Matti Tucker and Jack McPherson are eagerly looking forward to playing for the Sault College Cougars football team in the fall.
The team will be the first football team in the college’s history.
It was announced in November 2023 that the college would be joining the Canadian Junior Football League’s Ontario Football Conference.
Tucker and McPherson are two of approximately 30 Sault natives on the team.
Both players said a buzz of excitement around the new team is starting to build inside and outside Sault College.
“I think we're going to do pretty well. I think we're going to surprise some people,” Tucker told SooToday.
“We're all pretty pumped. We just want to get on the field,” McPherson said.
Tucker, 18, is a St. Mary’s College graduate doing a victory lap year at SMC.
“I started playing football in the Sault Minor Football League (SMFL) in the summers when I was eight and I haven’t stopped playing football since,” Tucker said.
He started playing football as a quarterback for the St. Mary's Knights in Grade 11.
Since then he has played on two championship winning teams - the Knights and the Sault Sabercats of the Ontario Summer Football League (OSFL).
“My favourite moment was probably when St. Mary’s won the city finals. I did a 30-yard rushing touchdown. That was pretty cool. We were already winning but I sealed it,” Tucker said.
McPherson, like Tucker, is also 18 and attending SMC in a victory lap year.
He also started playing football as a child in the SMFL.
“I played running back. I was a bit smaller when I was little," McPherson said.
"But then once I got to high school my dad pushed me to give it a try again. I got a lot bigger and more athletic, so I decided to go out and play. I had a great season in my first year of high school football. I played running back and then after that I moved over to receiver and I haven't looked back since. I’ve had a lot of help from my coaches.”
He has also played for the Sabercats.
His favourite moment was the Sabercats victory over the Sarnia Sturgeon to win the Ontario Summer Football League U18 title in 2023.
“We had a lot of fun during the season. We worked hard all year. We gave it 100 per cent. It was a pretty good feeling,” McPherson said.
Along with college football, both men will be pursuing a post-secondary education at Sault College in the fall.
Tucker is enrolled in the Pre-Trades and Technology program. McPherson is studying electrical engineering.
Both are attending Sault College on scholarships.
The Cougars football team, coached by Paul Orazietti, have practices every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for an hour and a half at the Northern Community Centre’s indoor turf facility.
“Football basically takes your mind off everything else. For two hours a day you get to play football and have fun playing with all your buddies. I've met a lot of people from playing football, like Jack. It’s a great experience and you get to make a lot of memories. It's enjoyable,” Tucker said.
“It feels good when you jump over a guy and catch the ball on top of him. It feels good when you make a guy miss, it feels good when you drop them on the ground. It's a great sport, it gets competitive. I love to compete, I love to win. I wouldn't trade it for anything else,” McPherson added.
According to information supplied by Sault College to SooToday in February, the team has attracted 70 players for offense, defense and special teams.
Approximately 30 players are locals, another 40 from elsewhere in Ontario and other provinces, while six are international students from Australia, France and the U.S.
The Cougars will be playing their home games at either Superior Heights Collegiate or Rocky DiPietro Field.
“They are really excellent,” said Cindy Hatt, Sault College Cougars football player personnel coordinator, referring to Tucker and McPherson.
“It’s not just the skill level that these kids have as far as football is concerned, but they're really honourable, upstanding and professional. They hold themselves really, really well and I think they're going to be a great representation of what the Sault can bring to this league in terms of football."