The Waterloo Warriors could just be happy to be here.

After all, the football program has now made incremental improvements in each of the past three seasons: In 2017, it was a 4-4 season and a narrow playoff miss after years of struggles. Then in 2018, another 4-4 record, and the first postseason appearance in 15 years, followed by a first-round exit. And last week, the Warriors – again 4-4 in the regular season – claimed their first playoff victory in two decades with a 44-21 triumph over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Yates Cup quarterfinals.

So now, as Waterloo prepares to face the top-ranked Western Mustangs, most observers outside of the program have already chalked this season up as a success. But, among the players and coaches inside the Warriors locker room, they aren't just happy to be here – they're reaching for their slingshots.

"We're David now," said head coach Chris Bertoia. "We have this amazing opportunity to knock off Goliath. We have tonnes of respect for them, but our guys all believe. Now, we just need to execute and prepare."

Bertoia speaks from experience. Back in 1999, when he was a fifth-year offensive lineman, his Warriors followed an eerily-similar path to this year's squad: they suffered a heartbreaking 3-point defeat against the Mustangs in the regular season, squeaked into the playoffs at 4-4, and walked into London to slay the #1 team in the nation in the OUA semifinal. It was the last time the Warriors and Mustangs met in the playoffs, until this Saturday.

"I do see similarities (with that '99 team)," said Bertoia. "We maybe have more star power on the offense now."

While he hopes history repeats itself, Bertoia sees a much different path to victory this weekend – for starters, the ground-and-pound '99 Warriors claimed that 35-21 victory over Western with exactly zero passing yards. But Bertoia is also focusing on getting off to a faster start than they did 20 years ago, when the 'Stangs led 14-0 midway through the first quarter. It's a problem that's also plagued the Warriors this season, but they were able to flip the script in their quarterfinal win over Ottawa.

"We'd been kind of getting ourselves in a hole early," said Bertoia, whose team averaged just 13.1 first-half points, compared to a 21.6 scoring average in second halves. "If we get off to a fast start, and get the ball moving on offense, our defense feeds off of it."

The plan worked last weekend against the Gee-Gees, and it nearly worked on October 5 when the Warriors met the Mustangs in week 7 of the regular season. In that matchup, the Warriors led early and went toe-to-toe with the two-time defending Yates Cup champions, trading scores up until the final possession. With 11 seconds to play and the game tied at 42-42, an untimely fumble set Western up in field goal range, where a Mark Liegghio 27-yarder gave the Mustangs a buzzer-beating victory.

"There were a bunch of wouldda, couldda, shoulddas in that game," said Bertoia. "But we were in good spirits. We just keep believing in eachother."

For the Warriors to finish the job this week, the offense will need to replicate their outstanding week 7 performance in London. Reigning OUA MVP Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) went 17-19 with 252 yards passing against Western, while adding 101 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground. Running back Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) added 141 yards and two scores on a career-high 23 carries in the narrow Waterloo loss.

But the key to Waterloo's offense is their diversity, and if the 'Stangs force Waterloo away from the run, the black and gold will count on their big-play receivers: Tyler Ternowski (Hamilton/) and Gordon Lam (Kitchener/) were both among the league leaders in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns, while Brandon Metz (Cambridge/) and Rushon Dagelman (Niagara Falls/) both hauled in touchdown passes last week against the Gee-Gees.  

The wild card in the Waterloo-Western rematch might be the Warriors defence. The unit gave up the most yards and points of any team that made the playoffs, but saved their most complete effort of the season for last week's win in Ottawa. Led by the play of veteran linebacker Kurtis Gray (Waterloo/), Waterloo forced three turnovers, registered 4 sacks, and surrendered just 113 yards on the ground against the Gee-Gees.

And the Warriors will need a substantial performance on the defensive side of the ball, as they prepare to face the only OUA team that scored more points than them. Western's dangerous attack is led by fifth-year quarterback Chris Merchant, and complimented by a talented collection of receivers – including Brett Ellerman, who caught 9 balls for 177 yards and two touchdowns against the Warriors in week 7. In that matchup, the Warriors were able to pick off Merchant twice, including a 91-yard pick-six from Daeshaun Jupiter-Deane (Pickering/). If the visitors are to pull off the victory this time, they will be looking to steal a few more possessions from the potent Mustangs offense.

The intrigue of this matchup even spills onto the sidelines – before joining his alma mater, Bertoia spent six years on Western's staff as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator under Western coach Greg Marshall. Given that relationship, it's no surprise to hear Bertoia speak so reverentially about his mentor and friend, but he and his club are confident that they can be the first OUA team to defeat Western in nearly three seasons.

"We respect our opponent, no doubt," said Bertoia. "But we have a lot of belief in ourselves, and that comes from how we played them (in week 7). We're excited for the opportunity to shock the football world. There's a mindset that we're not done yet, and it's coming directly from the players."

Kickoff from TD Stadium in London is slated for 1pm on Saturday, November 2. You can buy discounted tickets in the Warriors fan section, or students can secure a spot on the student fan bus, which includes transportation and a game ticket for $18.