Preseason is one of the most exciting, optimistic periods in the Canadian Football calendar for fans, teams and athletes alike. In the months leading up to Preseason Game 1, speculation fills the atmosphere but on Game Day, facts and tape remain supreme.
For the Edmonton Elks specifically, they may have more questions than answers given how powerful the team looked, fielding a combination of starters, rookies, and veterans fighting for a bigger role on the team for 2026.
GAME DAY VIBES
All across social media, fans and pundits were excited to see the first kickoff of the Green and Gold season. Saturday's tilt featured a BC Lions team hosting the Edmonton Elks at Starlight Stadium in Langford BC, a remote game due to FIFA's takeover of BC Place. Without their star QB Nathan Rourke, the BC Lions looked to backup QB Chase Brice, amongst others, for a victory in what could be described as a tall task considering how many starters the Elks fielded. Green and Gold fans remained hopeful that the Lions could be stifled and heck, maybe even defeated by the Double E.
GAME RECAP
3 THOUGHTS
Instead of giving you a written description of the game breakdown like years previous, this year we are going to focus on our 3 Thoughts and dive a bit deeper on these points and of course, the point after.
1. QB room is DEEP. Powell 13/14 1TD 1INT, Snyder 2TDs, ZZ 1TD
Cody Fajardo is most certainly the starting quarterback at this time, however, should anything happen to him the Elks have no reason to be concerned. Taylor Powell was very accurate in his outing, playing more than a quarter but providing multiple scoring drives despite an interception near the end of his outing, an endzone pass that simply found the wrong hands. Cole Snyder also played his part, taking on his usual short yardage role but also providing an aerial assault in the 2nd half of the game. Snyder went 5/7 for 74 yards and 1 TD, carrying the ball 3 times for 8 yards and another TD. Even more impressive was Zach Zebrowski's touchdown pass to WR Carter Kettyle, one of only 3 passes made to post 83 yards on the day.
2. Gomez vs Blanchard Shootout Incoming
We have no reason to believe a decision has been made on kicker, and with one more game to go in Preseason you can expect to see both Vincent Blanchard and Jesus Gomez on the field duking it out on Friday vs the Calgary Stampeders at Clarke. In yesterday's tilt, Gomez kicked 6 times for 408 yards, averaging 68 yards on kickoffs with his longest being a 76 yard boot. On field goals Jesus went 2-for-2 with his longest attempt coming from the 30 yard mark. We would say this is a near-perfect performance and this seemingly sets up Vincent Blanchard with some very stiff completion for the Preseason finale.
3. Worst CFL Plus Feed Ever
We aren't one to complain about a video feed over a radio feed, yet yesterday's feed had us groaning wirh frustration. The team at 880 CHED do a fantastic job and if you're someone that has enjoyed CFL football for many years like us, you'll have no problems switching over to the ol' dials at any given moment. Well, that's exactly what happened due to the choppy feed, constant freezing and buffering issues from the league's free streaming service. In an age where technology is touted, even by the CFL themselves, yesterday's feed from Starlight Stadium was so bad that we missed Carter Kettyle's first CFL touchdown. Frustrating amongst many other words.
THE POINT AFTER
What about Isaiah Knight and Rushawn Baker? Both made a case at running back. Wide reciever room is very deep too, Jalon Calhoun made a familiar performance and Carter Kettyle did as well with some yards-after-catch power.
Isaiah Knight has been a constant competitor in camp, turning heads and making plays that you expect from Javon Leake and Justin Rankin. 7 carries for 32 yards doesn't exactly scream amazing but his burst factor when given a gap shows much potential, and promise if his name is called. Knight also achieved 32 yards via air, an expectation with this offensive plan. Rushawn Baker had 8 carries for 47 yards, his ability to stay on his feet and extend plays on full display in Saturday's tilt.
While Taylor Powell did recieve Player Of The Game honours from the Elks, there were many positions that displayed their depth. We were very impressed with the Elks running back room throughout the entire game, and the team is loaded on recievers too. Newcomer Austin Mack made a statement touchdown reception in the 2nd Quarter and Binjimen Victor caught a ball near the sidelines, managing to touch a toe in-bounds to keep that drive alive, an indicator that the WR team is fine on the top end. On the bottom end, Jalon Calhoun is still making endzone magic happen just like he did in similar roles last year, tight windows of opportunity coming few and far between. Carter Kettyle managed a touchdown after shaking off a Lions DB in the 4th quarter, showing his prowess, power and speed as he has done throughout the CFL Combine and Elks Training Camp.
THE FAN SIDE
How can you not be excited about this team? Yes, we get it, Nathan Rourke wasn't playing. And yes, we know, the Elks played their starters vs the Lion's backups and backups to the backups, but a dominating 34-16 win to instill confidence can push this team to the fast start they've been itching for, especially when you consider the fact that the Elks haven't won a single game in June since 2019. Not just home or away, but 0 wins in total over that span. If there was a time to get back on track it's now, and this year's Preseason victory over BC feels much, much different than the victory we saw last year at this time of year. Saturday's game featured an element of pure domination, a sentiment missing for far too long.
NEXT UP: EDMONTON ELKS VS CALGARY STAMPEDERS MAY 29 2026
The Edmonton Elks will return to the Knothole to host the Calgary Stampeders, Clarke Stadium playing home for a CFL football team for the first time in nearly 50 years. A throwback night made possible thanks to FIFA's requirement of natural grass even for a Soccer Canada friendly, the displaced Elks will look to finish their Preseason strong as they hope to have more answers than questions for the final roster build. The first Tailgate Party of the season starts 3 hours before the game on Friday too, so expect an event and evening like no other. Kickoff is at 7PM Mountain and the Tailgate starts at 4PM, see you there!