'Two decades in the making': Sudbury Junior Spartans win first football championship

For the first time since the football team started playing at the provincial youth level three years ago, the Sudbury Junior Spartans won a U16 Sandy Ruckstuhl Cup championship.

The junior team went undefeated in their nine regular season and playoff games as part of the Ontario Summer Football League's North AA tier.

Sudbury Junior Spartans football team wins the 2022 Ontario Summer Cup. Aug. 6/22 (Sudbury Spartans Football Club)

In their quarterfinal matchup, the Sudbury Junior Spartans shut out the Quinte Skyhawks 41-0 and went on to beat the Peterborough Wolverines 34-1 in the semis.

The finals in London on Aug. 6 ended with the 27-25 defeat of the Vaughan Rebels despite a late touchdown, Emma Cacciotti said in a news release.

"We put on our hard hats and went to work for 48 minutes of football. The kids never gave up and ultimately, we came back as OSFL Champions, said head coach Jordan Desilets.

"It was a resilient effort from all our players and coaches on Saturday afternoon, at Alumni Stadium. Sudbury football has officially been put on the map."

It was two decades in the making, Spartans president Gord Goddard is quoted as saying in a news release Wednesday.

"Every person who ever played, coached or was an administrator with the Sudbury Northerners, Sudbury Gladiators or Joe MacDonald Youth Football can share in this championship," Goddard said.

"The vision existed long before this team stepped on the field."

He credits Desilet's coaching staff, the group of parents and several local businesses.

The team's championship will be celebrated Aug. 13 during halftime at the Sudbury Mens Spartan's Northern Football Conference semi-final game against the GTA All-Stars at James Jerome Field.