In an historic upset, the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks men’s football team defeated the Western University Mustangs 43-28 on Sept. 14. This marks the first time Laurier has bested Western since 2006, ending the Mustangs’ three-game winning streak and propelling the Golden Hawks from fourth to first in the OUA standings. The win also moved Laurier to the number one spot in the U Sports national rankings, a position they have not held since 1995.
Quarterback no. 13 Taylor Elgersma, a third-year sociology major, was named OUA Offensive Player of the Week, Laurier Athlete of the Week and Laurier Offensive Football Player of the Week for his stellar performance. Elgersma completed 24 of 29 passes for 385 yards, including a 72-yard-long pass with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
He also made an impact on the ground, rushing six times for 22 yards and two more touchdowns. Laurier’s passing game was sharp throughout, with the Golden Hawks amassing 63 more passing yards than Western, achieving an 82.76 per cent pass completion rate and committing no turnovers.
Off the ball, precise cuts near the end zone helped the team capitalize on scoring opportunities. On the defensive side, Laurier dominated the first half, holding Western scoreless in the first quarter and limiting them to just two points in the second.
Fourth-year defensive lineman no. 95 Matt Caruso, a sociology major, capped the first half with a powerful solo tackle near the sideline that ignited the home crowd. Kicker no. 16 Dawson Hodge, a fourth-year arts major, played a key role with his reliable extra points, earning him Laurier’s Special Teams Player of the Week recognition.
Despite Laurier’s early dominance, their defense faltered in the second half, allowing Western to score 26 points. Rookie linebacker no. 45 Jessie Wilkins, a first-year arts major, acknowledged the team’s defensive struggles.
“We didn’t tackle anywhere near as good as we should have and busted on an assignment a couple of times, so we got lots to work on,” he said. “We just know that our team isn’t even at our top peaking, so we’re going to grow week –by week and get better.”
Associate head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Ron VanMoerkerke expressed his pride in the team’s performance. “We had a different game plan than we did in the Yates Cup and our kids executed,” VanMoerkerke said.
The victory was particularly meaningful for Laurier after a close defeat to Western in the 2023 Yates Cup final, where they lost their lead after halftime. Defensive lineman no. 47 Marcus Tenney, a fourth-year arts major, had a standout game with three solo tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss.
Defensive back no. 25 Johari Hastings, a third-year sociology major and an OUA second team all-star last year, was named Laurier’s Defensive Football Player of the Week.
Hastings recorded seven tackles — six of them solo — while also forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass. “It came down to just us believing in ourselves from the beginning and believing in God,” Hastings said.
Western, known for their 2021 Vanier Cup appearance, fielded an experienced offense led by senior quarterback Evan Hillock, but Laurier’s defense rose to the occasion.
“They’re a very quality opponent. A lot of those kids that play on that offense were in the Vanier Cup, so they’re not going to roll over,” VanMoerkerke said.
Laurier’s offense, led by Elgersma, did not buckle under the pressure. “Shout out Taylor, Glen, Ethan, Jordan, the entire O-line — the whole squad balled out,” said Hastings, alongside Wilkins.
Laurier has five regular season games remaining before the playoffs, including the Battle of Waterloo against the University of Waterloo Warriors, Homecoming against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, Senior Day against the Queen’s University Gaels and games against the University of Windsor Lancers and Carleton University Ravens. The OUA playoffs are set to begin on Oct. 26.
