The St. Mary’s Knights continued their strong start to the 2026 Sault Ste. Marie high school football season on Thursday, September 17th, earning a convincing 31-2 victory over the Superior Heights Steelhawks in Week Two action.
The Steelhawks opened the scoring early, taking a 2-0 lead at the 3:17 mark of the opening quarter after the Knights conceded a safety.
St. Mary’s responded in the second quarter and began to take control of the contest.
At 4:56 of the second quarter, Aaron Juma scooped up a loose ball following a Superior Heights fumble and raced 38 yards for a Knights touchdown. John-Anthony Giallonardo added the extra point, giving St. Mary’s a 7-2 lead.
Giallonardo would add to the Knights’ advantage shortly afterward, connecting on a 19-yard field goal at 5:14 of the second quarter to extend the lead to 10-2.
With the clock winding down to zero at the end of the first half, Hunter Jackson broke through for another St. Mary’s major. Jackson evaded three Steelhawks tackles before breaking free for a 53-yard touchdown run. Giallonardo once again converted the extra point, sending the Knights into halftime with a 17-2 advantage.
St. Mary’s continued to build on its lead in the second half.
At 8:25 of the fourth quarter, Adam Provenzano rushed for 17 yards for another Knights touchdown. Giallonardo added the conversion, increasing the St. Mary’s lead to 24-2.
Jackson then found the end zone for his second major of the game at the 6:04 mark of the fourth quarter. After catching a two-yard pass from Alex Hayes, Jackson broke away for another seven yards to complete the touchdown play. Giallonardo added the convert, putting the Knights ahead 31-2.
The St. Mary’s defence held the Steelhawks off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest as the Knights closed out the 31-2 victory.
Following the game, Superior Heights head coach Matt Desando spoke with SaultSports about what his team learned from the week two matchup.
“We learned a lot about our players and their resiliency tonight. What happened is not easy. I 100% believe we had opportunities to make plays and swing the momentum of the game. We didn’t execute as desired and they capitalized on our mistakes. We made week 1-like mistakes and they did not. That was the biggest difference.”
Desando also acknowledged the impact injuries had on the game while looking ahead to the remainder of the season.
“This game was a lot closer than the scoreboard indicates, it got away from us in the second half after the injuries as anyone would expect. We will regather our team and make a plan to move forward.”
With the week two matchup now in the books, both teams will turn their attention to their upcoming games.
The St. Mary’s Knights will return to action on October 2nd when they face the Korah Colts. Before then, Superior Heights will meet the Korah Colts on September 25th. Both games are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Superior Heights Field.
The Knights will look to carry the momentum from their week two victory into their next matchup, while the Steelhawks will regroup and prepare to get back into the win column.
SaultSports TV will continue to bring you coverage of Sault Ste. Marie high school football throughout the 2026 season.
