Element striving to play starring role with Rifles
Winnipeg
Riley Element was looking for a football team, and head coach Geordie Wilson needed a quarterback. The two hope to solve each other's problems while leading the Winnipeg Rifles to the Canadian Junior Football League's Prairie Football Conference playoffs.
Element is a 21-year-old, six-foot-four-inch quarterback who spent the past three seasons with the Vanier College Cheetahs of Quebec's CEGEP program. With his eligibility complete, he was searching for his next football home as he works towards his goal of playing in the Canadian Football League.
Enter Wilson, who was in search of some stability at quarterback after a tumultuous 2024 campaign behind centre. Seeking to expand his recruiting area, Wilson began watching tape of signal callers from La Belle Province. He quickly narrowed his shopping list down to Element and booked a flight out east.
Supplied photo by Matt Hamilton
Quarterback Riley Element will make his home debut for the Winnipeg Rifles on Aug. 10 when the team hosts the Regina Thunder at Maple Grove Rugby Park.
'Coach Wilson contacted me, saying they were looking for a quarterback,' Element said. 'He went with me, and I was so grateful. I throw balls similar to the offence they run, so it was a perfect fit.'
Element has worn pads since he was four years old. A football lifer and the son of a football lifer who often coached his son, Element threw his first pass when he was only seven.
'Football's been in our family forever,' he said.
Wilson is trying to contain his excitement, but he's clearly excited about what Element brings to the table.
'He's looking quite comfortable,' Wilson said. 'He's doing a good job for us. I'm cautiously optimistic.'
Wilson said Element is an athletic player, who can run if needed. A fast and accurate pocket passer with a live arm, Element makes good throwing decisions.
'To be a good quarterback, you also have to have that 'it' factor,' Wilson added. 'Riley has that kind of leadership. And he's very coachable. When he makes a mistake, he lets us know before we can tell him.'
'He's been everything we hoped.'
Element moved to Winnipeg in April and feels right at home. He's made fast friends on the team, and like every good quarterback, gets along with his offensive line.
Together they go out to eat and watch films.
The Rifles will hit teams with multiple packages this season. Element said the system allows him to make proper reads and find an open receiver on every play. He said he has a talented crew to throw to.
'I have the utmost confidence in my football team,'
Element said. 'I've been throwing to these receivers all summer.'
He also has running back Kaiden Banfield. Despite being targeted by PFC defences every week, Banfield still ran for 946 yards in eight games. With defences now having to contend with the pass, Banfield could post even higher totals in 2025.
'Kaiden will get the ball in the air, too,' Element vowed. 'They won't know what to expect.'
The PFC game is a little faster than CEGEP football, but Element said he's up to the challenge.
Mondays
A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities.
'As a competitor and player, you want that,' Element said. 'You want to play with the best. The speed of the game is faster. I'm sure when we play great teams like Regina and Calgary, it will be the same.'
'Guys here want to make it professionally.'
That includes Element.
'I told my dad I'm going to the CFL.'
Element makes his home debut on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. when the Rifles host the Regina Thunder at Maple Grove Rugby Park (90 Frobisher Rd.).
Tony ZeruchaEast Kildonan community correspondent
Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com
Read full biography
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
10 hours ago
- CTV News
Saskatoon Hilltops suffer rare season opening loss in Winnipeg
WATCH: The Saskatoon Hilltops face Winnipeg on Sunday, bringing Roughriders experience to the field. The Saskatoon Hilltops rarely find themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard. But on Sunday, the Toppers dropped their season opener 31 - 11 to the Winnipeg Rifles in the Manitoba capital. The Rifles controlled much of game, with quarterback Riley Element passing for 215 yards and three touchdowns, while the defence had two interceptions and a forced fumble. Jarome Penner and Jalen McDonald each had touchdown receptions, while Kaiden Banfield notched one major on the ground for Winnipeg. Meanwhile, the Hilltops struggled to find their footing on both sides of the ball, being held to only 170 yards net offence, while committing 127 yards in penalties. The Rifles struck early and often, controlling the clock and field position, and taking a 27-4 lead into the locker room at half time. The Hilltops were unable to muster a comeback in the second half, as their normally high-powered running game was held mostly in check, gaining 121 yards on the ground. Corbin Ebben ran for 43 yards while David Collins notched 61 in a spirited effort against a tough Winnipeg defence. Isaiah Valldererruten led the way receiving for Saskatoon, with two catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Hayden McMahon saw the bulk of the action as quarterback for the Hilltops, throwing for 81 yards and one touchdown with one interception. It's the Hilltops first regular season loss since 2022, which was also the last season they lost to the Winnipeg Rifles. The last time the Hilltops lost their season opener was in 2014 when they fell to the Regina Thunder at Mosaic Stadium. Saskatoon will try and get things back on track this weekend when they return home to SMF Field on Sunday to face the Edmonton Huskies, a team also hoping to rebound. The Huskies dropped their opener 37-16 to the Regina Thunder on the weekend. Kickoff for the Hilltops home opener is 1:00PM on Sunday at SMF field.
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pete Carroll, Aaron Rodgers head a list of familiar faces in new places this NFL season
Aaron Rodgers joined Pittsburgh. Davante Adams went to Hollywood. Cooper Kupp is in Seattle. Russell Wilson's latest stop is the Big Apple. But the oldest face in a new place this NFL season is 73-year-old Pete Carroll on the sideline in Las Vegas. Carroll is leading the Raiders after a one-year hiatus from coaching following 14 years with the Seahawks. Rodgers and Wilson are the most notable quarterbacks who changed teams. Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston also found new homes. Several star wide receivers joined Adams and Kupp on the move, including DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs and George Pickens. On the defensive side, Super Bowl standouts Josh Sweat and Milton Williams cashed in after helping the Philadelphia Eagles dominate Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Teammate Darius Slay also moved on. Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick swapped teams. Jonathan Allen, Grady Jarrett, Joey Bosa, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are wearing new uniforms. Here are 25 of the top players on new teams: Aaron Rodgers The four-time NFL MVP chose to extend his career with the Steelers after two disappointing seasons with the New York Jets. The 41-year-old Rodgers had the worst record of his career last season, going 5-12. But he still threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating. The Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin are hoping Rodgers has one more run to help them overcome their recent playoff failures. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback is on his fourth team in five seasons. He started 6-1 in Pittsburgh last year but the team lost five straight games to end the season. Wilson had 2,482 yards passing, 16 TDs, five picks and a 95.6 passer rating in 11 games in the regular season. He signed with the New York Giants, who also added Winston and then drafted QB Jaxson Dart in the first round. Geno Smith Carroll reunited with Smith in Las Vegas following a trade with the Seahawks. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who rejuvenated his career in Seattle after replacing Wilson, gives the Raiders stability at QB. Sam Darnold After a breakout year in Minnesota, Darnold cashed in with the Seahawks in free agency. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, 12 picks and a 102.5 passer rating while going 14-4 with the Vikings. Justin Fields The No. 11 overall pick in 2021 by Chicago showed promise in Pittsburgh, going 4-2 in six starts. He'll get an opportunity to prove himself with the New York Jets. Davante Adams The three-time All-Pro went from Las Vegas to New York during last season and back to the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams. Adams had 85 catches for 1,083 yards and eight TDs last season. Cooper Kupp The Seahawks traded Metcalf and signed Kupp, the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp hasn't played a full season since '21 but had 67 receptions for 710 yards and six TDs in 12 games in 2024. DK Metcalf Before Rodgers officially signed with the Steelers, they gave him a No. 1 receiver. The two-time Pro Bowl pick had 66 catches for 992 yards and five TDs in 15 games last season for Seattle. Deebo Samuel The Washington Commanders gave Jayden Daniels another playmaker, acquiring Samuel from San Francisco. Stefon Diggs Coming off a torn ACL, the four-time Pro Bowl wideout headed to New England to give Drake Maye a top option. George Pickens The Dallas Cowboys acquired the mercurial Pickens from Pittsburgh to team with CeeDee Lamb and bolster Dak Prescott's options. Laremy Tunsil The Commanders got the five-time Pro Bowl left tackle from Houston to protect Daniels' blind side. Joe Thuney A two-time All-Pro guard, Thuney was dealt from Kansas City to Chicago, which revamped its offensive line to better protect Caleb Williams. Josh Sweat Sweat turned 2 1/2 sacks in the Super Bowl into a $76.4 million deal from the Cardinals. Milton Williams After getting two sacks in the Super Bowl, Williams received a $104 million deal from the Patriots. Darius Slay The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback stayed in Pennsylvania, going from the Eagles to the Steelers. Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jonnu Smith Pittsburgh also boosted its coverage unit by trading for Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro cornerback. The Steelers sent Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro safety, to Miami in the trade that also brought tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. Jonathan Allen After two Pro Bowl seasons in eight years in Washington, Allen signed with the Vikings to boost the interior of their defensive line. Grady Jarrett The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle joined Chicago after 10 seasons in Atlanta. Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw An All-Pro safety in 2022, Hufanga left San Francisco for Denver. So did Greenlaw, the veteran linebacker. Joey Bosa The five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher signed with the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Chargers. ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A'ja Wilson makes WNBA history in Aces' win over Sun
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A'ja Wilson scored 32 points and tied a career-high with 20 rebounds to become the first player in WNBA history with 30-plus points and at least 20 rebounds in a game as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 94-86 on Sunday night. Wilson grabbed almost as many boards as Connecticut had as a team (23) as Las Vegas (18-14) won its season-best fourth straight. Jackie Young scored 21 points and reserves Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans scored 12 and 10 respectively. Marina Mabrey scored 22 points, Saniya Rivers had 17 and Leila Lacan 13 for Connecticut. The Sun built a 31-27 lead at the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 45-33 with with 5:46 left before halftime on Tina Charles' jump shot. But the Aces outscored Connecticut 12-0 to close the half to tie it 45-all at the half. Chelsea Gray made two free throws to put Las Vegas ahead 51-50 with 7:18 to play and it led for the remainder of the game. LYNX 83, LIBERTY 71 Kayla McBride scored 18 points and DiJonai Carrington added 15 to help Minnesota beat New York. The teams will meet three times over the next nine days with New York having back-to-back games on the west coast before heading to Minnesota to play Saturday. The Lynx are off until that game. Both sides were short-handed with New York missing Breanna Stewart (knee) and Minnesota playing without Napheesa Collier (ankle). This was the first game between the teams at Barclays Center since New York won the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals last fall. New York (20-11) was up 47-40 early in the third quarter before Minnesota went on a 24-7 run over the next 6 minutes to go up 64-54 on Natisha Hiedeman's 3-pointer from the wing. The Lynx (27-5) hit five 3-pointers and had one three-point play during the game-changing burst. Minnesota led 66-57 heading into the fourth quarter and put the game away early in the final period behind Carrington, who the Lynx picked up last week in a deal with Dallas before the trade deadline. MYSTICS 91, WINGS 78 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kiki Iriafen scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Washington used a strong second half to beat Dallas. Sonia Citron scored 17 of her 18 points in the second half, Stefanie Dolson scored 14 and reserve Emily Engstler had 11 for the Mystics (14-17) who ended a four-game losing streak. Paige Bueckers scored 17 points to lead Dallas and move into a tie for fourth place in WNBA history with Ruthie Bolton with her 25th game scoring in double digits to start a career. Cynthia Cooper is the leader at 92 games, followed by A'ja Wilson with 37 and Candace Parker with 32. Arike Ogunbowale scored 12 points and Haley Jones 11 for Dallas, which has lost five straight. After scoring 30 points in the first half and allowing Dallas (8-24) to build a 41-30 lead, Washington outscored the Wings 33-17 in the third and 28-20 in the fourth. Up 63-58 at the end of the third, Citron buried a 27-foot, step back 3-pointer to make it 76-66 with 5:34 remaining. Dallas led 23-18 at the end of the first quarter. Iriafen's tip-in with 4:57 before halftime brought the Mystics within 28-27, but Washington failed to convert a field before the break and Dallas pushed its lead to 41-30 at intermission with a 13-0 run. DREAM 74, MERCURY 66 PHOENIX (AP) — Allisha Gray scored 17 points and Atlanta won its fifth straight, beating Phoenix. Brionna Jones scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Naz Hillmon had 13 points and 13 boards for the Dream (20-11) , while Jordin Canada had a team-leading 13 points when she left due to injury. Before the end of the third quarter, the left-handed Canada drove the left side of the lane, missed the sweeping underhanded layup attempt and appeared to land awkwardly before hobbling off the court. Unable to stand on her own, she was carried to the locker room by two team staff members. Alyssa Thomas scored 21 points for Phoenix (19-12) and reserve DeWanna Bonner had 16. Jones' layup with 5:25 before halftime gave Atlanta a 36-19 lead before Phoenix rallied. The Mercury outscored Atlanta 15-3 and reduced their deficit to 39-34 at halftime. Bonner made two free throws with 3:35 left in the third to give Phoenix a 48-46 lead. Jones made two foul shots to tie it, Canada followed with a 3-pointer and Phoenix never trailed again. The loss ended Phoenix's three-game winning streak. SPARKS 94, STOMR 91 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dearica Hamby scored seven of Los Angeles' final nine points including the winning three-point play with 5.6 seconds left, Kelsey Plum scored 20 points, and the Sparks beat Seattle. Hamby, who scored 19 points, knotted it at 87-all with two free throws with 1:25 left. Plum sank a pair of free throws with 56.5 seconds to go for a two-point lead. Seattle's Brittney Sykes hit a pair of late layups including one with 12.7 seconds left to tie it at 91-all, setting up Hamby's layup to win it. Sykes scored 27 points, reserve Dominique Malonga scored 20, Skylar Diggins 17 and Nneka Ogwumike 15 for Seattle. The Storm (16-16) built a 26-14 lead after the first quarter before Los Angeles won the second, 32-14, and led 46-40 at halftime. The second half was back-and-forth and neither team led by more than eight. Seattle led 87-80 with 2:52 left on a basket by Diggins. Azura Stevens scored 15 points and Cameron Brink came off the bench to score 14 for the Sparks.
