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Varsity Gladiators clinch playoff berth with a win

The Sudbury Gladiators were not about to let their northern rivals spoil their fun. Having beaten the Nipissing Wild back on May 30 in North Bay, the Glads knew they had a winnable game on tap, heading into the rematch in Sudbury on July 18.
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The Varsity Gladiators hung on to the fourth and final playoff spot in the OFC with a convincing 41-9 home win over the Nipissing Wild on July 18. Photo by: Matt Durnan
The Sudbury Gladiators were not about to let their northern rivals spoil their fun.

Having beaten the Nipissing Wild back on May 30 in North Bay, the Glads knew they had a winnable game on tap, heading into the rematch in Sudbury on July 18.

Key to the local players and coaching staff was the fact that, with a victory, the Gladiators would qualify for OFC (Ontario Football Conference) post-season play with a record of 4-4.

A 41-9 triumph on July 18 left nothing to chance. The homeside started quickly, building up a 17-0 lead by half time, and then rebounded nicely after Nipissing closed the gap to 17-9 in their third stanza.

Scoring plays for Sudbury came in all shapes and sizes. Ian Christakos (25 yard TD pass from Chris Moutsatsos), Johnny Pavacic (one yard TD run), Konnor Gillis (interception return for a touchdown), Graeme Stevens (short pass from Moutsatsos) and Brandon Chenier (38 yard TD run) all reached the end zone, with Nick Rideout adding a pair of field goals to the tally.

Not only was the 40+ point outburst by far their highest total of the season (next best was 20 vs Oakville), but it represented more than 50 per cent of the aggregate season total accumulated in the seven previous games to that point.

"At the start of the season, our offensive line was a little young," said head coach Aaron Rehel. "Now, I think they really understand their positioning, and it's really starting to come together."

"And Chris (Moutsatsos) has improved every game, every practice. He really doesn't have to think about everything that he does right now. He just plays the game. We saw a fluid and very natural looking passing game," Rehel added.

"We hit a couple of deep balls, we hit short routes, we had intermediate routes. We have a quarterback that can throw all of those routes, and that really put a smile on my face."

Despite nabbing the fourth and final playoff spot in the OFC North Division, Rehel and company have no reason to be over-whelmed by their playoff matchup.

The Toronto Jr Argonauts may boast a flawless record of 7-0, finishing atop the standings in this grouping, but they are certainly not unbeatable.

In fact, a point differential of just 58 (138 pts scored - 80 against) and a 17-13 Toronto win over Sudbury both provide reason for cautious optism amongst the northern gridiron crew.

"They have a very strong defense, very athletic, so we will have to continue to grow our passing game," said Rehel. "They are big and aggressive on the "D" line. If we can give Chris some time, and make a couple of plays, I think we give ouselves a chance."

The Gladiators will travel to Toronto on the weekend for a rare Sunday encounter, with field availability hampered, to some extent, with the on-going 2015 Pan American Games taking place in the GTA.

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