Varsity Sabercats look to remain confident following loss

Their record doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story for the Sault Sabercats varsity team.

The team fell to 0-2 on Saturday after a 21-15 loss to the Myers Riders at Superior Heights in Ontario Summer Football League action.

Despite the loss, the game was one in which the team will look to build on after a tight finish against a team expected to be among the elite in the OSFL.

“It was a close game. We had a shot at the end there. We were knocking on the door with a chance to score and kick the extra point for the win,” said Sabercats coach Matt Premo. “The weather played a part. Turnovers we knew were going to be a big deal and both teams had a couple of key turnovers. It was pretty balanced in that sense. They had a little bit more success running the ball. We had to rely on the pass and with the weather, that made it difficult. In the end, that might have been the difference. Their front seven were really good.”

“We toughed it out and showed the character of our team,” Premo also said. “We were thrown a tough card. Our starting quarterback quit (on Friday) and Gabe went in there. I’m proud of him. Gabe is a character guy and a leader on our team. He stepped in and did what he did in not easy circumstances.”

Premo said the Riders “might be the best team in our division, and we gave them a battle.”

Asked about the quarterback situation, Premo said Ryan Barnes, who started behind centre for the Sabercats on the road at Brantford last weekend, made the decision to leave the team during the week.

Barkley, who has taken practice reps at QB for the team, took over the position on Saturday in light of the situation and completed seven of 16 pass attempts for 225 yards and two interceptions on what was a rainy and wet Saturday afternoon.

 “He gutted it out,” Premo also said of Barkley. “The character in that kid is unbelievable.”

Premo said that, 0-2 start aside, the team is confident.

“Both games came down right to the bitter end,” Premo said. “We’re right there. We know we’re one of the better teams in this league. We’ve proven that. Ottawa (Myers) is going to be one of the top teams and Brantford is in the other division and that’s a tough division. We’re right there. We just need to find a way to win those close games. It comes down to preparation and attention to detail and finding a way to win those close ones.”

The Raiders took a 7-0 lead five minutes in as Tommy Clarkin caught a 28-yard pass from quarterback Justin Shibley.

After the Sabercats picked up a single point on a missed field goal, the locals took an 8-7 lead in the second quarter when Barkley punched the ball in from a yard out.

The visitors pulled ahead for good thanks to touchdown runs from Shibley and Keyshawn Reid.

Shibley scored on an 11-yard touchdown run while Reid ran the ball in from a yard out for a major.

The Sabercats cut the Riders lead to 21-15 with 2:25 to go in the fourth quarter when Barkley ran the ball in from four yards out.

Despite recovering an onside kick on the subsequent kickoff, the Sabercats couldn’t find the endzone again, the Riders holding on for the victory.

Barkley ran the ball 12 times for 22 yards in the game with his two majors.

Daniel Bumbaco paced the Sabercats receivers with four catches for 150 yards. Jaidan Trudeau had a pair of catches for 77 yards for the locals.

Defensively for the Sabercats, Nick Carter had seven tackles while Konner Ritchie had 5.5 and Nikolas Vecchio had 4.5.

Shibley completed four of nine passes for 48 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Reid ran the ball 24 times for Myers for 110 yards.

Defensively for Myers Ben Fraser had six tackles.

The Sabercats return to action next weekend on the road against the Peterborough Wolverines.