It was their first regular season action of the season and for the Sault Sabercats varsity team, it’s going to be something to build on.
A quick start and an ability to overcome penalties that led to the lone touchdown they gave up helped the Sabercats to a 43-8 Ontario Summer Football League varsity win over the Sudbury Spartans on Saturday evening at Superior Heights.
“Our guys competed really hard,” said Sabercats coach Matt Premo following the win. “Our defence flew around the ball. Everyone was rallying, a lot better energy and effort than the preseason game we had against them. We’re really happy with the way our guys competed.”
Penalties were an issue for the Sabercats in the win and something Premo said is a focus for the team going forward.
“Their one drive where they got points was basically all on penalties,” Premo said. "Our defence played good other than that drive. We should have been off the field twice, but penalties hurt us. Today it didn’t cost us the game, but in the future it might, so we’re going to have to clean up in the future.”
Daniel Bumbaco got the Sabercats on the board early as he returned a Sudbury punt 70 yards for a touchdown midway through the opening quarter. A convert by Ty Koski made it 7-0 Sabercats.
Later in the quarter, Ronan Provenzano extended the Sault lead as he ran the ball in from five yards out on the first play from scrimmage after a Seamus Parlow interception. Koski hit the point after to make it 14-0.
Provenzano extended the Sabercats lead in the second quarter when he cashed in on a two-yard run for his second touchdown of the day. The convert by Koski made it 21-0 Sabercats.
The Spartans got on the board late in the second quarter as Brenden Beggs ran the ball from five yards out. Beggs also kicked the extra point on the play to make it a 21-7 game.
Sudbury picked up a single point on the next play after the Sabercats couldn’t return the ensuing kickoff out of their own endzone, making the score 21-8. Sabercats.
The Sabercats got the point back after a missed field goal attempt by Koski was wide left but got out of bounds through the endzone to make it 22-8.
With just over nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Sabercats faked a punt on third down and Bumbaco ran the ball from midfield into the Spartans endzone, but the touchdown was called back due to a Sabercats penalty after the first down.
The Sabercats extended the lead later in the possession as Kaylob Thibodeau ran the ball in from one yard out. With the convert by Koski, the Sabercats made it a 29-8 game.
Daikaden Gauthier added a one-yard touchdown run for the Sabercats with just under five minutes to go. The extra point by Koski extended the Sabercats lead to 36-8.
On the kickoff, Landen Trecartin recovered the Sabercats kick and ran the ball in from 30 yards out for a touchdown. The major, and ensuing extra point from Koski, made it 43-8.
The win improves the Sabercats record to 2-0 as the team picked up a forfeit win last week after the North Bay Bulldogs varsity team announced it would not be competing in the league this season.
For the Sabercats the win was also a redemption of sorts after the team dropped a 28-27 decision to the Spartans in exhibition action on May 27 in Sudbury.
The Sabercats will return to action on June 17 on the road against the York Lions. It’s the first of three straight games on the road for the Sabercats.