Under the lights at Superior Heights Field on Wednesday, November 11, the Sault Ste. Marie Junior High School Football champions hosted the Sudbury champion St. Charles Cardinals in the 2026 NOSSA Junior Football Championship. Despite wet and challenging playing conditions, the Knights delivered a commanding performance, rolling to a convincing 55–3 victory to close out their 2026 junior football season with another championship.
St. Mary’s quarterback Landon Chiarot led the offensive attack, throwing four touchdown passes while the Knights showcased their ability to score through the air, on the ground and on special teams.
The Knights wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. At 6:37 of the opening quarter, Chiarot connected with Cohen Kellar on a six-yard touchdown pass to give St. Mary’s an early 7–0 lead. Tyler Diluzio added the successful extra point.
With 29.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter, the Knights added another major in unusual fashion. Lining up to punt from their own 12-yard line, St. Mary’s sent the ball into the St. Charles end zone. Diluzio recovered the loose ball for a Knights touchdown, extending the lead to 14–0. Russell Pine was credited with the two-point conversion.
St. Mary’s continued to find success through the air in the second quarter. At 9:29, Chiarot connected with Zyler Dougherty on a 12-yard touchdown pass to increase the Knights’ advantage to 21–0, with Diluzio adding the conversion.
The Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard at 6:24 of the second quarter when Marco Amero connected on a 45-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 21–3.
However, the Knights had one more scoring drive before halftime. With just 23.9 seconds remaining in the opening half, Chiarot found Aiden Dacosta wide open in the Cardinals’ end zone for a 20-yard touchdown reception. Diluzio added the extra point as St. Mary’s headed into halftime with a commanding 28–3 advantage.
The Knights showed no signs of slowing down after the break.
At 9:29 of the third quarter, Chiarot aired out his fourth touchdown pass of the championship game, finding Bobby Real for a 12-yard completion before Real carried the ball into the end zone for a 13-yard scoring play. With the successful conversion, St. Mary’s extended its lead to 35–3.
The Knights continued to capitalize on their offensive opportunities. At 3:52, Carter Tait broke through the Cardinals’ defence, evading two tackles on an 11-yard touchdown run to increase the advantage to 42–3. Diluzio once again added the extra point.
With 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Liam Corcoran added another major for St. Mary’s with a rushing touchdown, pushing the Knights’ lead to 48–3 following Diluzio’s successful conversion.
Jayden Romano rounded out the scoring for the Knights with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter, carrying the ball four yards into the end zone for the final touchdown of the 2026 junior football season. Diluzio converted once again as St. Mary’s completed its championship performance with a decisive 55–3 victory.
The final whistle confirmed another NOSSA championship for the Knights, who successfully defended their title and finished their 2026 junior football campaign on top.
With Chiarot directing the offence, a balanced rushing attack, contributions from special teams and a strong overall team performance, St. Mary’s left little doubt on Wednesday night that the junior NOSSA championship trophy would remain in Sault Ste. Marie.
The St. Mary’s Knights are back-to-back NOSSA Junior Football Champions, closing out their season in championship fashion with a 55–3 victory over the St. Charles Cardinals.
