The New Orleans Saints hosted a NFL Flag Football regional tournament Saturday at their training facility in Metairie. The tournament, which began at 9:00 a.m., was played on the Saints outside practice field and in the indoor practice facility. Twenty-one teams from various local areas participated in the event as parents and family were allowed to watch and cheer.

McDonogh 35 Middle School from New Orleans won the boys 12-14 year-old bracket, while Sophie B. Wright won the girls 12-14 year-old contest. Meanwhile, the Mo Steel Juniors from Miami, Fla. won the co-ed 9-11 year-old division.

The three winning teams will go on to represent the Saints at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. as they play in the Tournament of Champions later this month.

Other NFL teams hosting Flag Regional Tournaments include the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins.

NFL Flag is a non-contact version of traditional football and is offered for boys and girls ages 5-17 in cities across the country. The program emphasizes safety, fun, teamwork, self-esteem, discipline and goal-setting.

For more information on NFL FLAG or other NFL Youth Football programs visit www.nflrush.com