Homecoming weekend at UW was a chance for students, alumni, faculty, and fans to come together and celebrate the Warriors spirit. That energy filled the Warrior Field on Saturday, even as the football team came up short, falling 44-18 to the Windsor Lancers in front of a crowd of 2,921.
Alumni and community members kicked off the morning with the annual Fun Run, followed by an alumni breakfast and check-in at Homecoming Headquarters on campus. Warriors made their way to Parking Lot W for a pre-game Parking Lot Party complete with live music, food, campus vendor booths, and games for all ages.
The weekend’s festivities also included the induction of new members into the Waterloo Warriors Hall of Fame, which was held the night before at Federation Hall and honoured standout alumni from football, hockey, badminton, baseball, golf, and squash for their contributions to Warrior athletics.
Before kickoff, players and fans on both sides paused for a moment of silence to honour the recent passings of Warrior offensive lineman Daniel Molla and Lancer running back Nathan Guizzetti.
After the opening whistle sounded, the Warriors struck first and fast. On just the third defensive snap of the game, defensive back Hayden Crowe intercepted Lancers quarterback Kareame Cotton and returned it for a touchdown. Waterloo trailed only 17-7 after the first quarter, and a 24-yard Evan Astolfo field goal early in the second cut the gap further before the Lancers pulled away.
Cotton was the story for Windsor, throwing four touchdown passes and adding a rushing score while completing 23 of 38 attempts for 245 yards. Running back Tyson Noel Charles added 113 rushing yards on 12 carries. For Waterloo, quarterback Nick Orr again paced the offense, throwing for 178 yards and a touchdown while leading the team with 64 rushing yards. Receiver Logan Heroux hauled in 3 catches for 64 yards, including a 41-yard gain, and Evan Basalyga caught the Warriors’ lone passing touchdown.
Defensively, linebackers Michael Omoseni and Arden Martinez combined for nearly 18 tackles, while Crowe’s pick-six remained the highlight of the afternoon. Windsor finished with a decisive edge in total offense, 548 yards to 250, and controlled the clock for over 45 minutes.
The loss drops Waterloo to 1-2 on the season. The Warriors will look to regroup next Saturday on the road against the Guelph Gryphons before returning home on Oct. 3 for the Battle of Waterloo rivalry clash against Laurier.
