Call it deja vu. Call it fortunate.
The Sault Sabercats were feeling both on Saturday night as the team rallied from a 19-0 fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Cambridge Lions 20-19 at Rocky DiPietro Field.
The win evens their Ontario Varsity Football League record at 2-2.
The game played out much like last year's contest between the two teams when the Sabercats rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat the Lions 22-21.
The Sabercats got off to a horrendous start on Saturday with several turnovers on fumbles, special teams miscues and untimely penalties.
Just when the Sabercats looked as though they were going to limp to an embarrassing loss in their home opener, the team found a way to make a few plays and quickly turn the momentum.
The rally started when Jon Day hauled in a 23 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Maunu, who flourished in the second half in the hurry-up offense. With Dan Swystun's convert, the Sabercats trailed 19-7.
The turning point came with 4:35 remaining when the Lions, who boarded a bus to Sault Ste. Marie at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, saw a wild snap on a fourth down punt sail into the end zone.
Tyson Vanderloo eventually found the loose ball to record the Sabercats touchdown and pull the locals to within five at 19-14 with Swystun's convert.
Noah Rushon capped the comeback with a beautiful leaping catch in coverage from Maunu from 19 yards out. Despite the missed two point attempt, the locals took the lead 20-19 with 51 seconds remaining.
"I'm still in shock," said Sabercats head coach Ross Viotto following the game. "Any team that makes this many mistakes just doesn't win. But you have to give our kids credit, they overcame adversity.
"Everything was going wrong for us offensively with the fumbles and penalties but our defense deserves all the credit in the world because they really kept us in the game."
Rushon led the Sabercats receiving corps with six catches for 80 yards while Matt Premo caught five balls for 48 yards and Kayvon Fatemizadeh four for 40 yards.
Maunu completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, his first of the season.
Fatemizadeh led the rushing attack with 51 yards on 14 carries while Maunu scampered for 30 yards on five carries and fullback Anthony Orazietti carried six times for 20 yards.
Defensively, Matt Gauthier had a standout performance from the linebacker position with 10 tackles, a sack and an interception.
Kevin Nanne added 5.5 tackles while Swystun added five in his first game of the season. Vanderloo recorded a sack and four tackles and rookie defensive lineman Adam Elliot made two sacks.
Shannon Canning had a solid game for the Lions with a pair of touchdowns.
His first came when he striped the Sabercats punt returner and walked 10 yards into the end zone. Canning then added a 73 yard touchdown run to put the Lions up 19-0 at the half.
The Sabercats are back in action next Saturday against the Halton Invictas beginning at 7 p.m. at Rocky DiPietro Field.
"It was ugly but we'll take the win and move forward. But we cannnot play this way against Halton because we will get our butts kicked. We have to be better prepared and more focused next week to play four quarters," said Viotto.
*** OVFL SCOREBOARD:
SATURDAY:
London 18 Essex 14
Ottawa Myers 27 Sudbury 0
Ottawa Cumberland 17 Oshawa 6
Brampton 19 Toronto 13
Mississauga 35 Huronia 0
SUNDAY:
Brantford @ Guelph Halton @ Lambton
*** STANDINGS:
(as of June 19th)
ADAM DIVISION:
(wins-losses-points)
London 4-0-8 Steel City 3-0-6 Essex 2-1-4 Sault Sabercats 2-2-4 Cambridge 1-2-2 Guelph 1-1-2 Lambton 1-2-2 Halton 0-3-0 Brantford 0-3-0
(Top four teams qualify for playoffs)