Valkyries give Lammerding WWCFL title winning sendoff

Saskatoon downs Fearless 36-6 for seventh league crown

Jaime Lammerding raises the WWCFL championship trophy.

Jaime Lammerding’s playing days with the Saskatoon Valkyries wrapped up with a familiar championship high.

On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries romped past the Manitoba Fearless 36-6 in the WWCFL Championship Game. The Valkyries have won the WWCFL title seven out of the 10 times it has been handed out, and Lammerding has played on all of Saskatoon’s championship teams.

The star defensive tackle began playing for the Valkyries in their inaugural season back in 2011 when the first WWCFL season was played. She was elated to wrap up her playing career with a championship win at home.

Jaime Lammerding runs off the field for the final time.

“It is just an extra special treat,” said Lammerding, whose Valkyries completed the 2022 campaign with a perfect 7-0 record. “I remember starting with the Valkyries 12 years ago.

“Just to be able to do it at home and go out on top, it is almost undescribable it is so great.”

Inside of the game’s final 10 seconds, the Valkyries head coach Pat Barry ensured Lammerding got a final salute from the crowd in attendance. With the Valkyries on defence, Barry called a timeout to substitute Lammerding out of the game.

She came off to the sideline to a rousing ovation from the crowd and her teammates on the Valkyries sidelines. Once she reached the Valkyries bench area, Lammerding hugged defensive coordinator Wyatt Carleton, Barry and then numerous other coaches and players on the squad.

Jaime Lammerding, left, hugs Valkyries DC Wyatt Carleton.

“The original plan was that I was going to go take the victory formation as quarterback, so I was going to get my old rep as quarterback in my career with negative yardage,” said Lammerding. “It just didn’t work out that way, so it was nice that they pulled me out to just have an emotional kind of run off kind of thing.

“It was great.”

Barry said the Valkyries were pretty motivated to help Lammerding, who is also the president of the WWCFL, conclude her playing days on a championship winning high.

Jaime Lammerding, left, hugs Valkyries HC Pat Barry.

“We all feel very strongly about her,” said Barry, who team has won 19 straight games overall. “She is such a great leader.

“She is a great mentor for the athletes on our team. She is just going to be the next in line of someone who is working with women’s football. We have a number of coaches on our team who are former players, and they are great coaches.

“They are grass roots coaches, and they do a lot of great things. I see ‘Dinger’ (Lammerding) being that in the future.”

In the WWCFL Championship game itself, the Valkyries steadily pulled away from the Fearless in order to win by a convincing margin.

Jaime Lammerding (#21) is pictured with the Valkyries D-line.

At the 9:27 mark of the first quarter, Valkyries star running back Sarah Wright ran home a touchdown from six yards out to give the host side a 7-0 lead. Wright’s major score capped a drive that covered 94 yards.

That drive was also kept alive by Wright running for a first down on a third down gamble.

Before the first quarter came to an end, the Valkyries extended their lead to 14-0, when star quarterback Alex Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Ricki Obed with an 18-yard touchdown toss.

Sarah Wright runs in the Valkyries first touchdown.

Just 59 seconds into the second quarter, Eyolfson hit second-year receiver Grace McCorriston on a beauty over the shoulder fade pattern in the end zone for a 16-yard scoring strike. The Valkyries lead stood at 20-0, when the ensuing conversion attempt was muffed.

With 4:45 remaining in the second quarter, the Valkyries defence hit the scoreboard with middle linebacker Emmarae Dale returning an interception 64 yards for a touchdown. The Valkyries went for a two-point conversion attempt, but Eyolfson’s pass attempt was incomplete to make the score sit at 26-0 for the host side.

Wright thought the Valkyries got great contributions from everyone on their roster.

“Honestly, the Fearless are a great team, and they are getting better each year, and we can’t take that for granted,” said Wright. “As we came into this week, we knew that everyone had a job to do, and they are obviously watching film and studying us.

Alex Eyolfson threw three TD passes for the Valkyries.

“We kind of had to come up with some different plays and different looks, and those worked today.”

In the third quarter, McCorriston hit a field goal from 30 yards out to increase the Valkyries lead to 29-0. Before the stanza expired, Eyolfson connected with Obed for a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Valkyries a 36-0 advantage.

The Fearless got on the scoreboard at the 3:50 mark of the fourth quarter when quarterback Madison Siwicki hit receiver Morgan Moffatt with an eight-yard touchdown toss. The ensuing conversion attempt was blocked making the final score round out at 36-6.

Before Saturday’s contest, the Valkyries won the WWCFL title the last time it was contested back in 2019.

The 2020 and 2021 WWCFL campaigns were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world. The Valkyries were able to get on the field in 2021 winning all the contests in a three-game exhibition series against the Regina Riot.

Grace McCorriston (#82) sets to make a touchdown catch.

Barry said it meant a lot to the team to win the champions at home with everything that has happened over the past couple of years, because the moment could be enjoyed with family and friends. The Valkyries also hadn’t won a WWCFL title at home since 2014, when they captured the league crown at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.

The Valkyries began playing their home games out of SMF Field at the start of the 2015 campaign.

“It feels so good to have something that feels kind of normal again,” said Barry. “We’re super excited about it.

“We’ve never won a championship on this field. It has never happened. This is a first for us for our team.

The fans at SMF Field cheer on the Valkyries.

“I’m very happy. I’m so proud of the whole team.”

Wright was named the game’s most valuable player for the Valkyries carrying the ball 20 times for 157 yards and one touchdown. She also had a 14 yard catch to go with her production along the ground.

The multipurpose running back was surprised to be named the game’s MVP for her team.

“I definitely think that there were a few other girls that played their heart out today, and we’re very deserving of it,” said Wright. “I’ll take it, but again, it was definitely a team environment and group.

Danaye Holynski (#55) had 12.5 total tackles for the Valkyries.

“There were a handful of girls that should have got that too.”

Having joined the Valkyries in 2017, Wright was part of the championship win in 2019, and she pumped to win the WWCFL title in 2019.

“I’m so happy,” said Wright. “It is so great to be at home actually.

“Having everyone come on to the field and we’re able to talk to everyone, it means the world. When they (the hometown fans) are cheering so loud in the stands, that brings that environment, and I feel like that definitely played into the game today.”

Eyolfson finished the contest completing 16-of-27 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns without throwing any interceptions. 

Ricki Obed had 107 yards receiving and two TDs for the Valkyries.

Obed led all receivers with eight catches for 107 yards and scored two touchdowns. She also carried the ball twice for eight yards and returned three punts for 24 yards.

Siwicki completed 11-of-23 passes for 106 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions for the Fearless. Running back Hallie Eggie was named the game MVP for the Fearless carrying the ball 18 times for 60 yards.

Valkyries defensive end Danaye Holynski piled up a game high 12.5 total tackles in the win. Dale had eight total tackles to go with her interception for a touchdown.

Saskatoon safety Kelsey Murphy had an interception, while defensive backs Rienna Rueve and Kendal Matheson each had one fumble recovery.

Kelsey Murphy (#85) makes an interception for the Valkyries.

Defensive back Taylor Post topped the Fearless with 7.5 total tackles.

The Fearless entered Saturday’s game riding a five-game winning streak and finished the 2022 campaign with a 5-2 mark.

For the Valkyries, the biggest memory from Saturday’s contest will be the fact that Lammerding was able to conclude her playing time on a championship winning note. Wright was pleased she could help Lammerding go out on a high.

“She (Lammerding) means pretty much everything,” said Wright. “She has been around since the inauguration of our team.

The Valkyries celebrate winning the WWCFL Championship Game.

“Every year she has been sort of a grounding person and honestly the focal point of our family environment. She is pretty much the program, so we will take her in the future however she can come coach wise or anywise. She is just an anchor point.”

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