With a slight increase in the overall field and a big bump in excitement, the Elementary Flag Football Tournament hosted by Vince Dagostino and others would monopolize the turf of the James Jerome Sports Complex for two days last week.

Two extra teams increased the female delegation to 11 squads, with some returning faces and some newcomers making their way to the final four.

The Marymount Regals handed the St Denis Tigres their only loss of the day in one semi-final with the St Benedict Bears toppling the St Charles College Cardinals in the other.

The finals would see St Benedict prove that they are not only adept at boys and girls tackle football but flag football as well, securing the banner with a victory over Marymount.

On the boys side, the defending champion St Benedict Bears were back with a vengeance, securing a semi-final berth before eliminating the upstart Notre Dame de Hanmer / Ste-Thérèse crew, one of the pleasant surprises of the tournament.

The remaining semi-final proved to be something of an upset as Ecole St-Pierre downed the Bishop Alexander Carter Gators, taking the 2023 runners-up out of the mix.

Come the final, the experience of the Bears would pay dividends as St Benedict overcame an 18-14 deficit with five minutes to play, battling back to secure a second straight championship with a 26-20 win.

"All in all, it was another great tournament," noted Dagostino, who thanked those who officiated the games for going beyond the call of duty, helping provide valuable football lessons to coaches and players alike.

Dagostino also thanked the helpful crew of linesmen from l'École Secondaire Horizon and the administration at St-Denis and superintendants from CSCNO (Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario) for their support of the tournament.