Steelers win NFC title

For the first time since 1992, the Northern Football Conference champion hails from northern Ontario.

The Sault Steelers won the NFC title on Saturday night with a 23-10 victory over the Tri-City Outlaws at Rogers Field in Cambridge. It marks the first time since the Sudbury Spartans won the title in 1992 that a team from the north has won the title. The win is also the first NFC championship since 1980 and since making a comeback into the league in 1996.

The Steelers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when Noah Rushon completed a 56-yard touchdown play from quarterback Darrell Wood. Dan Leduc scored on a 20 reception early in the second quarter to give the Steelers a 14-0 lead. Mike Dingsdale got the Outlaws on the board with a 47-yard touchdown reception and Mark Armstrong kicked a field goal in the closing moments of the half to cut the Steelers lead to 14-10 heading into the second half.

Josh Gauthier got the Steelers going early in the second half with a 24-yard touchdown run just over five minutes into the third quarter. A missed convert left the Steelers with a 20-10 lead. Dan Swystun capped off the scoring with a 13-yard field goal late in the third quarter giving the Steelers the 23-10 win.

Gauthier paced the Steelers offensively with 164 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries. Rushon caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown while Wood was completed seven of 10 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Wood was playing in place of regular starter Travis McLean. McLean missed the game with a broken ankle suffered late in the Steelers semi-final victory in Oshawa last weekend.

Brandon Lewis led the Steelers defensively with five tackles in being named the game’s defensive MVP. Gauthier was the offensive MVP.

The win sends the Steelers to the national senior title game where they will face an undetermined opponent from western Canada. The location of the game has also yet to be determined.