Cougars Drop Week 2 Matchup in Hamilton

After an impressive debut win in week one, the Sault College Cougars hit the road again, visiting the Hamilton Hurricanes for their second game of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) season.

The Cougars found themselves in an early hole when Hamilton's defence struck first with a pick-six just minutes into the opening quarter. Sault College answered early in the second, as Sam Mustaspha broke through multiple tackles for a 55-yard rushing major. Kicker Nik Vecchio added the convert and followed it with a deep kickoff single to give the Cougars a brief 8–7 lead.

From there, the Hurricanes took control, capitalizing on offensive drives and defensive stops to build a double-digit advantage heading into the final quarter. Hamilton would add three more touchdowns before the game was out, with the Cougars' second score coming on a special teams highlight — a blocked punt recovered by Sefton Andrews, who ran it back 26 yards to the end zone.

Head Coach Paul Orazietti acknowledged the learning curve his young squad is facing. "It was a disappointing loss for sure. We had hoped for a different result but Hamilton has a good team and they exposed some of our youth and inexperience today," Orazietti said. "We couldn't find a rhythm on offence and we faded on defence in the second half. We need to assess the film, make the corrections, work harder and flip the page if we want to be prepared for Quinte next weekend."

With the 37–15 loss, the Cougars move to 1–1 on the season. They'll aim to bounce back on Saturday, August 16, when they travel to Belleville for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against the Quinte Skyhawks.