The 2026 Sault Ste. Marie High School Junior and Senior Football regular season officially got underway on Saturday, September 12, as the annual John Croshuk Classic brought teams together at Superior Heights for a full day of football action.

The day opened at 10:00 a.m. with senior football, as the Korah Colts faced the St. Mary’s Knights in the first game of the Classic. The event concluded with junior football action between the Superior Heights Steelhawks and White Pines Wolverines.

When the final whistles sounded, both Korah and Superior Heights had secured opening-day victories, with the Colts defeating St. Mary’s 39-4 in the senior matchup and the Steelhawks earning a 44-8 victory over the Wolverines in junior action.

Colts Open Senior Season with 39-4 Victory
In the opening game of the John Croshuk Classic, the Korah Colts came away with a convincing 39-4 victory over the St. Mary’s Knights.

While the scoreline gave Korah an impressive start to the 2026 campaign, Knights head coach Jim Monico believes there were plenty of positives his team can build upon as the season progresses.

“It’s early in the season, and we played like it,” Monico said. “There were plenty of mistakes and some sloppy play, but we came away feeling confident that we’ll be right there with Korah very soon.”

Monico was particularly pleased with his team’s defensive effort, saying the Knights did a good job containing Korah’s running game.

“Defensively, we were solid and did a pretty good job of containing their run game,” he said. “They hit a couple of late touchdowns that inflated the final score, but we know we’ll be better the next time we see them.”

With the opening game serving as an important learning experience, Monico knows there is plenty for the Knights to clean up before their next contest.

“There’s a lot to clean up, but there’s also a lot to build on. We’ll learn from this, get better, and be ready for the next one.”

The junior Colts and Knights will open their 2026 regular season on Monday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Steelhawks Start Junior Campaign with 44-8 Win
The second game of the day featured junior football, with the Superior Heights Steelhawks taking on the White Pines Wolverines.

Superior Heights finished the afternoon with a 44-8 victory, giving the Steelhawks an early boost as they begin their 2026 junior football campaign.

Steelhawks junior head coach Jared Klooster was pleased with the way his team executed offensively, while also recognizing areas that need improvement moving forward.

“I felt that our offense did a good job executing, but obviously we have some work to do in cleaning up our offensive line play,” Klooster said.

Defensively, the Steelhawks showed plenty of promise, but Klooster pointed to missed assignments that resulted in opportunities for the opposition.

“Our defense was solid but still lots of missed assignments that allowed for big plays which we will work on,” he said.

Despite those areas for improvement, Klooster viewed the opening game as a positive first step for his team.

“But overall, it was a good start for us. We’ll build on the positives and work on fixing some of the weaknesses we noticed.”

Colts Show Composure and Strong Special Teams
For Korah head coach Tom Annett, one of the biggest positives from the Colts’ opening-day performance was the composure and leadership displayed by his players.

“We were most impressed with our team’s composure and leadership,” Annett told Saultsports. “It was a Week 1 game, so there were plenty of mistakes, as expected, but it was our team’s response to those mistakes which really shows the leadership and experience we have on our roster this season.”

One of the biggest difference-makers for the Colts was their special teams play.

“Our Special Teams play was excellent for Week 1 and it was a major difference maker in the game,” Annett said.

Nolan Coudert had an outstanding day punting the football and contributed a pair of single points, while AJ Coccimiglio was perfect on his extra-point attempts, going 5-for-5.

The Colts also received strong performances from their kick coverage units, which limited the Knights’ return opportunities.

Payton Melchiorre added a kickoff return touchdown, while Ryder Strachan recovered a kickoff in the fourth quarter to help Korah close out the victory.

Strong Defensive Performance
The Colts were also strong defensively, holding St. Mary’s without a touchdown while creating turnovers and making several key plays.

Nolan Deluca came up with a big interception, while Evan Boville delivered a game-changing sack on third down with the Knights deep in Korah territory, helping keep St. Mary’s off the scoreboard.

At linebacker, Gabe Phillips, Logan Lajunen and Max Vommaro led the way in tackles while turning in impressive performances.

Strachan was another standout on defense, breaking up several passes while also ranking among the team’s leading tacklers.

Offense Continues to Develop
Offensively, Annett felt the Colts moved the ball well during the opening half before encountering some difficulties in the third quarter due in part to injuries along the offensive line.

“This is perhaps the area where we can improve most,” Annett explained. “It is mostly issues with building OL depth, timing and blocking assignment confusion that we know we can clean up with more time.”

There were still some standout performances up front, with Boville and Connell Smith recording some big pancake blocks.

In the backfield, Melchiorre and Coccimiglio stood out with strong performances.

Quarterback Brett Koski also gained confidence as the game progressed. In the fourth quarter, Koski completed several passes on Korah’s final drive, which ultimately led to a receiving touchdown by Greyson Avery.

Building Toward the Next Challenge
Although opening the season with a victory is an important first step, Annett knows the Colts’ focus must quickly turn toward continued improvement.

“Week 1 games are great learning opportunities,” he said. “As mentioned earlier, there were plenty of mistakes that we will work diligently to fix in the coming weeks.”

One of the team’s priorities moving forward will be developing depth throughout the roster and giving newer players valuable practice repetitions.

“Also, fixing little things like timing, snaps, and our game tempo will be emphasized this week in practice,” Annett said.

With the Sault Ste. Marie high school football league continuing to feature strong competition, the Colts know there is little room for complacency.

“Overall, the Sault Ste. Marie high school football league remains one of the most competitive in the province,” Annett added. “We must continue to improve every practice if we want to compete for another championship title.”

Week Two Football Action
High school football returns to Superior Heights on Thursday, September 17, when the St. Mary’s Knights face the Superior Heights Steelhawks.

The junior game is scheduled for 4:45 p.m., followed by the senior matchup at 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, September 18, the White Pines Wolverines will take on the Korah Colts, with the junior game getting underway at 4:45 p.m. and the senior game scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Week two of Sault Ste. Marie high school football will also be available to watch on Saultsports TV, bringing local fans coverage of the next chapter of the 2026 season.

The John Croshuk Classic provided the opening showcase for local high school football, and with teams now settling into regular-season competition, the race for another championship has officially begun.