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Junior Gladiators wrap up season this weekend

Tough 2016 campaign ends with no playoffs for Jr. Glads
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The Sudbury Junior Gladiators wrap up their 2016 season this weekend. It was a tough season as the team is just 2-5 and will not be in the playoffs. File photo. 

Their playoff dreams had long since vanished as the Sudbury Junior Gladiators marched into Vaughan with their 1-5 record last weekend, and returned north with a 24-6 victory.

The team hopes to demonstrate more of that "fight until the bitter end" attitude this Saturday at home, as the locals close out their 2016 season with a matchup with the 4-3 North Halton Crimson Tide.

Wide receiver Nick Witzke, who hauled in a 39 yard touchdown pass from Nicholas Rideout against Vaughan, extending a Sudbury lead to 14-0 at the time, admitted that the mindset was good, even on the bus trip down.

"We were pumped, excited for that game," said the 15-year-old who suits up with the Lively Hawks in the fall. "We thought we were going to win that game. They had the same record as us."

Despite some tough losses this summer, Witzke is thankful for the opportunity to have developed his game, in this, his second year with the Junior Glads. 

"I have more confidence, my route running and catching abilities are that much better," he said.

"You get more playing time, so you can transfer the skills over to high school that you learn here." S

till, there is often an initial adjustment, as the reality of facing some of the best young talent the province has to offer hits Sudbury players right between the eyes.

"Last year, I was a little bit scared going out there, because the boys were a lot bigger than I was," said 16-year-old defensive tackle Braedyn Charette. 

"There are still a lot of them that are bigger than me, but I've gotten faster, I'm working out more, I've been able to use my abilities off the field, to go on and make some big plays."

Charette is one of a handful of defensive Gladiators that are hard to miss in the course of the game. 

The Confederation Chargers product is a consumate ball chaser, who has learned to leverage his solid core strength as a base for proper tackling technique. And he never stops looking for any advantage he can find.

"A lot of the boys may be bigger, but bigger means slower," he said. "I started working on my cardio a lot, trying to get off the ball faster, using my hands a lot more, instead of just using a bull rush technique."

Throw in the extra motivation that defenses can sense with three down summer football, and one can hear the excitement in Charette's voice. 

"It's a lot nicer in the summer," he said. "You know that if you make that big stop on first down, they have to convert that second one, or else they're punting. It's a big difference between summer ball and high school football."

Joining Witzke on the scoresheet last weekend for the Junior Gladiators were M'Buyi N'Galamulume (10 yard run) and Nicholas Rideout (10 yard TD run, 20 yard FG and three converts), while Declan Eldridge snuffed out a long Rebels drive with an interception in his own end zone for Sudbury.

The Gladiators and Crimson Tide will kick things off Saturday at 4 p.m. at the James Jerome Sports Complex. The Varsity Gladiators are enjoying a bye week, before hitting the road to face the Toronto Jr. Argonauts in a first round playoff battle.

The Sudbury Spartans are also in action Saturday at James Jerome, welcoming the Sault Ste. Marie Steelers to town for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.


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