The impressive season both men’s and women’s football teams have had so far this year

This year was a huge year for Laurier Football, as both the Waterloo men’s team and Brantford women’s flag football team secured accolades in their respective tournaments. 

After going undefeated the entire season, the men’s team beat the Western Mustangs 51 to31 in the 116thYates Cup that took place on Nov. 9 at University Stadium. As 5,000 fans cheered the Golden Hawks on, they secured their ninth trophy and punched themselves a ticket in the Uteck Bowl where they defeated Bishop’s University 48 to24 on Nov.16 in Lennoxville, Quebec. The Uteck Bowl is a semi-final match where Eastern Canadian teams who won first place in their divisions face off for a shot at the Vanier Cup, where they will face the winner of the Mitchell Bowl, which contains two Western teams. The men competed against Laval University in Kingston on Nov. 23 for a shot at the 59th Vanier Cup, the highest achievement a Canadian university football team can achieve. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in this endeavour, as they were defeated in a close 22 to17 match. Laurier has won the Vanier Cup three times, with the most recent win in 2005, which was the last time they reached the final match. 

Laurier finished their season first overall on games as they were the only team who went 

undefeated with an 8-0 record. They were also second overall in the league average for points per game with an impressive 38.3, right behind Western with an average of 49.5.  

The men went first overall in the league for yards per game, with an average of 508.6 and first overall for most first downs with 224. In Canadian football, if a team gets a touchdown, they are awarded six points and then have an opportunity to kick a field goal immediately after for an extra point. If a team cannot get a touchdown during their possession, they may attempt a field goal, which, if successful, will grant them three points.  

Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma, from London Ontario, for the second straight year, 

won the Ontario university football player of the year. He completed a total of 178 passes, 

2643 yards, averaged 330 yards per game, had a 74.5 per cent pass completion rate, 20 

touchdowns and a pass efficiency rate of 187.5, the first in the league. Guelph native and running back, Tanner Nelmes, ran 774 yards and acquired four touchdowns during the 2023/2024 season, and Tayshaun Jackson, a running back from Windsor, returned an impressive 383 yards and had two 

touchdowns. 

On Nov.9, the Brantford women’s flag football team secured their first ever silver 

medal at the OWIFA 5 vs 5 championships that took place at McMaster University after 

being defeated by Carleton. The women were initially ranked eleventh after an 1-4 start to the season but finished in second place in their Tier 2 slot after an impressive semi-final victory over the McMaster Marauders. Chloe Hung and Samantha Terpstra were named the 2024 5v5 Championship MVPs with very impressive defensive and offensive performances. The women commence their 2025 winter season in the coming months. 

It is safe to say that both the men’s and women’s football teams were immensely successful in 2024, and their future looks promising as they seek to secure more hardware in 2025 and beyond.  

This article was originally published in print Volume 24, Issue 4 on Thursday, December 5.