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Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
Coming off a dominant 34–7 win on May 31st at Rocky DiPietro Field, the undefeated Sault Sabercats returned to home turf at Superior Heights on Saturday, June 7th, where they hosted the sixth-place Toronto Jr Argos in Week 4 OSFL U18 ‘AA’ action. The Sabercats, now sitting at 4–0, delivered another commanding performance, shutting down the Argos 33–2.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Sault opened the scoring in the second with a rouge to go up 1–0. At 9:01 of the second, Ethan Charchidi punched in a six-yard rushing touchdown to stretch the lead. AJ Coccimiglio added the convert to make it 8–0. Moments later, a safety at 7:38 further widened the gap to 10–0.
In the third quarter, the Sabercats added another rouge to push their lead to 11–0. Toronto finally got on the board with a safety at 5:34, but the Sault responded immediately. Payton Melchoirre, fresh off OFSAA soccer action in Kingston, rushed for a 19-yard touchdown at 4:31. After Coccimiglio’s convert, the score moved to 18–2.
Just 12 seconds later, Marcus Spadafora scooped up a loose ball following a blocked Argos kickoff and sprinted 23 yards to the end zone, extending the lead to 25–2. Coccimiglio remained perfect with the boot. Then, with just 38.3 seconds left in the third, Liam Ouellet picked up another Toronto fumble and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, bringing the score to 32–2.
The Sabercats capped the scoring with a final rouge at 10:17 of the fourth quarter following a missed 18-yard field goal attempt by Coccimiglio, sealing the 33–2 win and maintaining their undefeated status.
Melchoirre led the ground game with 13 carries for 97 yards. Quarterback Matti Tucker passed for 108 yards, completing 10 of 16 passes and added 42 yards rushing. Receivers Will Middaugh and Cole Rivet each caught three passes, with Rivet totaling 37 yards. QB Alex Hayes entered the game in the fourth, finishing with 19 yards on two completions.
On defense, Charchidi was a standout, leading the team with 6.5 tackles and a sack. Aiden Wonch recorded four tackles, a sack, and a blocked field goal in a strong all-around effort from the Sault defense.
The Sabercats will look to keep their perfect season alive as they head on the road for a week five showdown against the Huronia Stallions in Barrie on Saturday, June 14th.
Junior Sabercats Game Cancelled Due to Air Quality
While the senior squad put on a show, the junior Sabercats were left without action as the York Lions declined to leave their bus due to air quality concerns in Sault Ste. Marie. The sixth-place Lions (2–0) cited player safety as the reason for not taking the field. The OSFL will attempt to reschedule the game. If a reschedule isn’t possible, both teams will be awarded one point in the standings and the result will be marked as a tie.
The junior Sabercats now look ahead to their next contest on Saturday, June 14th, where they’ll travel to York University to take on the Jr Argos.
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