This weekend could be a big one for the Sarnia Sturgeon.
The U16 Sturgeon are set to play for their first Ontario Summer Football League AA championship on Friday against the Toronto Jr. Argos at London’s Western Alumni Stadium at 5:30 p. m.
They’ve made it this far by relying on their strong running game and solid defence.
“Teams have done a good job the last two weeks containing our run game a little bit, but (we’ll be OK) if we can control the line of scrimmage,” head coach Vince Flamia said.
They consistently win the turnover battle each week, stay disciplined, and avoid giving up big plays, he mentioned.
“We have a pretty strong defence and we’re relying on some leaders on defence to make some big plays,” Flamia said. “(We’re) just making sure that we’re not beating ourselves. That’s been the message every week.”
Even after losing several key players to graduation, they find themselves in a position to achieve program history.
“I don’t think a lot of people really felt like this JV team could go this far,” Flamia said, “but… we knew if we put the right pieces in the right places that we’d probably have a good opportunity to surprise some teams. That’s what we’ve done.”
The U18 Sturgeon also have a chance to bring home a banner on Sunday. They will compete in the AA consolation final against the Quinte Skyhawks in London at 2 p. m.
Last Sunday, the U12 Sturgeon faced a tough loss with only seconds remaining, falling 56-48 to the North Bay Bulldogs in the A championship final at York University in Toronto.
The U12 Sturgeon came back from being down 24-0 in the first quarter to tie things up late in the fourth, but unfortunately, the Bulldogs scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass as time ran out.
“Hard loss, but a great comeback,” U12 Sturgeon head coach Michael Fioroni said.
“Myself and my coaching staff kept them in a positive mindset, letting them know we have been down many times all season, and they have the grit and fight to get back in it.”
The U12 Sturgeon were only trailing 33-24 at halftime and averaged more than 50 points per game this season.
“Doesn’t matter the score, we are still in it,” Fioroni said.
CJ Edeoga led their offence with six rushing touchdowns. Clarkson Bunda stood out defensively with two sacks and five tackles, while Faith Dugas also contributed five tackles.
The U16 Sturgeon secured their spot in finals by defeating the Brantford Bisons 25-16 during their semifinal match at Norm Perry Park.
The U18 Sturgeon took down the Chatham-Kent Cougars 25-6 in their consolation semifinal held in Chatham.The Sarnia Sturgeon, left, and North Bay Bulldogs take a group photo at the Ontario Summer Football League U12 A championship game in Toronto. (Submitted)
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