Valkyries on cusp of last dance for 2023 season

Saskatoon aims to win third straight WWCFL title Saturday

Sarah Wright is having another big season for the Valkyries.

It will all be about taking care of business in the present for the Saskatoon Valkyries on Saturday.

The Valkyries are set to host the Calgary Rage in the WWCFL Championship Game on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Saskatoon is looking to win a third consecutive league title with the previous wins in this run coming last year and in 2019.

The WWCFL’s 2020 and 2021 campaigns were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world. The Valkyries were able to play a three-game exhibition series against their provincial rivals the Regina Riot in 2021.

On top of going for a third consecutive title, the Valkyries are trying to win their eighth league title in team history having joined the WWCFL in its inaugural campaign in 2011.

With the Valkyries having so much success in their history, head coach Pat Barry was asked how special this opportunity was for the team’s rookies like defensive back Mykayla Laroque. Barry didn’t want to discount how important it is to have the opportunity to play in the WWCFL’s title game for everyone on the team’s roster.

QB Alex Eyolfson aims to lead the Valkyries to another WWCFL title.

“It is special for all of us,” said Barry. “You never know when you are going to get back.

“We do have a lot of new people on our team, especially in our defensive backfield. “Rocky” (Laroque) is one of them. I was sort of counting on our roster earlier in the year, and more than half of our team never played in 2019.

“It is a pretty young team actually that we have here.”

The Valkyries head into this contest having won their last 26 games in a row including two forfeit victories. Their last loss game way back on June 24, 2018, when they dropped a 14-10 decision to the Riot in that year’s WWCFL title game held at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Saskatoon has a 7-0 overall in the 2023 campaign.

The Rage enter the WWCFL title game with a 4-1 overall record. Their lone loss came in a pre-season game in Calgary on April 22, when they fell 50-2 against the Valkyries.

MLB Emmarae Dale (#45) keeps piling up big plays for the Valkyries.

Calgary’s only appearance to date in the WWCFL final came back on June 10, 2017 taking on the Riot at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in a neutral site clash. The Rage turned the ball over 10 times in that contest and were blanked 53-0.

Despite what has transpired in the past, Valkyries star running back Sarah Wright believes her team can’t be going into the WWCFL title clash thinking everything is going to fall into place. Wright said the Valkyries want to come out and play their best.

“Big last game, (and) we’re excited,” said Wright. “We played Calgary in our pre-season game.

“We’re excited to see them back in the final and to show why Saskatchewan football is so good.”

The Valkyries defensive unit is good at swarming to the ball.

Last year, the Valkyries dumped the Winnipeg based Manitoba Fearless 36-6 in the WWCFL title game held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The last time a WWCFL title game was held at Griffiths Stadium was way back on July 5, 2014, when the Valkyries blanked the Lethbridge Steel 53-0.

The Valkyries enter this year’s WWCFL title game loaded with talent. Star quarterback Alex Eyolfson is in her prime.

Along with being able to look to Wright and Drew Lundquist to make big plays in the running game, the Valkyries can look to get a boost from a trio of big play receivers in Reed Thorstad, Ricki Obed and Grace McCorriston. Star receiver Haley Girolami has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee injury and is out for Saturday’s game.

The offensive line is anchored by star veterans in Betsy Mawdsley at right tackle, Alex Wojcichowsky at centre, Lauren Ferguson and left guard and Alyssa Funk at left tackle.

Receiver Reed Thorstad (#12) can make big catches in traffic.

Star middle linebacker Emmarae Dale leads the Valkyries defensive unit. Dale’s efforts in the linebacking corps are complimented by Kennedy Mann and Jackie Semple-Dyck. Star defensive end Danaye Holynski also makes a lot of big plays for the Valkyries, while Emry Halbgewachs also brings big pressure from the defensive end spot.

Defensive tackles Carla Stevenson and Michaella Applin are tasked with taking on multiple blocks to occupy players on the opposing offensive line so their teammates can make plays.

Kelsey Murphy, who was a rookie when the Valkyries won the 2014 title, and Danielle Girolami make plays as the veteran presence in the defensive secondary. The Valkyries defensive secondary relies on athletic youngsters like third-year defensive back Makayla Sader, rookie safety Jaimyn Mantyka and Laroque at boundary cornerback.

Barry expects the Rage will be much improved since their pre-season encounter with the Valkyries in April. He is expecting his squad will be in for a physical battle on Saturday.

The Valkyries hope to have a few big play celebrations on Saturday.

“We got to play them in a pre-season game,” said Barry. “We’ll find out how the rest of their season went.

“We think we know a little bit about them. We’ll have to prepare for them. They have some very good athletes on their team, and we’ll have to be ready for them.”

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Laroque takes unique sports path to Valkyries

Saskatoon hosts WWCFL final against Calgary on Saturday

Mykayla Laroque has settled at DB with the Valkyries.

A long and winding road from wrestling with a stop in cheerleading brought Mykayla Laroque to football with the Saskatoon Valkyries.

Laroque, who graduated with her education degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2022, had been coaching with the wrestling team at Marion Graham Collegiate for five years and coach the wrestling team at Centennial Collegiate one year prior. In June of 2022, she was given The SSSAD Spirit of Service Award for her involvement with athletics at Marion Graham.

Prior to being a coach, Laroque was a member of Centennial’s wrestling team for her four years in high school leading to her graduation in June of 2017. While coaching wrestling this past season, the 23-year-old got the itch to be an athlete once again.

“I was coaching and then I realized I just kind of missed being around a team that I could play on and contact sports a little bit,” said Laroque. “I thought, ‘Why not football.’

“I had been interested in it in high school. For me, it wasn’t really an option. It was mostly guys’ teams.

“There weren’t a lot of girls involved in football, so I stuck with the wrestling side of things. I decided to branch out finally.”

Laroque also had the urge to play tackle football when she was a member of the Saskatoon Hilltops Cheerleading Team in 2018 and 2019. In both those campaigns, she got to see the Hilltops football team win CJFL titles and had an urge to be on the football field as a player.

“I would definitely say that being on the sidelines as a former Hilltop cheerleader did kind of ignite that,” said Laroque. “I miss being in the contact sports, being on the field and being a little bit more aggressive.

“Cheer was a wonderful, wonderful experience. Then, I just kind of watched the football and got really into it and decided that maybe in the future when I settle my education stuff a little bit it would be something I’d be interested in.”

Laroque joined the Valkyries this season as they embarked on a quest to win three consecutive WWCFL titles. She found a home at defensive back and played all the way as a rookie on defence this past Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, when the Valkyries downed their provincial rivals the Regina Riot 19-9 in the Prairie Conference Championship Game. Laroque picked up two solo tackles and a pass knockdown in the win.

Mykayla Laroque (#83) hangs behind Valkyries HC Pat Barry.

Looking back at that outing, Laroque kind of graded her play from the view of a coach.

“It was tiring,” said Laroque. “It took a lot of effort, energy and at points sometimes the mental overrides the physical a little bit more in those situations.

“I would definitely say that it took a really big defensive effort and offensive effort on everything and supporting each other as a group. Hearing the cheering on the sidelines from the ‘O’ and then cheering on the ‘O’ from the sidelines just that big team effort really helps on that.”

With the win, the Valkyries advanced to face the Calgary Rage in the WWCFL title game, which Saskatoon hosts on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus. The Valkyries were 4-0 in regular season play and sport a 7-0 mark overall, while the Rage were 3-0 in the regular season and 4-1 overall.

Playing in the league’s championship game will be another new experience for Laroque, and it is one she wants to soak in being a part of.

“It is an unreal experience,” said Laroque. “(There are) a lot emotions obviously.

“I am nervous, excited, ready and just having my teammates’ support 120 per cent, having that close knit bond really helps.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry has been a wrestling coach for a lengthy stretch. When Laroque decided to join the Valkyries, Barry was curious to see what she could do in football.

“I knew her from wrestling, because I’ve coached wrestling for many years,” said Barry. “I’ve seen her around in wrestling circles as an athlete, and of course, as a coach now with her being in education.

“I was excited to see her come out to our winter practices. She is a positive person, and she does a lot of things well. She has learned the position of DB.

“We’ve kind of thrown her into the fire, and she has done well.”

Mykayla Laroque will play in her first WWCFL final on Saturday.

Barry said Laroque has picked up things quickly and was impressed with her improvement as the season has progressed.

“It is a significant amount,” said Barry about Laroque’s improvement. “I don’t think she has ever played tackle football before.

“To have someone come on to our team which is pretty veteran in a lot of places to come in and compete and contribute like she has, it is exciting for our coaching staff.”

Laroque said there are skills she learned in wrestling transferred over to football.

“I would say the tackling side of things,” said Laroque. “It is a little bit like a double leg (take down), if you look at it that way.

“I definitely say certain intensities, training hard, staying focused and both are really mental sports. Engaging the physical side and the mental side is something that I would say is the cross over definitely between the two.”

She also received extra motivation to join Valkyries after seeing one of her former Hilltops Cheerleading teammates suit up for the WWCFL powerhouse in Breanna Allegretto. Allegretto played really well substituting on to the offensive line helping the Valkyries win their seventh WWCFL title in team history last season.

Allegretto didn’t return to the Valkyries this season as she is starting a family with former Hilltops star centre Luciano Jolly.

“I did definitely see her play, and it did kind of persuade me kind of a little bit seeing one of my former cheer teammates out there getting in there,” said Laroque. “I would definitely say that she had a big impact on me getting out to the Valkyries.”

Once she was with the Valkyries, Laroque said her teammates have gone the extra mile to bring her into the group. That has provided a big lasting memory for the entire 2023 campaign.

“It was really different, but the energy was amazing,” said Laroque. “The ladies were really, really welcoming the second I walked into the change room.

Mykayla Laroque (#83) does a break down with her teammates.

“I was greeted with smiles, introductions, and they made sure that I felt comfortable and understood what I was doing taking the time to explain things. They were just taking that extra time helping me out on little things here and there or walking me through things with the help of the coaches as well. That was really, really awesome.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.