The York University Lions football team returned from their bye week to face the Carleton Ravens on home soil at York Lions Stadium on a windy Saturday afternoon.
This was each team's fourth game of the season, with the Lions and Ravens holding 2-1 and 1-2 records, respectively. Winning this game will help better the Lions' chances at solidifying a spot in the playoffs.
In the first quarter, the Lions were greeted with creative defence by the Ravens. That did not stop them from getting on the board first with a Nathan Walker field goal from 37 yards out to take a 3-0 lead. However, the lead taken by the Ravens after quarterback Tristan Lefebvre, found Tristan Ready over the middle, and he broke away from the defender and took it all the way, 106 yards for a touchodown, giving them a 7-3 lead after one.
The second quarter presented the Lions with the opportunity to enter the Ravens' endzone after being zero for two in score attempts earlier in the first half. After a 69-yard catch by Avery Ford, Greg Sealy plunged into the endzone to give the Lions a 10-7 lead. Later, after a York fumble, Carleton's Joey Marcotte dragged himself over the goal line to make it 14-10. However, on the first play of the next drive, Zack Smith caught a deep ball over in the middle from Keagan Hall and went the distance, 96 yards, moving the score to 17-14 York.
However, the ensuing kickoff was returned by Keyshawn Reid for a touchdown, 113 yards, to immediately give the Ravens the lead back at 21-17. That's where the score would stay at the half after York's Yvensoun Saintus blocked a 12-yard Brandon Forcier field goal with no time left.
The Ravens added to their lead on the opening drive of the second half, as Ethan Rocha ran it in from 10 yards out, to make it of 28-17 for the visitors.
On York's second drive of the half, a long pass by Lions quarterback Matt Linn – who replaced Hall in the second quarter after he went down with an injury – was hauled in by Nicholas Adair, returning to the lineup for the first time since Week 1. He managed to stay on his feet and go all the way, 86 yards, to trim the lead back to four at 28-24. However, the Ravens responded once again, as Lefebvere delivered another deep bomb, this one to Frederick Hachey, for another Ravens major, to extend the lead back to 11, 35-24, at the end of the third quarter.
An early fourth-quarter touchdown from Carleton's Dante Spadaccini essentially put the game out of reach at 42-24. Ford scored a 50-yard touchdown on a misplay by the Carleton defender to cut the lead to 42-30. From there, the teams traded touchdowns, courtesy of Ready and Ford, as Carleton took the win in a wild one at York Lions Stadium, 48-36.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions reach the halfway point of the season at 2-2, and will head out on the road to make the long trip to Kingston, where they will battle the Queen's Gaels at Richardson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm. You can watch the game on OUA.tv.
