TORONTO, Ont. - On an action-packed Saturday in Toronto, the Warriors were able to pull out the victory in a tightly contested week nine matchup with the York Lions. Unfortunately, a Laurier upset over Western prevents the black and gold from making the postseason, as they finish the year in eighth place in the OUA with a record of 3-5.
"I said to the guys after the game that it was a microcosm of our season," said Warriors Head Coach Chris Bertoia. "There was good, bad, ugly, but it's a resilient group and I'm just so darn proud of them. It was a tough football game. We came out victorious and we did our part,"
The game began with Roy Van der Veen looking strong in his first game back from an extended absence due to injury, but penalties stifled a promising opening drive for the Warriors.
Penalties continued to haunt the black and gold, a theme that would continue all game, as a facemask that brought York to the one-yard line. Former Warrior Matt Lin – starting at quarterback in place of injured Lion Maurice Sodja – made no mistake, finding Avery Ford for the game's opening score.
A field goal pushed the lead to 10, but the Warriors responded with a thrilling 59-yard touchdown as Nick Orr (Caledon/Mayfield Secondary School) found Yinka Ogunnote (Guelph, ONT/Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute) all alone down field.
Not to be outdone, York responded with an 85-yard major, as Linn found Jayden Shallow cutting across the middle, who turned the corner and blew by everyone all the way to the endzone to make it 17-7.
Not wanting to be left out of the action, both teams' kickers chipped in with long scores of their own. Evan Astolfo (Burlington, ONT/Corpus Christi) cut the lead to seven with a 55-yarder, and Nathan Walker hit from 42 in what would be his last game as a Lion.
Another Astolfo field goal, a conceded safety by the Warriors, and an Astolfo rouge got the score to 22-14 at halftime.
Walker opened the second half scoring with a 26-yard field goal, and the Warriors responded with a methodical drive that saw them gain yards on 10 straight plays, but none longer than a 15-yard rush by Van der Veen. Van der Veen would finish with 156 yards on 25 rushing attempts.
Orr then found Basalyga for a 15-yard touchdown, but it was called back for offside, and Waterloo would have to settle for another field goal.
It wouldn't be long before the black and gold got back to the endzone, however. The defence came up with a stop, forcing a York two-and-out on the ensuing drive. From their own 35, Walker unleashed a long punt that Matthew Jonah-Eleweke fielded and then weaved through the cover unit, taking it back 86 yards for a special teams major. A huge play from the rookie who's come close to breaking one on several returns already this season.
"Finally," said Bertoia. "He's a special one, he's going to be fun to watch for the next four years."
Bertoia opted not to go for two, and instead Astolfo kicked the extra point to make the score 25-24 with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter. That left plenty of time for the Warriors offence to get the ball back. In the end, however, it was the Waterloo defence that delivered the victory.
A blocked Astolfo field goal attempt rolled out of bounds at the York one yard line as time expired in the third, and the Lions weren't able to advance the ball, forcing them to concede a safety and the lead, making it 26-25.
And while the offence wasn't able to get the insurance marker, the defence held strong, forcing four York punts before Arden Martinez (Niagara Falls, ONT/A.N Myer) sealed the win with an interception with just over a minute left to play.
"That was a great play by Arden," said Bertoia. "Arden played a great game. Him and Michael Omoseni (Burlington, ONT/Assumption Catholic Secondary), those two guys have been outstanding at linebacker all season long."
As the Warriors sideline erupted for Martinez' play, unbeknownst to them, the Laurier Golden Hawks were celebrating a win over the Western Mustangs westward on the 401, a win that clinched a playoff berth for the Golden Hawks and eliminated the Warriors.
Bertoia said they intentionally avoided the out-of-town scores during the game, and he was the first to learn the news from his brother, who'd traveled from Saudi Arabia to watch the game. "Just anticlimactic," he said, "it felt like we lost."
Nonetheless, Bertoia had no shortage of positive things to say about his players, this win, and their season. "It's just a credit to our seniors and just the culture we have that our guys never believe they're out of it. And they're persistent. They play a full 60 minutes of football always. And that's something we've definitely got to carry forward."
"Our seniors, those guys balled out today and they left everything out there and they should have no regrets. Obviously, it would've been great to go to the playoffs, but those guys, they beat Laurier in their senior year and they won their last football game."
Nick Orr (Caledon/Mayfield Secondary School) – "the definition of what a warrior is" – threw for 263 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and added 54 yards on the ground in his final game in the black and gold, capping off one of the most impressive and inspiring seasons in Warriors history. Returning after a serious injury which required neck surgery, Orr finished 2026 with career highs in nearly every statistical category.
"We're going to certainly miss him, his leadership in the locker room, his steel resolve and competitiveness," said Bertoia. "He's a pretty special kid."
His favourite targets on the day were all seniors; Basalyga, Ogunnote, and Tyler Tierney (London, ONT/Sir Frederick Banting SS) each had 88, 66, and 44 receiving yards, respectively. On the other side of the ball, Dominique Walker (Oshawa, ON/) had a tackle for loss while he and Divine Ugoh (Brampton, ONT/St. Edmund Campion) both picked up a pass break up. Offensive lineman Nicholas Gidaro (Vaughan, ONT/Emily Carr Secondary School) was characteristically solid, as well.
"It's certainly been a season full of peaks and valleys," said Bertoia, "and the valleys have been really low valleys."
"It's a special group of young men here, and I hope they carry forward some of the lessons they learned this year. Leaning on people and trusting in people in difficult, difficult times, you realize the importance of family, and certainly I think we've got a culture of family here at Warriors Football."
"I'm indebted to our seniors for creating that culture and of believing in what the coaches have tried to create, because at the end of the day, player-led teams turn into successful teams, and so I think we're on the right path."
