Turnovers costly as JV Sabercats fall in playoff matchup

The turnover battle can be a difference-maker and for the Sault Sabercats junior varsity team, it was just that.

Turnovers in key situations were costly as the JV Sabercats dropped a 41-20 decision to the Brampton Bulldogs Saturday afternoon in Ontario Summer Football League playoff action at Superior Heights.

The loss ends the season for the Sabercats while the Bulldogs advance to the Dan Grossi Memorial Cup Championship.

“You can’t win a football game when you lose the turnover battle. That’s rule one of football,” said Sabercats coach Will Bazawa. “A majority of the turnovers were self-inflicted.”

With some critical turnovers offensively for the Sabercats, Bazawa spoke of the team not making life easy for quarterback Zayn Murdoch.

“He’s going to try to learn from it,” Bazawa said. “Unfortunately, the problems were at the offensive line. It wasn’t necessarily with Zayn. If you don’t have time to throw the ball, you can’t do your job.”

Brampton opened the scoring midway through the first quarter as Israel Goulbourne ran the ball in from 21 yards out to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead.

The major came after Brampton recovered a fumble deep in Sabercats territory to take over possession of the ball.

The Sabercats tied the game at six just over four minutes into the second quarter as Murdoch hit Gevin Grisdale for a 72-yard touchdown.

Later in the quarter, Murdoch hit Grisdale again for an eight-yard touchdown to make it 12-6 for the home side.

Brampton then tied the game in the final minute of the opening half as Damario Daley scored on a 13-yard run.

After the Sabercats took a 13-12 lead on a rouge just over four minutes into the third quarter, the Bulldogs took the lead on their next possession as Kymani Stanley ran the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. The subsequent convert by Enzo D’Onorio made the score 19-13 Brampton.

Brampton extended the lead in the final seconds of the third quarter as quarterback Joseph Ferlito punched the ball in from a yard out for a touchdown. The convert by D’Onorio made the score 26-14 through three quarters.

The Sabercats cut into the Brampton lead just over three minutes into the fourth quarter as Payton Melchiorre ran the ball in from a yard out to make the score 26-20.

With just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Antonio Pignataro returned an interception by Murdoch just over 40 yards for a touchdown. The convert on the play by D’Onorio made the score 33-20 and held a 14-point lead after the Sabercats conceded a single on a missed field goal with 2:01 to go.

A late major on a one-yard touchdown run by Kyle Petricca and convert by D’Onorio capped off the scoring.

The Sabercats advanced to Saturday’s game thanks to a win last Saturday over the Brantford Bisons while Brampton got in following a win over North Bay.