Express Bantams go to OMFL championship

August 6, 2014 · 0 Comments

In a season that saw the TNT Express Bantam squad rise above the competition there was just one team they couldn’t beat – the Orangeville Outlaws.

The Express went to the final against Orangeville at Esther Shiner Stadium in Toronto on Saturday, August 2, but came up short taking a 60–26 loss to finish second place for the season.

They had a huge season winning over every other team they went up against – except Orangeville who they lost against in both regular season games.

The O-ville team won the championship for the second season in a row and went undefeated in 2014.

The Express Bantams had a good championship run beginning with their season opening win over Cambridge on May 17.

They followed up with wins over the Toronto Jets and the Niagara Generals and another W over Cambridge in June.

Most of the games were tight battles with very competitive results that made for an exciting season from a fan viewpoint.

They hammered the Niagara Generals in the playoffs to earn the right to go to the championship game.

In the final the Express opened the scoring with an early first quarter touchdown, but Orangeville responded with a TD minutes later to make it a tie game early on.

The Express again took the lead with a second goal to lead 12–6.

From there, the Orangeville squad managed to tie it up and go ahead with a running game and a very fast running back who manage to score seven TDs in the game.

For the season the Express Bantams relied on their offence to win with some notable players who could be counted on all the time.

Number 6, running back Lino Devita was the workhorse of the offensive team. He was the man who, all season long, could muscle his way through the pack and was pretty good a tossing off opposing players for the few extra yards.

Number 34, Mitchell Giglio, and #42, Connor Devries, were the speedsters who gained yards while carrying the ball and turned up the afterburners once they got going.

While the entire team put out a good effort, some standouts include #3, running back Seth Hall, #22 slot back Quinn Bigcanoe, and QB Kyle Beadreau who led the offensive team for the seasons.

Coach Bob Hinde turned out a good team for the second year in a row assisted by a dedicated staff of assistant coaches.

The final game may have been a loss, but overall the Express Bantams can consider the season a big win.

By Brian Lockhart

TNT Express Bantam running back Mitchell Giglio runs through the Orangeville defensive line during Saturday’s Ontario Minor Football League championship game at Esther Shiner Stadium in Toronto.