Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
Coming off a bye, the Saskatoon Valkyries were happy to enjoy a few days off last week and rest their bodies ahead of the stretch drive towards Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) playoffs.
Head coach Pat Barry isn’t ready to take the foot off the pedal this weekend however, as the Valkyries hit the road for their final regular season test on Sunday for a rematch against the Manitoba Fearless after a tight 7-0 victory on May 17 in cold, snow and blustery conditions at SMF Field.
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“We got to approach this like it’s a business trip,” Barry said.
“We want to take care of business this weekend. Manitoba is a really tough team, they showed it in terrible weather conditions here a few weeks ago.”
Like they’ve done all season, the Valkyries have found ways to win football games and will need to continue to do so on the road Sunday in Winnipeg.
The Valkyries sit second in the WWCFL standings with an undefeated 3-0 record entering their regular season finale, trailing only the Edmonton Arctic Pride who closed out their regular season with a perfect 4-0 record.
Unlike previous seasons, Saskatoon has needed to grind out a handful of games with two of their three wins being decided by eight points or less.
According to veteran linebacker Emmarae Dale however, their championship experience has shone through in those tight moments.
“We’ve been in those spots before,” Dale said. “If you do your job and trust the people beside you, and know that everybody is there for the same common goal and purpose, you’ll find success.”
Saskatoon’s biggest victory of the season came on May 24 against the Regina Riot, as the Valkyries pulled away for a 30-7 victory to sweep the regular season series against their biggest rivals.
Along with five interceptions led by Haley Girolami and Mackenzie Young, the Valkyries have also opened up their passing game in recent weeks which quarterback Julia Smith said has made their offence more dynamic.
“We’ve really learned that we can throw the ball and we don’t need to rely on our running backs to do all the work,” Smith said. “I’m excited to get to show that this week against (Manitoba).”
Smith is in her second season leading the Saskatoon offence after being tabbed as the team’s starting quarterback in 2025 as a teenager and leading the Valkyries to their fifth consecutive WWCFL title.
Dale said their young pivot has embraced her role to a greater extent this spring.
“Julia has done an incredible job at quarterback,” Dale said. “She’s getting better and better every year, its just awesome because she hasn’t even hit her ceiling yet.”
While she admits nerves got the better of her during an up and down season under centre last year, Smith has felt more confident in driving the Valkyries offence of late.
“It’s definitely a lot to hold on your shoulders as somebody pretty new to the sport of tackle football coming in,” Smith said.
“I feel like I’ve stepped into my role as a leader this year and as a starter, just keeping the momentum going through the season.”
Smith credits much of her growth this season to a rookie-heavy offensive line which has risen to the occasion since the start of training camp.
From the sideline, Barry has noticed the same with a rotation of players giving his young quarterback time and space to make plays in their three games so far.
“Ethan Paslowski, our (offensive line) coach, has done a great job with a young group,” Barry said. “We’ve had some injuries too, so it’s been challenging. They are great pass blockers and they’ve got a nice, clean pocket for Julia.”
Saskatoon’s record-breaking win streak dating back to the 2018 WWCFL championship game has now reached 42 straight victories heading into Sunday’s contest in Winnipeg.
Even though the end result has remained the same during her time with the Valkyries with dozens of wins, Dale said this year’s group has embraced play in the trenches.
“I think we have just grown in toughness and mental toughness,” Dale said. “Kind of having a little bit more of that prairie grittiness. We’ve grown a lot and we’ve gotten better technically.”
The Valkyries are expecting an equally gritty opponent in the Fearless for the regular season finale, with plenty of man coverage from the Manitoba secondary and an aggressive defensive line.
Barry said their wins haven’t been especially dominant this year, giving credit to the rest of the league for raising their own play and pushing the Valkyries to the limit with their biggest games of the season ahead.
“We are playing meaningful football games against every team we play in our conference,” Barry said.
“It’s exciting, it’s fun to do. As coaches, we like to prepare and I know our athletes like to have success.”
The Valkyries cap off the regular season with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sunday against the Fearless in Winnipeg, before WWCFL playoffs begin next weekend in conference semifinals.
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