ARPAN KAUR // yorkulions.ca
A productive first half proved to be the difference for the Waterloo Warriors on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon at York Lions Stadium. Their 32 first-half points were the difference as they went on to hand the Lions their first loss of 2022 by a final score of 41-8.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Warriors offence wasted no time in opening the scoring, with Nicklas Sua rushed it past the Lions defence at 3:36. However, Raekwon Lewis-Gibbs responded by blocking Waterloo kicker Cole Crossett's point-after attempt, keeping the deficit at six.
- Throughout the remaining first quarter, the Warriors continue to find their way past the Lions defensive line. Gordon Lam received a five-yard pass from Nolan Kaban at 6:44 to take lead 12-0, but York stopped a two-point convert attempt.
- With 15 seconds left in the first, James Basalyga made a one-handed 35-yard catch in the Lions end zone to take a 21-0 upper hand over the Lions, and that continued to extend the lead to 32-0.
- Soon after the Lions broke their silence, as the first-year running back Melchis Ilunga got York on the board with authority. He had a 24-yard dash to the left corner of the Waterloo end zone for his first career OUA at 11:35. York went on for a 2-point play, and the successful kicks by Nathan Walker cut the deficit to 32-8.
- Basalyga wrapped up his outstanding performance and the season opener with his third touchdown of the match, leading to a 41-8 victory over the Lions.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
On the Lions' start… "We've talked a lot about core values and team values and one of the biggest things was our ability to overcome adversity. Unfortunately it took us 30 minutes to overcome this adversity. I'm disappointed in the first half, but happy with how they responded in the second half." —head coach
Warren Craney
On the offensive performance… "We thought we did really well running the football. Both
Darnel Jarrett and
Melchis Ilunga had great games. Melchis had a heck of a run in the third quarter to score that touchdown. We're super exited and looking to build on that." — head coach
Warren Craney
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- Dawson Davis and Matt Dean had notable defensive performances for the Lions, leading the York defence with 6.5 and 6.0 tackles respectively.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Lions prepare for their first two-game road trip of the 2022 season, as the pack heads over to Hamilton, Ont to take on the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. The kick-off is set for 1pm at the Ron Joyce Stadium.
