September 10, 2016

Lions topple Lancers 56-32 for second win of season

The York University Lions football team recorded its second lopsided victory of the season on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) with a 56-32 win over the visiting Windsor Lancers at Alumni Field.

Windsor 1-2

York 2-1

Final

Windsor (1-2)

York (2-1)

The York University Lions football team recorded its second lopsided victory of the season on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) with a 56-32 win over the visiting Windsor Lancers at Alumni Field.

The Lions exploded for 644 yards of offence, with second-year quarterback Brett Hunchak (Calgary) going 33-for-42 for 540 yards and three touchdowns. His favourite target was fourth-year receiver Adam Adeboboye (Toronto), who had the best game of his career with 216 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown.

With the win the Lions improve to 2-1 on the year, while the Lancers fall to 1-2.

The Lancers got on the board first with a rouge but on the ensuing drive York kicker Nick Naylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) was good on a 25-yard field goal for a 3-1 lead, and the Lions added to it on their next turn with the ball with the game's first touchdown. Hunchak led his team on an 8-play, 101-yard drive that was capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Jesse Amankwaa (Etobicoke, Ont.) for a 10-1 advantage after the first quarter of play.

Windsor responded on its first drive of the second quarter, scoring a touchdown of their own on a three-yard rush by running back Tarrence Crawford, but the Lions got their nine-point lead back after second-year tight end Nikola Kalinic (Etobicoke, Ont.) scored on a beautiful 50-yard catch and run play to make the score 17-8.

The Lancers added a field goal and Naylor scored a rouge for an 18-11 York lead at halftime.

The Lions blew the game open in the third quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a commanding 39-11 lead into the final frame. Just a few minutes in, rookie running back Kayden Johnson (Kerrobert, Sask.) rumbled into the end zone for his first career touchdown, and later in the quarter second-year receiver Colton Hunchak (Calgary) made a beautiful catch and ran into the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown, his third of the season.

Naylor also added his second field goal of the game and a pair of rouges, and the Lancers conceded a safety in the quarter.

Just before the end of the third, with the Lancers threatening to score and the ball on the three-yard line, fifth-year defensive back Josh Small (Pickering, Ont.) made a huge play, strip-sacking Windsor quarterback Jalen Brady to give the Lions the ball. Hunchak completed a 66-yard pass to Adeboboye on the next play, but the drive ended in a punt.

Naylor connected on his third field goal of the game for the first points of the fourth, and Crawford rushed for his second touchdown of the contest a few minutes later for a 42-18 York lead. He had 166 yards on 28 carries in the game.

On the next drive, the Lions went for it on 3-and-1 from near midfield and Johnson rushed straight up the middle and all the way to the end zone for a 45-yard score and his second touchdown, putting the game well out of reach at 49-18. He finished with 57 yards on six carries.

Windsor scored two late touchdowns and Adeboboye got on the board between those two to round out the scoring.

Colton Hunchak also had another big game, picking up 138 yards on eight catches and the one touchdown.

Next up for the Lions is their biggest game of the season against the rival University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the 47^th Red & Blue Bowl next Saturday (Sept. 17) at Varsity Centre, while the Lancers are heading into their bye week.