The Burlington Spartans have proved time and time again that they can perform to their potential when pressure is at the highest possible levels. At the Tournament of Champions last month, the stress couldn’t have been any greater for the Spartans as they had to fight momentum, and the clock, to earn their third straight Canadian championship.

Like their 2008 Trillium Tour season, where they seemed to struggle as often as they succeeded, nothing looked certain for the Spartans at the Tournament of Champions. They emerged from their round-robin play in a three way tie, where points for and against dictated their first place finish.

The Spartans left nothing to our points policy in play-off action, however, as they handed out consecutive one-sided losses to formidable opponents, in the Winnipeg Assassins and the Toronto Trojans, to advance to the championship game.

Waiting to battle the Spartans were the Kitchener Gaels, who were seen as the dark horse of the tournament after they knocked off the Ottawa Capitals and Hamilton Piranhas, two teams they couldn’t defeat all year long.

Despite having little success against the Spartans this year as well, The Gaels were more than game in this contest. The Gaels, in fact, held a 6 point lead very late in the game, forcing the Spartans to compose a pressure-filled last minute drive.

Up to the challenge, Spartan Phil Dixon made a circus catch to get them in range, before Fred Ortencio (game MVP) made a third and goal speed cut-catch to tie things up. Jamal George snagged the converted attempt to give his squad the lead, before doing the same thing he did to the Piranhas last year, intercepting the Gaels on their final drive to seal the Canadian title.

With this win, the Spartans have tied the infamous Vancouver Dolphins for the most Canadian elite championships with seven in total. Congratulations Spartans, enjoy your off-season, and your special place in history!

Quarter-Finals

T.Litzen Spartans 28 vs Winnipeg Assassins 6

Hamilon Piranhas 25 vs Toronto Landell 16

Kitchener Gaels 24 vs Ottawa Capitals 6

Toronto Trojans 30 vs Montreal Hitmen 0

Semi-Finals

T.Litzen Spartans 24 vs Toronto Trojans 6

Kitchener Gaels 20 vs Hamilton Piranhas 15

Finals

T.Litzen Spartans 26 vs Kitchener Gaels 25

Since their home province Tournament of Champions appearance (TOC) in 2006, the Winnipeg Avengers have generally been a competitive crew in AA or A play, despite failing to advance beyond the semi-finals in either division.

At the TOC last month, the Avengers opened the round-robin format with much of the same competitive spirit, even though they exited with an 0 and 3 record.  The Avengers dropped to the A side, where their strong performance finally yielded favourable results.

Stringing together three impressive victories, the Avengers not only earned their first championship birth, they captured the title as well. They defeated the Ottawa Seminoles in a crowd pleasing 27 to 21 finals effort. This was no easy task considering the Seminoles were full of confidence after beating the number four ranked Ottawa Capitals in city championship play the week before. Congratulations Avengers!

Quarter-Finals

Mississauga Rebels 27 vs Ottawa Firm 6

Hamilton Hogs 32 vs Mtl Blue Bayou 20

Ott Seminoles 15 vs Mississauga Enforcers 14

Winnipeg Avengers 28 vs Dartmouth M&B 22

Semi-Finals

Winnipeg Avengers 27 vs Mississauga Rebels 6

Ott Seminoles 27 vs Hamilton Hogs 25

Finals

Winnipeg Avengers 27 vs Ott Semoinoles 14

The Scarborough Raiders climbed into Ontario’s tier one picture late in their Trillium Tour season, however, disappointing Trillium Cup results saw them slip out of the AA spectrum for the Tournament of Champions.

Proving that they belonged with the “big boys”, the Raiders posted a perfect TOC record, winning the tier 2 title, despite multiple mental hurdles.

Last year at the TOC, the Raiders lost a close BB battle to the Montreal Magic. At the aforementioned Ontario championships, the Raiders were knocked out of that tournament by the Toronto Gators.

In one fell swoop, the Raiders bested their previous TOC performance, and avenged a prior defeat as they defeated the Gators in a very entertaining 28 to 17 contest to earn the BB championship. Congratulations guys!

Quarter-Finals

Toronto X-Men 24 vs Montreal Longhorns 19

Ottawa Tailgators 23 vs Ottawa Underdogs 12

Scarborough Raiders 21 vs T.O. Dirty Birdz 12

Pinkofskys Gators 25 vs NFLD Coors Light 0

Semi-Finals

Pinkofskys Gators 26 vs Toronto X-Men 13

Scar Raiders 22 vs Ott Tailgators 21

Finals

Scar Raiders 28 vs Pinkofskys Gators 17

The Southern Ontario Cobras had a very rough Trillium Tour season. Past hardships can be eased with present prominence, and for the S.O. Cobras, plenty positive moments have arisen as of late.

In the Ontario championships, the Cobras rebounded from mixed round-robin results to earn the B championship. In the Tournament of Champions, the Cobras practically duplicated their Provincial outcome, minus the rough start.

The Cobras were a perfect 6 and 0 at the TOC. While they were dominant in round-robin play, they were simply awesome in their play-offs. In three straight contests, the Cobras knocked off one higher ranked team after another, trumping their own performances consecutively.

Congratulations on a fine finish gentlemen, I’m sorry however, that we didn’t get any film footage of your TOC feat. We’ll do better for you guys next year, I promise!

Quarter-Finals

Montreal Doomsday 7 vs Miss King Gators 6

Ott Spartans 24 vs Mtl Dragons 0

S.O. Cobras 14 vs Kitch Stampeders 12

Mtl Moose 13 vs Hamilton Hitmen 12

Semi-Finals

Mtl Moose 20 vs Mtl Doomsday 18

S.O. Cobras 28 vs Ott Spartans 19

Finals

S.O. Cobras 26 vs Mtl Moose 6

The Montreal Renegades had more difficulty in the early portions of the Tournament of Champions, despite having to face higher ranked teams in the later stages. After their 1 and 2 round-robin frustrations, the Renegades stepped up their play to post three straight victories.

Aside from their contested semi-final squeaker against rivals Pere Verts, the Renegades were peerless as they cruised to the CC title. Congratulations guys!

Quarter-Finals

Oshawa Rogues 20 vs W.P. Jaguars 12

Mtl Renegades 25 vs Markham Mustangs 7

Mtl Pere Verts 22 vs T.O. HUstlin’ Owls 12

Burlington Broncos 9 vs D.S. Killer Bees 6

Semi-Finals

Oshawa Rogues 21 vs Burl Broncos 0

Mtl Renegades 26 vs Mtl Pere Verts 24

Finals

Mtl Renegades 20 vs Oshawa Rogues 6

 

The Montreal Fleur De Lys have always been one of the top teams in the nation. Winning handfuls of tournaments over the years, including Quebec’s top division, FDL’s greatest achievement, in the eyes of many outside their province, was a one-sided defeat in the elite finals at the Tournament of Champions back in 2006.

Since that defeat, the Fleur De Lys failed to return to the “big game”. They dropped consecutive Canadian play-off losses in 2007/08 to the Ottawa Devils, who went on to win the elite title.

The Devils looked poised for a “three-peat” as they were dominate in their first four matches at this year’s TOC. Cruising to the Semi-finals, the Devils faced the Montreal Fleur De Lys for yet another play-off elimination battle.

Although the FDL might not have cruised to their semi-final destination, they were impressive with a 3 and 1 record. Their only loss was countered with a one-sided victory over their rival Montreal Chiefs in preliminary play.

Carrying this momentum into their match-up with the Devils, FDL not only proceeded to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament, they pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year. The Ottawa Devils were by far the favourites to win the championship again this year, as they were undefeated in city and provincial league play heading into the TOC.

Their astonishing achievement included 46  straight wins (TOC round-robin included), almost matching the incredible 48 and 0 season put forth by the Ottawa Nepean Canadians in 2002.

After their first Devil victory in years, the Fleur De Lys had to control their emotions, as they still had another step to take in their quest for elite Canadian gold. Waiting for them in the championship game was the Toronto Rockets, the only undefeated team at the TOC, who was also responsible for FDL’s single defeat earlier in the tournament, a 15 to 0 round-robin result.

The Fleur De Lys were used to over-coming prior defeats at this point, and that confidence was on full display throughout the championship game. They opened the contest with a quick touchdown, and never looked back.

While the Rockets put up a spirited effort, entertaining the crowd with several spectacular plays, they weren’t able to match the consistent FDL play this time around.

The Fleur De Lys not only avenged their earlier defeat, they captured what they, and countless teams before them have always chased: an elite Canadian championship. With this victory, FDL has joined an exclusive fraternity of greatness, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Congratulations ladies!

Semi-Finals

Mtl Fleur De Lys 14 vs Ott Devils 12

Toronto Rockets 25 vs Toronto Rebels 20

Finals

Montreal Fleur De 26 vs Toronto Rockets 0

The Montreal Chiefs sent shockwaves across the country after their stellar performance at the Tournament of Champions. While the Chiefs have always been a competitive squad, they’ve rarely posted the types of results that make others into household names amongst our community. This all changed, of course, after their 2009 TOC breakthrough.

Round-robin results for the Chiefs were absolutely outstanding. In their three contests, the Chiefs racked up 108 combined points to finish first in their pool. Their only blemish was a preliminary 24 to 13 Fleur De Lys loss (eventual AA champions), which dropped the Chiefs to the A side.

Despite carrying a tiny roster that required two-way football, the Chiefs returned to form in elimination play-offs. They earned consecutive victories to earn not only their second TOC victory over the former elite champion Toronto Shock, but also the A Canadian championship. Congratulations Chiefs!

Semi-Finals

Montreal Chiefs W vs Sherbrooke Kamarades L

Toronto Shock 13 vs Toronto Wolverines 12

Finals

Montreal Chiefs 32 vs Toronto Shock 30

Toronto’s Landell Lightning couldn’t catch a break in the early portions of the Tournament of Champions. While they ended with a 1 and 2 in round-robin record, their losses, which were contested, were to the two teams that eventually competed in the AA finals.

Showing that they belong in a higher division, the Lightning were nearly dominant for the remainder of their TOC contests. Aside from their hard fought 21 to 14 victory over the Montreal Titans in the semi-finals, the Lightning kept their opponents off of the scoreboard.

With their offense in high gear, highlighted by their 27 to 0 championship victory over the Montreal Warriors, the Lightning decisively captured their second national title in the last three years. Congratulations ladies!

Semi-Finals

Montreal Warriors 20 vs Toronto Rebels 0

Landell Lightning 21 vs Vancouver Titans 14

Finals

Toronto Landell Lightning 27 vs Mtl Warriors 0

The Montreal Blizzard, Quebec’s A champions, were ranked 10th in the nation heading into the TOC. Lacklustre round-robin and preliminary results saw them drop to the B division.

Displaying the positive characteristics of their Provincial outcome, the Blizzard were flawless in play-off match-ups. In three contests, the Blizzard only allowed two touchdowns against them. Scoring more than enough, to say the least for their championship game, the Blizzard salvaged their slow start with the B Canadian title. Congratulations ladies!

Quarter-Finals

Mtl Blizzard 6 vs Ottawa Fury 1

Mtl Trinquette 6 vs Richelieu Jokers 1

Mtl Coyotes 23 vs Mtl Thunder 2

Vancouver Titans W vs Regina Renegades L

Semi-Finals

Toronto Venom 18 vs Vancouver Titans 0

Mtl Blizzard 7 vs Mtl Coyotes 6

Finals

Mtl Blizzard 27 vs Toronto Venom 8

Due to their semi-final loss in the B division at Quebec’s championships, the Montreal Poison were ranked last in the nation heading into the Tournament of Champions. After their path of destruction at the TOC, it was difficult to understand how they could have fared so poorly in Quebec. When you factor that a Quebec-based women’s team took every TOC division except one, however, things became a little clearer.

As mentioned, the Poison ladies were a dominant force in the TOC. Not only were they an offensive machine in their 5 straight victories, the Poison shut-out every single opponent on defense. They posted an incredible 128 combined points for, obviously allowing 0 against to earn the title with ease.

Congratulation on rebounding from your provincial’s ladies, we can’t wait to see more from you next year!

Quarter-Finals

Scarborough Raiders 13 vs Mtl Thunder 8

Ott Mavericks 14 vs Toronto Thunder 0

Hamilton Shockers 13 vs Richelieu 12

Montreal Poison 26 vs Toronto Jaguars 0

Semi-Finals

Montreal Poison 19 vs Scar Raiders 0

Hamilton Shockers 15 vs Ott Mavericks 0

Finals

Montreal Poison 18 vs Hamilton Shockers 0