For the first time since Tre Ford dished three touchdown passes en route to a 25-point fourth quarter which clinched the team a playoff berth – back in October of 2021 – the Warriors have clipped the wings of their crosstown rivals.
With a 40-31 victory on Warrior Field over the Laurier Golden Hawks, the Battle of Waterloo on the grid iron goes to the black and gold.
On a day that no one sitting in the bleachers, standing on the sidelines, and up in the press box will ever forget, these Warriors got have their legacy win. A win that captures the emotions of seniors, newcomers, and devoted staff members.
With Waterloo jumping out to an early lead – courtesy of a rouge, an Ethan Miller (Brampton, ONT/St. Roch C.S.S) rushing touchdown, and a field goal from Evan Astolfo (Burlington, ONT/Corpus Christi) – Warrior Field was rocking.
After the quick start, Waterloo opened the door for Laurier to fight back. In a battle of seventh and eighth in the OUA standings, the fightback from the visitors – who have played in the last two Yates Cup games – was imminent.
With both sides of the crowd trading cheers, Waterloo knew it was their day to put their group on national notice, something quarterback Nick Orr (Caledon/Mayfield Secondary School) knew they were capable of.
"Regardless of what the records are, this is a team we want to take down. We circle it on the calendar," said Orr post-game.
In the second quarter, number four had six points on his mind, and delivered with a QB sneak major. His fifth rushing TD of the season doubled the Warriors advantage to 20-10.
Astolfo remained dialed throughout. Going a perfect 3-3 on both field goal and extra point tries, the 12 points he was responsible for polished off yet another seamless day in the office.
On the defensive side of the ball, the likes of Hayden Crowe (Milton, ONT/Christ the King) and Michael Omoseni (Burlington, ONT/Assumption Catholic Secondary) came to play, and that's putting it lightly. In a game where Waterloo's best had to be Waterloo's best, Omoseni displayed why he is a top defensive player in Ontario, and Crowe continues to build his reputation as one to follow.
Crowe and Omoseni led the game in tackles, with 8.5 and 7.5 respectively. Omoseni also added a tackle-for-loss, adding to the team's prowess on defense, which were due for a memorable result.
Later in the third quarter and into the fourth, Laurier's offence took over. Quarterback Will Russell threw consecutive touchdown passes to give the Golden Hawks the lead, 31-26, for the first time in the game.
Laurier looked to have snatched victory from the hands of defeat once more. Enter Waterloo's backfield to change history.
Owen Clarke (Barrie, ONT/Barrie North Collegiate) put Waterloo back in front by one with a 17-yard rushing score, and all hearts were working overtime.
A failed two-point conversion attempt by the Warriors kept the purple and gold in play, but were put back on defense after a quick two-and-out.
The running back core had another ace up their sleeve; Brandon Riggan (Cambridge, ONT/Jacob Hespeler Secondary School). With exactly 60 seconds left on the clock, Riggan took the leap, Warriors scored the six. 39-31 was the score.
Waterloo had to win this on defense. On the final play of the game, who else to solidify a memorable result than Hayden Crowe (Milton, ONT/Christ the King)? Breaking up a pass to the corner of the end zone with his fingertips, the black and gold were victorious.
Post-game, both Crowe and Omoseni commented on how this defensive sequence should always be remembered when talking about the Waterloo Warriors.
"He's been making plays all year," Omoseni said about Crowe's effort. "He's a player who makes plays when we need them," he added. For the young Warrior defender, that Crowe is, high praise from the experienced Omoseni is primetime talk.
"Having Mike, who is a leading tackler in not only Ontario but in Canada, is huge," Crowe said about Omoseni post-game. "I just have to worry about pass plays, his presence is amazing to have," he added.
Fitting words from number 18, who closed out the game by doing exactly that. Not giving prime offensive players an inch, focusing on breaking up the pass play that would seal it.
Week seven of the OUA season will see the Warriors take to rest, as their bye week has come. On October 17 at 1:00 PM, the team will take on the McMaster Marauders in their 2026 home finale, and take the opportunity to honour the senior players who are graduating from the program this year.
Tickets are available now at gowarriorsgo.ca/tickets.
