Nationals win title

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This article was published 19/11/2014 (4251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Transcona Nationals are league champions after a hard-fought battle.

The Transcona Nationals took home the Midget Football League of Manitoba championship after defeating their rival, the St. Vital Mustangs, in a defensive showcase at Football Manitoba’s Championship Weekend at Investors Group Field.

Championship Weekend ran Nov. 1 and 2, and the Nationals defeated the Mustangs on the final day of the weekend.

The Nationals were the league’s best team throughout the season and their field general, Steve Hoel, was beyond himself talking about his troops.

“This is probably the most family-oriented team I have ever coached,” he said. “The kids came together absolutely amazing. We had a lot of rookies step up big time on defence and our veteran 17-year-olds were great.”

That family mentality propelled the Nationals to a near-perfect season.

“We were 7-1 for the season, our only hiccup on the year was against St. Vital, and we didn’t have our starting quarterback, Adam Gorzen, for that game,” said Hoel, who has coached for the past 18 years. “In the semifinals we played Greendell, it was probably our most exciting game of the season and then we moved onto the championship game.”

The team’s high-powered offence was kept in check by the Mustangs’ defence, and vice versa. In the end, the Nationals edged out the Mustangs 7-6.

“It was one of those games where you love to watch but hate to coach,” Hoel said. “It was absolutely amazing.”

Gorzen was the Nationals’ key cog the year, leading the league in passing yards (1,173) and touchdowns (15). Transcona also had two of the top three running backs in the league in Brandon Urciuoli and Daniel Norris, who rushed for 707 and 690 yards respectively.

“Urciuoli, who is our 15-year-old phenom running back, came in and showed the league that just because he is young, he is not to be messed with,” Hoel said.

Urciuoli paced the league with 9.1 yards-per-carry to go along with his 10 touchdowns, also a league high.

Playing in IGF wasn’t new to Hoel, but to some of his players, the experience was unforgettable.

“We tried to get out there early to try and get them used to the field and get the shock factor out,” Hoel said. “When the kids went out there their jaws just dropped.”

Hoel said the experience of playing in Football Manitoba’s Championship Weekend is great for everyone involved.

“Players, coaches and parents get to go ‘big time,’” he said. “They get to play at IGF and it gives them a chance to experience what it is like to play at that top level. For the runners up, it still provides a great experience and something they can look back on.”

The Nationals will take a few months off before Hoel starts up next season in March. He will lose 17 of his 41 players from this past year’s roster, but is confident his team will be just as competitive.

“We have a good core coming back,” he said. “We have some great pieces in place and I have no doubts we can achieve what we did this year.”