The York University Lions football team ended their 2015 campaign with a gutsy team effort in a 33-32 loss to the No. 10 nationally-ranked Queen's Gaels on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 17) at York Stadium.
 
The Lions scored on their first drive of the game and stayed close in the first, trailing the Gaels 13-10 after one quarter. A strong second quarter highlighted by a pick-six by Brett Colangelo (Oakville, Ont.) with 1:15 remaining gave the Lions a 22-20 advantage at the half.
 
Despite playing against one of the top teams in the country, the Lions continued to hang around with the Gaels and entered the fourth quarter tied 23-23. The two squads traded touchdowns before Queen's took the lead on a Dillon Wamsley field goal with 1:42 remaining. On the final drive of the game, the Lions got into Queen's territory and tried a trick play on third down but could not convert with just seconds remaining. The Gaels ran down the clock and conceded a safety on the last play of the game for the final points of the contest.


 
Rookie York quarterback Brett Hunchak (Calgary) and his younger brother, fellow rookie Colton Hunchak (Calgary), both had career games. Brett amassed 410 all-purpose yards, finishing 34-of-49 for 381 yards with one interception and adding another 29 yards on the ground, while Colton had a game-high 13 receptions for 135 yards. Overall, Brett completed passes to eight different receivers on the day and had four of them catch at least five balls.
 
Another rookie, running back Jesse Amankwaa (Etobicoke, Ont.) was again impressive with 182 yards on 31 carries and a pair of touchdowns.
 
On the opening drive Hunchak moved the ball down the field with a healthy balance of run and pass plays, which led to an Amankwaa touchdown run to take the early lead 7-0. The Gaels responded with a 48-yard touchdown run by running back Jonah Pataki but the extra point snap was fumbled and the Lions remained on top 7-6.
 
After a Hunchak interception the Gaels took over deep in their own territory and quarterback Nate Hobbs hit Doug Corby for a 104-yard touchdown strike, giving the Gaels their first lead at 13-7.
 
The Lions looked to get back into this game and they were successful in doing so. Hunchak made play after play and Amankwaa broke through the line for multiple first-down runs which led to a Nick Naylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) eight-yard field goal, cutting the Gaels' lead to three late in the first quarter.
 
The Lions' secondary had four interceptions on Saturday and the first came on a Gaels' fake field goal try that was picked off by receiver Jacob Janke (Edmonton). The Lions were pinned deep in their own territory after the interception and once the offence took over they fumbled the ball and saw 260-pound lineman Phoenix Grouse scoop up the loose ball and rumble down the field giving the Gaels offence superb field positon. Pataki ran in a two-yard touchdown for his second major of the game, giving the Gaels a commanding 20-10 lead.
 
After that the York defence began to shut the door on the Gaels offensive attack and Naylor hit two crucial field goals in the second quarter to make the score 20-16. This was until Colangelo ignited the crowd with his interception return for a touchdown that regained the lead for the inspired Lions. The extra point was unsuccessful, giving the Lions the two-point advantage going into halftime.
 
After the half the Lions offence drove the ball down the field and set up another Naylor field goal that was kicked far right and bounced out of the back of the end zone for a rouge and a 23-20 lead.
 
The Gaels followed the field goal trend as Wamsley kicked an 18-yarder to tie the game up at 23-23 at the midway point of the third quarter. After a two-and-out by the Lions, they punted away to Chris Osei-Kusi and he returned it 40 yards to pay dirt, giving Queen's the 30-23 advantage.
 
On the ensuing drive, the Hunchak brothers hooked up for multiple first downs mixed in with Amankwaa ripping up the middle of the field and streamrolling his way into the red zone for the tie once again.
 
When the Gaels received the ball back after the Lions score, Queen's made big play after big play and set up a field goal by Wamsley which split the uprights giving them the lead with under two minutes remaining, and they held on for the victory to clinch a playoff spot by improving to 5-2.
 
Fifth-year defensive end Hussein Hazime (Toronto), playing in his final game with the Lions, finished with seven tackles to tie York's all-time mark with 220 for his career. He also had two sacks and is currently the OUA leader in total tackles and sacks.
 
The Lions ended their season with a 1-7 record.