into the TOC, as both teams took turns ruling Ontario in 2010, with the Capitals capping that battle as Ontario’s champions.
The Capitals and Spartans never crossed paths in their six-tournament Ontario campaign, which made their semi-final showdown at the TOC all the more intriguing. Since their inception as elite contenders four years ago, the Capitals have been eliminated by the Spartans twice. A single convert separated their last elimination, and with the Capitals off-season acquisition of qb Rodney Moors, the former 5-time consecutive Canadian champion (8 total) this contest was extra-intriguing, to say the least.
More than matching the Capitals qb game-changer, the Spartans entered the TOC with not one, but two aces up their sleeves; a healthy Lorne “Scully” Mackinnon (one of the best route runners to grace a field) and Dave Missions; one of the pillars of the Spartans storied defence.
Both returning stalwarts played key roles, allowing the Spartans to send the Capitals packing for the third time in five years, in what was another tightly contested classic.
Waiting for the Spartans in the finals were Regina’s dynamic Megalomania. The Megalomania had a difficult semi-final match-up themselves, as they faced Ontario’s other early TOC favourite, the Kitchener Gaels. This was their second match-up of the tournament, in which the Gaels practically cruised to round-robin victory.
Learning from their first encounter and scouting for the second, the Megalomania were well-prepared in their 34 to 22 upset victory, which pushed them to their very first elite Canadian final.
The championship game, however, once again favored the Burlington Spartans. Flexing their flawless mix of speed, talent, leadership and experience, not to mention another dominate defensive Jamal George performance, the Spartans controlled every aspect of the field, dominating their way towards a fourth consecutive elite Canadian title.
Congratulations on yet another fine finish gentlemen. Your performance was one for the books, and another proud notch in the decades-old storied Spartan legacy!
Wom AA
Devils Reclaim Elite Throne
Similar to the Burlington Spartans, The Ottawa Devils have carved out a legacy that spans beyond this generation. They’ve evolved to such a point that they actually compete against men’s teams to better prepare themselves for provincial and national competition.
Despite the Devils’ past success, the Montreal Fleur De Lys (FDL) was the team to beat for much of 2010, thanks to their previous Canadian championship and their stellar performances in Ontario and Quebec tournaments.
FDL was every bit a defending national champion throughout 2010, earning multiple victories and titles over anyone and everyone. The Devils weren’t immune to the FDL machine either, finding themselves on the negative end of a 28 to 9 result in their first meeting at the Ottawa stop.
The Devils earned some revenge the following month in Unionville, but with FDL bringing a short bench, it took away from that AA victory. While the FDL was off earning another Quebec championship later that month, the Devils saw another setback, this time at the hands of Toronto’s Landell Lightning, who eventually moved on to become Ontario’s elite champions.
Drawing more similarities with the famed Burlington Spartans, the Devils were able to brush past their losses and focus on the big prize: The elite Canadian title at the Tournament of Champions (TOC).
In round-robin TOC action, the Devils were dominate in their 3 and 0 performance, scoring a combined 110 points, while allowing only 20. In quarter- and semi-final match-ups, the Devils were able to amend prior defeats-defeating the Wolverines before slipping past the Lightning in a hard fought 15 to 6 battle.
Waiting for the Devils were the defending champion Fleur De Lys, who posted similar TOC results. With both teams as healthy as a 6th game could expect, not to mention fully attended, the stage was set for a classic national championship.
The story in this game was the Devils’ defence, notably quarterback Kim Kerr’s ability to either get away, or buy enough time to make plays happen. With their strong receiving core pulling down spectacular catches, and their defence stepping up to a level on par to where it was two years ago, the Devils earned 18 unanswered points while keeping the high flying Fleur De Lys scoreless.
Like all great champions, pressure is the Devils’ friendly reminder, not an enemy. Congratulations on an amazing finish to your season ladies!
Men's A
Chargers Win OT Thriller
The Hamilton Chargers were one of Ontario’s breakout teams in 2010. Despite being comprised of players from several different teams, the Chargers gelled quickly and continued to be a force throughout the year.
At the Tournament of Champions, the Chargers kicked things off by nearly upsetting the defending champion Burlington Spartans in a close 18 to 12 loss. Things took a turn for the worse afterwards, however, as the Chargers dropped their remaining round-robin contests to drop to tier 2.
Slipping past the Ottawa 360’s and S.O. Cobras in elimination contests, the Chargers met the Ottawa Underdogs in the finals, who had just come off an upset victory over the Mississauga Steelers in overtime converts.
This was an excellent match-up on paper, as, like the Chargers, the Underdogs were a melange of players from different teams and cities. In fact, the Underdogs were split with Ontario and Montreal athletes.
This championship contest delivered more than anything it implied on paper. While both teams marched well and took turns taking the lead, the Chargers held the advantage late in the contest, prompting a last second Underdog drive that tied the game on the very last play sending the bout into overt-time converts.
Both teams scored first, but the Chargers defence stepped things up to shut down one of the best qb/receiver combos, giving their offence the opportunity to end things. The Chargers offence didn’t disappoint, scoring on consecutive pin-point passes to win the contest and earn the Canadian A championship. Congratulations Chargers!
Wom A
Rockets Finish With A Bang
Former elite Canadian champions, and elite finalists at last year’s Tournament of Champions, the Toronto Rockets found themselves competing for the A championship this time around. While the Rockets would rather have been competing for the bigger prize, it didn’t mean that they faced easier competition.
The parity in women’s football has never been so close. Ontario alone had several elite champions on their Trillium Tour, and with Quebec offering their usual slew of talented teams, the Rockets might as well have been competing for the AA trophy.
Facing the Rockets in the finals were Ontario Tour champions, the Toronto Wolverines-a team that gave the elite champion Devils trouble throughout 2010. Not winning a title all year long, the odds were stacked against the Rockets. However, they dug deep and found a way to end their season on a high note coming out victorious. Congratulations ladies!
