After capturing the 2025 Sault Ste. Marie Senior High School Football City Championship on October 24th, the Korah Colts carried their momentum east to Sudbury, where they represented Sault Ste. Marie at the 2025 Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics (NOSSA) Senior Football Championships. Taking the field at the James Jerome Sports Complex on Saturday, November 8th, the Colts clashed with the Confederation Chargers in what became a high-scoring, hard-fought battle — one that ended with the Colts raising the NOSSA trophy following a 55–35 championship win.

Korah’s offence came alive early, with Payton Melchiorre rushing for a four-yard touchdown at 9:42 of the opening quarter to give the Colts a 6–0 lead. Confederation answered with a 78-yard carry and convert to take a 7–6 advantage before recovering a mishandled kickoff and turning it into another major for a 14–6 lead late in the first.

Melchiorre found the end zone again early in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 14–13 after AJ Coccimiglio’s extra point. A conceded safety by the Chargers gave Korah a narrow 15–14 lead before Confederation responded with a touchdown and a defensive pick-six to jump ahead 28–15.

Refusing to back down, the Colts roared back as Melchiorre completed his third touchdown of the game, followed by Coccimiglio’s clutch playmaking on both sides of the ball. With less than a minute left in the first half, Coccimiglio broke through the defense for a 45-yard touchdown run, adding his own convert to give Korah a thrilling 29–28 halftime lead.

In the second half, Korah’s momentum only grew. A safety early in the third extended the lead to 31–28 before Coccimiglio nailed a 33-yard field goal and then followed it up with a pair of nine-yard rushing touchdowns to push the Colts ahead 48–28. Confederation managed to narrow the deficit with a late touchdown, but Koen Manchulenko sealed the victory with a 23-yard touchdown run, and Coccimiglio’s final convert made it 55–35 for the Colts.

The triumph crowns the Korah Colts as the 2025 NOSSA Senior Football Champions, capping off an incredible offensive display led by Melchiorre’s power runs and Coccimiglio’s all-around brilliance.

Both teams will now advance to represent Northern Ontario at the 2025 OFSAA Football Bowls in Guelph. The NOSSA runner-up Confederation Chargers will play in the Independent Bowl on November 24th at 5:00 p.m., while the champion Korah Colts will compete in the Golden Horseshoe Bowl on November 26th at 2:00 p.m., as they look to continue their remarkable 2025 season on the provincial stage.

Photo: Chris Orr