EDMONTON – The final game of any season is a bittersweet moment. It’s the culmination of months of hard work and building a camaraderie and family feel inside of a locker room of nearly 100 players, coaches, and staff.
Unfortunately for the Elks, the playoffs are out of reach but the signs of building something special are there. A victory on Friday against the Argonauts will propel Edmonton to a 7-4 record over their final 11 games, while likely finishing 2024 with the CFL’s top attack (27.4 offensive points per game). There is a solid foundation for a team whose season appeared to be over a little more than a third of the way into the year. Just watching the Green and Gold practice this week, you’d be hard pressed to believe that this was a team playing for nothing more than pride and personal accolades.
“You saw it today, man. These guys fight for one another,” Interim Head Coach Jarious Jackson said after a spirited Monday practice this week. “They’re out here having fun.”
“It could be at the other end of the spectrum, and we could be pulling teeth to get guys to come out here and compete and get ready to try and go win a football game. The guys were enthusiastic, they were engaged, they were having fun. They were talking crap to one another, but at the same time, competitive and doing things the right way.”
There is plenty for those on the Elks to play for on Friday. For some, it’s a chance to put their best foot forward heading into next season. There will be an opportunity for certain players to see an expanded role against the Argonauts. Edmonton has elevated wide receiver Jerminic Smith from the practice roster. The 29-year-old caught seven passes for 38 yards in two games over the preseason and has been biding his time on the team’s practice roster.
Rookie kicker Vincent Blanchard also gets his first career start. Edmonton’s fourth-round pick (31st overall) in the 2024 CFL draft spent some time in rookie camp with the New England Patriots, before joining the Elks for training camp this May. The Laval product has a strong leg and could find himself in the mix for the Elks kicking role in 2025.
At quarterback, Tre Ford will get the chance to show he can continue to win games for the Green and Gold. The Canadian will start the game, but expect backup Jarret Doege to see some reps as the staff aims to see what the 26-year-old pivot can do in a game situation.
“Tre gets to start,” Jackson said. “I’m going to make sure I do get Doege some reps. I’ll probably rotate Jerminic in a little bit as well. Get as many guys in as we can, but at the end of the day, you can’t go wholesale due to cap reasons or what have, but guys that we can get up and get in, we will.”
As much as finishing the season with a victory is at the front of mind for the players in the locker room, a chance to set some team and personal records is also in the cards for several on the roster: