WATERLOO, Ont. - The 2022 season was in many ways a return to form for the Laurier Golden Hawks. As the OUA transitioned back to a full eight-game schedule post pandemic, the purple and gold re-staked their claim as one the top programs in the conference, winning their first playoff game since 2017. 

Heading into 2023, manager of football operations and head coach Michael Faulds expects his team will only improve on their recent success. 

"We had a fairly young nucleus surrounding Taylor Elgersma. With his rise, along has come the rise of many others around him, like Ethan Jordan or Quentin Scott." 

"The time is now," he continued. "We might have surprised some people last season. Now there are new expectations. And there's going to be no sneaking up on people." 

OFFENCE 

"Ideally, you'd want every game to look like that Carleton game did last year in the playoffs," said Faulds, "where you see the big explosive plays on offense, the big throws to Ethan Jordan, the big runs by Tanner Nelmes and Quentin Scott." 

The Golden Hawks scored 41 points against the Ravens in last year's OUA quarterfinal, tallying 303 passing yards and 210 on the ground. 

"That's kind of what you hope, but any given day you never know what life's going to throw at you." Faulds stressed the importance of being able to adapt to opponents' defensive gameplans. 

"I would say we do have the horses to have a lot of explosive plays, but I also am fully aware that other teams are going to know that. Oftentimes what teams have done against our offense when we have explosive players is play a "bend but don't break" style where they're going to try to force Taylor to have a 12-play drive versus two explosive plays. 

"I think what helps our overall offense is – some teams are defined as running teams, some teams are defined as passing teams – we really are the epitome of balance." 

QUARTERBACKS 

Returning: Taylor Elgersma, Isaac Willis 

Departures: Dre Brookes, Connor Irwin-Lewis 

Incoming: Nathan Constancio, Key'shaun Dorsey, Drake Somerville 

This will be Taylor Elgersma's second season as a full-time starter, although his experience in the OUA goes beyond last season. 

"Taylor without a shadow of doubt is our best leader," said Faulds. "Oftentimes as coaches you try to force leadership at that position, but with him, it's not needed. He naturally walks the walk and talks the talk, and is really respected by his teammates and coaches. And when you have that at that position, the whole team feels it." 

Part of what makes him so effective on the field, says Faulds, is the chemistry he's developed with his teammates. "As a quarterback, so much of what you do is about timing. So, the more time you have with certain receivers, certain running backs, the more it helps you." 

RECEIVERS 

Returning: Jace Atkinson, Jacob Bennett, Anthony Briscoe, Ethan Eldridge, Ethan Jordan, Domenic Montalbano, Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, Tyriq Quayson, Ryan Speight, Jaxon Stebbings, Zachary Swenerton-Weekes, Raidan Thorne 

Departures: Zack Burmaster, Josiah McKoy, Nick Petermann, Cam Steinbach 

Incoming: Titan Gaudun, Ryan Hughes, Kojo Kodua, Zachery McCAll, Keyon Robinson, Jade Rogers, Alexander Walters, Michael Weber 

Last year's team MVP Ethan Jordan returns to build off his All-Canadian season. OUA second-team all-star Raidan Thorne is back as well. "We're really excited that both Raidan and EJ are back and beside each other again and," said Faulds. "They've built a lot of good timing with Taylor." 

"What I love about both of them is they don't have an ego.When Ethan Jordan had scored several touchdowns last year and Raidan had still not gotten one, the first one to go celebrate with EJ in the endzone is Raidan Thorne. Then when Raidan gets a big touchdown against Waterloo, EJ's right there celebrating with him." 

Jaxon Stebbings is expected to step in to fill the role left behind by Nathan Petermann. Faulds mentioned Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, Tyriq Quayson, and Jacob Bennett as other names to keep an eye on. 

RUNNING BACKS 

Returning: Darion Bacik-Hadden, Tanner Nelmes, Quentin Scott 

Departures: Jonathan Gittens 

Incoming: Khalil Derman, Tayshaun Jackson, Jeremiah Nyambiya, Lewcas Rayner, Dominik Wilczynski 

Last year, the dynamic duo of Quentin Scott and Tanner Nelmes rightly received a lot of attention as they spearheaded the fourth-best rushing attack in the OUA. As the season progressed, team rookie of the year Darion Bacik-Hadden pushed himself into the conversation as well.  

"It's really now become a three-headed monster, and all of them have earned the carries they're going to get," said Faulds. "It's a talented group and all their styles are slightly different."  

"You look at Tanner Nelmes, he's a model of consistency; great blocker, good hands, good hard, tough runner and has really worked hard on being in the best shape of his life... Quentin Scott, he's super electric. You never know what carry might go 40 yards... and then Darion Bacik-Hadden is probably our most patient running back. He just sees the field very well." 

FULL BACKS/TIGHT ENDS 

Returning: Nathan Brooks, Max Harris, Sebastian Parsalidis, Ryan Speight 

Departures: Leo Hernandez, Ben McAlpine, Taylor Stalkie 

With Leo Hernandez moving from the line of scrimmage to the sideline as a position coach, Sebastian Parsalidis will be the main face at full back. Nathan Brooks will be joined by Max Harris – who's transitioning from the offensive line – as the primary tight ends. Expect to see Ryan Speight split time between the slot receiver and tight end positions, as well. 

"These are positions that don't get as much fame, but they're positions that are very versatile and useful," said Faulds. Ben McAlpine's three touchdowns last season earned him the nickname "Benzone," and the Golden Hawks will be hoping to replicate some of that offensive production again.  

OFFENSIVE LINE 

Returning: Ryan-Anthony Ramos, Jason Arigbe, Daniel Crowe, Tanner Elson, Drew Ferguson, Cowan George, Cooper Hamilton, Michael Hedderson, Liam Murphy, Lambert Pomerleau, Tyler Potvin, Josh Rietveld, Spencer Walsh 

Departures: Alex Pigozzo, Jack Walsh, Matthew Zarzycki 

Incoming: Kodi Blackshaw-Hirtle, Delphyn Ngaleu, Karnpreet Sidhu, Roderick Sonnemann 

One of the youngest positions for the Golden Hawks last year, four of the starting five will be returning for 2023, with Alex Pigozzo the lone departure. "We're excited that we're older and stronger at that position," said Faulds. "Protecting Taylor is super vital, as is creating pathways for the three-headed monster at running back." 

2022 OUA all-star Cooper Hamilton is the captain and the anchor at left tackle. Expect to see a combination of Spencer Walsh, Tyler Potvin, Lambert Pomerleau, Josh Rietveld, and Tanner Elson fill out the other four starting slots. 

"When you look at the three or four best teams every year, some of them have a good quarterback, some of them have a good standout receiver, or a good DB. The one thing they all have is an outstanding o-line, and you see that in all levels of football. If you're playing well in the trenches, you give yourself a great opportunity every week." 

DEFENCE 

That "bend but don't break" style Faulds watches for in opponents is something his own team excelled at last season. Laurier tied for the fewest forced turnovers and second-fewest sacks recorded in 2022, but still allowed fewer points than all but four teams.  

The strength of the front seven has long been at the core of the Golden Hawks identity as a program, and that will be no different this season, as key veterans like Ife Onyemenam, Luke Brubacher, and Brandon Omonuwa are joined by an exciting group of freshmen and sophomores.  

"The competition at every position is as high as it's ever been here," said Faulds. "It's created a good problem for us to have." 

DEFENSIVE LINE 

Returning: Luke Brubacher, Matt Caruso, Quinn Craddock, Daniel Kieta, Kyle Nesbit, Chisanem Nsitem, Abraham Odiase, Brandon Omonuwa, Marcus Tenney, Mason Watson, Ivan Xu 

Departures: Michael Asma, James Fleurissaint, Kiansei Grant, Aleksandar Ilic 

Incoming: Andre Bute, Joseph Edlington, Omari Hastings, Daniel Oladunjoye, Mohammed Sheikh Hasan 

James Fleurissaint was the last remaining player from the 2016 Yates Cup champion team, and leaves behind an OUA all-star sized hole with his departure. Omari Hastings, meanwhile, returns to the team after spending the 2022 season playing junior football.  

Both Luke Brubacher and Brandon Omonuwa were effective despite struggling with injuries throughout last season. Both players are back, healthy and ready, for another season. They'll no doubt attract plenty of attention from opponents' offensive lines as well as from CFL scouts. Matt Caruso, Chisanem Nsitem, and Abraham Odiase round out a strong returning core. 

"It's an older group, so it's going to create some holes next off season, but it creates a lot of excitement for this season knowing it's such a veteran group," said Faulds. "It really is a group that should be good against the run, and in passing situations can pin your ears back and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks." 

LINEBACKERS 

Returning: Matthew Brandon, Jayden Griffiths, Christopher Haggart, Demarco Lawrence, Brady Loenhart, Ethan McCullagh-Rabiner, Duncan Naudie, Ife Onyemenam, Jared Weiler 

Departures: Lucas Cabral, Damian Jamieson, Jordan Veltri 

Incoming: Jack Builder, Hadyn Eley, Ethan Gregorcic, Isaiah Higgins, Samuel Levasseur, Scott Miron, Isaiah-Ray Obiorah, Maleek Russell, Jessie Wilkins 

2023 CFL sixth-round draft pick Ife Onyemenam returns after a training camp with the Toronto Argos. He'll co-captain the defence with Brubacher and be a steady veteran presence for the unit. He'll be missing his inside linebacker partner Damian Jamieson, while 2022 OUA all-star Jordan Veltri has also graduated. 

Duncan Naudie, Christopher Haggart, and Matthew Brandon will compete for Veltri's SAM linebacker position. Jayden Griffiths and Ethan McCullagh-Rabiner will vie for a starting spot as well. High school standout Ethan Gregorcic could also make an immediate impact. 

"We've got a lot of young guys who we're super excited about to see how they play," said Faulds. 

DEFENSIVE BACKS 

Returning: Valentine Adedeji, Famous Aghayere, Ayo Ajayi, Ethan Bayfield, Maliek Cote-Azore, Joel Gilmour, Zach Harvey, Nico McCarthy, Tristan Miller, Carter Will 

Departures: Folajimi Adeniyi, Mason Arruda, Michael Brownhill, Patrick Burke Jr., Justin Cummings, Tristan Hudson, Shomari Hutchinson, Ryan Long, Emmanuel Traore, Alec Vandebelt 

Incoming: Marco Di Nino, Owen Goetz, Johari Hastings, Daniel Loggale, Tucker Pinet, Owen Kibbee  

CFL fourth-round pick Patrick Burke Jr. and Shomari Hutchinson combined for all four of Laurier's interceptions last season, and replacing them will be no small task. Even still, Faulds "would say we're the deepest we've been [at DB] in a long time." 

Maliek Cote-Azore was a dependable presence last year filling in at boundary corner for the injured Ayo Ajayi, who's back and healthy for 2023. Nico McCarthy, who was named a second team OUA all-star at the free safety position, returns as well. "You add on Ethan Bayfield, Tristan Miller, Joel Gilmore. It's a really deep veteran-laden group." 

Two new faces to look out for are Johari Hastings and Daniel Loggale. Hastings, younger brother of Omari, is a transfer from the now defunct SFU program. Loggale comes to Laurier after multiple seasons as a starter for the York Lions. 

SPECIAL TEAMS 

Returning: Joshua Elik, Dawson Hodge, Jason MacGougan 

Special teams coordinators Matt Robichaud and Mike Daly both joined the coaching staff shortly before the start of the 2022 season. "They had very little time, they didn't even have an off season to teach these guys the technique." 

Brady Loenhart will captain a special teams unit that took great strides throughout last season. "We saw great stuff by our special teams last year and this year we're looking for more... we're excited that even if guys aren't a starter at their position, those backup guys are going to be foaming at the mouth to have a huge impact on special teams, so for coach Daly and coach Robichaud, that gives them a great list of players to work with." 

Kicker/punter Dawson Hodge enters his third season coming off an All-Canadian selection at punter and a summer working with Golden Hawks Hall of Famer Ronnie Pfeffer. "The operation time of a long snapper and kicker is something that most fans aren't aware of, but with Jason McGougan and Dawson Hodge, we've got a good thing going," said Faulds. 

GAME PREVIEW 

The 2023 Vanier Cup is scheduled for November 25 at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont. The Golden Hawks are hoping that's where their season will end, and they'll start it off on that very field when they visit the Queen's Gaels for the season opener on August 26. 

"Queen's is a good opponent," said Faulds, "They've got a lot of pressure on them, kind of like Western last year." The Gaels defeated Laurier 30-11 last season, snapping a six-game Golden Hawks winning streak in head-to-head matchups and tying the all-time record at 10-10.  

An opening game road win for the purple and gold against one of the top teams in the conference would make it clear the Golden Hawks are legitimate contenders in the OUA. 

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