Montreal Transit steamroll Spartans 40-19

For a brief moment, the Sudbury Spartans enjoyed a glimmer of hope. Facing the two-time defending national champion Montreal Transit in the first NFC playoff game hosted locally since 1994, the Spartans drew up the opening 94 seconds to perfection.

The locals surprised the visiting crew with an on-side kick, recovering the ball and quickly marching downfield on the strength of the running game. Less than two minutes in, Scott Smith had bolted 25 yards to the end zone, giving the home side a 7-0 lead.

By halftime, the scoreboard would read 40-13 in favour of the Transit. “We just played a superior athletic team, where we're about twelve players away from being able to compete,” noted Sudbury head coach Junior Labrosse, as the visitors held on to defeat the Spartans 40-19.

"But there's no quit in our guys," Labrosse added. "Even though we did a lot of mental mistakes, where we shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers and stuff, the guys did not want to quit." And that fact was not lost on the vast majority of the large crowd that gathered at the James Jerome Complex, in the hopes of witnessing an upset for the ages.

It was not to be. With 26-year-old quarterback Mathieu René directing an offense that relied heavily upon weapons at skilled positions that were difficult for the young Spartans to match, the Montreal team provided plenty of evidence as to why the Transit are home to back to back championship banners.

Touchdowns came from the likes of Jean-Alexandre Erroa-Ouimet, Patrick Jerome, Adrien Kellman, Jourdain Alexis, Jean-Fritz Charles, a roster replete with former CIS talent and borderline CFLers.

The Sudbury effort was nothing if not gutsy, with additional scoring coming courtesy of a 74 yard pass and run from Sterling Bilz to Sean Squires, and a 53 yard touchdown run by Smith, with just 2:35 showing on the clock.

While the Spartans were surely disappointed that their season had come to an end, they did so with the knowledge that there is plenty of reason for optimism. "I'm going right back to the gym after this," said running back Josh Cuomo, a work-horse with Smith throughout the entire 2015 season.

"I usually take a little time off, but I think this year, I'm going to keep going at least three to four times a week." Throw in the additional benefit that comes from being an active squash player, along with his involvement with the indoor flag football league, and Cuomo is looking to take another step forward next summer.

More importantly, he is hopeful that many others from his high-school and Gladiators era eventually join him in the quest for an NFC crown. "It was a great season to play,"said Cuomo. "I hope they come out, we need them."

"If we could get that talent, I think we have a legitimate shot at a championship." It is a vision shared by the man who has added a great deal of stability to a program that has seen some pretty rough times since they last hosted post-season play.

"We're missing those athletes that are here in Sudbury, but for whatever reason, are not coming out," said Labrosse. "Talk to me. At one time, we were the doormat. I vowed, when I became the head coach, that it would not happen again."

"I hope that I've proven that I can build something. We've got a player who is going from the Spartans to the University of Waterloo. For whatever reason, these guys are sitting on the fence, and I'm hoping that once they have seen us play this summer, they would reach out to me."

"I'm going to be actively recruiting the graduated players from the Gladiators," Labrosse continued. "I'm not after their young players. I want the ones that they have developed. They have done a great job through Frank Rocca, through Brent Richer, developing football players. Those are the guys I want."

"My season of recruiting starts now." Beyond the fact that the team earned the right to host a playoff game, lies the fact that the Spartans were able to provide, for the first time in a long, long time, an environment where players could look forward to very competitive football, week in and week out.

In posting a regular season record of 5-3, the Spartans were engaged in no less than six games that were decided by a touchdown or less (actually five points or less, to be specific). The two games that did not fall within those parameters were, ironically, both victories, with Sudbury besting the Soo Steelers 27-13, and thumping the Steel City Patriots 41-21.