The Hamilton 5on5 Flag Football League team defeated the Oakland Raiders 6-0 Jan. 31 in Miami to clinch the NFL Flag National Tournament of Champions 12-14 division crown.

“We worked well as a team and stepped up when we needed to, which led us to a very great experience,” said quarterback and Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School student Michaela Ionni.

Receiver Kristen Farkas agrees.

“We got an opportunity that most people do not get and we made the best of it,” said the Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School student. “We had fun and came out as champions, which is a bonus.”

The Lions defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-0 in their first game, before losing to the New York Jets 14-12 and Oakland Raiders 19-0 to finish 1-2 in round-robin action.

“That placed us in fifth out of eight teams, which is not what we hoped for,” said coach Alex Hill. “This left us with an extremely tough quarter-final game against the Jets, who previously beat us,” he added. “With a conservative game plan, we came out looking for some revenge and beat them 12-0.”

In the semifinal, the team faced No. 1 seed and last year’s champions, the Dallas Cowboys.

“The game was a defensive battle and we came out on top 6-0, after being huge underdogs,” said Hill. “The key to our success was our defence; we weren’t letting teams march down the field on us and even forced four interceptions on the Jets and three on the Cowboys, who were the two most explosive offences we had seen.”

Hill says heading into action against the Raiders in the championship, he knew the Lions were a much improved team.

“I knew if we played smart football, we could come out victorious,” he said. “We took the role as the underdog again and in the second half, Ionni connected with Farkas, which put us in scoring position. Two plays later, Ionni passed to Jenna Woodworth in the end zone for the only score of the game. Our defence held strong like they did all tournament and we came out on top.”

The heart the Lions displayed made the biggest difference, says Hill.

“It would have been easy for us to fold after going 1-2 and having to play three teams ranked higher than us in the playoffs, but the girls would not give up,” he said. “They believed in themselves the whole time and even when one girl got upset or down at times, there were all eight of them right there to pick her up and in intense tournaments like this that is key.”

Ionni says the chemistry of the team also played a huge role.

“We were very focused, when it came down to tight situations,” she said. “We were also very prepared.”

Hill says the Lions couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

“The tournament was extremely well organized and the girls had a lot of fun, along with some great opportunities, like attending the Pro Bowl, which a lot of people will never get the chance to attend,” he said. “Being crowned the best girls team in North America for under 15 is awesome. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls.”

The boys Hamilton Steelers also hit the turf for the tournament in the age nine-to-11 division.

The team lost in the quarterfinals.

“What a great experience, the quality of football was fantastic, being held in conjunction with the Pro Bowl was an experience of a lifetime. It's something the boys will never forget,” said coach David Luciani. “They met and got pictures taken with some pro football players, they we part of the opening ceremonies to the game, it was an opportunity that they will treasure forever.”