Photo: Contributed
UPDATE 7:20 p.m.
The Ontario Football Conference ended a 25-year drought as the St. Clair Saints upended the Okanagan Sun 37-22 to win the Canadian Bowl in front of a home town crowd at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont.
The Sun came out for the second half with a 15-6 lead and, after surrendering a field goal, quarterback Liam Kroeger hooked up with Ty Walker on a 76 yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 13.
But, it was all St. Clair after that.
The Saints rode the arm of Maurice Sodja and an inopportune penalty to get the ball down to the one, where Sodja found pay dirt to cut the deficit to 22-16.
A tipped pass and interception on their next possession set up Sodja’s three yard run giving the Saints their first lead of the game heading to the four quarter.
With the ball at their four, Kroeger mishandled a snap which the Saints recovered at the four. Sodja ran in his third touchdown in less than seven minutes on the next play and the Saints had a 30-22 lead and all the momentum.
The Sun were unable to do anything offensively the rest of the way.
Sodja capped off his offensive MVP performance with an eight yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring.
The Sun defence was unable to corral Sodja who ran for more than 100 yards and the three scores.
On the other side of the ball, Elelyon Noa was held in check after the opening series. He ran for just nine yards in the second half as the Sun were forced to throw the ball in an attempt to get back into the game.
Sun linebacker Jacob Bond was named the defensive player of the game. Bond left late in the game with a left leg injury.
He accepted his award on crutches with an ice bag on his ankle.
It’s the first title for the Saints organization since they beat the Sun 32-29 back in 1999.
UPDATE 6:15 p.m.
The momentum has swung toward the St. Clair Saints with one quarter to go in the Canadian Bowl.
Trailing by 13, quarterback Maurice Sodja ran in touchdowns from one and three yards late in the third quarter to give the Saints a 23-22 lead heading to the final 15 minutes.
The go ahead score came after Liam Kroeger’s second down pass was tipped, intercepted and returned to the Sun 13 yard line.
The Sun extended their lead 22-9 early in the third when Kroeger connected with Ty Walker on a 76 yard score.
UPDATE 5:30 p.m.
The Okanagan Sun lead the St. Clair Saints 15-6 at halftime of a mistake-filled Canadian Bowl at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont.
Trailing 7-5 in the second quarter, the Saints got within a point on a 27 yard single off a missed field goal try.
But, mistakes by the Saints led to a second Sun touchdown. Liam Attwood missed on a 32-yard field goal, but the Saints returner fumbled the ball at the eight yard line. It was last touched by the Sun giving them first and goal at the eight.
Two plays later, Kroeger found Marcus Burden on an 11-yard fade route giving the Sun a 14-6 lead.
A punt single late in the quarter stretched the margin to nine.
The Saints had a chance to cut the deficit on the final play of the half, however a 32-yard field goal was wiped out by a too many men on the field penalty, pushing the attempt 10 yards further back.
The 42-yard try was no good.
Both teams have turned the ball over twice, three of those on special teams.
The Sun will get the ball to open the second half.
ORIGINAL 4:45 p.m.
The Okanagan Sun lead St. Clair Saints 7-5 after the opening quarter of the Canadian Bowl in Windsor.
The Sun struck first on their opening possession, needing just three plays from midfield to find the end zone.
Running back Elelyon Noa ran for a pair of 13 yard gains before Liam Kroeger hit Sam Melanson from 29 yards out to put the Sun up 7-0.
But, a muffed punt recovered by the Saints deep inside Sun territory led to a field goal.
On the next Sun possession deep in their own end, they conceded a safety rather than kick out of their own end zone.
As the quarter came to a close, the Saints were driving inside Sun territory.
