First set of recruits looking to make a change

Victoria Alarcon
Sports & Health Editor
The York Lions are gearing up for the approaching 2011 football season by adding ten new recruits to their roster.
Head coach Warren Craney and his coaching staff welcomed players Michael Livingston; Brandon Santos; Marko Vukusic; Joe Tritler; Alex Media; Max Sullivan; Charlie Parisi; Alen Mujanovic; Jacob Ward; and George Tabar to the team Friday Dec. 10 after they signed letters of intent.
“The whole premise was that we were going to bring in some of the best recruits in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Toronto and win,” said Craney. The head coach, hired in the summer of this year, recruited the new players himself.
Six of the ten recruits come straight from nearby high schools like Northern Secondary, East York and Chaminade College School. The most acclaimed is defensive lineman Livingston, who has built an impressive résumé in the sport with awards such as the 2009 Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) lineman of the year and 2008 lineman of the year for his high school.
Livingston made the decision to come to York based on the hope it’d make for an easy transition from high school to university. “It was being close to home, being close to friends and family that helped me make my decision,” said the six-foot-nine lineman.
Teammate Tabar also chose York because of his family; they’ve quite a history at the university. Tabar, who is part of the defensive line, too, has racked up numerous accolades, in particular winning the 2009 Metro Bowl Championship with his high school team, the Markham Marauders.
“It’s about hitting them low, hitting them hard, and hitting them fast,” said Tabar, who will play alongside defensive players Parisi, Mujanovic, Vukusic and Santos.
The other side of the field looks a bit different: the offensive line for York’s football team now includes recruits all the way from Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie, but also Torontonian Alex Media.
Craney and his staff have been aiming to recruit players in the defensive and offensive line, which has been lacking in the last couple of seasons for the York Lions. “Aside from their ability, their size is something we didn’t have last year,” said Craney. “We were a very small football team and I think we’ve addressed the size right away.”
The 2010 season for York’s football team ended in a disappointment, as the team was not able to improve on a 0-8 record that has followed them for some time now.
Santos, team captain for his high school football team, has seen York play, and knows how the team can improve. “They’re hurting here and they need new people, especially on the line aspect,” said Santos.
Jennifer Myers, head of the York Athletic Department, agrees with the direction Craney is taking in recruiting bigger athletes to play on the defensive and offensive line. The ultimate goal of the recruits, she says, is seeing the team get better and giving the team their first step towards being extremely competitive.
The players are excited for the start of the season, and many fans are crossing their fingers for a positive outcome for the team next year.
The football season is set to start next year in the fall.