The Mark’s Labour Day Weekend’s last game featured the Battle of Alberta as the Edmonton Elks and the Calgary Stampeders clashed at McMahan Stadium for Round one.
Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes put the first points on the board with a 38-yard field goal early in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead.
On the Elks first possession of the game, quarterback Trevor Harris marched the offense down the field before throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass to the hands of Ernest Edwards for a 7-3 lead. The Stampeders’ offense struggled in the first quarter. The Elks tried and missed a 48-yard field goal by Sean Whyte. The Elks led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Stampeders’ offense still could not get going in the second quarter. On the Elks first possession of the second quarter, quarterback Trevor Harris threw his second touchdown of the game to Jalen Tolliver for six yards to take a 14-3 lead.
Then, the Stampeders switched things up on the second possession. After four straight passes from quarterback Jake Maier, they went to the running game. Running back Ka’Deem carried the team to its first touchdown of the game with a 13-yard run that cut the Elks lead 14-10 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. After that, both offenses made little progress with no change in the score. As a result, the Elks led 14-10 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Stampeders were on the move. Quarterback Jake Maier threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Markeith Ambles on their first possession, putting the Stampeders up 17-14. With 4:32 left in the third quarter, Elks kicker Sean Whyte tied the game 17-17 with a 36-yard field goal. The game remained tied heading into the fourth quarter.
The Stampeders took a 20-17 lead five seconds into the fourth quarter when Rene Paredes kicked a 17-yard field goal. On the Elks first possession of the fourth quarter, quarterback Trevor Harris and running back James Wilder led the offense down the field. Then Harris threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to James Wilder to take a 24-20 lead with 8:05 left.
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier then drove the team down the field before throwing two straight incompletions. After a timeout, the Stampeders sent Rene Paredes out to try a 48-yard field goal. However, Paredes missed the field goal, and the game remained 24-20 with 5:06 left in the game.
After a couple of big plays from Elks running back James Wilder, quarterback Trevor Harris threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Mike Jones that extended the lead 31-20.
The Stampeders made a bad call on the kickoff when Josh Huff decided not to return the ball out of the endzone, and the Elks got a single point to put them up 32-20.
The Stampeders’ offense went quiet for the rest of the game, and the Elks beat the Stampeders 32-20.
Elks quarterback Trevor Harris finished the day 31/41 for 398-yards, four touchdowns, and fourteen rushing yards. James Wilder led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 65-yards. Mike Jones led the team in receiving with four receptions for 107-yards and one touchdown. The defense recorded one sack.
For the Stampeders, quarterback Jake Maier finished the day 29/46 for 328-yards and one touchdown. Ka’Deem Carey led the team in rushing with six carries for 43-yards and one touchdown. Kamar Jordan led the team in receiving with nine receptions for 123-yards, and the defense did not record a sack or interception.
These two will square off in round two next Saturday, September 11th, from Commonwealth Stadium at 7 pm on ESPN+.
