The Sault Cougars knew they were in for a challenge Saturday — and they got it in full.

Facing the defending national champion St. Clair Saints, the first-year Cougars fell 66-25 in Ontario Football Conference action. But for head coach Paul Orazietti, the game was about more than the score.

“They’re the national champs for a reason,” Orazietti said. “They’re incredibly good. They’re the gold standard right now for CJFL football across Canada, so for us, as a brand-new team, that’s our measuring stick. We’re about 40 points away from being able to compete with the best teams in the country.”

Despite the final result, the Cougars found bright spots on offence, including big plays from running back Ethan Roden and receiver Jaiden Trudeau.

“I knew we had the guys who could score, we had s

See Full Page