Photo Credit: John Kerby, Edmonton Elks Facebook Group

There's nothing like Friday Night Football with some hot Franks and fellow Fans.

At long last, the Green and Gold faithful flocked to Commonwealth Stadium for hours of tailgating and fun. The score might not have mattered but the results from each player did. With storylines aplenty for Edmonton, fans were excited to get their first taste of home field football for 2025.

TAILGATE REPORT

For a game where the score didn't matter, the Tailgate was taken seriously by all. Friday's favourite pre-game party didn't disappoint, even if we were serving slightly-charred hot dogs from a BBQ on it's last legs. Shoutout to 880 CHED play-by-play man Morley Scott and the 40-plus fans that entertained our dog dilemma as we marched on through our own Preseason motions as The Elks Herd. Good turnout, great company, and an even better contest in the tailgate; Elks staff challenged us to a bottle flip for a seat upgrades, and boy howdy, was the upgrade ever sweet after 5 failed attempts. We were awarded all-new Loge Seats for our efforts in the bottle-flip contest.

NEW LOGE SEATS?

With paper tickets in hand, ourselves and 4 friends marched up to the lower bowl (?!) to sit at a table with chairs, a canopy and a server at around the 40 yard line. For the first time in years, fans have returned to the upper bowl, and while some fans may just want the upper bowl back in general, this new Loge is a means for the club to make up for the lack of fans on any given night. We're expecting this to be a premium paid experience going forward, but for Friday it was much-welcomed fun.

BATTLE WITH BC

As with our last article, we will be highlighting the players that made the biggest impact on this Preseason game versus BC. Featuring a last-minute touchdown and a win, the Elks pulled off a performance that fans have been waiting years for, especially in Preseason action. Unfortunately for Ed Hervey and company, this meant tougher decisions come Saturday night.

LB NICK ANDERSON

The Elks started the game with a very familiar sight, Nick Anderson continuing where he left off from last year. Amassing 10 defensive tackles on the day, Anderson looks to level up once again in an effort to become the Defensive Player Of The Year for 2025, adding to his 2024 Most Outstanding Rookie award. His second year in the CFL may be the biggest for his development as a professional football player.

QB COLE SNYDER

Where Tre Ford and Cody Fajardo threw interceptions, Cole Snyder did not. Orchestrating the comeback, Cole Snyder completed 4 passes on 5 attempts, his longest being a 35 yard play. The quarterback shootout in the 4th quarter ultimately won the game for the Elks, and Cole Snyder was able to secure the QB3 position for the 2025 season.

QB WILL MCELVAIN

McElvain showed poise and power in the pocket with the limited time he had. Completing 4 passes on 6 attempts, he was able to get the last second touchdown, securing an elusive Preseason home win for the Elks. McElvain was moved to the suspended list on Sunday morning in an effort to retain his rights.

WR JALON CALHOUN

Calhoun might have made only 2 catches, but the catches he made were some of the most important all night. With the lone touchdown reception and 16 Yards After Carry, Calhoun did enough to earn a spot on the Edmonton Elks roster as of Sunday morning, beating out the likes of Alexander Hollins and JJ Laap in his quest. He also returned 2 punts for 25 yards, and a kickoff return of 33 yards.

SURPRISE CUTS?

Today was cut day in the CFL, and cries from fans are being heard all around the nation. In Edmonton specifically, there are a few surprises on the list of released players. JJ Laap seemed to be a shoe-in for this team after last weekend's performance, but after posting 3 receptions in Friday's contest, the club has decided to go another route, no pun intended. Reciever Alexander Hollins appears to have re-aggrevated his knee injury, resulting in his release as well. DB Marcus Lewis has also been released after a couple years in Green and Gold, being beat out in his position. DB Demetries Ford, who appeared to have a stellar game in Calgary, was also released as a shock to many, only posting one defensive tackle in Friday's exhibition contest. And after spending a season or two in Edmonton FB Jacob Plamondon was also released, fans disappointed in the decision. Ed Hervey was always going to make changes and unfortunately this is one of them.

UP NEXT: EDMONTON ELKS AT BC LIONS JUNE 7TH

Your Edmonton Elks will face the BC Lions on a smoked out Saturday night, featuring big plays and big clouds as Snoop Dogg opens the regular season for both teams. The BC Lions with Nathan Rourke at the helm look to impress over 50,000 fans at BC Place, and the Edmonton Elks will look to silence that same crowd. Today the final cuts will sink in, and tomorrow the first week of preparations will begin for each and every CFL team.

Get ready Edmonton!