2025-champion Bel-Air Norsemen keen for increased competition as NCAFA joins forces with Montreal U19 football league

By Keiran Gorsky

The National Capital Amateur Football Association will kickoff its 2026 under-19 varsity season on Saturday – in Montreal.

There’ll be a new challenge this season for the Bel-Air Norsemen, Kanata Knights, Myers Riders, Orleans Raftsmen, North Gloucester Giants and Gatineau Vikings as they regularly test themselves with the Quebec Midget Football League’s LaSalle Warriors, Laval Bulldogs, St. Laurent Spartans, Sun Youth Hornets, St. Leonard Cougars and the North Shore Mustangs.

For the dominant 2025 NCAFA league champions, the new opposition is very much welcome.

“This is a big change,” highlighted Bel-Air Norseman head coach Tony Violante, whose club posted shutouts in most of their games last season, including both playoff contests. “The competition level is going to be higher than it was in the past.”

The eight-week regular season schedule will feature a mixture of local and inter-provincial clashes. Teams will also compete in a shared playoff.

The joint league will mark something of a revival of the “Big 10” conference the two amateur leagues organized eight years ago, where select teams played two cross-divisional games.

The leagues considered reimplementing crossover play last season, QMFL representations told The Suburban’s Mark Lidbetter, but opted to give themselves an extra year to make adequate preparations.

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“It was just too short notice. It gave us the whole summer and made the most sense for all the organizations,” QMFL president Renzo Fraraccio said.

Players are especially looking forward to playing in front of scouts and recruiters from local CEGEPs. The path remains the preference for many Ottawa football players as opposed to committing directly to NCAA or U Sports programs, Violante noted.

Violante has fond memories of the Big 10. Knowing they were being watched, although some players couldn’t seem to get out of their own heads.

“They try to do a little too much,” Violante laughed. “‘They start thinking ‘scout, scout, scout, oh my God, I gotta perform really well for the scout!’ Some kids will make mistakes because they’re pushing themselves too much.”

Violante admits training has been “a little rough” in the lead-up to the season for his Norsemen, who went 10-0 en route to the NCAFA championship last season. Players who competed in the Ontario Summer Football League need time to recover, while a handful are still away on vacation. He has “no clue” as to how they will stack up against Montreal sides but is excited to see his players pitted against steeper competition.

With travel down the 417 instead of in town, clubs have their own finances to consider. The cost of charter buses to and from Montreal is not inconsiderable, but Bel-Air elected not to raise registration fees.

“We tried to do some fundraising to help,” Violante noted.

The Myers Riders will kick off the season on Saturday when they visit the LaSalle Warriors in Montreal. The Norsemen will play later that day in Laval against the Bulldogs.