In the dawn of a new era in Double E history, the Edmonton Elks found a win for their new owner. For the first time in 75 years, the Edmonton Football Team has won a game for private owner Larry Thompson, a 47-22 affair at Tim Horton's Field against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

GAME RECAP

THE FAN SIDE

What a first half of football, am I right? The Elks hit hard, fast and strong throughout the game. The downside of this was a serious injury to Hamilton's Luther Hakunavanhu, who required an ambulance and a hospital visit. Fortunately it would be declared that he would leave the hospital after treatment, letting all CFL fans breathe a sigh of relief.

Not long after that injury, Hamilton quarterback Taylor Powell would also go down due to a hit to the head on a rushing play. Bo Levi Mitchell stepped in at pivot to finish the game with Powell also heading to the hospital for precautionary reasons, discharged later in the night as well.

The Elks found a way to post 7 points in the 1st quarter but an astounding 24 in the second quarter to finish the half up 29 points at 32-3, a feat we haven't seen since Michael Reilly led the Eskimos in 2018. This was due to the Elks defense and special teams forcing turnovers through heavy hits and great defensive coverage, and then the offense capitalizing on the ensuing drives. A dominating 1st half performance to say the least

Every single Elks fan had to be excited at what they were seeing from this team, especially after waiting so long for a competitive team to arise. With help from running backs Justin Rankin and Javon Leake, McLeod Bethel Thompson was able to string together long drives and critical passes to the likes of Eugene Lewis, Tevin Jones and Dillon Mitchell, casting all doubt aside in the process.

After a dull 3rd quarter that allowed Hamilton to claw back into the game, the 4th quarter saw a fantastic catch by Hergy Mayala to set up a Justin Rankin rushing hat trick touchdown, all but ending any hope for Hamilton. Garbage time ensued, the Elks closed out the game in dominant fashion and for the first time under the Edmonton Elks moniker, the Elks would finish the game with a 3-game winning streak, 47-22 the final score.

To say we're happy Elks fans is an understatement; The Edmonton Elks are bringing glory to the Double E for the first time since 2019. Fans everywhere are excited about the very real possibility of Edmonton making the playoffs, with Winnipeg and Calgary in the crosshairs on both the schedule and the standings. Should BC defeat Winnipeg this Sunday, Edmonton could find themselves tied for 4th in the standings heading into Montréal.

THE LARRY THOMPSON EFFECT

For a team that has never performed in front of a private owner for 75 years, they sure played hard for their new boss. Larry Thompson made the trip to Hamilton to watch his team in-person after officially buying the team just days ago, a process that was months or even years in the making. Maybe having ownership-level accountability was needed for this team afterall, as seeing your boss that pays your wages on the sidelines, watching you work, would make for some increased production. In a year where every member of the organization is fighting for their jobs, there is a sense of increased pressure for the Green and Gold, yet nowhere near the pressure we saw at the beginning of the season. With the team playing confident football in front of Larry Thompson, the remainder of the season is in their own control.

NEXT UP: EDMONTON ELKS @ MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The Edmonton Elks will attempt to win a 4th consecutive game, this time against the 2023 Grey Cup Champions, the Montréal Alouettes. While the Elks do have wind in their sails, they also have stiff competition as the Alouettes are on a winning streak themselves, only losing 1 game in 10 contests. With a critical 2 points up for grabs, Elks fans have one more day to celebrate this last win before all eyes turn to Saturday's match in Montréal.

Antler Up!