The only thing better than having the Sudbury Jr Spartans OSFL (Ontario Summer Football League) duo post identical 6-1 regular season records is to achieved said record with a double-header road sweep of the Sault Sabercats.
The opening encounter set the tone for the day as the Sudbury side jumped out to a 16-0 lead at the half, weathered a third quarter Sault Ste Marie rally that left the contest tied at 16-16 and then utilized the wind at their backs to their advantage as the visitors posted a 23-16 victory.
In what has clearly become one of the trademarks of the U16 Jr Spartans game this summer, quarterback Evan DeMarchi threw for all three touchdowns, finding Cameron Quesnel, Oliver Poupore and Mashood Adeleye on the end of mid-range to lengthy passes.
With all facets of the game excelling for the Sudbury lads, the kicking game accounted for the remaining points as Dom Quintana recorded three converts and a rouge, with punter Kade Campbell duplicating that final effort.
According to Sudbury coach Dan Yoisten, DeMarchi completed roughly 60% of his passes, an accomplishment that requires a great deal of shared credit.
"First off, you have to have talented receivers, which we do," he said. "We have a very talented O line that provides the protection for our quarterback. We also have some of the best decoys around."
"They are so keyed on (running back) Levi Blouin that when you fake the ball to him, their whole defense reacts. Same with Noah Arsenault on a sweep. We took advantage of that."
But if wasn't simply the offense that were earning kudos in the aftermath of this win.
"The defense played well," said Yoisten. "We had two weeks to prepare for them and when we needed the defense to make a stop, they did it. And I have to mention the special teams. Both the kickoffs and punts were very well covered - and our punting was excellent."
The nightcap was equally as entertaining as the Jr Spartans spotted the Sabercats an early 17-0 lead, narrowed the gap slightly by the half (31-17), took the lead in the third and added a little insurance late to pile on to a 39-37 lead, as Sudbury outscored the Sault, 45-37.
Dylan Mazzuchin and quarterback Steven Sola recorded two majors apiece, with Evan Doyle and Braeden Beggs adding the others. The versatile Confederation running back also chipped in with a field goal, a rouge and five PATs.
With their victories, both of the Jr Spartans teams will host a playoff game this Saturday as the U16 lads welcome the Peterborough Wolverines at 4:00 p.m. at the James Jerome Sports Complex while the U18 crew did not catch a break, despite finishing first, as the #1 vs #4 matchup finds them facing the Sault Sabercats in back to back weeks - albeit this time at home.
In Ontario Women's Football League play, the Sudbury U19 Spartans girls team advanced to the Tier II final thanks to a resounding 53-0 win over the London Jr Mustangs.
The result means that the locals will travel to Kingston on Saturday to face the Etobicoke Eagles in one of two championship tilts scheduled for Richardson Stadium.
After dropping a pair of regular season battles to the Peel Panthers by a combined total of 98 points, the Sudbury U16 Spartans girls showcased the progress that was made, beaten 22-6 on the road in a far more competitive encounter.
