Valkyries’ Day – Saskatoon snowballs momentum for third straight WWCFL title

The Valkyries raise the WWCFL championship trophy in celebration.

Winning WWCFL championships never gets old for the Saskatoon Valkyries, and neither does going on game-changing runs of momentum.

Taking on the Calgary Rage in the WWCFL Championship Game on Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the Valkyries made the Alberta side pay a huge price for the mistakes they made. The Valkyries rolled three key Rage miscues into a 21-0 lead just 80 seconds into the second quarter of the league championship clash.

Saskatoon proceeded to cruise to a 40-0 victory from that point to claim a third consecutive WWCFL title and their eighth league championship in team history.

Makayla Sader returns an interception for the Valkyries.

“It is a credit to our team,” said Valkyries head coach Pat Barry. “Our athletes, they work so hard.

“We were talking about it before the game. January is when we start. Here at the end of June, we got to our goal, and we were successful.”

The Valkyries claimed their previous league championships in the run of three consecutive wins last year and 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.

Saturday’s victory allowed the Valkyries to conclude their 2023 campaign with a perfect 8-0 record overall. The Valkyries have won their last 27 games in a row including two forfeit victories.

Danielle Girolami intercepts a pass for the Valkyries.

“It gets better every year for sure,” said Valkyries defensive back Makayla Sader, who enjoyed her second straight WWCFL title win with the Saskatoon powerhouse club. “I just say it gets more and more exciting.

“Just with the group of girls that I am with and just constantly growing as a team and DBs always having new girls coming and vets going, it is just awesome to always have a good group of ladies to win with.”

At the start of Saturday’s title tilt, the Rage defence came out with an inspired start. The Valkyries had the game’s first offensive possession, and the Rage forced the Saskatoon side to punt after two plays.

On ensuing punt play, the Rage special teams unit was flagged for having too many players on the field giving the Valkyries a first down. The Rage defence came back out on the field and forced the Valkyries defence to punt again after two plays.

Sarah Wright runs in her first of two touchdowns on the ground.

Calgary proceeded to face a punting situation after two plays on its first offensive possession. At that point, the Valkyries momentum began to gather up force.

After a bad snap, Calgary punter Jolene Goulard corralled and fell on the loose ball at her team’s own three yard-line.

Valkyries star running back Sarah Wright ran home a touchdown from three yards out to put the host side up 7-0 at the 3:40 mark of the first quarter.

Later in the first quarter, Goulard looked like she would put a halt to the Valkyries momentum blocking a 28-yard field goal attempt by Saskatoon kicker/receiver Grace McCorriston. Goulard was hurt on the play, but only missed a short spurt of game action.

Morgan Lindstein sets to throw a pass for the Rage.

Her missed time included a punt play on the Rage’s ensuing possession. Rage utility player Erin Walton came in to punt, but her kick was a medium-ranged one that the Valkyries were able to return inside the Calgary 20 yard-line.

The Valkyries capped the ensuing short offensive possession with a second three yard touchdown run from Wright to push the host side’s advantage to 14-0 with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter.

“Obviously, there are always some (pre-game) nerves, and I think that is something that is a part of every good team,” said Wright, who has been with the Valkyries for their last three straight WWCFL title wins. “You’re always preparing for what the other team is bringing, and we know Calgary is a hard team.

Alex Eyolfson fires her second of two touchdown passes on Saturday.

“They come and hit hard. We prepared for that, and we showed what we could do.”

Early in the second quarter, Sader intercepted Rage quarterback Morgan Lindstein to set the Valkyries up inside the Calgary 50 yard-line. The Valkyries ensuing offensive series concluded with star quarterback Alex Eyolfson hitting star receiver Ricki Obed with a 37 yard pass-and-run touchdown reception to increase the Valkyries lead to 21-0.

Sader admitted her interception helped push the Valkyries momentum to another level.

Ricki Obed goes into the end zone on her second TD reception.

“I definitely got winded, but the interception itself it had me going,” said Sader, who had a fumble recovery for the Valkyries in the win. “It had all the ladies going.

“As soon as we got one, our next goal is to get at least two picks. It just riled everybody up to just keep fighting for it, and we did. We got them.”

When Goulard got back into the game, she had to deal with another bad snap on a punt play that went into the Rage end zone. She managed to kick the ball out the back of the end zone giving up a safety to allow the Valkyries lead to grow to 23-0.

With 2:20 remaining in the second quarter, Eyolfson connected with Obed on a 14-yard touchdown toss to push Saskatoon’s lead out to 30-0.

Part of the crowd at Griffiths Stadium that came to cheer on the Valkyries.

In the third quarter, Valkyries defensive back Danielle Girolami intercepted a Lindstein pass and set up the Saskatoon offence inside the Calgary 40 yard-line. Girolami had a team leading six total tackles to go with her interception. With that noted, she was pumped to get her interception.

“It was pretty exciting,” said Girolami, who has also been with the Valkyries for their last three straight title wins. “I wanted one all year.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes one of her five tackles for the Valkyries.

“To make it in the championship game is obviously a pretty special feeling.”

Girolami said she would have liked to have returned her interception for a touchdown and didn’t realize she accidently stepped out of bounds on the run back.

“I was just so excited,” said Girolami, who won two Saskatchewan female under-18 AAA provincial hockey titles playing defence with the Saskatoon Stars in 2015 and 2016. “I saw Emmarae (Dale) blocking for me, and I just knew with her in front of me I would have kept going.

“I think I got too excited to know where I was on the field. I was just too excited, and I was looking ahead of me. I knew Emma had my back, and I just go too excited.”

Emry Halbgewachs (#52) had a sack for the Valkyries.

Following Girolami’s interception, the ensuing Valkyries offensive series was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by standout running back Drew Lundquist to put the Saskatoon side up 37-0 at the 5:56 mark of the third. McCorriston booted home a 21 yard field goal attempt before the third quarter ended to round out the 40-0 final score.

The contest ended in the fourth quarter with Lindstein heaving up a desperation pass that was intercepted by Valkyries rookie defensive back Sarah Zeng.

Eyolfson completed 18-of-34 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions for the Valkyries.

Drew Lundquist (#25) runs in for a touchdown for the Valkyries.

Wright took home player of the game honours for the Valkyries carrying the ball 10 times for 66 yards to go with her two rushing touchdowns. She also caught two passes for 27 yards. The veteran running back said the game MVP for her team could have gone to a number of her teammates on Saturday.

“It is great, obviously, but there are so many other girls who were deserving of MVP,” said Wright. “I think a lot of our defence gets missed a lot of the times.

“Danielle Girolami had a great game. Makayla Sader had a pick. There were just so many people that were really deserving of it today.”

Reed Thorstad (#12) shields the ball from a defender on a catch.

Obed topped the Valkyries with 70 receiving yards coming off five catches to go with her two majors through the air.

Lindstein was named the player of the game for the Rage accounting most of her team’s offensive yardage. She completed 5-of-11 passes for 36 yards, while throwing three interceptions. Lindstein led the Rages with 64 yards rushing coming off eight carries.

Defensive end Emry Halbgewachs had four tackles and a quarterback sack for the Valkyries. Outside linebacker Sydney Schenn had 4.5 total tackles and a quarterback sack for Saskatoon, while star middle linebacker Emmarae Dale had five total tackles.

Grace McCorriston (#82) looks to get past a defender after a catch.

Amira Harb led the Rage with five total tackles. Defensive back Hanna Hachey-Raymond had four tackles and an interception for Calgary, while defensive back Margaret May Rusteika had 3.5 tackles and an interception.

The Rage closed their 2023 campaign with a 4-2 overall record. Their other loss also came against the Valkyries in a pre-season contest in Calgary back on April 22.

Sader said her defensive unit was pleased to be able to pick up a shutout in Saturday’s game.

“It was awesome,” said Sader. “I definitely appreciate all the girls that I’ve played with along the way.

The Valkyries celebrate a third straight WWCFL title win.

“It has been a great few seasons, and I can’t wait to comeback.”

With Saturday’s win in the books, the Valkyries have won the WWCFL Championship Game the last three times they’ve played in it as the host club. They took last year’s title game 36-6 against the Winnipeg based Manitoba Fearless at Saskatoon Minor Football field.

Way back on July 5, 2014, the Valkyries blanked the Lethbridge Steel 53-0 in that year’s WWCFL title game held at Griffiths Stadium.

Barry said he was proud of how his team played this season, and Saturday’s WWCFL Championship Game win was a really satisfying way to end the 2023 campaign.

“It is hard to win your last game,” said Barry. “In any sport, in football, when you win your last game, it means you’ve been successful.

The Valkyries conclude the 2023 season with a perfect 8-0 record.

“It is a credit to the athletes. It is a credit to our coaching staff. It is a credit to the whole organization.

“To see all these people out at Griffiths Stadium, it takes me back to the old days of this team. It is kind of exciting.”

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

-------

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.

McCorriston arrives at perfect time for Valkyries

Grace McCorriston hauls in a TD catch for the Valkyries.

Grace McCorriston was ready for the opportunities the hand of fate sent her way in the kicking and receiving games with the Saskatoon Valkyries.

McCorriston played flag football when she was really young before moving over to play soccer for a lengthy period of time. After graduating from Centennial Collegiate, McCorriston started studying in the education program at the University of Saskatchewan.

She wanted to get back into football after watching her boyfriend and now fiancé in Zach Moehler play receiver for the CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops. Moehler was with the Hilltops from 2018 to 2021 helping them win CJFL championships in his first two seasons.

McCorriston decided she wanted to join the Valkyries, who are a powerhouse squad in the WWCFL. Originally, McCorriston focused on playing receiver like Moehler. She wanted to wear number 81 like Moehler did with the Hilltops, but she elected to wear #82 as #81 was taken by Valkyries star veteran receiver Rachelle Smith.

Along with becoming a receiver, McCorriston decided to give the kicking game a try with the place kicker and punting positions due to her soccer background.

“I found that when I was younger I could catch the ball quite well,” said McCorriston, who recently graduated from the U of S with her bachelor of education. “I thought I would give it a try.

“That was how I got into receiving. Kicking, definitely the soccer background I knew that I could kick that ball if I needed to and get good at it, if I practised.”

Now in her third season with the team, the 22-year-old is a starting receiver and the squad’s main place kicker and punter. McCorriston first joined the Valkyries for their winter workouts at the start of 2020.

Grace McCorriston (#82) boots a field goal for the Valkyries.

Things came to a halt on that front in March of 2020 as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world. The 2020 WWCFL campaign was ultimately cancelled.

The Valkyries got back to practising in 2021, and while the WWCFL campaign was again cancelled that year, they were able to face the Regina Riot in a three-game exhibition series in July of that year. McCorriston said the practices and those contests provided a valuable opportunity to learn and gain experience playing the game.

“It was very new,” said McCorriston, who stands 5-foot-6. “I had a lot to get used to.

“I think the hardest part was blocking and also memorizing all the different calls and what everything meant and different positions and what they meant and how to do those. It was a big eye-opener for me, because tackle football is very much different than soccer and very much different than flag football. It was a huge adjustment, but so far it has turned out pretty good.”

McCorriston received a sizable amount of reps in the kicking game along with running back Drew Lundquist and played receiver during that three-game series in 2021. At the time, Valkyries all-time great running back Sam Matheson and veteran star defensive back Rienna Rueve were penciled in to be part of the kicking game having done those roles at various times during their playing careers with the Valkyries.

When the WWCFL returned to full regular season play in 2022, Matheson was lost to a season ending knee injury in the team’s second regular season game and elected not to return to the club this season. Rueve only played half of the regular season games in 2022, but suited up for all the team’s post-season contests.

Due to some minor nagging injuries, Rueve didn’t take part in the kicking game as much as she did in the past where she often handled the majority of the punting duties. As a result, McCorriston and Lundquist handled a bigger part of the kicking game, where McCorriston took the majority of the field goal opportunities.

“It was definitely something that someone had to step up,” said McCorriston. “I feel like anybody would have, but I think I knew that I had it in me that I could do it.

Grace McCorriston unload a punt for the Valkyries.

“With that when I take things on, I tend to work at it and push to achieve what I want to achieve. Doing that in that season, I used a lot of Rienna’s techniques and all her advice. She helped me quite a bit in the start, and then she kind of eased off more and more.

“I used her words of kindness and wise words to help me out.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said the fact McCorriston could handle all the field goal kicks played a big part in helping the team win a seventh WWCFL title in 2022. As both Matheson and Rueve didn’t rejoin the team this season, McCorriston has handled the Valkyries punting and field goal kicking.

With the departure of team’s two star veterans in Matheson and Rueve, Barry was thankful McCorriston became as proficient in the kicking game as quickly as she did.

“It was a big deal,” said Barry. “She is working her way to being an excellent kicker.

“She is doing punting and place kicking. Drew (Lundquist) still does our kickoffs. It is something to see her (McCorriston) grow as a kicker.

“It is just impressive.”

McCorriston said another thing that helped her with her skills in the kicking game was the fact she got to practise with the Rylan Kleiter, who was the Hilltops proficient kicker who graduated from the team following their 2019 CJFL championship win. Moehler helped set up McCorriston’s practice sessions with Kleiter, when McCorriston was starting out with learning the kicking skills in football.

“Kleiter gave me some pointers and tips on how to properly kick the ball,” said McCorriston. “So far, I’ve taken what he has told me and taught me and rolled with it and it has worked pretty well.”

The highlight of playing for the Valkyries so far for McCorriston was helping them win the WWCFL title game last year. In the Valkyries 36-6 WWCFL title game win over the Winnipeg-based Manitoba Fearless on June 25, 2022 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, McCorriston caught a 16-yard touchdown pass and booted a field goal from 30 yards out.

Grace McCorriston (#82) took on kicking upon joining the Valkyries. 

“It was unreal,” said McCorriston. “It is amazing to be part of this team and the dynamic that we have.

“The winning is also very fun. I’ve never experienced a loss with this team, so if that were to ever happen, I’m not even sure what kind of feelings I would feel.”

McCorriston believes she has had an overall better season 2023 due to the game experience she gained in her previous two years with the team. With the Valkyries having topped the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference with a 4-0 record in the regular season, McCorriston is looking forward to the post-season.

The Valkyries host the Prairie Conference final against the Regina Riot, who were 2-2 in regular season play, at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on either Saturday, June 17 or Sunday, June 18 at a time to be announced. Saskatoon advanced to the Prairie Conference title game thanks to a forfeit victory over the Winnipeg Wolfpack.

The Riot downed the Fearless 26-13 in a quarter-final contest on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina to get to the Prairie Conference final.

The Western Conference final will see the Calgary Rage, who were 3-0 in the regular season, host the Edmonton Storm, who were 2-1 in the regular season, on either Saturday, June 17 or Sunday, June 18 in Calgary at a place and time to be announced.

The conference championship game winners will advance to the WWCFL Championship Game that will be hosted in Saskatoon on Saturday, June 24 at 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

McCorriston wants to help her club finish out the 2023 campaign with anther league title win.

“It feels like the stakes are a little bit higher,” said McCorriston. “I know that we have a good support system and the fans are great.

Grace McCorriston (#82) makes a TD catch in the 2022 WWCFL final.

“I think that we have a good chance going in. I think that if we keep playing our game and we keep our heads held high and play football how we know how to play I think we will do just fine.”

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

-------

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.

Quick learner – Valkyries find big time playmaker in Lundquist

Drew Lundquist ran for 137 yards on six carries on Sunday.

Drew Lundquist only needs a handful of opportunities to show how explosive she can be on the football field.

On Sunday afternoon, Lundquist only had six carries playing running back for the Saskatoon Valkyries in a WWCFL regular season game at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Lundquist, who is in her second campaign with the team, piled up 137 yards on those six carries scoring touchdowns on runs of 29 and 70 yards.

Her efforts allowed the Valkyries to improve to 3-0 romping past the visiting Winnipeg Wolfpack 59-0. The contest was ended at halftime due to injuries that were piling up on the Wolfpack side, who dressed about 20 players for Sunday’s clash. The Wolfpack fell to 0-3 with the lopsided loss.

Drew Lundquist (#25) breaks out of tackle attempt on a run.

Lundquist was on the Valkyries practice roster in 2021 and used her first full campaign as an active roster player in 2022 as an opportunity to learn and get better. She did have a couple of big outings as the Valkyries won their seventh WWCFL title in team history.

Coming into 2023, Lundquist knew she was going to have more playing time as the number two running back behind star starter Sarah Wright and wanted to be ready to make an impact.

“This year, I definitely wanted to set the intentions of coming in prepared and being ready to play knowing that there aren’t very many running backs,” said Lundquist. “I do have to know my stuff.

“It was learning the playbook early and trying to get those reps in early and definitely training in the off-season trying to get ready. I think I set my intentions early of just trying to be the best I can this season.”

Drew Lundquist reaches the end zone on a 29-yard TD run.

Lundquist wasn’t a stranger to the game of football when she joined the Valkyries. She played one season with the six-man team at Clavet Composite School during her high school years.

“I played soccer growing up,” said Lundquist, who handled all the Valkyries kickoffs on Sunday. “I played junior Huskies soccer.

“Once I stopped playing soccer competitively, kind of as a joke the guys in high school asked me if I would come and kick for them. I thought I would just show up. I did one practice, and they were like, ‘You know what. You are the kicker now.’

“I played one season as the kicker at Clavet Composite School. I got hooked ever since and started on the practice roster with the Valkyries. I haven’t looked back since.”

Drew Lundquist jets downfield on a 70-yard TD run.

Lundquist actually took part in a winter camp and three winter practice sessions with the Valkyries in early 2020 before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world causing massive shutdowns in March of that year. While finishing up her Grade 12 studies in 2021, she joined the Valkyries practice roster.

Last season, Lundquist got to try her hand at some kicking duties and was slated to be the number three running back on the depth chart behind Valkyries all-time great Sam Matheson and Wright. Matheson suffered a season ending injury in the team’s second regular season game in 2022, and Lundquist found herself involved in a bit more of the action offensively for the team playing behind Wright.

The Valkyries celebrate a 70-yard TD run by Drew Lundquist (#25).

“It is a little intimidating,” said Lundquist, who stands 5-foot-6. “It is hard to follow in Sam’s steps there just because she is a very, very good athlete and the same with Sarah.

“They are big shoes to fill. I just feel really blessed to be able to watch from them and learn and have them as my guidance.”

The biggest highlight of the campaign was helping the Valkyries down the Manitoba Fearless 36-6 in the WWCFL championship game on June 25, 2022 at Saskatoon Minor Fooball Field.

Makayla Sader, left, and Jackie Semple-Dyck, right, team up on a tackle.

“It was just so much fun,” said Lundquist. “It was an unreal experience.

“It is like nothing else.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said it has been a joy having Lundquist play on the team. Barry said she has really helped the team out with her contributions on offence and the kicking game, and the coaching staff is trying to get her in the game as much as they can.

“It has been great to have her, and we’ve been trying to get her reps,” said Barry. “Every time we get her game reps she does really well just like today.”

Sarah Wright ran in two touchdowns for the Valkyries.

The sideline boss said Lundquist has been able to pick up the game quickly due to the fact she runs with power and speed.

“She runs hard, when she has the ball,” said Barry. “Sometimes, people just try and arm tackle her, and it just doesn’t work.

“She keeps her legs moving. That is why she has so much success.”

The Valkyries as a team had lots of success against the Wolfpack on Sunday building a 49-0 lead in the first quarter before getting up 59-0 at halftime when the contest came to an end.

Just 1:51 into the opening quarter, Valkyries veteran defensive back Kelsey Murphy got the scoring going returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Wright romped in from 19 yards out just under two minutes later to push the Valkyries lead out to 14-0.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) threw two touchdown passes for the Valkyries.

Valkyries star quarterback Alex Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Reed Thorstad for a short five-yard touchdown reception and Wright tacked on a four-yard run for a major score to give the Valkyries a 28-0 advantage.

Eyolfson hit receiver Grace McCorriston for a 11-yard touchdown toss give the Valkyries a 35-0 lead. The big plays kept coming as veteran receiver Ricki Obed returned a punt 65 yards for a major score to bulge the Valkyries advantage to 42-0. Lundquist tacked on her 29-yard touchdown run to round out the scoring in the first quarter giving the Valkyries an incredible 49-0 advantage.

Grace McCorriston hauls in an 11-yard TD catch for the Valkyries.

In the second quarter, McCorriston booted a 32-yard field goal and Lundquist added her 70-yard rushing touchdown to round out the game’s scoring.

Eyolfson completed all four passes she attempted for 45 yards and her two touchdown tosses. Defensive end Emry Halbgewachs had a sack and a forced fumble for the Valkyries. Safety Jaimyn Mantyka topped the Valkyries with five total tackles to go along with one fumble recovery.

Defensive back Danielle Girolami had an interception and middle linebacker Emmarae Dale had a fumble recovery for Saskatoon.

The Valkyries celebrate a TD catch from Reed Thorstad (#12).

Running back Pandora Turcotte accounted for most of the Wolfpack’s offence running the ball 13 times for 63 yards.

Last year, the Wolfpack forfeited a WWCFL quarter-final contest to the Valkyries on top of not being able play Sunday’s game in its entirety. On an overall league perspective, that didn’t sit well with Barry.

“I think we’ve managed to stay healthy in this abbreviated game, which I’ve never seen before,” said Barry. “I’ve never seen a team forfeit at halftime before in my 33 years of coaching.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. That was unfortunate. I hope there is some talk about it in the league.”

The Valkyries will now close their regular season schedule this coming Sunday as they travel to Regina to take on the Riot (2 p.m., Leibel Field). The Riot improved to 2-1 on Sunday downing the Fearless 33-7 in Regina. The Fearless fell to 1-2 with the setback.

Ricki Obed returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown.

First place in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference will be up for grabs in the upcoming clash between the Valkyries and Riot. The Valkyries took the first encounter 34-7 on May 7 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Riot would be able to claim a first place finish, if they are able to be the Valkyries by 27 or more points in the upcoming second head-to-head contest.

“They (the Riot) are going to be ready for us,” said Barry, whose team has won 23 straight games overall. “There are a couple of teams in the league that are quite good, and they’re well coached.

“They’re coming after us. Every time we’re on the field we want to be prepared. We want to try and get as many reps for all our players as possible.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get that today.”

The Valkyries enjoy improving to 3-0 on Sunday.

When the dust does settle on the 2023 season, Lundquist said the Valkyries want to complete things with another championship finish.

“It is the ultimate goal every season is to make it to that championship,” said Lundquist. “We wouldn’t be doing it, if weren’t trying to get there.”

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

-------

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.

Valkyries storm over Storm, advance to WWCFL title game

Ricki Obed, centre, celebrates her TD catch for the Valkyries.

For Ricki Obed, it never gets old going to the WWCFL Championship game.

On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Obed contributed in receiving, rushing and kick return departments helping her Saskatoon Valkyries blank the Edmonton Storm 52-0 in a WWCFL semifinal improving to 6-0 overall. The Storm finished the campaign with a 3-2 overall mark.

Obed scored the Valkyries third touchdown of the contest hauling a 17-yard pass reception from star quarterback Alex Eyolfson early in the second quarter to give the hosts a 24-0 lead.

When the game came to a close, Obed caught three passes for 27 yards including her major score, ran the ball three times for 26 yards and returned four punts for 47 yards totaling 100 all-purpose yards. A member of the Valkyries since the 2016 campaign, Obed will be heading to her fourth WWCFL title game with the team.

Ricki Obed had 100 all-purpose yards for the Valkyries.

In her three previous WWCFL final appearances, Obed helped the Valkyries win the championship in 2016 and 2019 while falling in the 2018 title contest.

Unlike those other three WWCFL title game appearances, this year’s championship game will be held this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at SMF Field against the Manitoba Fearless (5-1). The Fearless advanced to the championship game taking the other WWCFL semifinal 15-6 over the Rage (3-2) in Calgary this past Saturday.

No matter where the WWCFL Championship game is played, Obed said those opportunities always feel special. She said the fact the Valkyries got everyone on their roster sizable playing time in the win over the Storm heading into a championship game at home puts an extra jump in the step.

Valkyries receiver Ricki Obed (#28) slips past a defender.

“It is very exciting, especially after a game like this,” said Obed. “We got a lot of our rookies in, and they made some big plays, which is obviously so exciting to see.

“Going back to the ‘ship,’ it is so exciting, especially with it being at home.”

Obed started her career with the Valkyries as a running back. Due to the team’s depth at that position, she later moved to receiver and is open to getting on the field any way she can.

“There is a lot of talent on this offence,” said Obed, who was named last month to Football Canada’s National Team at receiver. “Any time you can be a part of it and moving the ball, it is very exciting.

Alex Eyolfson threw two touchdown passes for the Valkyries.

“This offence is so good too. We’re jelling amazingly. We’ve played with each other for a long time, so it is like playing for each other and playing for that person beside you for sure.

“It is awesome.”

The Valkyries offence got rolling early with Eyolfson hitting star receiver Haley Girolami for a 32-yard touchdown pass off a bubble screen play to the right side of the field at the 5:17 mark of the opening quarter for a 7-0 lead. Just over four minutes and 30 seconds later, Valkyries star running back Sarah Wright ran home a major to put the hosts up 14-0.

With 2:07 remaining in the first quarter, the Storm suffered a tough break, when an electrifying 72-yard touchdown run by running back Jaimie Braybrook was nullified by an illegal block infraction. Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said the complexion of the contest could have been altered had Braybrook’s touchdown counted.

Haley Girolami scored the Valkyries first TD on Sunday.

“She (Braybrook) is very fast, and we notice her on film,” said Barry. “It is something that we are aware of there is no doubt about it.

“It was a pretty big play. If they would have scored there, it could have changed things for sure.”

Shortly after Braybrook’s touchdown was called back due to a penalty, Valkyries linebacker Jamie Wingate intercepted Storm quarterback Aria McGowan. That turnover turned into an 18-yard field goal by Valkyries place kicker/receiver Grace McCorriston with 17.5 seconds remaining in the first quarter to increase the Valkyries advantage to 17-0.

Following Obed’s receiving touchdown, second-year running back Drew Lundquist ran home a major score from nine yards out to put the Valkyries up 31-0 and Wright followed with a two-yard touchdown run to push the Valkyries lead out to 38-0.

Sarah Wright (#88) led the Valkyries with 137 yards rushing.

With 31.1 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Lundquist ran in her second touchdown of the contest from seven yards out to give the Valkyries a 45-0 lead at halftime. She rounded out the game’s scoring in the third quarter with a rushing touchdown from 27 yards out for her third major of the contest putting the Valkyries up 52-0.

Lundquist finished the game with 13 carries for 112 yards to go with her three touchdowns.

“I’ve never had that many reps before,” said Lundquist. “The O-line did great.

“Everyone was blocking. It was just a perfect setup for me to be able to play awesome. It was amazing.”

Drew Lundquist runs in one of her three TDs for the Valkyries.

Lundquist is pumped to get the chance to play in her first WWCFL championship game.

“It is just amazing,” said Lundquist. “It feels so good.

“It is so exciting to be able to play at such a high level and just really have this opportunity to just play. It will be really nice having like home field and our crowd, our people and our field. The odds are on our side.

“We’re going to bring it, and it is just going to be a great game.”

Wright had another big game leading everyone with 137 yards rushing coming off 13 carries to go with her two major scores, and she caught three passes for 45 yards. Girolami led all pass catchers with 48 receiving yards coming off three catches.

Rienna Rueve (#7) dives on a fumble recovery for the Valkyries.

Eyolfson completed 14-of-22 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while not throwing any interceptions. Kelli Young, who is a rookie backup quarterback, played the tail end of the third quarter and the whole fourth quarter in relief of Eyolfson.

Valkyries veteran defensive back Rienna Rueve had a fumble recovery and an interception, while defensive end Danaye Holynski led the Saskatoon side with four total tackles.

The Storm were held to minus-six yards in total offence. Defensive back Baylie Kennedy led the Storm with 9.5 total tackles, while defensive back Chantelle Chenard had nine total tackles and an interception for the Edmonton side.

Chantelle Chenard (#9) fights for an interception for the Storm.

McGowan, who plays defensive back on defence for the Storm, also had an interception for the visitors.

Barry was pleased with the overall play of his team. He is looking forward to his squad having the chance to win the WWCFL title at home, which is something the Valkyries haven’t done in some time. The last time the Valkyries won the WWCFL Championship at home was back on July 5, 2014, when they blanked the Lethbridge Steel 53-0 at Griffiths Stadium.

“It is exciting that we have a full season and we get to compete for championship at home,” said Barry, who was an assistant coach in that 2014 WWCFL title win. “It has been a long time since the Valkyries have been in the championship game at home.

The Valkyries collect a WWCFL semifinal trophy.

“I am really, really excited for it. That (2014 WWCFL championship season) was my first year on the club. I’m excited that we’re back in that situation.

“There is a time limit now. We just want to make sure we take of business and make sure we’re prepared. Hopefully, we are playing our best game of the year next Saturday night.”

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

-------

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.

Valkyries lock down first in WWCFL’s Prairie Conference

Saskatoon has monster day in the air in win over Regina

Sarah Wright (#88) is all smiles after making a second TD catch.

In football, sometimes the wide open play feels like it can be the hardest play to make.

On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon Valkyries were leading the visiting Regina Riot 15-0 midway through the second quarter, when an opportunity to make a big play came calling on offence. The Valkyries called a pass play that saw star running back Sarah Wright slip out of the backfield and jet down the right sideline on a deep route.

Valkyries star quarterback Alex Eyolfson launched a long distance throw hitting Wright, who didn’t have a defender anywhere in the vicinity around her. Wright took the reception to the house for 61-yard touchdown reception to put the Valkyries up 22-0.

Alex Eyolfson threw for 434 yards and four TDs for the Valkyries.

Saskatoon rolled from there for a 46-7 victory to improve to 3-0 and lock up first place in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference with one regular season game remaining on their schedule. The Riot fell to 1-2 with the loss.

Eyolfson said she felt like that deep sideline touchdown toss to Wright was one of those plays that felt like everyone on offence was in the zone, but the signal caller admitted the potential is there to over think that situation.

“Sometimes those are hardest throws, when they are so open,” said Eyolfson. “I just saw it, and she was gone.

“It just felt right coming out of my hand, and I had lots of time. That was a fun one. I knew when she (Wright) got it she was gone.”

Sarah Wright caught seven passes for 195 yards and two TDs.

On that long touchdown toss, Wright said it can seem like the ball is in the air forever, when she was as wide open as she was. She only one thought when the ball came into her hands.

“I was just trying to make sure I didn’t drop it,” said Wright. “It was a great play.

“It was a lot of fun. It couldn’t have worked out better.”

Ultimately, the Valkyries made many big plays in the passing game in Saturday’s win over the Riot. Eyolfson completed 23-of-29 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

Wright hauled in seven passes for 195 yards that included two major scores. She made an impact on the ground too carrying the ball 10 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

Makayla Sader (#8) made 7.5 total tackles for the Valkyries.

Third-year receiver Haley Girolami kept the first down sticks moving for the Valkyries too hauling in eight receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, the Valkyries limited the Riot’s offence to 290 total yards. Regina piled up most of that total on the ground on big games from running backs Kasey McCombs and Rebekah Hove.

McCombs ran the ball 16 times for 110 yards and one touchdown, while Hove carried the rock 11 times for 119 yards.

Riot quarterback Shanelle Rioux completed 13-of-26 passes for 66 yards, while throwing two interceptions.

Defensively, defensive back Jackie Semple and middle linebacker Jamie Wingate had interceptions for the Valkyries, while third-year defensive tackle Carla Stevenson had a fumble recovery. 

Haley Girolami caught eight passes for 134 yards and one TD.

Second-year defensive halfback Makayla Sader led the Valkyries with 7.5 total tackles.

Veteran linebacker Ray-Lynn Schaffer topped the Riot with six total tackles. Defensive back Shantel Englot and Jaia Guy on the defensive line had fumble recoveries.

“I just love the tenacity and the resiliency of our team,” said Valkyries head coach Pat Barry. “They really do a good job of playing in the moment, worrying about the next play and trying to forget about the last play.

“We did make some mistakes today. I’m the special teams coordinator, and we’ve got some work to do. We have some things that we have to fix up.

“Regina has some talented players, so we have to be ready for that.”

Sarah Wright ran the ball 10 times for 84 yards and two TDs.

The Valkyries took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter off a 28-yard missed field goal single from kicker Drew Lundquist and two-yard touchdown run by Wright.

At the 5:42 mark of the second quarter, Eyolfson hit Girolami with a six-yard touchdown pass to increase the Valkyries advantage to 15-0. 

That set the stage for Eyolfson to hit Wright on the deep sideline route to push the Valkyries lead out to 22-0.

The Riot were able to get the Valkyries into some bad field position. After a bad Saskatoon punt, the Riot put together a short 29-yard touchdown drive to cut the Valkyries lead to 22-7.

McCombs capped the Riot scoring march with a 19-yard touchdown run with 1:21 remaining in the second quarter.

Kasey McCombs ran in the Riot’s lone TD.

Saskatoon responded with a well-executed two-minute drill drive capped by Wright scoring a two-yard rushing touchdown as the second quarter clock expired to give the Valkyries a 29-7 lead at halftime.

The Valkyries offensive surge continued with a 17-point outburst in the third quarter that rounded out the scoring in the contest. 

Just 1:40 into the third quarter, Eyolfson hit Wright with a short-range pass, and Wright took that reception 61 yards for Saskatoon’s third major score through the air in the contest to increase the host’s lead to 36-7.

“She (Wright) is so agile,” said Eyolfson. “She can run, catch and do everything.

The Valkyries defence limited the Riot to 290 total yards.

“It is fun to throw to her, and she can just run. She is a great player.”

Just over two minutes later, Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Ricki Obed with a 28-yard touchdown pass upping the Valkyries lead to 43-7. 

Before the third quarter expired, Lundquist hit a 25-yard field goal to round out the 46-7 final score in Saskatoon’s favour.

Due to the fact Saskatoon will host the WWCFL championship game on Saturday, June 25 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries will have home-field advantage throughout the WWCFL playoffs thanks to their first place finish in the Prairie Conference.

Ricki Obed (#28) makes a catch on her way to a TD score.

“That is huge,” said Wright. “Having the crowd with us and cheering for us, it makes the environment and the game go by a lot quicker and a lot better.

“It just brings momentum too. It is really nice to know that we’ve clinched that spot.”

The Valkyries and Riot close out their respective regular season schedules with one more head-to-head encounter. The two sides go at it again this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

Barry said the Valkyries will look to reset this coming week to exit the regular season with a good outing.

“We’re going to be focusing on small goals,” said Barry. “We want to make sure that people who haven’t played a lot we have to make sure they play a lot.

The Valkyries celebrate their win over the Riot on Saturday.

“Having said that, we don’t have a big roster this year. A lot of people are playing a lot, and they are getting meaningful reps in games. We want to make sure that continues.”

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

-------

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.