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June 29, 2009
Gladiators trample Stampeders' undefeated record
by Sudbury Northern Life Staff
 The Sudbury Gladiators evened their record to 3-3 with a 34-12 win over the previously undefeated Burlington Stampeders on Saturday.
The Gladiators remain in a three-way tie for third place with the Hamilton Wentworth Predators and the Toronto Jr. Argonauts.
Next Saturday, (July 4), the Gladiators will host the Toronto Jr. Argonauts for the team's final home game. Game time is 4 p.m. at Queen’s Athletic Field. Admission is by donation at the gate.
The Gladiators will play their final three games of the regular season on the road:
July 11, at 4 p.m., at MacRae Fields in Rockton vs. Hamilton Wentworth Panthers.
July 18, at 4 p.m. at St. David's Catholic High School in Waterloo vs. Twin Cities Predators. July 26, at 1 p.m. at Ray Twinney Complex in Newmarket vs. York Simcoe Bucs.
June 29, 2009
Sudbury runs over Stamps
By SCOTT HADDOW, THE SUDBURY STAR
Mitch Portelance and the Sudbury Gladiators wanted to make a statement Saturday at Queen's Athletic Field against the top team in the Ontario Football Conference varsity division -- the Burlington Stampeders.
The Gladiators were heard loud and clear as they disposed of Burlington 34-12.
"This win was a message to the league about what Sudbury football is," linebacker Portelance said. "We always knew what kind of team we were and this win shows it."
Coming into the game, all the hype was surrounding the Stampeders and rightfully so. Burlington was 5-0 and the defending league champion. They were also riding tall in the saddle with a 15-game winning streak going.
The Stampeders also beat Sudbury in the first game of the season, 19-11. A lot was at stake for the Gladiators and they were feeling strong after going out and seizing the moment away from Burlington. The win brought their record to 3-3 and has them right in the thick of things for a playoff spot.
"We wanted to prove to the league Sudbury football is a lot better than everyone thinks," running back Mike Drabit said. "We wanted to make a name for ourselves and I think we did by beating Burlington. We had our problems against Burlington in the first game of the season. We are proving we are getting better as the season goes along."
Sudbury was ready to play from the opening kick off. The defence came out like monsters and got momentum their side during Burlington's first offensive drive.
Sudbury linebacker Brent Edwardson found a Burlington running back in a mess of players and smashed him to the ground and ripped the ball away from the player's grasp.
It was a first down for Sudbury deep in Burlington territory.
Sudbury took advantage by making a sneaky play to score the game's first touchdown. While set up for a field goal, Sudbury's Andrew Kirkwood, who was placing the ball, got up and stormed the endzone. As Burlington defenders swarmed him, Kirkwood tossed the ball over to kicker Marco Armiento who charged in for the touch down. Sudbury was up 7-0 and never looked back.
"It was a good start again for us," Sudbury head coach Brent Richer said. "They wanted to win to show the league Sudbury football is for real. They worked hard all week to earn the win. It was nice to see both sides of the ball play that complete game we've been talking about the whole season ... everyone did their jobs."
Sudbury was up 7-0 after the first quarter. The teams battled back-and-forth in the second quarter. Sudbury built up their lead to 12-0 after earning a safety and another field goal off the steady foot of Armiento.
Burlington showed some life with a touchdown strike, but any momentum was stolen away quickly as Sudbury blocked their point after attempt to take a 12-6 lead into the half.
Sudbury was all business in the third quarter as they put the game out of reach with more fine plays on offence and defence.
Sudbury rung up the score to 27-6 thanks to a rouge by Armiento and two touchdown runs by running back Joey Martellacci, one which was on a 55-yard punt return.
The Stampeders got one more touchdown in the fourth quarter before Sudbury running back Drabit put the nail in the coffin with a rumble into the endzone to make it 34-12.
Richer gave full marks to his offence as the running backs ran like cheetahs, the quarterbacks made good decisions and passes, the receivers were in the air taking the football and the offensive line was creating big holes for big runs.
"There wasn't one thing wrong with them," Richer said. "From top to bottom and from the start of the game to the end of the game, they were all positive."
Richer also sang praises for the defence, which made key plays all game, including two crucial fumble recoveries in the third and fourth quarters to keep Burlington on its heels.
"They came out hard and got us some big turnovers," Richer said.
"They're stubborn and have been playing that way all season. They did a good job of pinning them deep. In the first half, they only allowed Burlington one first down. Our defence was hungry and understood they had to play hard all game to help us win."
The win will only make the Gladiators work harder. They will not sit back and take it easy.
"We will not let this win go to our heads," Drabit said.
"We're going to keep going hard and make everything better. Everyone stepped up to play and it was great to see. The offence had a tough attitude for the game and we were flying and hitting and pounding the ball. We wanted to win and be the first team to shut down Burlington. We did and it's an awesome feeling."
As pleased as Sudbury was to end the Stampeders streak, the win and how it positions the Gladiators for a chance at the playoffs was more important.
"Our team finally came together and played our best game of the season," Portelance said.
"We can still achieve better things, but this was good. We are coming together as a unit and it all starts at practice. Being a unit can achieve great things. It was nice to end their winning streak, but we were more interested in getting this win for ourselves and our team. I couldn't be prouder of my team."
The Stampeders gave full credit to Sudbury for playing an inspired game and giving them all they could handle.
"Sudbury deserved to win. They kicked our butt," Burlington head coach Neil Lumsden said.
"We knew they were better than what we saw in the first game of the season. I expected us to bet better, but I'm not taking anything away from Sudbury. They played all aspects of the game really well. You can tell by their level of enthusiasm that they're well coached. Good teams force other teams to do things they don't want to do and Sudbury did that to us. They took over the line of scrimmage, and generally if you do that, you're going to win the game."
Sudbury is back in action Saturday, July 4 at Queen's Athletic Field for its final regular season home game.
They will face the Toronto Junior Argonauts at 4 p. m.
- - -
The Skinny
* Result: Sudbury defeats Burlington 34-12
* Record: 3-3
* Key moment: The third quarter heroics by Sudbury running back Joey Martellacci, who scored two touchdowns, including a 55-yard punt return to put the Gladiators up 27-6.
* Up next: The Gladiators finish off their homestand by hosting the Toronto Junior Argonauts at Queen's Athletic Field. Game time is 4 p. m.
- - -
Gladiators game stats
* Rushing: Joey Martellacci 21 carries for 128-yards and one touchdown; Mike Drabit 16 carries for 170-yards and one touchdown; Marco Armiento one carry for 15- yards and one touchdown.
* Passing: Travis Campbell 10- for-18 for 94-yards.
* Receiving: Andre Brock five receptions for 52-yards; Mark Randa two receptions for 18- yards; Jacob May one reception for 14-yards.
* Punt returns: Joey Martellacci six returns for 111-yards and one touchdown.
June 27, 2009
Gladiators ready for league leaders
By BRUCE HEIDMEN, THE SUDBURY STAR
The Sudbury Gladiators will be looking to start a win streak of their own by putting an end to another one this afternoon.
The Gladiators host the Ontario Football Conferenceleading Burlington Stampeders at Queen's Athletic Field at 4 p. m. today and will be looking to halt the Stamps' winning streak at 15 games while extending their own to two games.
While Burlington hasn't been beaten since early last season, no team has come as close to ending the Stampeders' streak than the Gladiators, who fell 19-11 to the Stamps in Burlington in the season-opening game for both clubs on May 23.
"We were really close last time and it was just a matter of a couple of plays, a couple of mistakes that cost us," wide receiver Jordyn Andric said. "This time we're looking to play a mistake-free game and we have no excuses. We want to put it to them. They have this 15-game win streak we're hearing of and we want to put an end to it. Everyone is eager to get out there and just do it."
After a slow start in the first meeting between the two clubs, the Sudbury defence blanked the Stamps in the second half of that game while the offence found its footing, scoring nine points in the second half. That second-half result is enough to give the Gladiators confidence heading into today's contest.
"We shut them out in the second half last game, so hopefully we can do it to them all game this time," defensive end Colton Bonnah said. "We have to come out with some fire and hit them hard.
"The closest they have been is eight points against us, so hopefully we can make them question themselves a bit this time," he added. "Last game we started off slow and people weren't clicking, but we have worked out the kinks now."
The Gladiators got back on track last Saturday with a commanding 56-23 win over the York-Simcoe Bucs at Queen's. That big win lifted spirits at practice all week and have the locals entering today's game on a high.
"Winning that game by so much was a real thrill for us, a real confidence boost," Bonnah said. "Now we have the fire. We're not worried, we're not intimidated. We needed a win like that pretty bad. We couldn't go to 1-4. It's bad enough being 2-3 since we believe we should be a winning team."
The offence had been sputtering prior to last week, but putting up 56 points has them ready to fire.
"Scoring as many points as we did last week was a real big confidence boost and it bled into practice this week," Andric said. "It was great for the offence to finally start clicking well. We did some really good things and we got that big game we were looking for. The tempo was upbeat and we're really looking forward to this game."
Gladiators head coach Brent Richer doesn't need to play motivator for today's game.
"The guys are pretty excited," he said. "We felt the first game was one we should have stolen and we came up just short at the end of the game. We need to set the tempo early and make them understand that wasn't a fluke and we need to work hard. Guys are ready for this game and we want this one."
The Gladiators have two home games remaining on the regular season schedule -- hosting Toronto next week -- before wrapping up the regular season with three straight road games. That makes today's game crucial for the Gladiators.
"This is the game that can keep a home playoff game possible for us," Richer said. "If we really want a home game we have to win this one. This one is really important."
Small improvements from the last meeting between the two teams will get the Gladiators that win, Richer said.
"Defensively, we just need to stay the course, tackle low and group tackle," he said. "On offence we need to march the ball, something we didn't do last time against them. Then again, this is a totally different offence than what we had that first game and this is an offence that has some confidence now."
Sudbury is in a three-way tie for third place with a 2-3 record, while Burlington is the only squad in the six-team loop with an undefeated record at 5- 0.
The Gladiators can serve notice to the rest of the league by ending Burlington's run of success.
"We really want to end their streak," Bonnah said. "They're at 15-0, and that's a little ridiculous."
June 22, 2009
Gladiators roll to win
By SCOTT HADDOW, THE SUDBURY STAR
Sudbury Gladiators quarterback Travis Campbell felt like he was caught in a vice last week. He and fellow quarterback Andrew Kirkwood were squeezed and challenged to be better.
They came through against the York Simcoe Bucs on Saturday at Queen's Athletic Field as they helped guide the team to a 56-23 victory.
"The pressure helped us out," Campbell said. "The pressure gave us motivation. I feel good about the game and I know Andrew feels good, too. We went out to play every play as if it was going to be our last. We proved the offence could put up points on the board."
Campbell went 7-for-9 for 132 yards with two touchdown passes. Kirkwood went 3-for-3 for 84 yards with one touchdown pass.
"This is a tough defensive league and the offence has to put up points if you're going to win," Campbell said. "We worked a lot on offence in practice. The defence did a great job and the offence picked it up and showed what we could really do. We put up a lot of points and it was a long time coming. It feels good."
The Gladiators, with their backs to the wall after a tough loss last week and not wanting their record to slip to 1-4, came out like gangbusters. Sudbury racked up three touchdowns in the first quarter, and with converts, took a 21-0 lead. Receiver Jacob May got the ball rolling by hauling in an 18-yard reception for a major. Running back Joey Martellacci capped off a long drive with a three-yard plunge for the major. Slot back Andre Brock rounded out the first quarter barrage with a 10-yard touchdown pass. Kicker Marco Armiento helped build the big lead by nailing two converts and scoring one rouge.
"It was another character win," Sudbury head coach Brent Richer said. "The team came out hard. We asked them to do their jobs and they delivered for us right from the start."
With the pressure on the offence, more so on the quarterbacks, Richer liked how the players responded.
"The quarterbacks were impressive," he said. "They were cool in the pocket and they didn't make too many bad decisions. The receivers came to play as well and made some nice plays. I thought our offence was fantastic. They ran the ball, passed the ball and caught the ball well. Everybody on offence was very crisp."
"We knew it would take a while, but they're getting there. Hopefully, they can carry it into next week."
The Gladiators never took their foot off the gas. In the second quarter, Martellacci made a 37-yard dash into the end zone and receiver Jordyn Andric collected a nine-yard pass for a major. Armiento nailed two more converts and one field goal to give Sudbury a 38-3 lead.
In the third quarter, Martellacci brought fans out of their seats with an electrifying 65- yard punt return for the major. Running back Mike Drabit punched in a two-yard score. Armiento, as good as gold, drilled two more converts to give Sudbury a 52-16 lead.
In the fourth, Armiento cont inued to show off his golden foot by kicking another field goal and rouge to give Sudbury the 56-23 win.
Sudbury's defence allowed the Bucs to score three touchdowns, two in the third quarter and one in the fourth.
"The defence tackled well with low hits and didn't allow much secondary movement," Richer said. "They've been solid all season."
The Gladiators were fired up by the convincing victory.
"I thought we put it all together," linebacker Brent Edwardson said. "We played four quarters of strong football. We've had trouble this season with not coming out at the start with a lot of intensity. We came out with energy and intensity this game and look what happened. We never lost our focus either ... we didn't let the big lead get to our heads."
York Simcoe had plenty to think about after the loss. The poor start was too much to overcome.
"We gave up three touchdowns in the first quarter and it certainly didn't help us," Bucs coach Bob Hellmeister said. "We put ourselves in a big hole, a hard hole to come out of. At least in the second half, the team put some positive things together and that was key for us."
The Gladiators have a record of 2-3. It doesn't give them much satisfaction at the halfway point of the season, but the team has a good vibe going and momentum seems to be building.
"The learning curve has been steep and with 10 coaches, getting everyone on the same page is what it has been all about in the first half," general manager Chris Bartolucci said. "Everyone is getting comfortable with each other. Things are looking up. If we keep playing the way we're playing and coaching the way we're coaching, I expect a good result in the second half. I'm impressed, not depressed. We still have a lot of work to do."
- - -
The Skinny
* Result: Sudbury defeats York Simcoe 56-23
* Record: 2-3
* Key moment: The first quarter. Sudbury's offence went on the rampage, scoring 21 points, while the defence allowed none. Sudbury scored two touchdowns on its first two drives of the game to put York Simcoe on its heels for the rest of the game.
* Up next: The Gladiators continue their homestand when they host the Burlington
Stampeders on June 27 at Queen's Athletic Field. Game time is 4 p. m.
June 19, 2009
Gladiators host Bucs Saturday
by Sudbury Northern Life Staff
 The Sudbury Gladiators football team will be back on home turf June 20, playing host to the York-Simcoe Bucs.
The Bucs have zero wins, and four losses, so far this season. Game time is 4 p.m. at Queen's Athletic Field. Admission is by donation at the gate.
Last weekend, the Gladiators narrowly missed a second victory at home, falling 10-8 to the undefeated Twin Cities Predators. The Gladiators are now 1-3, and tied for fourth place with the Hamilton-Wentworth Panthers.
The Gladiators have two more home games before finishing the season on the road. On June 27, the team will host the Burlington Stampeders, and on July 4, the Toronto Jr. Argonauts will visit Sudbury. Both games will begin at 4 p.m. at Queen's Athletic Field.
June 18, 2009
Consistency lacking
by Bruce Heidman, The Sudbury Star
 It's called the most important position on the football field for a reason.
And if the Sudbury Gladiators are going to get their season turned around, it's going to take some improved play from the quarterback spot.
The Gladiators' pivots have struggled thus far this year, completing 38 of 91 pass attempts for 377 yards, good for one touchdown and seven interceptions in four games.
That won't get it done in the ultra-competitive Ontario Football Conference, where three-down football makes the completed pass a required element for victory.
"More consistency," Gladiators quarterbacks coach Reg Bonin said when asked what he needs out of his charges. "It starts from the mental part of the game to the physical part, and we're just not consistent at the quarterback position right now."
Starting quarterback Andrew Kirkwood has completed 32 of 75 pass attempts for a 42.7% completion rate and has the team's lone touchdown pass to go along with four interceptions.
Backup Travis Campbell has completed six of 17 attempts and has three picks. Kirkwood still has the confidence of the coaching staff and will be back behind centre Saturday against the York-Simcoe Bucs.
"Andrew is in a tough spot," Bonin said. "He has played one system for a number of years that he is used to and now he's learning a new offence, and it's like learning a new language. There is a learning curve there. We're experiencing the growing pains we expected and he'll come around.
"It seems if the quarterback makes a nice play, the receiver is lax on that one or we're missing an assignment somewhere," Bonin added. "There can be 11 guys running the play perfect, but if one guy doesn't, the whole thing falls apart."
It's not like the Gladiators haven't shuffled the deck.
After Kirkwood was ineffective against the Twin Cities Predators last Saturday, the coaching staff went to Campbell late in the second quarter.
His first attempt was picked off, the first of three on the afternoon for the backup.
It stung worse when, trailing 10-1 midway through the fourth quarter, the Gladiators defence earned a huge turnover with an interception near midfield.
However, the first play after the turnover resulted in an interception, giving the ball right back to the Predators.
It was a deflating play for the Gladiators, Sudbury's offensive players slowly left the field staring at their shoes, while the overworked defence returned to the field with disappointed looks on their faces.
"Their confidence just isn't there when they are throwing the ball and the confidence isn't there for the receivers to make the catch," head coach Brent Richer said. "Practice helps a lot with that, and sometimes the receivers have to make a play for a ball and help the quarterbacks out. We just have to get our timing down."
Campbell said he and Kirkwood are taking some responsibility for the team's less-than-stellar start.
"We have to step it up," said. "That's what is going to improve our offence. The running backs have been doing great, it's the passing game that is killing us. We have to get on the same page mentally, make the right reads, throw the balls correctly and catch balls instead of drop them.
"We've had a few dropped passes, but I don't want to blame the receivers because at the same time we've had badly thrown balls that have resulted in turnovers or incomplete passes," he added. "We've been out here for five weeks now and there's no reason why we shouldn't be clicking. It has just taken more time than we all expected."
Campbell knows where he has to improve.
"Personally, I have to put the balls where receivers can catch them and trust the receivers will make the catch," he said. "I have to make sure I'm getting back on my drop and doing everything right and just trust my guys to make the plays."
The Gladiators' wide receivers are taking their share of the blame.
In three-down football, it is key to get the passing game down," Andre Brock said. "We have the weapons to do it, we just have to go out there and execute now. It's time for us to pick it up and show what we've got. It has been a combination of bad passes and running poor routes, but we are keeping positive."
The passing game was the focus at practice Wednesday at Macdonald Cartier field.
"We watched the game film again today, and we are literally just inches away out of a receivers' hands or passing just short, leaving it inside," Brent Richer said. "It's not all the quarterbacks. The receivers aren't helping out either, dropping some passes and lacklustre in running some routes. That's how it is with a bunch of new guys trying to build a relationship.
"But it is stuff that can be ironed out. We're just a push away on offence from getting it done."
Bonin kept a close eye on the quarterbacks at practice to make some tweaks for Saturday's game plan.
"Right now, we're emphasizing tempo and getting the quarterbacks to step up and show what they are comfortable with so we can work to their strengths so they are more comfortable," he said.
The Gladiators are 1-3 on the season, though they have only been involved in one blowout, losing by an average of just more than a converted touchdown.
"We're right there," Richer said. "A few breaks and we could be 3-1, not 1-3."
Brock is hoping the passing game strikes early Saturday when the Gladiators host the 0-4 York-Simcoe Bucs.
"Slow starts are still hurting us and we haven't been able to establish momentum," he said. "If we could get out to a good start and get the defence on their toes it would help big time."
June 15, 2009
Gladiators fall short
by Bruce Heidman, The Sudbury Star
There was only 13.3 seconds remaining in regulation and the Sudbury Gladiators had given themselves a chance to knock off the unbeaten Twin Cities Predators.
However, it was not to be as the locals came up short in a 10-8 loss to the Ontario Football Conference leaders Saturday at Queen's Athletic Field.
"We gave ourselves a chance, but unfortunately it was too late," Gladiators head coach Brent Richer said. "I told the guys we can't keep going to the second half down and get a positive result. We did get a chance at the end.
"We just couldn't get that last play done. It has been about inches every game, but we just couldn't get it done."
The Sudbury defence played a tremendous game, keeping the Predators within striking distance.
However, the Sudbury offence was often its own worst enemy, with untimely penalties, poor passes and missed field goals conspiring to keep the Gladiators off the scoreboard until Mike Drabit punched through on a goal-line dive with 13.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Gladiators tried an onside kick to get the ball back and push for a last-second victory, but even that didn't go right, the kick only travelling six yards instead of the 10 yards necessary to contest for a free ball.
"The offence didn't help us out with some poorly timed penalties and poorly thrown balls," Richer said. "Things broke down and it was frustrating at times. That said, that is the best defence in the league and we knew it would be frustrating at times. We have to go back to the drawing board and practice hard next week."
Gladiators starting quarterback Andrew Kirkwood was ineffective early and was lifted in favour of Travis Campbell late in the second quarter. Campbell didn't fare much better though, throwing an interception on his first pass attempt and failing to make much of an impact.
"We made a few too many mental mistakes," Campbell said. "We played a great game other than that, but turnovers killed us. Our offence has been struggling, but we're hoping we can pick it up. We have the weapons, we just have to capitalize in key moments and minimize our mistakes."
The Gladiators defence shut the door after the halfway point of the second quarter.
"We held them to 10 points, it just didn't work out late in the game," Sudbury safety Talyor Roberts said. "We won the second half 7-0, but it came just a bit too late."
Roberts said there is still room for improvement.
"We could have still played better on defence," he said. "We have more work to do this week. We're motivated still and will be working hard in practice and hopefully after next week we're 2-3."
The Gladiators fell to 1-3 with the loss, while the Predators improved to 4-0.
Unhappy with the local officiating crew throughout the game, Predators head coach Gary Anapolsky declined to give an interview following the game, then made a short statement.
"Our boys played phenomenal, both offence and defence," he said. "But some things happened in the game, well, I'm just happy about the win."
Twin Cities scored on its first possession, an efficient seven-play march downfield finished by a 25-yard touchdown run by Keaton Jones with 9:24 left to play in the first quarter.
The Predators collected its final points on a 15-yard field goal with 8:13 remaining in the second quarter.
Sudbury had a glorious chance to get on the scoreboard shortly thereafter, after being set up at the Predators one-yard line after a Twin Cities penalty. However, a Sudbury penalty followed by a Predators sack had the locals back on the Twin Cities 18-yard line two plays later.
Marco Armiento missed the ensuing field goal attempt and Sudbury settled for a single point.
After hitting four field goals to lead the Gladiators to a victory in its home opener last Saturday, Armiento was off the mark Saturday, missing two kicks that could have changed the game.
Paul Cecile had a strong game defensively for the Gladiators, coming up with two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
June 13, 2009
Gladiators look to make it two in a row
by Bruce Heidman, The Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Gladiators broke the ice on their 2009 season last weekend with their first win of the campaign.
Now the locals are eager to start a winning streak.
The Gladiators' goal all along has been to have a perfect 5-0 home record when the dust settles on the regular season, and the pursuit of that goal continues this afternoon against a tough opponent when the 1-3 Gladiators host the 3-0 Twin Cities Predators at Queen's Athletic Field at 4 p. m.
Gladiators head coach Brent Richer is looking for a quick start like last week, when Sudbury speedster Joey Martellacci scored a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
"Hopefully we get the same start," he said at the team's practice field at Macdonald Cartier on Thursday. "We went 98 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff and we need to be quick off the gun again. These teams come all the way up here to visit us and they get bus legs just like we do, so you try to take advantage of it early, put your boot on their throats and step on them a bit and keep the pressure coming. They'll hopefully get demoralized."
Richer is also looking for his team to develop a little more killer instinct this week after settling for four field goals in a 19-13 win over Hamilton.
"The problem last week is that we let Hamilton hang around a little too long," he said. "Our offence has to finish off drives. We moved the ball well last week, but we'd get into their zone and stall and had to settle for four field goals. That's four less points than we need every time."
The Predators offer a big challenge for the Gladiators, especially the offence. The Predators are by far the best defensive team in the Ontario Football Conference early in the season, having allowed only 20 points against in three games.
"This is a 3-0 team that beat Toronto 21-10, so we need to do what we did last week and score as fast as we can and we need the defence to come out a little less apprehensive and a little more aggressive," Richer said. "It's a challenge, but as a coaching staff we want to play the best teams. It gives us a chance to see where we lie and it's a great opportunity to show our town and ourselves just what we are made of.
"They are a good team and they have a better record than us, so it's all about us going out there and making a statement," he added. "It would be a big boost for us to win and get to 2- 2 and start fresh at .500. It's going to be a wicked game and I'm looking forward to lots of people coming out."
Gladiators right guard Sam Long knows he and his teammates on offence will have their work cut out for them.
"It's going to be big," he said. "It will be a tough game and we know they are going to bring it. We can't start off slow or ease up at all during this game. We have to keep our level up all game."
Long also expressed the need for a strong start.
"We have to get going early," he said. "We can't have a slow start because we don't want them to get comfortable then get one up on us. We're very confident in our defence. They have been getting it done. But us, the offence, we have to stay on our game. We had lots of wicked drives last week but we have to finish them."
Keeping that level of play up all game is also crucial.
"We have to play as hard as we can," Long said. "You can't take one play off because if you do that can change the momentum of the game and can be devastating for us."
The defence will keep the same game plan in place it has had since Game 1.
"Keep receivers in front of us and stop the run," said outside linebacker Brent Edwardson. "Those are the two main things we need to do."
After three games, the Gladiators, which welcomed 27 new players from five different high schools for this season, are coming together as a team.
"We're feeling more like a team every week," Edwardson said. "We're starting to jell. Everybody is a little louder, everybody has a little bit more energy, there's no cliques or anything and that is so important on a football team."
Keeping a perfect home record in the second of five straight home games is key to the Gladiators' playoff hopes.
"This week is important for us again," Richer said. "We said last week we want to go undefeated at home on this five-game home stand, and that hasn't changed. We need to win out at home to get to where we want to be at the end of the regular season."
Richer is hoping for plenty of fan support this afternoon.
"We hope to have lots of fans in blue," he said. "We need a lot, all the help we can get, and hopefully a win last weekend will get us more fans out."
June 8, 2009
Gladiators notch first win on home turf
by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Laurel Myers
 The Sudbury Gladiators football team earned its first win of the season on Saturday at the home opener, defeating the Hamilton-Wentworth Panthers 19-13.
Head coach Brent Richer said the game was a “character win" for his team.
“This was a really close game. They stayed positive ... and we came out with the win.”
With one season under their belts together in the Ontario Football Conference, Richer said the players are a tighter-knit group.
“This is their second year in the OFC and they know what to expect now and it showed on the field,” he said of Saturday's game. “Defence played a great game today.”
He said the team would build on its win and move forward for the duration of the season.
“You have to start with one win ... hopefully this is the beginning of something special.”
The Gladiators will continue a stretch of home games for the next four weeks. Games are held Saturdays at Queen's Athletic Field, beginning at 4 p.m.
Martellacci and Armiento lead Gladiators to win
by Randy Pascal, SudburySports.Com
A 104 yard opening kickoff return by St Benedict speedster Joey Martellacci and the right foot of kicker Marco Armiento proved to be enough to get the Sudbury Gladiators into the win column Saturday night. The OFC (Ontario Football Conference) second year squad used a quick start and four field goals from Armiento in posting a 19-13 victory over the Hamilton-Wentworth Panthers, improving to 1-2.
After dropping a pair of games on the road to start the season, the Gladiators could not have asked for a better start as Martellacci hauled in the opening kickoff and just fifteen seconds later, the home side were up 6-0. From that point on, it was the defenses and kickers that would grab the spotlight as the contest featured just one offensive touchdown.
Armiento connected from 12, 36, 46 and 27 yards while his counterpart with the Panthers, Adam Pallett, split the uprights from 47 and 17 yards while QB Mark Schumacher connected with wide receiver Stefan Scione for a 16 yard major. The teams were tied at thirteen heading to the fourth quarter when the Gladiators took advantage of the battle of field position, allowing Armiento to provide the margin of victory, sailing a 46 yard FG that easily cleared the crossbar.
Protecting the lead late in the game, coach Brent Richer turned to veteran running back Mike Drabit as the Thunder Bay native scampered for runs of 12, 5 and 40 yards in the dying minutes, setting up an insurance three-pointer from Armiento. The home encounter kicks off a string of five straight home games as the Gladiators welcome the Twin Cities Predators next Saturday to Queen's, looking to return to the .500 mark.
Gladiators find the win column
by Scott Haddow, The Sudbury Star
It was ugly and gritty, but was the most beautiful sight to Sudbury Gladiators head coach Brent Richer.
The Gladiators won their first game of the season, beating the Hamilton-Wentworth Panthers 19-13 at Queen's Athletic Field on Saturday in a game that was anything but remarkable, but of great importance to the team.
"It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it," Richer said. "It was a defensive game. The coaches were joking after it was a true Sudbury win. We grinded and grinded and grinded and got the job done."
The Gladiators started the season with two straight losses on the road. One of the big culprits hurting the Gladiators chances was the fact the team was slow to come out of the gates in the losses. Not so in their first home game.
On the opening kick off, running back Joey Martellacci scorched the field like a rocket, going 85 yards for a touchdown.
"The beginning was the difference for us," Richer said. "We were up 10-3 after the first quarter. It was the kind of start we all wanted. That opening kickoff return made me jump about six feet into the air. It was nice and really helped out."
The teams slugged it out all over the field the entire game, going back and forth and keeping fans on the edges of their seats.
A key to the win was the hot kicking foot of Marco Armiento, who booted four field goals in the game, including two in the fourth quarter to break the back of Hamilton-Wentworth.
Overall, Richer was pleased with his offence, defence and special teams.
"The defence only allowed one touchdown and that was on a couple of penalties that put us back in our own zone," he said. "The offence just has to finish a little more as we got near their end zone a few times and had to settled for field goals. They did look a lot better. The specialty teams did a fantastic job. They had some big returns and pinned them every time, not allowing a big return against."
After a disappointing start to the season, a victory has elevated moral on the team in a huge way.
"This win gives us jump after two back-to-back losses," Martellacci said. "We needed something to spark us and nothing does it better than a win. I hope it gets the balll rolling for us."
Despite the win, the Gladiators were still examining themselves under a microscope after the game. They liked their start and finish, but have concerns over the middle portion of the game.
"We played some lacklustre ball halfway through," corner Paul Cecile said. "We picked it up in the fourth quarter and the offence really came through and pounded it in. We wanted this game bad and we kept pushing until the last whistle."
The win sets the tone for the Gladiators' home stand. They have another four home games in a row, and how they fare in the Nickel City will go a long way toward dictating where they finish in the standings.
"I hope this win starts something special," Richer said. "We have five home games in a row, so we need a good run. This was a crucial win and hopefully we can build off it."
The Panthers proved to be a strong foe that wouldn't wilt away. Coach Elgin Edworthy was pleased with his team's efforts, but didn't like the amount of penalties called in the game.
"It was a good game for our guys, but the officiating wasn't always to my agreement," Edworthy said. "That's something teams have to fight through. It was still a good result for us. There were too many penalties for my liking. It will be a long bus ride home."
The Gladiators bumped their record to 1-2 with the win.
June 6, 2009
Gladiators pumped for home opener
by Bruce Heidman, The Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Gladiators believe the roar of a big hometown crowd is all the team needs to collect its first win of the season.
A strong start will help, too.
The Gladiators play their first home game of the season today at 4 p. m. when they host the Hamilton Wentworth Panthers at Queen's Athletic Field.
"It's nice to be home after 10 hours both ways the last two weeks and dealing with bus legs for the first half," Gladiators head coach Brent Richer said while practice raged around him at the Macdonald Cartier field Thursday night. "It will be nice to be at home in front of our crowd, playing in front of friends and family. We have invited everyone under the sun and asked them to wear blue and bring noisemakers. We'd love to see 1,000-plus. When you're looking at a second and long or a big stop for the defence, the crowd making noise can be a real factor."
The players are looking forward to some home cooking. too.
"The crowd can give you a boost, but even more important is that bus ride," said wide receiver Andre Brock. "I know what it was like for us the first two weeks after spending six hours on a bus, then having two hours to wait for the game. It's tough. But this time we get to sleep at home in our own beds before the game and that can make such a difference."
Safety Taylor Roberts is hoping for a loud and proud crowd.
"When you hear a bunch of fans chanting for you it gets you more pumped up," he said. "I can really make a difference."
Slow starts hampered the Gladiators in the team's first two games of the season, losses to Burlington and Toronto where the locals picked up steam in the second half and made a game of it. Saddled with two losses to start the season with the next five straight games on home turf, the Gladiators believe they have to run the table at Queen's Athletic Field in order to claim the playoff berth they are gunning for.
"We absolutely need to set the tempo for the rest of our season here," Richer said. "We've had two good second halves, but football games are 60 minutes long. These games are crucial for us to end up where we want to."
"This is our first home game and it's crucial for us to start a winning streak now," Roberts added. "We know we have to go 5-0 at home to finish in the top two in the regular season, so it's really important."
With the thrill of the home opener adding a little extra adrenaline, Richer hopes to see his charges fire out of the gate.
"We need to set the tempo on offence right away," he said. "We need a nice long drive and probably a score right off the bat. We need to pin them in their zone and let them start from their 20 instead of us being on our heels at the start of a game.
"Our offence needs to come out with a little pepper and our defence needs to come out with that home feel and hit some people hard right off the bat," he added.
"That will get the crowd and the rest of the team into it and it will set the tempo for the rest of the game and we'll take it to them."
Brock agreed with his coach.
"The past few games, we've had no rhythm in the offence, especially in the first quarter, where we just keep going two and out, two and out, two and out," he said. "We have to change that early."
Brock said the Gladiators are better prepared than the past two games.
"We have watched a lot of videotape this week and we know what Hamilton can do," he said. "They are a great team, but we know what we have to do to do well."
Keeping Hamilton's air game under wraps is Roberts' concern.
"Last game we had trouble with the pass, so it's important to step up and stop that this week," he said. "We feel good about it, though. It's going to be a good game. We're pretty excited."
June 1, 2009
Gladiators fall 44-29
by Scott Haddow, The Sudbury Star
A bad start and Mother Nature teamed up to help defeat the Sudbury Gladiators Saturday.
The Gladiators fell 44-29 to the Toronto Junior Argonauts in a road game after being down 29-5 at the half.
"We came back with 24 points in the second half and Mother Nature beat us," head coach Brent Richer said. "The officials called the game with four minutes left and we had two timeouts, the ball on their 50-yard line and had scored three straight touchdowns. We had one more touchdown in us at least.
"It was the right call because lightning struck about a minute later. The comeback was on, but we didn't get to finish."
Richer can accept the fact Mother Nature has a cruel heart. What he can't accept is the bad start the Gladiators had in the game and in their first two games of the season.
The bad beginnings are the main culprits behind the team's 0-2 record.
"We didn't get off the bus," Richer said. "Facing the two teams that were in the league final last year is tough. We've been outscored 38-7 in the first half of our first two games. The funny part is we've outscored our opponents 33-13 in the second half of those games. It seems as soon as the guys get to the second half and get their legs under them, they kick the crap out of teams."
Richer did like his team's character, never giving up on the game and the players' fight, bitter to the end.
"The coaches have no doubts in our team's ability," he said. "It's getting it all together and they did that in the second half of Saturday's game. The players understood their roles and were firing in the second half. It's the start. You can't underestimate the importance of playing error free ball right off the bat."
The Gladiators will dig trenches and settle in town for the next few weeks as they enjoy a five-game homestand. It doesn't mean the team will be sunbathing and drinking Kool-Aid. The Gladiators will be under siege and the lengthy home stand has serious consequences.
It starts June 6 at Queen's Athletic Field when the Gladiators host the Hamilton-Wentworth Panthers. Game time is 4 p.m.
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