The York University Lions football team opened its 2026 season against the Carleton Ravens on Saturday afternoon at York Lions Stadium in a rematch of last season's 48-36 barnburner between the two teams. After falling to the Ravens a year ago, York entered the season opener looking to flip the script and start the new campaign on the right foot.
The Lions came out strong, jumping to a 12-0 lead in the opening quarter. Nathan Walker opened the scoring with a field goal before former St. Clair Saint and first-year Lion making his OUA debut Maurice Sodja found the end zone to put York up 10-0 after Walker added the convert. A Carleton conceded safety extended the Lions' lead to 12-0 with 4:35 remaining in the opening quarter.
Carleton responded before the end of the frame, as Frederick Hachey scored hauled in an Elijah Barnes pass for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:46 remaining. The aptly named Carlton Thai converted the extra point, cutting York's lead to 12-7 after one.
Walker added another field goal, this from 16 yards out, early in the second quarter to push York's advantage back to eight at 15-7. Carleton answered with a field goal of its own from Thai from 20 yards out before Hachey found the end zone for a second time with just 14 seconds remaining in the half, and the Ravens entered halftime with a 17-15 lead after scoring 10 unanswered points to close out the second quarter.
Carleton continued to build on its momentum coming out of the break. Matthew Morin scored a one-yard touchdown with 11:50 remaining in the third to extend the visitors' lead to 24-15. York refused to let the game get away, however, as Walker added his third field goal of the afternoon, this time from 50 yards out, with 10:15 remaining in the quarter, bringing the Lions within six at 24-18. Then, with 2:59 left in the third, another former Saint making his Lions debut, Jayden Shallow, found the end zone, diving for the pylon after a great catch and run, to bring York back in front, 25-24, following Walker's convert.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the final seconds of the third, as Carleton scored on the final play of the frame, with Zacherie Georges finding the end zone from a yard out to give the Ravens a 31-25 lead through three.
York once again had an answer in the name of C.J Vincent. With 11:04 remaining in the fourth quarter, Vincent made a tremendous catch overtop two Raven defenders for an 8-yard score touchdown to pull the Lions back in front. Walker's convert gave York a 32-31 advantage, setting up a tense final five minutes.
Carleton regained the lead with 5:33 remaining when Thai connected on a 28-yard field goal, putting the Ravens back ahead, 34-32. The Ravens then had a third and one on the Lions 47-yard line with a chance to seal it in the final minute, but Barnes' pass was incomplete, turning it over on downs and giving the Lions another shot. After the Lions picked up two first downs, Sodja was sacked for a loss of four yards, setting up a 47-yard field goal attempt for Walker. As time expired, the seventh-round draft pick of the Toronto Argonauts in the 2026 CFL Draft nailed his fourth field goal of the afternoon, and third from 40+, giving York a 35-34 victory and sending the Lions into the new season with a dramatic comeback win.
The victory, which saw the Lions get out to an early lead, relinquish it and yet still find a way, showcased the resilience that head coach Dexter Janke wanted to see from his team.
"I feel great. I'm so proud of our young men," Janke said. "They showed a level of resilience. They didn't turn on each other, they stuck together. I can't say it enough. I'm just so proud of them."
For Vincent, who scored York's fourth-quarter touchdown, the Lions are already looking ahead rather than dwelling on the excitement of their season opener.
"We're only thinking day by day, not even week by week," Vincent said. "Tomorrow, we're recovering, and then Monday, we're back to work."
LOOKING AHEAD:Â
The Lions will now hit the road for their first road game of the season, travelling to face the Western Mustangs in London on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. York will look to carry the momentum from its dramatic season-opening victory into its first road test of the 2026 campaign. You can watch the game live on OUA TV.
