Québec Girls, Saskatchewan Boys victorious in 2023 U18 Flag Nationals finals
July 23, Winnipeg, MB – The 2023 U18 Flag National Championships wrapped up on Sunday at Bison Field East in Winnipeg, MB, with Team Québec winning their way to gold in the Girls Division, and Team Saskatchewan crowned champions in the Boys Division.
The Girls’ gold medal game featured two unbeaten teams in Team Saskatchewan and Team Québec, and after a tightly contested game, Team Québec protected their perfect record winning 14-6, defending their championship title in the process. Team Saskatchewan leaves with a well-deserved silver medal, while Team Ontario secured a bronze medal by defeating Team Nova Scotia 19-13 in a thrilling overtime period.
Team Alberta finished 5th with a win over Team PEI (6th), and Team Manitoba East finished 7th thanks to their win over their co-host Manitoba West (8th).
In the Boys’ Division, Team Saskatchewan was looking to earn the gold medal in a revenge game against Team Nova Scotia, the only opponent that had beaten them in this tournament. And they achieved just that, pulling off the victory in the final 10 minutes of the game on their way to a 32-20 final score. With skies getting darker by the minute, the bronze medal winner was determined on the last play of the game when Team PEI batted down Team Manitoba’s last attempt to score with time running out on the clock, leading Team PEI to a dramatic 26-25 win, leaving last year’s champions one step off the podium.
Team BC grabbed the 5th place with a win over Team Québec (6th), while Team Manitoba East finished 7th with their final win over Team Ontario (8th).
Full results and further details on the 2023 flag football championships, including the upcoming U16 National Championships in Antigonish, NS, July 30th to August 2nd, are available at footballcanada.com.
