Upsets order of the day in Kelowna flag football championships

Finishing first in parity-conscious regular-season play proved to be no guarantee of success in the Kelowna Minor Football Association flag-division playoffs on the weekend.

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Only one team — the U10 Cowboys — parlayed its pennant-winning record into a post-season title on Sunday at Mission Sports Fields. The U14 Bengals, second-place finishers in the regular season, climbed to top spot in the playoffs, while the U12 Cardinals and U16 Raiders built on their third-place standing in the regular season to claim a 2017 KMFA playoff crown.

The Cowboys, 18-5-1 in the regular season, won three straight playoff games on Sunday en route to the U10 championship, defeating the second-place Raiders 32-22 in the title game.

A 26-20 upset victory over the first-place Chargers (23-1) earned the Cardinals (18-6) the U12 title while the Bengals (21-3) won three consecutive games to take the U14 championship. The Cards defeated the upstart fifth-place Chargers (11-11-2) in the final (40-27) on Sunday.

The Raiders (16-7-1) took the U16 crown with their third win of the day, a 49-38 decision over the Falcons, who had finished fourth in the regular season with a 15-6-3 record.

The flag season included 40 teams in four age divisions. For the first time, two all-girls teams competed in the U10 division, while 24 female players overall competed across all age levels.

Training for the tackle season begins in July and registration is now open.

Meanwhile, the KMFA will be represented by 26 teams in five divisions at the annual B.C. Community Football Association flag championships at Mission Sportsfields Friday through Sunday.

About 180 teams and 1,500 players from throughout the province will compete for B.C. titles. For complete schedules go here.

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