Jones establishing himself in Junior A

Tuesday’s season-opening contest between the Junior A Whitby Warriors and Mimico Mountaineers wasn’t just the first game of Whitby’s Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) season. It was also the first competitive box lacrosse game Kahnawa’kehró:non defender Darris Jones had played since the Kahnawake Junior B Hunters won the Founder’s Cup all the way back in August 2025.

“I’ve been missing it, obviously, all year. Finally getting back felt amazing,” said Jones, who has been playing field lacrosse at the Hill Academy prep school in Caledon, Ontario.

“I just missed it so much that even just touching the floor, it put a big smile on my face.”

As did seeing some of his family members in the stands, including his father Al and his grandfather Randolph Loft.

“My family has always been very supportive of my entire career, but especially last night, seeing my grandfather, it meant a lot, because he’s always been supportive, so just to look up and see him standing and cheering me on is amazing,” said Jones.

He said seeing familiar faces in the crowd helps him be at ease during games.

“It’s very helpful, just calming. Sometimes games can be a little rowdy and looking up to the stands and seeing familiar faces from home - it just helps out a lot.”

Al said they were treated to a great game, an 11-10 win by Whitby that saw them retake the lead late after Mimico scored six straight goals to tie the game at 10 after the Warriors got into some penalty trouble.

“My teeth were clenched and my fists were clenched. They were just firing shots, and the defense was blocking them. It was quite the ending,” said Al.

Darris said the defenders stepped up to extinguish Mimico’s offensive spark and, ultimately, keep the lead late.

“That was our main goal, just shut them down and contain them. At the end, we did a lot better at it and ended up with the win, but it was definitely a little rocky. But, you’re never going to always blow teams out. No team is ever just going to give up and quit,” said Darris.

Al said the environment in Whitby will be a good one for Darris to learn and grow in Junior A.

“They like his energy, his work ethic, so to see him actually put it into use in a magnitude of game like this, it’s been good. Junior A is definitely another level of lacrosse,” said Al.

“It’s a whole new system from the Hunters, and he seemed right at home.”

Phil Wetherup, head coach of the Warriors, said that Darris will have the opportunity to learn and be a part of a young team that has had a 15-player turnover since last season.

“We have a brand-new group and a brand-new team. We’ve got a really solid core that’s left behind, and probably one of the better defenders in the league in Owen Lee, who’s our captain,” said Wetherup.

He got to meet and learn more about Darris after Whitby drafted him, when he was an assistant coach with the team. He praised his athleticism, his passion for the game of lacrosse, his attitude, and his ability to play at both ends of the floor.

“He’s such an incredible personality in the way that he carries himself. He’s a very happy-go-lucky kind of guy off the floor, but when a game starts, when things get going, he’s an ultra-competitive player,” said Wetherup.

“Overall, his compete and diversity on the floor is something that you really need at the next level, and that’s something that I’m really excited to see if we can kind of help him progress with in his career.”

While Darris will continue to play as a defender with Whitby, as he did with the Hunters last year, Whetherup said they are looking at his speed and ability to play in transition as a boon for their offense from the backend.

“It’s about him trying to create odd-man situations with his feet and athleticism, moving the ball up the floor to create some offensive chances that way,” said Wetherup.

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