Varsity Sabercats improve to 2-2

After a tough start to the Ontario Football Conference season, the Sault Sabercats varsity team is back on even terms.

The Sabercats improved to 2-2 on Saturday following a 23-14 win over the Sudbury Gladiators at Superior Heights.

“That was a big win for us,” said Sabercats Assistant Coach Tom Annett. “The offence is starting to click. They made a few plays at key points today.”

Annett would go as far as calling Saturday’s victory a must-win.

“It might be a little cliché but deep down we were thinking it was,” Annett said. “It proves we can compete with the top teams in this league.”

“I don’t think there’s a team in our division that we can’t beat,” Annett said.

The Sabercats took the lead early in the third quarter when Ryan Yost ran the ball in from 20 yards out and then hit Robert Wright for a two-point convert to give the Sabercats a 15-6 lead.

After Sudbury made the game close with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Yost would seal the win with a 95-yard touchdown run before hitting Dalton Toppan for a two-point convert to seal the win.

Sudbury carried a 6-0 lead into the half thanks to a pair of field goals by Nicholas Rideout, who also served as the Gladiators quarterback. Riddeout also ran the ball 12 times for 125 yards, which included a 14-yard touchdown run.

Dalton Toppan got the Sabercats on the board thanks to a 28-yard touchdown pass from Yost in the second quarter. A two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful but the Sabercats picked up a single point later in the quarter.

Yost finished the day with 123 yards rushing on 17 carries and threw for 124 yards on 24 pass attempts for the Sabercats.

“We call him the Swiss Army Knife” Annett said. “He’s good at everything. He’s played every spot from receiver to defensive back to running back.

“He’s only really had two full weeks of practice (at quarterback),” Annett also said. “I coached him all through high school, if you put him somewhere, he’ll do everything he can to learn that spot. He’s all-in. Whether it’s studying film, taking extra reps, he’ll do what he can to master that position.”

The Sabercats will take its 2-2 record into action next weekend on the road against the Oakville Titans. The team will wrap up the regular season on the road on July 8 against the Nipissing Wild.