BY SCOTT
HADDOW
Depth continues to be the Achilles Heel of the Sudbury
Spartans.
Injuries and work commitments have wreaked havoc on the lineup,
forcing the squad to go into their last few games with a
depleted and unhealthy roster.
Matched against teams with full rosters, the results have
been predictable, as the team has dropped two straight games
and have sunk into the lower standings of the North/Central
Division. With a 2-3 record, Sudbury sits in fifth place.
Because of player absences, the Spartans, recently, have no
less than 10 to 14 top regulars missing the last couple of
weeks.
It doesn't get any easier for the Spartans as they now must
face one of the top teams in the Northern Football Conference
(NFC) on Saturday, Sault Ste. Marie, to get back on the winning
track.
Game time in the Lock City at the Rocky Dipietro Field is 7
pm.
Sault Ste. Marie has a record of 4-1 and has been torching
opposing teams with their overall style of play.
But, there is a slight glimmer of hope given the NFC's
doormat, the North Bay Bulldogs, who are 0-5, took Sault Ste.
Marie to the limit before falling 25-23 last week.
Spartans head coach Chris Bartolucci expects Sault Ste.
Marie will not be in a favourable mood come Saturday and not
looking to have another close game.
"The rivalry between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie is
vicious," said Bartolucci. "They will be coming out
'guns-a-blazing' at us. I got a good game report on the Sault
and some of their tendencies. We have to revamp our game plan."
Sudbury is ready to keep up the fight this Saturday.
"The Sault is traditionally tough defensively and it will
not be easy," said quarterback Paul Gauthier. "North Bay almost
beat them, so they're not unbeatable. We will have to put forth
our best effort of the season."
Dedication will be paramount for the Spartans.
"To beat Sault Ste. Marie, it will take a lot of commitment
and discipline," said Gauthier. "We took some stupid penalties
and had some mental lapses last week. We have to make zero
mistakes and play with heart."
The Spartans need wins now, as they don't want to get into a
desperate charge to make the playoffs over the final few weeks.
"I don't want us to be in a situation where it's a mathematical way of getting into the playoffs...And if one teams scores this many points or if this team beats this team, we get in. I want us to be the master of our own destiny. Wins guarantee that and losses don't. We're not out of play-off contention yet. If we lose to the Sault, we have to come up with two big games and win or we will be done."
Even though the Spartans have lost two straight, hope is still
high as the troops have dug in for the long haul, especially
since they have been going to war with 28 players as opposed to
their enemies, who have countered with 50-man line ups.
"These guys are busting their butts off...We have guys
playing both offence and defence," said Bartolucci. "We're
frustrated...we know what kind of talent we have and we know
when we have a full team on the field, we will be a force to be
reckoned with. We just can't get a full team on the field."
A highlight out of last week's 30-3 loss to the Toronto
raiders was Junior Labrosse, who set a new NFC record for
career interceptions with 26.
"It was good to see...Junior picked off a pass and set the new record," said Bartolucci. "It was the silver lining in the cloud...there's always something good out of a bad game."
