The St. Clair Saints scored a come-from-behind win against the Okanagan Sun and became the first College to ever win the Canadian Junior Football League National Championship.
Saturday's final at Acumen Stadium at St. Clair's South Windsor campus was 37-22.
More than 2,500 fans packed the stadium before the pre-game ceremonies, where Jody Raffoul, Jeff Burrows, and Kelly Hoppe sang the national anthem. They were joined at midfield by the Windsor Police Service Honour Guard and Canadian Forces Veteran Captain Eric Wilson. Ceremonial coin flip guests included Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, CJFL President Jim Pankovich, OFC President Darren Cocchetto, and BCFC President Tyler McLaren.
The Suns scored first, with a passing touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Saints got on the scoreboard with a single, a safety, and a 24-yard field goal by kicker Jack Lewis of London, England, bringing the score to 7-6.
A late touchdown in the first half and a single by the Sun put the Saints behind again, this time 15-6.
Lewis scored another field goal in the second half, which Okanagan quickly answered with a passing touchdown, extending their lead to 22-9 with seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Towards the end of the third, the Saints put their foot down on the gas and never let up.
Saints All-Canadian quarterback Maurice Sodja of Louisville, Kentucky, rushed for two short-yardage touchdown runs within two minutes of each other, giving St. Clair its first lead in the game, 23-22.
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Defensive End Anthony Adams of Pickering recovered a fumble on the Sun's 5-yard line, setting Sodja up for this third rushing touchdown of the game and extending the Saint's lead to 30-22.
The game-winning touchdown came from Wide Receiver Tai Colquhoun of Windsor when he caught a slant thrown from Sodja with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Sodja was named the Offensive Player of the Game with four total touchdowns. Wide Receiver Cameron St.Kitts-Park of Oshawa was named the Special Teams Player. Leading up to the championship game, he had been named the Punter of the Week, and he led the game in receptions and receiving yards with 167 yards on five receptions.
A special congratulations also went out to St. Clair Football General Manager and Defensive Co-ordinator Mike Morencie, who was named a CJFL Life Member.