Ellerman, Mustangs grateful as they gear up for playoffs
Brett Ellerman, veteran Western wide receiver (and former national champ), has provided a steady presence on offense for a Mustangs team eyeing a Yates Cup run.
(Photo: Brandon VandeCaveye/Western Mustangs).
Of the many question marks the Western Mustangs football team faced entering the 2021 season, some 680 days since their last snap, Brett Ellerman wasn’t one of them.
Coming into camp, the veteran wide receiver, in his fifth year of eligibility, was one of the certainties. One of the few familiar faces returning from the 2019-20 season, in which he led the team in catches and totaled 621 yards receiving, Ellerman was expected to be a steady presence among Western’s wideouts, someone quarterback Jackson White – or Evan Hillock – could count on to pick up key yards in key situations.
And that’s exactly the role he’s played in 2021.
Through four games, the Calgary, AB native has hauled in 16 catches for 215 yards, helping lead the Mustangs to a 3-1 record – and a first-place spot in the OUA’s West Division entering Week 6, where they’ll take on the Waterloo Warriors (2-2) on the road Saturday (Oct. 23).
With a roster filled with so many new – and young – players, Ellerman has provided a much-needed veteran presence on offense. He’s been through it all before. Heck, he’s a national champion. Back in 2017, the King’s College student was on the field – and made a pair of catches – when Western defeated the Laval Rouge et Or to win the school’s seventh Vanier Cup (and first since 1994).
That was a long time ago now, though, and the new-look lineup has fresh offensive standouts. Trey Humes, an impact runner and familiar face, remains, but he’s joined by running back sensation Keon Edwards, who enters action this weekend leading the OUA in most rushing categories. And there’s breakout wideout Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, who’s leading the league in both total and per game yards receiving.
Ellerman is used to the revolving roster door by now.
“I’ve played with a lot of different guys now, and what’s important is trusting those that you’re on the field with. I trust the eleven that I go into battle with,” the veteran wideout said. “We all have our own jobs, our own tasks to execute. And when twelve guys do their job, we end up doing alright.”
Alright might be a bit of an understatement. Outside of a 23-21 road loss to Guelph in Week 2, the Mustangs have outscored their opponents 131-33 in their other three contests, all wins, including a 54-4 drubbing, most recently, against the Windsor Lancers last Saturday at Western Alumni Stadium.
Their first win? The home opener against McMaster, a rematch of the 2019 Yates Cup, in which the Marauders ended Western’s season two years ago.
Not so, this time.
The Mustangs took over in the second half and galloped their way to a 41-13 win. Brett Ellerman, who hauled in a touchdown pass during the victory, couldn’t have been happier.
“There was a lot of noise around that game – within the facility and outside. Everyone’s talking about the Yates Cup rematch. You try not to listen to that, but it’s always in the back of your mind,” he said. “And it had been two years since we’d been on the field, so there were nerves surrounding that, a lot of excitement. Mostly, it was fun. Everybody had a big smile on their face. And coming out the other side with the win made things that much sweeter.”
That’s not to say there wasn’t an adjustment period for the Mustangs in their return to football. Nearly two years of no game play resulted in graduated athletes, new recruits, and a fresh roster – perhaps most notably at quarterback, where former Marauder Jackson White took the reins to start the year (Evan Hillock has since been given an opportunity to start).
The opening game win, Ellerman said, was “a bit of a sigh of relief.” The absence of famed quarterback Chris Merchant – and other offensive stars – has left big shoes to fill, but Ellerman says the transition to new key players has been smooth.
While annual turnover is expected, how it will affect a team’s rhythm is always a toss-up. For his part, head coach Greg Marshall was quick to compliment both his offensive and defensive lines after the opener, noting that this year’s roster is filled with “really experienced players that love to play.”
According to Ellerman, that’s one of the team’s greatest strengths – and something that will carry them through the six-game regular season – and hopefully well into the playoffs.
“A big part of it is that everyone is happy to be back and playing football,” the wide receiver said. “That natural enthusiasm is key in making sure everyone does their job.”
A Week 2 loss to the Guelph Gryphons left Ellerman undeterred. Not something to stress over in Ellerman’s eyes – not when, just a few months prior, the biggest concern was whether the team would even have a season.
Thankfully, U SPORTS seemed to take a page out of the CFL’s book, giving universities the go-ahead for a shortened season after the CFL went public with news of their own season.
Since their lone loss, the Mustangs trampled the Laurier Golden Hawks, 36-16, and the Lancers (by 50 points) last weekend. Ellerman has been as steady as ever. Four catches in each of the last three games, producing receiving yard totals of 58, 56 and 60, respectively.
Following this Saturday’s game against Waterloo, the Mustangs will travel to Windsor Oct. 30 for the final game of their shortened six-game regular season. Playoffs will begin Nov. 6. Four of the six teams in the West Division will make the postseason, with the fourth-place team facing off against the first-place squad in the quarterfinals, and so on, followed by semi-finals Nov. 13 and the 113th Yates Cup on Nov. 20.
The Mustangs hope to be in that Yates Cup game – perhaps against the top-ranked Queen’s Golden Gaels (6-0) of the OUA’s East Division.
But if athletes have learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic and a lost season, it’s just how quickly things can change. So, Ellerman’s intent this season is not only to help lead his team to wins – but to do so with gratitude and hard work.
“I think a big part of our success and positive attitude is that everyone is just glad to be back,” he said. “When you have something that you love taken away, it makes you that much more appreciative when you get it back. We’re just happy to be playing football again.”
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