KEY WEST -- Beginning on Thursday, 13 teams set out with a chance to claim top honors across three women's divisions, during the 18th Annual Kelly McGillis Classic International Women's' and Girls' Flag Football Championship and World Challenge II at George Mira Field. On Saturday, eight junior and girls teams joined in on the action and Sunday afternoon five champions were crowned in final games that were all decide by six points or less.

"I feel really proud," President and founder of the International Women's Flag Football Association Diane Beruldsen said about the tournament. "That's exactly how I feel, really proud. There was a core group of people that really made it happen and I'm very proud of the small nucleolus that made it happen."

For the first time in history, a Canadian team was the best on the field as the Montreal Warriors rode an undefeated record to the Division One Championship. The Warriors out-scored their opposition, 56-0, during the first two days of competition, and won the first round of the playoffs by defeating the Blue Thunder, 28-0. Montreal's opponents in the championship were the Miami Stingrays, which reached the finals with a 25-0 win over the defending champs, Tampa Bay's Lethal Weapon Reloaded. The Stingrays would be the first team to crack the scoreboard against the Warriors, but Montreal edged out Miami, 28-26, for the title.

In Division Two, another Canadian team claimed top prize. The Rebels, also from Montreal, blanked the North Carolina Storm, 6-0, in the finals. Montreal reached the championship game by defeating fellow international foe the Mexico City Vasqueros, 20-7, for the second time in the tournament. The Storm defeated the Stray Dawgs, 12-0, to get to the final game.

"American teams have always dominated before," said Beruldsen. "Last year the Warriors won Division Two, but this is the first time that the Canadians made it up to the top level and they won it. Both teams won their division, so what's that mean? Are the Americans getting older or are (the internationals) just getting better?"

An U.S. team did win the Division Three title, as the Blue Wave, out of Melbourne Beach, shut down its final two opponents to earn the championship. The Blue Wave knocked off the Loose Women in the playoff opener, 18-0, and completed the weekend with a last second field goal to win the championship game, 3-0, over the New Moon team.

"It felt good," Blue Wave coach Eduardo Gonzalez said about winning the title. "We kicked the field goal with a second left on the clock kind of like the Super Bowl, and it feels good. The girl had never kicked a field goal in her life, but I had a hunch and she got it."

The juniors and girls teams also had an international, as well as local, presence in the tournament, however, it would be a pair of teams from Acreage, Fla., just a few miles outside of West Palm Beach, that won the titles. The juniors' championship was claimed by the Acreage Wolverines, who defeated the Key West Lil' Devils, 10-6, in the finals. The girls' championship came down to a pair of Acreage teams and Gators won the title, 6-0, over the Wolverines.

Beruldsen says she is already planning for next year and hopes that the success of the two younger divisions this year will help more local team get involved in the future.

"I'm sorry we didn't get the Key West and Marathon High schools involved," said Beruldsen. "I hope they see the results and they decide they'd like to participate next year. That would be great"

According to Beruldsen, there will also be teams from Norway and Denmark competing in the 19th annual version of the Classic.

"I'm excited to bring in more teams for next year," said Beruldsen. "If I get a chance to travel and promote more then we could get to bring more teams down like we had n the '90s."

Until then, the players from the 21 teams that competed in the four-day tournament, will have to take their memories, bruises and trophies, for those that won, home and wait till next year.

jwcooke@keysnews.com