(On December 15, 2022, the Bell Warriors Tykes football team celebrated their 2022 season with an awards banquet held at Scotty’s Corner Diner in Bells Corners. Scotty’s is owned by Scott Statham a former Warriors alumni and he was honoured to host the team for the evening. (Photos provided: Front row l-r: Mayne Fleming, Easton Hicks, Braeden Mason, Weston Yakabuski, Head Coach Brian Patterson, Team Manager Rachel Downton and Back row: Assistant Coach (and Bell Warriors alumni) Mike Fiorino. Missing from the photo is Rocco Cornacchia.)
It was a night of celebration for the Bell Warriors Tykes on December 15th. Scotty’s Corner Diner on Robertson Road in Bells Corners greeted their special guests with a banquet fit for any football player. Scott Statham, former Warriors player and coach for over a decade, and local restauranteur, was excited to see this young group of football players come through his restaurant doors to receive their awards for their well-played season in 2022.
The importance of the ethics carried out by the Warriors organization – sportsmanship, skills development, along with the value of teamwork and community – are important and have inspired Scott over the years. His son, Logan, played for the Warriors and his daughter Makayla has volunteered for the organization, along with many hours volunteered by Jodi. For these reasons, he and his family have proudly become Gold Sponsors of the Bell Warriors. This sponsorship will continue to carry on the tradition of affordable and accessible football for local youth when playing with Bell Warriors.
The Bell Warriors Tykes are aged between eight and nine years-old and play tackle football. The Warriors offer a great opportunity for young children to be introduced to the game of football. They learn the basic fundamentals and the rules of the game and are currently coached by Head Coach Brian Patterson and Assistant Coach Mike Fiorino (an alumni of Bell Warriors).
Of the 2022 Tyke season and head coach Brian Patterson, Bell Warriors President, Paul Stewart told Stittsville Central, “What a great season for our Tyke squad which is our 8 to 9 year-olds. For most of these young players, this more than likely is their first exposure to a team sport or organized sport of any kind. It can be intimidating, but we have 20-year veteran head coach, Brian Patterson, managing these moments of growth. Coach Brian is an expert at mentoring our youth in a way that encourages the rewards of challenging oneself.”
“A season spent reinforcing respect, responsibility, teamwork, commitment, and determination instills a confidence and pride in our young players which is amazing to witness. We call it our recipe for success. Results on the score board are not that important if our youth cannot deal with adversity and challenge. Coach Brian gets and embraces the process,” added an enthusiastic Stewart.
“Our season this year was testament to his approach where we saw our whole team gel as one. We had our wins and losses, but we also saw the personal growth of each and every player and that means so much more than championships,” said Paul proudly.
On December 15, the Warrior Tyke players who received major awards for the 2022 season all reside in Stittsville:
- Most Valuable Player – Weston Yakabuski
- Coaches’ Choice Player – Mayne Fleming
- Offensive Player of the Year – Easton Hicks
Individual Participant Awards for 2022 were also presented to each player who came from a cross-section of our area – namely, Nepean, Stittsville, Richmond and Ottawa:
- Bentley Bohm, Nepean
- Braeden Mason, Stittsville
- Declan Perry, Nepean
- Ethan Goulet, Stittsville
- Gavin VanMech, Richmond
- Jack Patterson, Stittsville
- Paris Foustanellas, Nepean
- Rocco Cornacchia, Stittsville
- Sean Mahon, Ottawa
The Tykes All-Stars listed below are all from Stittsville:
The Tykes generally have Winter Workouts every year that are a great opportunity to get familiarized with the coaching staff, some of the Warrior players and the great sport of football. No equipment is required. Players are encouraged to bring cleats, wear shorts & t-shirts and bring water. Tackle football tryouts start in May. 100% of the equipment is supplied. Tryouts are at Bell High School (just South of the baseball diamonds).
Says Stewart, “we are in the midst of booking weekly gym times over the winter to expose new players to our great sport while engaging our veterans. Details will be available on our website at www.bellwarriors.ca and all our social media feeds as soon as they are available.” Watch the website and their social media platforms for upcoming announcements on the Winter Workouts.
To support their teams through fundraising, for the past few years the Bell Warriors have been holding online auctions and draws. In fact, their next draw is Super Bowl themed, with the prize being an authentic NFL San Francisco 49ers helmet signed by Jerry Rice himself.
For more information on the Super Bowl draw, you can visit the official Bell Warriors Football Club website, or look for details on their Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram pages.
For more details about the Bell Warriors Football Club itself, you can visit their website here, or send an email to info@BellWarriors.ca with any questions you may have.