OSFL is Back! Get set with the most comprehensive 2026 Season Preview you’ll find anywhere.
As the countdown to the 2026 season continues, Saultsports is proud to launch its weekly player preview series featuring the Sault Sabercats. Each week, we’ll spotlight a coach’s player selection every week, giving fans an inside look at the talent and personalities set to take the field in the Ontario Summer Football League. The coverage will continue throughout the week with dedicated features on U18 players every Tuesday and U16 standouts every Thursday, building excitement and showcasing the depth of the Sabercats program heading into the new season.
Number #: 11
High School (Grade Fall 2026): St. Mary’s Knights
Position: DB
What season are you entering with Sabercats? Second season.
Why is summer football so important to you?
Summer football is really important to me because it is not only another opportunity for me to play the game I love, it is an opportunity to work with some of the best coaches the Soo has as well as playing with people that I usually play against in the high school season. It also gives me and my teammates opportunities to play our best football when college coaches are watching.
What are your personal and team-oriented goals for the upcoming 2026 OSFL season?
A personal goal I have is to learn and gain experience from the veteran guys on the team. This season for me switching to the defensive side of the ball has been a challenge but with the help of coaches and teammates, I believe they will lead me to success. As a team I think our goal is to prove people wrong, with the team moving up to the AAA division the other teams in the league might see us as an easy game. Our goal is to show not just them but everyone watching that we deserve to be in this division and that we are here to compete.
What are you most looking forward to playing this season for the Sabercats?
I am most looking forward to playing with the best coaches and players that Soo football has to offer. Playing with these guys will make me a better football player and overall a better person. This group is like a family and everyone picks each other up.
For anyone that is not familiar with your play style, how would you describe yourself as a player?
I would describe myself as a utility guy, throughout my career playing football so far I have been asked to play positions all over the field. This has not only taught me how to play anywhere coaches need me to, perseverance when learning a new position, and how to help the team in any way we need to win. Currently I am playing the DB position where coaches and teammates have helped become a better player every time I touch the field.
Who is your biggest football role model? Could be a coach, teammate?
My biggest football role model is definitely my older brother Kiran, he is now playing football at the University of Waterloo. We went to the same high school but unfortunately never got to play on the same team. Kiran is my biggest football role model because he started football late but he never let that stop him, he is one of the smartest football players I know and when I switched from playing QB to DB and had no clue what I was doing he helped me out.
How do you stay motivated and focused during a game or practice?
I stay motivated and focused during games and practices by remembering that football is the game I love to play. Whenever I make a mistake I look back on what I could have done better but then move on to the next play to make up for it. Just being on the field brings me joy so it keeps me motivated to keep going after a mistake.
What do you think makes a great leader on the football field?
I think what makes a great leader on the football field is communication. If a teammate makes a mistake, real leaders will pick them up and prepare them for the next play instead of yelling at them or breaking their confidence.
What is your greatest accomplishment as a football player?
I think my greatest accomplishment as a football player is being named a captain for my grade 11 high school season. This my greatest accomplishment so far because it is not often first year senior players are selected as captains to their team. I think this shows how throughout the season I earned the respect of not only my teammates as well as my coaches.
What makes you the best candidate for this position that the coaches have asked you to play?
What makes me the best candidate for the position my coaches have asked me to play is my toughness, physicality and my IQ. Although I have just switched to the defensive side of the ball this season, my coaches have noticed and appreciated how I try to get myself involved in the play every chance I get and how I’ll get up from every hit I take. I believe that through my time playing QB I have learned how offences work and what they are thinking.
What do you think is the most important aspect of being a member of a team?
I think the most important aspect of being part of a team is to be able to take criticism, nobody is perfect and everyone is going to make mistakes but the most important part is how you learn from those mistakes. I think this is important because if someone on the team is not able to take accountability for their own mistakes and learn from them the team will not be able to grow.
Finally, what do you think is the most important quality for a football player to possess compared to other sports?
I think the most important quality a football player needs to possess is perseverance. I think this because after every play whether it is good or bad you need to move on to the next and stay level headed throughout the entire game. Compared to the other sports I have played like hockey and soccer the level of perseverance you need for football is different because in between each play it is easy to dwell on the mistakes from before, while in other sports you just keep playing and do not have the time to dwell in between plays. Strong perseverance is what makes the difference between a good football player and an elite one.
