A six game regular season schedule does not provide for a whole lot of runway for the Sudbury Spartans.

Still, despite the condensed timeline, some progress is better than no progress at all.

Facing a notably superior opponent from week one – based on the eye test only – the Spartans featured a greater number of noteworthy moments, especially on the offensive side of the ball, though they would still lose their second straight game to start the inaugural Ontario Power 5 Football League season.

A 32-12 setback at the hands of the Sarnia Imperials on the heels of a 22-6 loss to the Sault Steelers last week might not seem like progress – unless one was there to take in both games in person.

“The first half was kind of rough; the offense didn’t help out the defense at all,” suggested Spartans head coach Junior Labrosse. “In the second half, the score was 12-12 – and it’s not like they didn’t have their foot on the gas. We’re feeling optimistic, moving forward.”

The visitors struck early and often, registering a pair of touchdowns courtesy of Adrian Meiller (4 yard pass from Spencer Bollman) and Marshaun Lothery (one yard run) as well as a couple field goals (30 yds; 25 yds) from Bollman, the former member of the Tri-City Outlaws.

Trailing 20-0 at the break, Sudbury got on the board in quarter three when pivot Adam Rocha and double-threat Carter Will connected on a 49 yard pass and run major. The Imperials got that one right back on their next possession, marching the field and culminating their drive with a three yard pass from Bollman to Connor Depodesta.

The teams would trade two more touchdowns, the Spartans’ offense provided a very short field when a blocked punt was recovered by Marcus Britt inside the Sarnia ten yard line, setting up a Rocha to Victor Paajanen eight yard score. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Imperials capped off their victory as Bollman (21/41 – 284 yards) found Nicholas Mackenzie in the end zone, from the six.

One of a handful of Sudbury players who saw time on both sides of the ball, Carter Will added a pair of interceptions to his TD on his personal stat sheet. After spending a couple of years with the Laurier Golden Hawks, the now 20 year-old graduate of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School has opted to enroll at Cambrian College in the fall.

The Hawks’ loss is clearly the Spartans’ gain.

“It was a good two years,” said Will. “I learned a lot about the game – but I wasn’t able to see the field, so I made the decision to move home.”

Recognized as the SDSSAA Senior Football Most Outstanding Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the fall of 2021, Will suggested that much of his increased knowledge of football lies in the details.

“It’s the little nuances of the game,” he said. “You don’t realize how important every little thing is. It could be just one step out to the left. It’s a game of inches. They say that all the time – and you really learn that when you get next level coaching.”

With a background on both offense and defense in his earliest football days (Joe MacDonald League and the like), Will noted that it was in the secondary where OUA coaches noted his skill, aligning nicely with his personal preference.

“I love playing safety; I love flying around back there all free,” he said.

Still, a slightly depleted Sudbury roster (ten players were missing due to injuries or work commitments) would require Will to take some reps at wideout as well. “You go from trying to stay hidden and reading the QB’s eyes to playing the opposite game, faking out the safety and trying to get open behind him.”

“It completely switches the mentality,” he added. “Sometimes it’s a little difficult, but I’ve gotten pretty good at adapting to those things.”

As for the roster challenges, coach Labrosse finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place in an environment that the NFC Hall of Famer knows all too well. “I asked the guys before the game to give me everything they’ve got – and they did,” he said. “I can’t ask any more of these guys.”

“You’ve got kids that play university, so they have to work. They’ve got to pay for their school, so they have to work as much as they can. Some guys work shift work so I get them one week, I don’t get them the next. That’s what happens. As a coach, I understand because I played.”

The Spartans will close out their three game homestand next Saturday, playing host to the Tri-City Outlaws.