Jun 11, 2015 by Iain Colpitts Mississauga News
The Oakville Longhorns, comprising of roughly 80 per cent Mississauga players, will host the Hamilton Steel City Patriots in their Northern Football Conference home opener Saturday at Bronte Field. – Supplied photo
OAKVILLE – The Oakville Longhorns, a semi-pro football team of mostly of Mississauga players, will host the Hamilton Steel City Patriots in their Northern Football Conference home opener Saturday night at Bronte Field.
A tailgate party will start at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. kickoff.
Team owner Liston Bates of Mississauga is the team’s defensive co-ordinator/linebacker and has coached roughly 75 per cent of his teammates at one point or another through his career.
He says around 80 per cent of the team is from Mississauga.
“Whether I was the defensive coach or not, (the players) call me coach anyway because I’ve coached most of them at some point,” said Bates, whose organization, the Mississauga Indoor Football Association, purchased the Longhorns two and a half years ago.
“My running back that I won a championship with three years ago as a 14-year-old kid is now my running back on (the Longhorns),” said Bates, an avid football supporter who has coached in MIFA, the Mississauga Football League and several other associations. “It can’t get any better than that.”
Most of the Longhorns are in their mid-20’s or older. The Longhorns are currently 0-2. Oakville has won a record 11 straight NFC championships, as well as three national titles between 1993 and 2003.
For more information, visit nfclonghorns.com.