The Calgary Stampeders ended their 2025 regular season on a high note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Elks 20-10 at Commonwealth Stadium.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. led the way for Calgary, completing 17 of 24 passes for 285 yards. Wide receiver Erik Brooks was his go-to target, hauling in five catches for 136 yards, while kicker René Paredes was perfect on all four of his field goal attempts. Backup quarterback Quincy Vaughn added a one-yard rushing touchdown early in the game, helping the Stamps secure their ninth win of the season.
Cody Fajardo threw for 272 yards and a touchdown for Edmonton, connecting with Jalon Calhoun four times for 68 yards, including a nine-yard score in the third quarter. It was a solid effort from the Elks’ pivot, but the team struggled to finish drives and protect the football, closing their season with a 7-11 record.
Early Control for Calgary
Calgary came out sharp, opening the game with an eight-play, 78-yard drive capped by Vaughn’s quarterback sneak from the one-yard line to make it 7-0. Edmonton responded with a promising drive of its own, but the Stamps’ defence stuffed Justin Rankin on a third-and-one attempt to force a turnover on downs.
After blocking an Edmonton field goal later in the quarter, Calgary’s special teams set the tone again. The Stamps turned that play into points, with Paredes hitting a short field goal to extend the lead. He added another from 44 yards out midway through the second quarter to make it 13-0.
Edmonton had a golden opportunity to cut into the deficit late in the half, but Rankin fumbled inches from the goal line, and Calgary recovered for a touchback. Paredes added his third field goal of the night shortly after, giving the visitors a 16-0 cushion at halftime.
Elks Show Life, But Too Late
The Elks finally broke through in the third quarter with a field goal from Vincent Blanchard, but Calgary immediately responded with another scoring drive capped by another Paredes kick.
Edmonton’s best sequence of the night came on their next drive, as Fajardo scrambled for 23 yards and later found Calhoun in the end zone to make it 19-10. The Elks’ defence then held Calgary to just a single point in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Despite the loss, Elks head coach Mark Kilam remained optimistic about his team’s growth. “I think we established a foundation of who we want to be, especially on a day-to-day basis,” Kilam said. “But I’m disappointed right now. I wanted to play better in this game.”
Looking Ahead
With the win, Calgary improved to 11-7 and now turns its attention to the postseason. “It was a good win for the team,” said Adams Jr. “We just need to be better in the red zone. We need sevens instead of threes.”
Head coach Dave Dickenson agreed. “It wasn’t our best game, but we kept fighting,” he said. “Now we’ll show up for the playoffs.”
The Stampeders will travel to Vancouver next weekend to face the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final.
The Elks, meanwhile, finish the 2025 season with a 7-11 record, good for fifth in the West Division and seventh out of nine teams in the CFL.
