Sault Ste. Marie, ON – The first senior football semi-final of the 2025 Sault Ste. Marie High School playoffs kicked off with a statement performance from the Korah Colts, who overpowered the White Pines Wolverines in a decisive 56–14 victory on Thursday, October 16th at Superior Heights.
It didn’t take long for the Colts to strike. Just 68 seconds into the game, Koen Manchulenko intercepted a pass from Wolverines quarterback Garrin Pine and returned it ten yards for a touchdown to open the scoring at 6–0. The Colts’ offense quickly followed suit, as Payton Melchiorre broke through the Wolverines’ defensive front for a four-yard major. AJ Coccimiglio added the extra point, giving Korah a 13–0 lead early in the first quarter.
From there, the floodgates opened. Deep in their own end, Coccimiglio showcased his athleticism with a breathtaking 99-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 20–0 after converting his own extra point. Moments later, quarterback Brett Koski connected with Melchiorre on a short three-yard pass, which Melchiorre turned into a seven-yard scoring play for his second touchdown of the night. The convert made it 27–0.
With the Wolverines struggling to find an answer, the Colts kept piling on. Manchulenko added his second major of the game with a 50-yard run following a short rush by Koski, and Coccimiglio stayed perfect on the conversion to make it 34–0.
Before the first quarter expired, Koski found Drew Albury for a 15-yard completion, and Albury turned on the jets for an additional 25 yards, reaching the end zone to push the lead to 41–0.
White Pines finally broke through in the second quarter, as quarterback Garrin Pine powered in from six yards out at 11:19 to put the Wolverines on the board. Later, Dede Alabi gave the Wolverines a spark when he recovered a fumble and ran it back 87 yards for a defensive touchdown. Nashoba Moore ran in the two-point conversion, narrowing the score to 41–14.
But Korah’s offense remained relentless. Melchiorre continued his dominant night with an 18-yard rushing touchdown—his third of the game—before another Coccimiglio convert extended the lead to 49–14. The Colts sealed the win late in the second quarter when Michael Maurice recovered a loose White Pines snap at the one-yard line and returned it for a touchdown, capping off a commanding 56–14 semi-final victory.
The Wolverines’ senior players — Nashoba Moore, Garrin Pine, JD Boyer, Anthony Hunt, Jacob Day, Ethan McCorkell, Kohl Bennett, DJ Pine, Steve Day-Nolan, Adam Hassane, Owen Bouchard, Damon Belanger, Arthur Vincent, Islam Mohamed-Shafraz, Lawrence Solomon-Ward, Joel Shea, Keegan Dane, Oliver Johnstone, Ben Potter , Wayne Jones-Reid, Ethan Syrette, Shavoreyo Wallace, and Tyrese Wallace— suited up for their final high school game, leaving the field with pride and leadership that will set the tone for the program’s future.
With the win, the Korah Colts advance to the 2025 Sault Ste. Marie Senior High School Football City Championship, set for Friday, October 24th at 7:30 p.m. at Superior Heights. They’ll await the winner of Friday’s semi-final matchup between the Superior Heights Steelhawks and the St. Mary’s Knights to determine who will challenge them for the city title.
Korah’s offensive depth and defensive pressure were on full display — and with one more game to go, the Colts look ready to chase another city championship under the Friday night lights.
