The University of Waterloo is used to doing well in a lot of fields. Typically, though, that doesn’t include football fields.
The Waterloo Warriors haven’t won a provincial championship since the turn of the century. Heading into the current OUA season, their record for the 2010s stood at 4-44 – and they hadn’t won a single game since 2014.
This year, though, has been a different story.
The Warriors have picked up victories in their first four games of the 2017 campaign. The most recent win came on Saturday, in a thrilling come-from-behind 45-43 triumph over Carleton.
Waterloo is one of only three undefeated teams remaining in the 11-team OUA. If they can survive unbeaten for another week, they’ll do so at the expense of one of the other unbeaten schools, as Saturday’s game pits Waterloo against the 3-0 Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in the most anticipated Battle of Waterloo in recent memory.
The Warriors’ success isn’t just making waves in the football world. It’s also causing people to turn their heads on a campus where many people typically focus on other activities.
Kassandra Borne, who works at the university store, says she’s seeing a lot more people come in to buy merchandise adorned with the Warriors’ logo.
“I see a lot of it even just walking through campus,” she says.
“It’s really great to see all that school pride.”
Erin Pritchard, a buyer for the store, says she’s been bringing in more higher-end Warriors gear, and all of it seems to be selling well.
“We’re seeing it increase even more now that the team is 4-0,” she says.
Additionally, Pritchard says, pop-up merchandising kiosks at football games are doing better business this year, and even parents and grandparents seem more likely to buy Warrior-branded items for themselves.
While the Warriors’ hot streak may come as a surprise to some of the team’s fans, the players say it’s just what they expected.
Defensive back Tyrell Ford, a first-year player, says many of the team’s rookies came into the season with confidence.
“I was telling people ‘Guys, we’re going to come in, we’re going to win games.’ That’s the type of team we are now,” he says.
Saturday’s game takes place at Warrior Field, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
With reporting by Randy Steinman
