Relishing a return to the field was the theme of the 2021 York University Lions football training camp. This year, the field is only part of what the Lions are building in preparation for the 2022 home opening contest. Zoom meetings are out the window, group meetings have returned. Lions head coach Warren Craney sees it as a chance to build the program's culture, after years of barriers have prevented the return of camaraderie.
 
"Everyone talks about culture. Culture is a sign you hang in your board room, just to tick a box," said Craney. "You build a culture eating with people, meeting with people. Setting your standard. You can't do that on Zoom. We were happy to be back on the field, but being back in meetings together, sharing food together as a team; it's a tremendous experience."
 
With the return of the team culture includes an emphasis on development, according to the head coach.
 
"Every year it's been about the x's and o's," he said, "but I made a point to our coaching staff that we need to develop our players this year. And listen, I think they've done a tremendous job of that. Ensuring the players are prepared and ready to play at the next level is important, but we feel that we have a bunch of talented kids here and we're going to work heavy on development."


 
While the Lions will focus in on ensuring a sizeable crop of recruits acclimates well to their new OUA surroundings, York's coaching staff has a reliable group of veterans to lean on for leading by example as the season draws closer. York's receiving corps feature multiple familiar faces, including 2021 standout Retsen Daley.
 
"Retsen might be the best receiver in the country when he is playing well. He's an electrifying player."
 
The receiver position is rife with new faces as well, that Craney expects to make an impact upon their insertion into the lineup. Isaiah Edwards, a new addition to the receiving corps from Surrey, B.C., has done some dynamic things since arriving at camp according to his head coach. Quinton Douglas is also a name to watch on the receiving end of the football, according to Craney.  
 
Cooper and Carson Bannatyne join their older brother Mack on the roster in 2022 as well. Hailing from Calgary, Alta., these three will become the first three-brother combination to suit up in Lions uniforms.
 
Craney has also recruited Charles Perreault and Olivier Maheux to join the team out of Quebec CEGEP football – a tier of the sport unique to that province. Craney says the older competition allows CEGEP players to adjust to the OUA style of play in a smooth fashion.
 
Defensively, the Lions are already competitive in the OUA at limiting offence against, ranking fourth in the conference among defensive statistics in 2021. A former defensive coordinator, Craney is excited about the defence corps heading into 2022.
 
"We have a lot of miles on defence," said Craney. "There are a lot of second- and third-year players who saw a lot of snaps last season and that's pretty exciting."
 
The unit is led by Jason Janvier-Messier, York's reigning rookie of the year, and also named to the OUA's all-rookie team. He had 2.5 sacks, recording 17.5 total tackles over the course of the year. Mack Bannatyne is also an important part of the unit, returning for his second year as a Lion – but his coach said he'll be leading by example despite only competing in his second OUA campaign. 
 
Offensively, York will see Noah Craney return to the frey as the starting quarterback, with one more valuable season of experience under his belt. After spending 2021 as the team's full-time starter, Craney fits into his coach's description of earning many more miles.
 
The Lions will open the 2022 season this coming weekend at York Lions Stadium, when the red and white will welcome the Waterloo Warriors to Keele campus to ring in the new season. The game will begin at 1 pm.