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Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Southpoint Sun - 23
Tracing the roots of the Leamington Flyers to 1952
By C. Scott Holland In December 1952, Bill Burgess, manager and coach, put together a squad of local players into what was then the Windsor City Hockey League. That team evolved into what we know as the Leamington Flyers. That hockey team was comprised mostly of players who had shown up on local ponds and frozen waterways like the Hillman Creek, Sturgeon Creek and Pigeon Bay to play some pick-up hockey. In the very first season, the roster listed the following in various games: Whitey Bevan, John Burke, Eric Mackenzie, Jim MacKenzie, Bill MacKenzie, Leo Rochon, Jim Elsley, Bob Way, Bob “Shorty” Wallace, Caesar Brndjar, Gord Droulliard, Jim Duddy, Jim McKinnon, Tony Minkewich, Bill Kincaid, Bill Siddle, John McEachern, Lloyd Crawford, George Carriveau, Bill Pearce and (unknown) Pare. Most of the Flyers’ players would be stars with the club for a good portion of the 1950s. Their first regulation contest was against the Detroit S & C club. Leamington whitewashed the Detroit crew by the score of 13-0 as 10 Flyers found the back of the net. Only two penalties were called - both against the Flyers in the third. Shorty Wallace picked up the shutout During the season, Wallace would tally another shutout (10-0) over Detroit and whip the Dearborn team 14-1. Eric MacKenzie would finish first among all scorers and Wallace was a top goalie. The club was third overall in the standings. However in playoffs the Leamington team faced Windsor N & D in a two game total goals set. The Flyers would be nipped 3-2 in the opener as Eric and Jim MacKenzie bookended the three Windsor
markers. The second contest was another close one. After falling behind 5-0, Leamington rallied to notch four
goals as Jim, Bill and Eric MacKenzie all found the back of the Windsor net and Tony Minkewich closed the gap to within one in the third.
But that was the way it would stand and the Flyers lost the total goals series.
The 1952/53 Flyers celebrate Shorty Wallace’s 21st birthday. Seated are Leo Rochon, Gord Droulliard and Bob “Shorty” Wallace. Standing, from left, are Tony Minkewich, Jim McKinnon, Bill Siddle, Caesar Brndjar, John MacEachern, Bill Pearce, Bill Burgess, John Burke, Whitey Bevan and young Paul Burgess. Photo from the Scott Holland Collection
1965 — a very successful year for local sports
This week’s flashbacks take us back to October 14, 1965. Bantams win Ontario title The Leamington Moose Lodge Bantams won the OBA Bantam A Minor championship with a 9-1 victory over Orillia in Orillia on Sunday. Team members are Ken Reid, Kirk Bowman, Pete Knight, Ken White, Paul Beaupre, Tom Tetzlaff, Mike Klym, Brian Woodward, Dennis Deporter, Steve Wood, Tom Barrie, Les Ford, Gerry Bradbury and Rob Epplett. The bat boy is Pat Ribble, while the coaches are Howard White, Cec Wickham and Carl Ribble. Leamington had won the opener by a 3-0 score. Tom Barrie’s three-hitter kept the Orillia batters in check while shortstop Gerry Bradbury paced the offence with two doubles and a single. Brian Woodward had two RBIs. Peewees ousted by Owen Sound The Leamington Legion Peewees dropped an extra innings decision in Owen Sound on Sunday to bow
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out of the Ontario Peewee A Minor finals. Owen Sound had won the first game by a 9-0 score, but Leamington held on tight, just losing the second game 5-4. Leamington held a 4-2 lead after three innings and pitcher Terry Wiper held Owen Sound scoreless through the third, fourth and fifth, before a Leamington error allowed the eventual champions back in the game. He gave up eight hits in total. At the plate, John Moore had a double and single, while Wiper and Wayne Reid each had singles. Tykes to meet Dundas for title game The Leamington P-459 Tykes took the first game of the best-of-three series for the Ontario Tyke A minor championship last week and then dropped game two by a 4-3 score on Sunday. That sets the stage for game three at Queen Elizabeth Public School this Saturday. Leamington turned a triple play in the sixth inning, despite the loss. With runners at first and second and nobody out, a Dundas hitter popped up to Leaming-
ton pitcher Kris Manery, who relayed it to Dan Reive at second, who in turn threw to Gene Biekx at first to complete the triple play. Manery led at the plate with two hits and singles went to Ross Whaley and Reive. South Essex Hockey League starts Monday The South Essex Hockey League will launch its 12th season Monday night at Leamington Arena. Defending champs, the Harrow Sailors, will tangle with the Leamington Indians in game one, while the Blytheswood Mic Macs are taking on the Wheatley Omsteads in game two. The league attracted an average of 600 paid fans per game last season, which does not include children under 12, who got in for free. Wheatley has star goalkeeper Paul Reid back in the net and is bolstered by several graduates from the Leamington Flyers. Blythweswood’s Max Riediger, the league’s leading scorer, is returning to defend his title, while Leamington will be counting heavily on the league MVP, Jack Roberts.
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