The Sudbury Spartans didn't need to outplay the Sault Ste Marie Steelers from start to finish last weekend in their semi-final match-up in the Lock City. They simply needed to outscore them.
In doing so, just barely (by a final count of 8-6), the local Ontario Five Football League entry not only registered their first win of the summer but also booked their ticket to the inaugural league final on August 11th.
"Every game this year, the outcome could have been different," suggested Spartans' head coach Junior Labrosse this week. "The offense has been able to move the ball this year. Last year, we couldn't move the ball at all - and our defense has kept us in games."
"But we shoot ourselves in the foot."
Well, that - and numbers.
"Every game so far, we've had anywhere from eight to ten scratches, guys that have to work - and some injuries and stuff," added Labrosse. "Going into this one, we had four scratches and our offensive line was healthy."
More than anything else, this allowed the Spartans to generate a passing game that would see QB Adam Rocha finish the night at 11/17 for 135 yards, with Drake Thiessen (5 catches - 94 yards) his favourite target.
A two yard touchdown run by Rocha in the second quarter would give Sudbury a 7-3 lead at the half, adding a key second half point courtesy of punter Nicholas Christmas. "He was on fire," said Labrosse. "It was all about keeping it away from Mike Reid."
The all-purpose threat (Reid) did manage to return three punts for 53 yards in addition to 43 yards on 7 carries, joining both Brock Hoover (20 carries for 113 yards) and Steve Hiiemaa (14 for 46) to help the homeside march the field, accumulating 214 yards on the ground.
But a passing game that was almost non-existent (3/12 for 26 yards) and an inability to convert drives into points spelled the demise of the first place crew. "They were going to run the ball, they were going to get yards," said Labrosse.
"We just couldn't let them get a big one. It's when you get that brain-fart and it's six points on the other side - that hurts."
Surrendering anywhere from 17 points to double that in their six regular season outings, the Spartans could not have picked a better time to drop that total to single digits. "Our DBs (defensive backs) played well; the front seven played phenomenal," said Labrosse.
Along with the likes of Erik Conrad (10 tackles and a forced fumble), Bryce Desabrais (8 tackles) and the tandem of Andrew Gillis and Marcus Britt (five tackles each), Labrosse highlighted the timely contributions of relative newcomers like Dalton Wilcox, Jacob Dillabough, Beau Naponse, Eli Lampi and Drake Thiessen.
Throw in a timely end zone interception from Eliot Robinson and you have the makings of an upset.
Especially when you realize, going into the game, that you're not that far off to begin with.
"It's not like we were getting blitzed by everybody," said Labrosse. "It wasn't like last year."
Not at all.
A first-round playoff forfeiture in 2023 is giving way to a trip to the championship final this year and while the Spartans have dropped both previous games to the Sarnia Imperials (32-12 and 33-15), there is a pathway for hope - one that does not involve the underdog dominating from start to finish, apparently.
