Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

Brantford Bisons fall league football teams are making some headway in the postseason, with several teams eyeing up a chance to bring a championship trophy to Brantford.

The Bantam Red Tier team is a favourite to win a championship during the Southern Ontario Football Association of Leagues playoffs.

“We have a lot of talent on this team but, more than that, we have guys who are meshing well for the techniques and systems we want to run,” coach Dave Millette said.

The team is made up of Grade 8 and Grade 9 players from the Brant and District Football Club’s catchment area.

Michael Cooper, 14, is the team’s quarterback and enjoying the taste of victory. In seven years playing with the Bisons, this is the first team that Cooper has helmed to make some noise in the SOFAL fall league.

“It feels awesome,” Cooper said. “We usually only won two games a season or so. We have the right combination of guys here.

“They say hard work beats talent and no one works harder than us.”

As well as Cooper’s decision-making abilities, Millette said running back Ryan Isenor and receiver Tommy Gemmell have been keys to the team’s success.

The Bantam Red Tier team finished the regular season in first place with a 7-1 record and earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

After the Mississauga Warriors upset the Guelph Bears on the weekend, the Bisons now have a playoff date with the Warriors on Sunday in Brantford.

The London Mustangs and Cambridge Wolverines will meet in the other semifinal to decide which teams will meet in the championship game, to be played in Halton on Nov. 10.

“There is a lot of parity at the top of our league,” Millette said.

In the Peewee Red Tier, the Bisons team finished the season 2-7, missing the top-tier of the playoffs but still competing for the consolation title.

“It’s not where we want to be, but we are still competing,” quarterback Dan Murphy said.

The peewee Bisons downed the Halton Cowboys 22-0 to set up a date with the Guelph Bears in Halton on Nov. 10 in the consolation championship.

The Atom Red Tier Bisons team finished the season in fourth place before defeating the Guelph Bears 12-6 at home on Sunday to set up a semifinal contest on the road against the Cambridge Wolverines this weekend.

The Bisons Tyke team is also headed to Cambridge this weekend for a semifinal game against the Wolverines.