The last time they were on their home turf, the Lions produced a thrilling 47-36 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees, marking the first time they’d defeated Ottawa since 2003. The 47 points scored also represented the most by the team since they hung 55 on the Warriors in 2004.
The Lions are coming off a heartbreaking 24-20 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks on the road last weekend. They fell behind 17-0 in that contest and got on the board with a field goal as time expired in the first half, then took their first lead with 5:44 left in the game when rookie defensive back Chris States of Brampton, Ont., returned an interception for a touchdown to make the score 20-17 in favour of the Lions. However, the Golden Hawks got the winning score they needed with 1:11 remaining to earn the victory.
The loss dropped the Lions to 1-2 on the season, and they are currently tied with Toronto and Laurier for sixth place in the OUA standings. The Warriors, meanwhile, are 0-3 and have not won a game since defeating the Lions in the final week of the 2009, a streak that is now at 11 games (the squad did not participate in league play in 2010).
The Warriors have had a tough schedule to start the year, facing nationally-ranked Western and McMaster in back-to-back weeks to open the season before a 47-17 loss against the Guelph Gryphons last week. The team has been outscored by an average of 40 points in its three losses.
The Lions’ offence continues to impress under the guidance of third-year coordinator Michael Faulds. The Lions have racked up 1,261 yards of total offence through three games to sit third in the OUA behind only McMaster and Western. The majority of that offence is thanks to fourth-year quarterback Myles Gibbon of Montreal and fifth-year running back Kyle Exume of Whitby, Ont.
Gibbon is ranked third in passing yards with 856, he has a completion percentage of 51%, completing 54-of-105 attempts, and has thrown for four touchdowns. He has also proven to be quick on his feet with another 194 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns.
Exume, the CIS offensive player of the week in Week 2, is fifth in the OUA with 268 rushing yards, and he has scored three touchdowns.
York’s defence is ranked sixth in the OUA after surrendering 991 yards through three games. In contrast, the Warriors are 10th in both offence and defence, with 744 yards gained and 1,992 given up.
Waterloo’s top player thus far has been third-year receiver Nick Anapolsky of Guelph, Ont., who is third in the OUA with 357 yards of offence, accounting for nearly half of the total yards gained by the squad. He has also scored three touchdowns.
The last meeting between these two teams resulted in head coach Warren Craney’s first victory at the helm of the Lions, a 20-18 overtime triumph on the road in Waterloo, Ont., in Week 3 last season. In that contest the Warriors jumped ahead 17-0 at the half and the Lions came all the way back in the second, scoring the tying touchdown with 2:45 left on the clock to force the extra frame. After Waterloo earned one point on a missed field goal through the end zone, Heneri Dervishi of Toronto stepped up and kicked the 18-yard winning field goal.
Prior to the game, representatives from the Toronto Argonauts Football Club will be on site for promotions, contests and giveaways. Additional pre-game festivities include a performance by the band The Clocks.
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