Sports

Orangeville flag football league celebrates another successful season

October 22, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Chris Perrotte

The finals of the Orangeville Flag Football took place on Oct. 9 at the Lions Club Sports Park.

Ten teams from their respective divisions competed in the finals to be named this year’s champions. That included the third-place U10 Raiders, who went up against the first-place U10 Texans in a showdown of running backs — Evie McAuley for the Raiders and Carter James for the Texans.

Evie McAuley scored the first touchdown of the game, and for the Raiders, she picked up where she left off in the semi-finals, where she scored all three touchdowns in that game to help her team advance to this final match.

“It was amazing to see Evie leading our offence again. She brings so much energy and confidence to our team, and it was great to see her making plays and helping us compete at the U10 finals,” said Alyssa Lavery, bench coach of the U10 Raiders.

An evenly matched contest throughout the game, which went down to the wire, with the Texans holding onto a 14-13 lead until Carter James scored on the last play of the game to give his Texans a 20-13 lead and seal the victory for his squad.

“I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to the final game with the team. Coach Drew Paton took over to lead the Texans to victory. Pacing around waiting for the results was tough for my son Noah [who’s on the team] and I,” said Paul Gismondi, head coach of the Texans.

“But finally receiving the news that the Texans won was the best start to the long weekend anyone of us could ask for. Carter [aka Sonic] scored the first touchdown for the Texans to start the year, so hearing he scored the last one to seal the deal wasn’t surprising…an almost Hollywood ending for sure!”

Despite the loss, Alyssa Lavery couldn’t be prouder of her team.

“I’m extremely proud of our team and how we played. We fought hard until the end, supported each other, and never gave up,” she said. “Although we didn’t get the result we wanted, I’m proud of everything we accomplished together this season.”

For the Texans, they were pleased to get the win and be crowned the U10 Division champions.

“Big shout out to the Texans players. Abigail, Piper, Carter, Cale, Henry, Declan and Noah — flag football champions! As coaches, coach Drew and I had an easy job, as the enthusiasm and excitement they showed up with was contagious to be around,” said Gismondi. “The camaraderie they displayed in such a short time was impressive, so to win it all was well earned and deserved. Couldn’t be more proud of them all!”

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) for the Texans was Carter James, while Evie McAuley received the MVP honours for her team.

With this flag football season now over, executives Heidi and Mike Keenan, Bryan and Paula Lavery and Todd Hughes, who helped organize this 2026 season, are thrilled with how the season turned out.

“When the five of us came together, our goal was simple: to create a flag football league for our kids. We never imagined it would grow to over 500 participants annually, with divisions for every age group and a dedicated girls’ league,” said Paula Lavery.

“Having a local league right here in Orangeville has made a positive impact on countless families and our entire community. We’re especially proud of the opportunities we’ve created for our athletes to develop their skills, build confidence, compete, and grow their love for the game. What started as something for our own children has become so much bigger, and we couldn’t be more proud or grateful for what we’ve built together.”

Other notable Final Division winners were the U12 Broncos, U14 Eagles, U18 Broncos and U16 Girls Chiefs.

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