High Hopes for Flag Football

Summerside NFL/CFL Flag Football league got underway Monday. Alex Rose of the Ravens chases down James Dalton of the Chargers trying to steal his flag. 

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- The Summerside NFL/CFL Flag Football league is under way for it’s fifth season in the city.

The league is made up of six teams and about 60 kids from grade’s seven, eight and nine. It includes four boy’s teams, the Chargers, the Ravens, the Raiders and the Jets, and two girl’s teams, the Chiefs and the Giants. The league was originally coed until a change came this year when Football Canada changed their rules in an attempt to be included in the 2017 Canada games.

The games will include a round robin and playoffs with all games taking place at the S.I.S. football field, with the winner’s of both the boy’s and girl’s playoffs will go to represent the Island at the under-16 National championships for the league in Halifax from July 22-25.

Last year’s tournament seen the Island’s representative win their first game on the national stage against the team from New Brunswick. They were stopped in the Quarterfinals in a close game with Alberta.

The league organizer, John Turner, said he expects an improved standing in the national tournament this year.

“Both teams should do pretty good I think, they’re a pretty high skilled group,” he said. “It’s really competitive.”

Turner said he expects the league to be as competitive as ever this year.

“It’s very competitive, all of the teams have really improved.”

Turner said the league has become really popular since he decided to “take the bull by the horns” and start the league, some of the graduates going on to play for him on the Bantam football team.

“We’re trying to build that culture here, right. Football is another option for kids to play especially in the spring or fall,” he said. “They take these skills they learn in flag and move them to the next level in tackle.”

Turner coaches the Giants team in the league and thinks his team has a good chance to make Nationals.

“If we win our playoffs, I would think we could win a couple games at the National’s this year.”