The year that was in sports

It was a huge year for sports in Kahnawake, with championship wins and draft selections going along with medals, much effort, and lots of fun!
 

Lacrosse

The biggest sports story of the year was the Kahnawake Hunters going all the way to Calgary and coming back with the Founder’s Cup, getting their first ever win.

They finished the regular season 15-5 and won their first ever Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League (OJBLL) championship prior to going to Founder’s. They defeated the Halton Hills Bulldogs, Clarington Green Gaels, Akwesasne Thunder, and Elora Hawks.

The Hunters were led by new head coach Brandon Francis, who took over from Garrett Cree. They also announced an affiliation with a new Junior A team, the Six Nations Arrows.

The Hunters had a new Junior C team in action this year, finishing with a 6-10 record and going to the playoffs. They were swept in three games in the first round by the North Shore Kodiaks.

The Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL)’s Whitby Warriors drafted Darris Jones 10th overall in the first round. Jones also declared his commitment to St. Bonaventure University for 2027.

Kaymen Diabo was drafted 66th overall by the National Lacrosse League (NLL)’s Colorado Mammoth, and Hawi Francis was drafted by the Oshawa FireWolves.

Owen Rice, Deeland Martin, and Kasey Lahache were drafted by the Arena Lacrosse League’s Paris FireWolves, while Francis was drafted by the Peterborough Timbermen. Kobe Lahache was drafted by the Six Nations Snipers.

Team Kahnawake, made up of grade 11 players, won silver against grade 12s at the Founder’s Cup (not that one) tournament in Pennsylvania.

Local athletes finished 2-3 in the US Box Lacrosse Western Regionals with the Pacific Northwest Native Lacrosse team.

In Kahnawake Minor Lacrosse news, the U11 team played a scrimmage during halftime of an NLL game between the Ottawa Black Bears and the Halifax Thunderbirds.

This year also marked the return of girls’ teams for the first time in 15 years, with a U13 and U15 team joining the ranks. The U13 team made it to the Whitby Warriors Girls Tournament finals.

The U11-1 C mixed, U11-2 F mixed, U13 C boys, U13 girls, and U15 girls’ teams each won their respective zone championships.

The U13 boys then won gold at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby, Ontario.

The Senior B Mohawks made the switch to the Three Nations Senior Lacrosse League (TNSLL), after having been the last remaining team in the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League.

In their first season as TNSLL members, the Mohawks beat the Akwesasne Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, before losing the finals to the eventual President’s Cup winner, the Snake Island Muskies.

The Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) Akweks finished their season undefeated, winning the GMAA title.

Koleton Marquis had a great season with the NCAA’s State University of New York at Albany (UAlbany) Great Danes, winning the America East Championship tournament and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Marquis finished with 25 goals in 19 games.

At the Canada Games in St. John’s, Ryan Stacey and Jayla White played for Team Quebec lacrosse. For the boys, Tioháhes Morris, Rowehrenhatie Jacobs, Leland Lahache, and Jackson Norton represented Kahnawake. Both teams finished sixth overall.

In Halifax, the Minor Box Lacrosse Nationals also saw many local players for Team Quebec and Team First Nations Lacrosse Association (FNLA). Nashtyn Mayo and Aronhiakèn:ra Martin took home U15B bronze. The U15 FNLA girls’ team, with Ivy Rose Takarahkwenhawe Cross, Ashtyn David, Aiananoron Cross, and Iakoieshon:ne Hemlock, won gold in Group B.

Ryan Stacey won silver at the United States Box Lacrosse Championships, playing with the high-school division Akwesasne Lady Lightning.

At LAXNAI, Jones won gold with the U18 Snake Island Muskies. Kirby Joe Diabo won bronze with the Kahnawake Masters, his son Kaymen Diabo lost in the finals with Club 24 HEAT, and Kaymen’s brothers Dash and Sahahkohe lost in the bronze medal game with the U18 Kahnawake team.

Trey Deere and the Orangeville Northmen returned to the Minto Cup finals, losing to the Coquitlam Adanacs.

Four players from Kahnawake were a part of the Haudenosaunee Nationals team that showcased the Olympic sixes format: Koleton Marquis, Trey Deere, Stone Jacobs, and Dalton Kane.

At another sixes event, the Nationals finished with a bronze medal, after Teharonhiorens McComber scored the game winner against Team Australia. Stone Jacobs was also on the medal-winning team.

Tioháhes Morris was the first ever player from Kahnawake to receive the Chuck Rowan Award, recognizing merit on and off the floor.

Katinontie Martin declared his intention to join Bryant University’s lacrosse program, starting in 2026-2027.

Hockey

After a regular season filled with tournaments and exciting games, several teams from the Kahnawake Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) made the playoffs this spring.

The U13C Mohawks went to the finals but lost to the Westmount Wings.

U15B won the Eastern Hockey League champions, earning a parade, as did the U11B Mohawks. The U18B Mohawks also won their Eastern Hockey League championships, beating the MRO Devils 5-1.

The U11B team finished one point shy of a semifinals berth at the Lac St. Louis Regionals, while the U18B team made it to the semifinals.

Team Eastern Door and the North selected seven local athletes to play in Kamloops, British Columbia: Camden Jackson, Hayse Horne, Ioteseronties Marcus Diabo, Pryor Stacey, Rohsennakehte Lahache, Ryan Stacey, and Waheshon Curotte. The boys’ team went 0-4-1 while the girls finished 0-5.

The U15 KSS Akweks made it all the way to the semifinals of the GMAA playoffs, ultimately losing to Beaconsfield High School.

Bocephus Dailleboust and his United States Premier Hockey League Islanders went to the National Championships. They finished their regular season with a stellar 33-8-3 record.

The Junior A Southwest Storm women’s team had five players from Kahnawake on their roster, with Breeze Lahache, Shyanna Day, Lexey Leclaire, Ava Standup, and Tewa White helping the Storm win regionals and get a bronze medal at the Chevrolet Cup.

Also at the Chevrolet Cup, Iotenhariio Lahache’s U13A Suroit Rockettes made the medal round, finishing with silver.

The Devils were the Kahnawake Senior Hockey League champions, taking down the Blackhawks in overtime.

Oniehtá:se Day started his education at the Canadian International Hockey Academy by becoming a part of their U16 Varsity team, after a short time in the academy’s Development Program.

Brooke Stacey came out of retirement to win the Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship in Ahtahkakoop, Saskatchewan, with the Alberta Thunderbirds.

Camden Jackson was drafted in the third round, 49th overall, by the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The Kahnawake Senior B Mohawks won the championship at the 33rd annual Wendat Adult Hockey Tournament.

Pryor Stacey was part of the winning team at the Manawan Minor Hockey Tournament, posting a 4-0 shutout in net with the Waswanipi Firehawks. Stacey later signed on to join the Cleveland Barons of the Tier 1 Hockey League in Ohio.

Multiple players from the community took part in the Ayabeh Summer Challenge in Gatineau. Jaxton McComber, Rome Delisle, and Kingston Delisle won the U15 Competitive Division as part of the EDN CreeHawks, going undefeated.

The U11EDN CreeHawks, with Jacob Diabo, Masen McGregor-Brown, Camden Lahache, and Dane McComber, won silver in their division. Three other U9 teams also took part, with the Class A team making the semifinals.

Kingston got to showcase his goalie skills at the QMJHL cup.

Nine-year-old Briella Kirby got the chance to play some AAA hockey in Utah, taking part in the Park City Showdown as part of the Rose Series.

Dakota Sage Mayo-Mercredi played at the Amerigol Latam Cup in Florida with Team First Nations, making it to the semifinals.

Baseball and softball

The U15B girls Warhawks made it all the way to Regionals, which they won, and Super Regionals. The U9B girls also won their Regionals.

The mixed U18B Warhawks, two mixed U9B teams, the U11B team, and the U13B also made Regionals, while the Junior A team made the postseason.

The Billings Blazers won the GMAA D4 Juvenile Boys baseball championship in their inaugural season, with help from Tyson Kyer and Shakonikonhrawis Diabo from Kahnawake.

Kyer also played with the Montreal Titans U17 travel team, travelling all over the northeast to places like Cooperstown and Philadelphia for high-level baseball tournaments. They won the Montreal Titans Fall Classic at the end of their season.

The Rezbirds won their second Kahnawake Mixed Fall Ball League championship in a row and fourth in seven years, capping off a perfect season for the team.

In fall ball, the U18 Warhawks made the playoffs after going 6-3-1 during the season, but were eliminated before the knockout stage.

Emily Meloche and Bonnie Zachary won the Quebec Invitational with the U23 Quebec Rebelles, going on to add the Bandits’ Bash and earning silver at the Canadian National Softball Championships in Saskatoon.
 

Wrestling

KSS finished third overall among boys’ teams at the GMAA wrestling championships, winning five medals.

Provincials, also held at Billings, saw the joint Billings-Kanien’kehá:ka Tehontatie:nas Mohawk Wrestling Club (MWC) team finish eighth overall in the 19-team field; Ava Hamelin won a gold.

Tritton Performance also did well; Grayden Diome won a gold and a silver, Claire Diome won a gold, Kelita Tritton won a gold, Nick Cross won a silver, and Kanerahtens Bush won a silver.

Both Tritton and the Billings-MWC teams sent wrestlers to Tsuut’ina Nation for the Canadian Wrestling Championships. Grayden won two gold medals, while Claire won silver.

The Billings-MWC team came home with a bronze won by Mya Campbel.

Ava Hamelin joined Team Quebec at the Canada Games this summer in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

KSS and the MWC both had good results at the Quebec Open to start the path to the GMAAs this season.

While it was a good year on the mat, Kahnawake is still mourning the tragic accident that took the life of wrestler Ken’nikahrhà:sa Cross in October.

Football

The Howard S. Billings Blazers received $25,000 for their football program from the NFL’s Forward Pass Program, one of three Canadian scholarly programs to receive the grant.

Chateauguay Raiders Atom Black won the Montreal Regional Football League Cup, with assistant coach Joshua Diabo; Tucker Jacobs, Oakley Williamson Deere, and Tehona’kara:a Diabo were on the roster.

In Midget football, offensive lineman Jack Jacobs and the LaSalle Warriors made it to the Quebec Midget Football League semifinals.
 

Golf

The Kateri Memorial Foundation raised more than $180,000 in the KMF tournament’s 11th edition.

The 12th annual Orville Standup Memorial Food Basket tournament raised more than $13,000 for the food basket.

Josh Mayo won the Amateur Division of Golf Quebec’s Indigenous Championship, while Frank Phillips won the Seniors Division.

Motorsports

Ice racing was back in Kahnawake after a two-year hiatus, with the First Annual Brandon White Memorial Ice Race, which amassed almost $20,000 for cancer support group Tetewatatia’takéhnhahs.

Derek White made his return to NASCAR after a decade away from the sport after charges against him were dropped in the United States after White and Hunter Montour won a landmark case in Quebec courts.

This allowed White to compete in four NASCAR races this summer, three times in the Craftsman Truck Series and once in the ARCA Menards Series.

Marc-Antoine Camirand repeated as NASCAR Canada champion this year, becoming the first driver in series history to do so. Part of his longtime pit crew are two team members from Kahnawake, Soot Rice and Nick McComber.

Darren Decaire won the Indian Summer Championship at Napierville Dragway. A second drag racing event, the Jimmy Goodleaf Memorial Drag Race, was organized for the first time, and was won by Brandon Stalk.

Figure Skating

Skaters from the Kahnawake Figure Skating Club (KFSC) had some solid results at the South West Regionals Valleyfield. Kaylani Delormier (bronze STAR 2), Ienonwine Printup (silver STAR 1), and Teioronhiathe:ton McComber (CanSkate silver) all performed there.

At the Vaudreuil-Dorion Invitational, Delormier was awared silver in STAR 2, Promise McGregor got bronze in STAR 2, as did Taylah McComber.

The Kahnawake Figure Skating Club held its 31st annual show, and it was a fun one, with routines based on one-hit wonders.

Soccer

Arrowhead FC 1 won the winter championship of the South West Regional Soccer Association and finished with a 16-1 regular season record.

Konner Thompson won gold at the Special Olympics Quebec Summer Games with the Rive-Sud Rapids, scoring three goals.

The KSS Akweks Juvenile girls’ soccer team was perfect in the regular season, but lost in the finals to Kuper Academy in penalty kicks.
 

Mixed Martial Arts

Fightquest held more sold-out shows this year, with alternating venues. Kahnawake’s Tiaohsera’te Johnson had his second fight with the promotion.

Boxing

Slade Two Rivers’ boxing career progressed well. He got up to the point of having nine wins in a row, including two TNT boxing events, winning his division at the Quebec Open, and winning the Bronze Gloves tournament in St. Hyacinthe.
 

Paddling

Onake Paddling Club members went to Bora Bora for the Talifit Boat Race, with two second-place finishes.

Suzy Goodleaf and Robert Deom won one gold, six silver, and two bronze with 22Dragons at the 2025 Pan American Club Crew Championships in Montreal.

The pair also won eight medals total, four of them being gold, at the 17th International Dragon Boat Federation Championships while representing Canada.

Konwanakeren Diabo took part in the Sprint Canadian National Team Trials at the Olympic Bassin in Montreal.

Water Polo

Skawennahawi Miller-Morgan won the U16 Eastern National Championships in Toronto with the Capital Wave water polo club.

Rugby

Evan Konwá:wi Stacey was selected to represent Western Australia in Rugby WA’s Grassroots to Global Connect initiative in the UK.

FNEC Inter-School Games

Team Kahnawake sent 186 athletes, coaches, and volunteers to Quebec City for the Games. Kahnawake won 17 gold medals, 12 silver, four bronze, 11 fourth-place medals, and 11 fifth-place medals.

Running

The first ever backyard ultramarathon was held in the community, raising $2,000 for the Purple Ribbon Walk. The winner, Zack Powell, ran for 16 hours.

Tehorakwaneken Goodleaf ran in the 308-mile long Arizona Monster endurance run through the Sonora Desert, completing the race in just over six-and-a-half days.

Mohawk Miles celebrated its 40th edition this year.

Hall of fame inductions

Waneek Horn-Miller was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport of water polo and in media, and as a builder.

Tewenhni’tatshon Louis Delisle was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a builder.

Kaymen Diabo was inducted along with his 2024 Founder’s Cup winning Junior A Coquitlam Adanacs teammates into the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame.

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