The timing of the bye week could not have been better for the Sudbury Varsity Gladiators.
Needing a little extra time to overcome a rash of injuries, the local OFC (Ontario Football Conference) squad will also have two weeks to lick their wounds following back-to-back losses on the heels of a 2-0 start to the season.
On June 10, the Gladiators were challenged to contain the multi-faceted talents of Hayden Bruce and the quarterback acumen of Ryan Astrom as the Peterborough Wolverines picked up a big 32-14 win on the road, in Sudbury.
Following a pair of touchdown passes from Astrom to Braeden O'Brien, Bruce would take over the scoring parade, racking up the final 19 points for his team courtesy of three converts, two touchdowns and four singles.
Sudbury did challenge at points, spotting the visitors a 14-0 lead by getting on the board thanks to some razzle-dazzle, as QB Samson Recollet tossed out to Nicholas Rideout in the flat, who in turn aired the ball out to a streaking Noah Skuce for a 67 yard major.
Unfortunately, the team managed to add only a single point to that score until the dying stages of the contest, when Recollet found Josh Wilcox on the receiving end of a six yard touchdown pass, closing out the scoring with 1:58 to play.
It was somewhat closer as the Glads took to the road for the first time in 2017, facing the Sault Ste. Marie Sabercats in the Lock City this past Saturday. A see-saw affair remained close until the latter stages, when Sault pivot Ryan Yost broke through the line of scrimmage with speed and scampered the length of the field, 95 yards in all, to put away a 23-14 Sabercats win.
Sudbury jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to a pair of field goals from Rideout, but were trailing 15-6 when the kicker/quarterback made things interesting, weaving his way to paydirt for the Glads' only touchdown.
The locals now find themselves tied for third place in the North Division standings at 2-2, deadlocked with the Sabercats, and trailing the Wolverines (4-0) and Huronia Stallions (3-1).
Sudbury is back on the road on July 1, heading to London to face the Forest City Thunderbirds (1-2) and closing off the schedule seven days later with a trek to Barrie to battle the Stallions.
