St. Clair and the Sault
WINDSOR — No less than eight players from Sault Ste. Marie are part of the 2024 Canadian Junior Football League national champion St. Clair Saints. The Windsor based Saints shrugged off a 13 point deficit in the third quarter and rallied for a 37-22 win over the Okanagan Sun in the November 9 national championship title tilt that was held here at Acumen Stadium.
The win brought the Canadian Bowl title as CJFL champs back to Windsor for the first time since 1999, which was also the last time a team from Ontario won the crown.
As for the Sault Ste. Marie player connection to St. Clair, they are, in alphabetical order, as follows.
• Daniel Bumbaco (wide receiver, St Mary’s Knights)
• Jesse Burella (running back, Korah Colts)
• Nick Carter (defensive lineman, St. Mary’s Knights)
• Hayden Cole (offensive lineman, Superior Heights Steelhawks)
• Cian Derbowka (defensive back, St Mary’s Knights)
• Thierry Dunster (tackle, Superior Heights Steelhawks)
• Seamus Parlow (defensive back, St Mary’s Knights)
• Brandon Vecchio (running back, St Mary’s Knights)
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SAULT COUGARS: The Sault College Cougars are scheduled to make their debut as members of the CJFL in the summer of 2025.
Sault Cougars will compete in the Ontario Football Conference of the CJFL where they will not only play the aforementioned national champion St. Clair Saints of Windsor but the Quinte Skyhawks, GTA Grizzlies, London Beefeaters, Hamilton Hurricanes and the Ottawa Sooners.
Paul Orazietti will be the head coach of the Sault College squad.
“Our goal at Sault College is to invest in sports programs deeply rooted in the local community, and football complements this,” said Orazietti, who is also the athletics director at the school. “Sault Ste. Marie boasts incredible local talent, and with this addition, we hope to be able to provide our local high school players with the opportunity to pursue both a post secondary education and a post secondary football experience while remaining in their hometown or in Northern Ontario.”