WATERLOO, Ont. - It's been an interesting journey for Nolan Kaban (Calgary/). From taking over the reins at quarterback from all-time great Tre Ford, to forming a tandem with Nick Orr (Caledon/), to mentoring freshman Emmett Ward, it all culminated with Kaban leading his team onto the turf in what will likely be his final game at Warrior Field.
Kaban was one of 17 fourth and fifth-year student-athletes honoured ahead of Saturday's Senior Day game against the York Lions. It was just his second start of the season, stepping in once again after Ward tweaked his groin in last week's loss at Windsor.
Orr, meanwhile, was back on the sideline with his teammates after undergoing successful neck surgery following a scary injury on Homecoming against Queen's. He is expected to make a full recovery.
With just under two and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Kaban and the Warriors offence took the ball down nine points. It looked to everyone on north campus like Waterloo would be taking its fifth straight loss, leaving them without a home victory in 2025 and eliminating them from playoff contention.
Except for those on the field.
"Two minutes left, down 10, there's not a doubt on that sideline," said Kaban. "It's just a family, man, and it shows. When we're down, we don't fold in on each other."
Kaban found Evan Basalyga (Thunder Bay/) for a 21-yard gain to start off a 10-play, 68-yard drive that ended with one of the most insane touchdowns you will ever see, as Anthony Miller (Brampton/) backflipped over three York defenders and just barely crossed the goal line for the score.
An onside kick recovery and a field goal finished off one of the most improbable comebacks you're likely to see at any level of football.
"It's just a belief that we've been trying to work on for the whole season, and the whole offseason. And when you're part of a team like last year when we went 0-8, it's easy to keep saying 'we believe,' but you need wins to believe," said Head Coach Chris Bertoia.
"The light bulb finally went off, and these guys believe in themselves and believe that the game is 60 minutes long and you got to play for 60 minutes. And, you know, we made enough plays to win a tight, tight football game by one point against a very good York team."
A game with more than a few unusual plays started off with some trickery as Miller caught the opening kickoff, then threw a lateral to Marcus Hoegl (Burlington/), who ripped off a 47-yard return. Waterloo's rush attack was stymied just pass midfield, but Evan Astolfo (Burlington/) nailed a 47-yard field goal to open the scoring early.
Both offenses struggled early, with those three points standing as the only of the opening frame. The Warriors conceded a safety before adding another field goal to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.
York's offence kicked into gear to start the third quarter, with Keegan Hall finding Cairo Berry for a 56-yard gain just two plays in. Hall would finish off the drive himself with a nice spin move to avoid a defender and dive into the endzone.
A holding penalty backed the Warriors up and forced another conceded safety on the ensuing possession. The Lions then traded two field goals for one to take a 17-9 lead into the fourth quarter.
They'd extend that lead with another three points on the first drive of the final frame. Waterloo responded right away, as Kaban found Romel Samuel-Slocombe for 30 yards to get into York territory. Roy Van der Veen (Grand Valley/) found the endzone to cut the lead to 20-17.
The Warriors would get the ball right back. Hall's lateral pass never found its intended receiver and Josh Pileggi (Brampton/) recovered the fumble to set Waterloo up eight yards from the goal line.
Roy Van der Veen (Grand Valley/) ran in for his second major of the game and fourth of the season, moving him into the top five in the OUA for rushing touchdowns and giving the Warriors a 24-20 lead with 6:17 to play.
A facemask penalty added 15 yards to York's kickoff return, and Hall found Nicholas Adair for a 23-yard gain to start the drive and again for an 11-yard touchdown to finish it.
On the first play of the ensuing Waterloo drive, Marcellus Pope ran over Hoegl and took the pass intended for him back to the house to extend the Lions lead to 33-24.
Cue Kaban, who connected with Basalyga, Hoegl, and Logan Heroux (Burlington/) to set up Miller's hurdle touchdown.
Then, with Waterloo's kick team loaded up on the left side of the field, Astolfo dribblied a kick up the right-side hash marks and recovered it himself to give the Warriors the ball back on the York 17-yard line with 47 seconds left to play. Astolfo split the uprights with 28 seconds still on the clock, and Waterloo's defence held on to secure their second win of the season.
"It just goes back to that family moment," said Kaban. "Like, I just want to do it for those guys. It's senior day, it's my last day, but there's a lot of fifth-years here with me that have been here for five years. And I just wanted to get the win for the team." Kaban finished with 283 yards on 23-36 passing.
"[Kaban]'s been a team first guy his entire life. Sometimes quarterback can be that position where there's a lot of ego involved. And a credit to Nolan Kaban (Calgary/), he's always put his ego aside and been a team first guy. And I'm so proud of him and happy for him that on his senior day, he came out here and executed," said Bertoia.
Kaban, along with Basalyga, Miller, Samuel-Slocombe, Pileggi, and Hoegl walked off Warrior Field for most likely the last time having given themselves a chance to qualify for the OUA playoffs, with a week 8 matchup with 2-4 McMaster looming ahead.
"We're just going to take it one game at a time, one practice at a time. That's kind of been our mentality. Like when we're down 10, it's not about trying to get all the 10 back, it's the next play," said Kaban. "We're just going to come out Tuesday, ready to practice, one day at a time."
Kickoff at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton is set for 7:00 PM on Friday, October 10. Follow along @wloowarriors on Instagram and watch live on OUA.tv.
