Sabercats suffer first OVFL loss

They knew that the Ontario Varsity Football League schedule was going to get tougher and it wasn’t easy for the Sault Sabercats on Saturday night.

The varsity Sabercats dropped a 35-7 decision to the Essex Ravens at Rocky DiPietro Field Saturday to fall to 3-1.

Just a week after posting 48 points against the Etobicoke Eagles, the Sabercats struggled offensively on Saturday night.

Quarterback Evan Bodnar completed seven of 19 passes for 58 yards and a pair of interceptions. Bodnar started the night missing on his first 10 passes before completing seven-straight.

Hunter Holub also saw action at quarterback, completing three of eight passes in the contest.

Austin Wesley caught three passes for 24 yards while Jeff Auger also caught three passes (21 yards).

Tristan Marshall ran the ball 17 times for the Sabercats for 124 yards.

Jarret L’Italien had the lone Sabercats touchdown in the loss, catching a 22-yard pass from Holub.

The Ravens opened up a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdowns – Nick Langley and Pran Duhanaj – in the final minute of the opening quarter.

The score would remain 14-0 until Essex would turn a nearly nine-minute drive into a touchdown in the third quarter into a Braeden Braccio touchdown late in the third quarter. The Ravens would then add on a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter.

In junior varsity action, the JV Sabercats dropped a 44-20 decision to Essex.

The Sabercats fell behind early after the Ravens scored a pair of touchdowns in the opening minute of play, first a 59-yard run by Jacob Savoni to make it 7-0 and then Shayne Purdie returned an interception 45-yards for a touchdown 55 seconds in to make it 13-0 after a missed convert.

The Sabercats would recover and even the score after touchdowns by Greg Caruso (30-yard catch and run) and Jordan Arruda (98-yard catch and run).

The Ravens would take a three-point lead on a field goal early in the second quarter and, despite a Sabercats touchdown by Joe Trudeau touchdown late in the second quarter, the Ravens would cruise to the victory.

Liam O’Halloran had a pair of touchdowns for Essex while Savoni also had a pair of touchdowns. Brandon Tatsu also had a touchdown for Essex.

Michael Byron ran the ball for 24 yards on three carries while Arruda caught five passes for 147 yards. Johnny Velcich and Trudeau had six solo tackles each defensively.

The Sabercats lost the services of Nick Roussain late in the opening quarter due to injury.

Roussain was taken to hospital by ambulance. Initial reports at the field were that Roussain had suffered a broken femur though word later was that he suffered a dislocated hip. He had underwent surgery on Saturday evening.

Both Sabercats teams are back in action at home next Saturday when they host the London Mustangs at Superior Heights. The JV team begins play at 1 p.m. while the varsity game begins at 4 p.m.

In Northern Football Conference action on Saturday night, the Sault Steelers were in Toronto to take on the Raiders.

The team travelled with limited numbers and dropped a 6-3 decision to fall to 0-3 on the NFC regular season while the Raiders pick up their first victory and move to 1-2.

The Steelers return home to open a stretch of three in a row on home field as they host the Tri-City Outlaws on June 20 in a 7 p.m. start at Rocky DiPietro Field.

The Outlaws enter the game with a 1-2 record after dropping a 42-3 decision on Saturday night to the Ottawa Invaders.

In other action around the NFC the Hamilton Steel City Patriots beat the Oakville Longhorns 46-42 while the G.T.A. All-Stars remained undefeated with a 49-21 victory on the road in Montreal against the Transit.