The St. Clair Saints shocked the country with a 37-22 victory over the Okanagan Sun in the Canadian Bowl on Saturday, becoming the first team from the Ontario Football Conference to win a Canadian Junior Football League championship since 1999.
The British Columbia Football Conference champion Sun held a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter when things swung in favour of the host Saints. Quarterback Maurice Sodja ran for three touchdowns in less than seven minutes, taking advantage of a well-timed defensive penalty, interception, and fumbled snap from opposing pivot Liam Kroeger. The native of Louisville, Ky. ran for more than 100 yards in the victory, capping an MVP performance with an eight-yard touchdown pass.
On the other side of the ball, CJFL Most Outstanding Player Elelyon Noa was almost entirely held in check after the opening series, rushing for just nine yards in the second half after leading the nation in the regular season. Marcus Burden, Sam Melanson, and Ty Walker added receiving touchdowns for the Sun in the losing effort, while linebacker Jacob Bond was named the Defensive Player of the Game despite leaving late with a leg injury.
The last time an Ontario team captured the CJFL national title was 25 years ago when the Windsor AKO Fratmen defeated the Sun by a score of 32-29 on November 13, 1999. The Fratmen were the predecessor to the Saints prior to their official name change in 2020. Both Canadian Bowl victories took place in Windsor.
