2024 SEASON REVIEW

MICHIGAN

The Legacy Midnight Madness tournament is the annual season opener for MVP. It’s close to home and offers a comparative level of competition for the Canadian High School players, the latter allowing an opportunity to understand the tournament environment while still being competitive.

In the Saturday seeding games the 15u team started out slowly, the offence struggling to adapt to the faster defensive players didn’t find the end zone in Game 1, dropping to PA Nike Elite White by a score of 9-0.

From there though the nerves settled and both the offence and defence started to make plays, pulling out an impressive team performance win, 22-0 against Reach High Elite, losing a close physical battle 13-12 to the TFP Flite Boyz Blue, and squeezing past OPS 15-12. 

The 2-2 record earned the team the #6 seed going into the Sunday playoffs.

Playoff day started by facing off against fellow Canadians the Essex Elite. Improved offensive execution along with strong defence led the team to a 20-9 win to progress to the quarter-finals where the #3 seed TFP Flite Boys Black awaited.

Providing a lesson in the difference between US and the Canadian competition from the previous game, the eventual tournament champions speed and experience stifled the MVP offence and picked apart the defence, handing out an 18-0 loss and ending the MVP teams weekend.

The 18u Regional team had similar issues with adjustment to the opposition speed and nerves which impacted the quality of execution and resulted in a number of dropped passes. While improving through all 3 games they ultimately couldn’t do enough and dropped Game 1 16-10 to Urban Impact CRU, Game 2 21-0 to Top Line Wisconsin Alpha, and game 3 21-12 to 475 Elite, resulting in the #15 seed for the playoff.

The low seed for the 18u Regional put them up against the 18u version of the TFP Flite Boyz Black, who ultimately would go on to win the 18u tournament.

Despite some impressive individual catches on the offence the speed, experience, and overall execution level of the Americans proved too much and MVP were forced out of the weekend in the first round by a score of 20-7.

A huge learning curve for the players, realizing that it takes more prep and focus to compete in the US.

LAS VEGAS

While the 15u and 18u Regional teams get to enter their seasons with a close-to-home tournament, the National team jumps straight into facing the top competition on the 7v7 circuit by travelling to Las Vegas for our sponsors own Battle Vegas tournament, as befits the best team that we can put together.

On Saturday MVP came out the gate fast in the seeding games, the offence scoring on its first play of the weekend and the defence standing strong in a Game 1 win 36-21 over Prolific Breed.

Game 2 was against one of the biggest and best programs in the US, Defcon Texas, whose roster contains many players with NCAA Div1 offers. For 15 of the 25 minute running clock MVP traded defensive stops and offensive touchdowns with the 4-and-5 Star prospects until ultimately the Defcon experience and explosiveness pulled them away with some late long TD passes to a 35-12 win.

The final pool game was another tough draw against a highly rated Arizona program, the AZ Dolphins. Unfortunately the effort trading blows with Defcon and the speed of the opposition meant MVP never really put it all together in a 32-14 loss.

Ending the day with a 1-2 record gave MVP the #33 seed and a very competitive matchup against KT Prep Greatness to start the playoffs.

The MVP offence struggled early, losing their first drive to penalties, but the defence started strong and when the offence found its groove MVP pulled out to a 13 point lead. However, missed execution saw that lead disappear and become an eventual 21-13 loss that meant a first game exit from the tournament.

While the end result was ultimately disappointing so much was learnt about going up against players who are going to be fixtures on Saturday TV in College Football and what that means for both physical & mental preparation required from the MVP players.

TENNESSEE

Both the 15u and 18u Regional made the long bus ride down to the Rocky Top Classic in Gatlinburg.

While a step up in competition from the Michigan slate for both teams, confidence was high after both 15u and 18u making playoff runs the year before.

The 15u started early and took time to get going, dropping Game 1 16-10 to another of the TFP Flite Boyz teams in TFP Flite Boyz White. Game 2 saw MVP come to life, turnovers from the defence and solid execution from the offence lifted them over Team Grind Hard 26-14. A very explosive D1 Bound team waited in Game 3 and after a fast start by MVP to jump out to a 10-point lead the bombs started to drop and  D1 Bound ran out winners, 32-18.

Entering the playoffs with a 1-2 record the MVP team were middle of the pack and so faced Top Boyz in a very winnable first round matchup. The best show of complimentary football so far from MVP saw them cruise to a confidence boosting 33-2 victory.

Straight into the second round, MVP found the very tough 502 7v7 team. In an absolute battle, the MVP squad learned how to dig down and fight for every yard until they ran out as 19-11 winners.

This meant a quarter-final match up with Camp Hustle, one of the top teams at the tournament. It was a competition of contrasting styles and approaches and came down to the wire. The MVP offence had the ball in the last minute and needed to score but came up short on their final down, the defensive stop handing Camp Hustle a 17-15 win and the semi-final berth.

It was a long day, hitting the road at 5am then playing 6 games with minimal breaks, but the 15u team stayed together, stayed focused and showed they have a resilience to go with their talent.

The 18u Regional team had a later start and came out of the blocks fast, scoring early then making numerous big plays in Game 1 but ultimately coming up short 17-15 against KY Elite.

Game 2 was forfeit by the MVP opponent so in a great show of 7v7 circuit camaraderie they worked with KY Elite to make use of the time with a scrimmage. Every learning opportunity is taken. 

Game 3 was a story of dropped catches and poor execution as MVP couldn’t get out of their own way in a 30-14 loss to Team Grind Hard.

The 1-2 record meant the Regional squad got to face off with their Michigan nemesis TFP Flite Boys again. The theme from Game 3 continued with dropped balls and execution issues helping TFP stay in control for a 17-10 win.

Lots of disappointment in the Regional squad, but also lots more learned about the level of preparation and execution it takes to compete at this level.

FLORIDA

The final stop in the 15u travel schedule was in sunny & hot Orlando to compete against the highest level of competition yet at the Championship 7v7 Florida Classic Tournament. Confidence was high in the MVP camp based on the progress made in Tennessee but this was a first up-close look at some of the highly ranked Florida programs - a real learning situation for these young MVP ballers.

The Saturday pool play was a gauntlet of talented teams.

First up was Epic Elite Navy fresh off of a tournament win the previous weekend.

In a battle of attrition both teams struggled until MVP were able to put together a period of complimentary football that included interceptions from the defence and a scoring drive from the offence that earned them a nail-biting 17-13 win.

Game two was against the STP Elite 7v7 Gold, who are highly rated and loaded with speed. Offensive struggles for MVP, including multiple pick-6s, doomed them to a 33-10 loss.

The final pool game was against another top Florida program, St Johns Cobras, whose outstanding execution kept both the MVP offence and defence on the back foot all game as they ran out 32-4 winners.

Finishing with a 1-2 record meant a #11 rank for MVP going into Sundays playoff, and a first round game against the #6 seed Apex Elite Juco.

The heavy defeats of Saturday created some adversity for the coaches and players to work through together, everyone refocusing on the development opportunities these tournaments provide and the level of both physical and mental execution required to be successful.

A completely different MVP mindset took the field on Sunday for the playoff. The offence came to life, scoring on all 3 of their drives, but missed extra points meant the improved play fell 3 points short in a 21-18 defeat and a first round exit.

While the results weren’t up to expectations, it was impressive how the young players took the coaching points from pool play and overcame the disappointment from big losses to really show some of the potential they have. 

The weekend also provided more opportunities for the team to bond and grow as young men. A team dinner at a local restaurant and a first visit for some to the beach enabled them to show how they can carry themselves with maturity when trusted.

The MVP program is all about developing the whole person first, then we talk about wins. This trip was a fantastic example of that philosophy that we are lucky to be able to provide to our players.

ATLANTA

After a 6 week break the 18u National team were back in action, accepting an invite to the YPL 10th Annual Southern Showdown in Atlanta.

The weekend included a team dinner, a trip to the College Football Hall of Fame, a recruiting visit to Georgia State, and field access to a Georgia State spring practice.

This all offered the players an opportunity to bond following their long break and to learn how an NCAA Division 1 program goes about its work.

When it was finally time for action everyone was locked in and ready as a team.

Game 1 pitted MVP against the Southern Express White from Alabama. The offence worked down field to score on its very first drive of the weekend and the defence worked out their kinks in a game that came down to the wire, ending in a 15-15 tie.

Next up were Tennessee’s very fast Elite 3 Smoke, led by their 5-star Georgia commit QB. The MVP offence again scored on its first drive and both teams traded big plays on both sides of the ball in another game that came down to the last play. MVP couldn’t convert inside the red zone at the end and dropped the decision 19-15.

Georgia’s own Atlanta Red Devils Red waited in game 3. Even though the MVP offence scored yet again on its first drive they couldn’t overcome mistakes and dropped away to a 30-17 loss.

Despite some high level play on both offence and defence the 0-2-1 record in the pool games was disappointing and led to a #20 seeding, which would mean a tough matchup in Sundays Round 1 of the knockout stage.

That challenge came in the form of TSP 7v7, the #9 ranked team in an early kickoff.

MVP came out of the gate slow, especially on defence, and quickly found themselves down by a couple of scores. But showing level of fight and resolve that is becoming a hallmark of the program, MVP came to life and clawed their way back into the game, ultimately suffering for missed conversions in an eventual two-point loss, 22-20.

It’s easy to be disappointed in no-wins and another first round playoff exit but the volume of successes over the weekend, on individual and team levels, show that the focus on developing the physical and mental skills of these players is bringing MVP closer and closer to the top teams. With continued hard work the target is to turn the two-point losses into two-point wins that then lead to playoff success. 

NEW JERSEY

The christening of the MVP Futures Program saw the 12u and 14u teams travel to New Jersey to compete in the Jersey Dream Chasers Elite 1st Annual Northeast Showdown for a one day tournament.

The 12u were up first. Given all the players being at the youngest age for the bracket, as well as the usual first tournament shock that all teams suffer, this was always going to be a battle. And battle they did, coming out of the pool play with a 1-2 record. After a heavy 37-2 defeat to OTG in Game 1 the players showed resilience of the young by bouncing back with a 9-7 win over Prolific and then a closer than it looks 20-5 loss to the heavy tournament favorites Slime U.

A seeding of #12 meant a tough matchup against the #5 seed, host team the Jersey Dream Chasers Elite.

Despite the huge physical mismatch the MVP team played their coaches proud and despite a couple of stops on defence went out of the competition in the first round 24-4.

It was a hugely educational experience for the great group of players and parents that left them hungry for more. The level of compete shown by all the players in all of the games shows there are better performances to come.

The 14u team, with many two-way players but bolstered by experience from some guest appearances by some younger players from the MVP 15u team, also fought the first tournament shock in three very close pool play games, ultimately going 0-3 with losses to Team Mars (20-5), Slime U (19-9), and JMC 14  (15-0) who were the eventual #1 ranked team.

This meant a #15 seeding and a tough matchup against the #2 ranked hosts, Jersey Dream Chasers Elite.

In another tight game that didn’t break open until late the MVP squad fell 24-8 and so were out in the first round.

The defence had a stirling day but ultimately too little offence against the bigger, faster US teams told the tale. Valuable experience gained for the players and parents bodes well for the future.

The way players continued to battle with a positive mindset when things didn’t go their way tells us that we have the right kids in the Futures program.

And the support from the parents, making the long drive and staying behind the players all day in inclement weather, was invaluable to helping the players succeed.

The Future is bright for MVP.

WELLAND

It’s finally time for the fourth instalment of the MVP hosted Battle At The Border tournament in Welland, Ontario, with 14u, 15u and 18u brackets and 3 programs crossing the border from the US for the first time - CE Stars from Indiana and the CTC (Changing The Community) and Self Made programs from New York State.

The 14u team were in action first.

The two-game pool play saw them go 1-1, with a close 15-12 victory over the Niagara Nittro and tight 18-13 loss to CTC.

This put MVP and Niagara into a semi-final playoff for the opportunity to meet CTC in the Final.

After a very hard fought and close game - needing 4 overtime’s to decide - the MVP team came out on top by a score of 34-28.

In the Final the growing confidence of the MVP team was obvious but the experience of the CTC team showed through as they ran out winners 20-13.

Even though it was a very small bracket, the way the MVP team played in only their second tournament was impressive, with some standout individual performances.

In the 15u bracket MVP would face some stiff competition.

First up was the NXT LVL team from Nova Scotia who are always a hard draw. Sloppy offensive execution and some distracted defence led to NXT LVL taking the 17-14 win.

After some hard coaching MVP were able to pull themselves together against local rivals the Essex Elite and win 22-13 behind some strong defence.

In the final pool play game it was a tough matchup against CTC. After a slow start MVP were able to pull the American team back but had left too much to do and lost by a score of 20-12.

The 1-2 record made MVP the #3 seed which meant a rematch with NXT LVL in the semi-final.

In a physical and emotional game MVP were able to make just enough plays to get the 17-13 win, and a date with CTC in the final.

Again MVP started out slow but this time CTC would not be reeled in, showing their superior execution to run out comfortable 27-7 winners.

It’s disappointing to lose our own Championship game but it’s good progress from last year in only the second year of the 15u program. The players and parents were reminded of how much work there is to do if were to compete with the bigger US programs in the future.

The 18u bracket the MVP Regional team (MVP Black) was hit hard with late players withdrawals. The remaining players showed impressive resilience, rallying together and attacking their tough pool play.

First up was the Essex Elite, who pulled away late for a 16-10 win. Second was the CE Stars from Indiana, despite the 24-12 loss the MVP team were the only ones to hold the Americans under 30 points on day 1. Finally, a tired squad faced the Niagara Nittro who proved just too strong in handing out a 35-13 beating.

The 0-3 record pitted the MVP Black against Self-Made Elite from New York in the first round of the playoffs. In a tense, hard fought affair the MVP team showed their exceptional toughness to pull out a much deserved 17-16 win.

This moved them to a quarter final rematch against the CE stars and despite some highlight reel plays the MVP Black went out with a 28-8 loss.

The playoff win was a just reward for the attitude of the Regional players. Overall this team performance was as impressive as it was gritty, a testament to the ability of all who played.

The highest hopes for an MVP trophy sat with the 18u National (MVP Purple) team.

After tough outings at the Battle Las Vegas and Youth Passing League Atlanta tournaments everyone was eager to see how that learning would translate into this performance.

Any thoughts of easier competition were soon gone in game one where MVP traded blows with the Eastern Ontario Selects squad in a highly competitive 23-23 tie.

This just served to light a fire under the MVP group, waking them up to inflict losses on Self-Made Elite, 30-12, and NXT LVL from

Nova Scotia, 20-9.

The tie dropped MVP Purple to the #3 seed which meant a quarter final with the #6 4QT from Toronto, in a very entertaining game the MVP team came out on top 34-20.

The semi-final was a rematch with the Eastern Ontario Selects who had dispatched the #2 seed Niagara Nittro in their quarter-final. The game was a battle of attrition with both teams taking their lumps on the way to an MVP 24-12 win and a berth in the Final.

The last game of the tournament would pit MVP Purple against the CE Stars, who beat the Essex Elite comfortably in their semi-final.

MVP started the game slowly and were behind by two TDs quickly. Then they found their rhythm and started to claw their way back into the game but just couldn’t catch the Indiana outfit in a 28-17 loss.

Overall the MVP National team met all expectations on the weekend, with some outstanding individual and team performances. Progressing to the Final was a huge improvement on the previous year and mirrors the on-field and off-field improvements the coaches have seen from this group.

The MVP hosted Battle At The Border tournament was a success yet again, not just with an MVP team in each final but with praise from attending teams, parents and supporters alike for the organisation, operation and competitive level of the weekend.

Work continues to try and entice more teams from both Canada and the US to attend, focusing on an even stronger lineup of teams in 2025.

INDIANA

Due to an enforced scheduling change the MVP season would end not with the Battle At The Border but with both 18u teams travelling to Noblesville, Indiana for the Prep Redzone Hoosier State Hustle tournament, to compete against a collection of high level programs from Indiana and surrounding states, including the CE Stars.

The Regional team were up first in a positive gauntlet of a group for pool play.

Bolstered by a batch of MVP 15u players stepping up for some playing experience at the higher age group the Regional team was ready to roll.

Game 1 against Legacy East was a story of missed opportunities on offence in a 17-8 loss. Game 2 saw the highly athletic 502 program take advantage of a turnover generating defence to stretch out to a 31-14 win. 

Game 3 was against MVPs nemesis program TFP Flite Boyz Blue. In their best performance of the day, MVP just couldn’t overcome the athleticism and experience of TFP in a 24-6 loss.

Another 0-3 pool play record put MVP as the #18 seed and in a first round playoff against the #15 Legacy Sports Red.

In a coming-out game the MVP offence scored on the first play of the game and exploded for 35 points, aided by a shutdown defence that held Legacy to just one TD in a statement 35-10 win.

The reward for the outstanding performance was a rematch with the TFP Flute Boyz Blue, the #2 seed.

In probably the most heart-stopping game of the season the MVP team rode their wave of confidence and let it all out, trading scores on every offensive drive with the opposition. Ultimately they would fall one missed conversion short in an enthralling 28-26 win for TFP.

This was a proud way to finish the season for the Regional players that stuck with the program and developed into excellent footballers. And while disappointing, the way they played in these playoffs was a highlight of the year.

MVP National were confident off their achievements the previous weekend, then brought down to earth in Game 1 by a fast Millz2BeMade 2026 team that topped them 18-8.

After a regroup on the sideline that turned confidence into determination MVP executed better on both sides of the ball which led to wins against both Team goalz, 22-15, and Bredwinners Academy White, 17-14.

With a record of 2-1 MVP earned the #9 seed, meeting the Legacy East squad that had beaten the MVP Regional team the day before.

Coming out extremely slow as a team, MVP saw their opponents score on every drive while only mustering two late TDs themselves, going down 30-14.

A disappointing end to the season for this talented group, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

After a long bus ride home that was a wrap on the MVP 2023-24 tournament season.

Some very high-highs and some definite lows over the 9 months together.

The first aim of the MVP program is to develop better football players and there was clear improvement across the group from the August tryouts through the Indiana tournament. And that makes it a successful season for us.