1950
Article in “NDG Monitor” January 5, 1950
Maple Leafs May Fold Up in QRFU League
Money Needed to Keep Team Going
Public Support A Must, Is Cry of Club President, Harry Lawrence
No Money . . . . no team!
Unless a substantial sum of money is in the till of the NDG Maple Leafs Football Club by kick-off time of the 1950 season, there may not be a local team in the Junior section of the Quebec Rugby Football Union.
Club President Harry Lawrence made this statement this week, pointing out that a tremendous amount of new equipment must be purchased before the next season begins.
Calculating conservatively that it takes more than $55 to equip each player, the President said that new pants, sweaters, cleats and helmets were a must for most of the players as this year's equipment was on the verge of falling apart.
“There is no point saying that we can manage with the obsolete equipment that we have at present because if we do that we are only fooling ourselves,” the president said, pointing out that it was also increasing the danger of a player being seriously hurt.
“Rather than do that, we will withdraw from the league,” he said, and was backed by co-coaches Bill Davies and Solly Mastro on this statement. Davies and Mastro cited the possibilities of the 1950 squad as two thirds of the 1949 championship squad expect to be back in harness and a crop of new possibilities are expected to try out for the remaining ten positions.
“It is a long way off to talk about football I know,” backfield coach Davies said, “but it is also a big sum of money which is needed, and we don't expect to be able to collect it overnight.”
All three agreed that it was no use depending on gate receipts from next year's games. This year the local games netted enough money to pay the officials and a few other incidentals, virtually leaving nothing in the till for any purchases to be made.
“We are working under the same severe handicaps when it comes to playing our home games,” the president said, drawing attention to the small crowds and even smaller collections taken in at the Trenholme Park games last season.
All three voiced a hope that the people of the district would begin to add their support to the team that has taken the Quebec title three out of the last four years, claiming that it would be more than a shame if the team had to fold up on the account of the lack of funds.
Article in “NDG Monitor” April 27, 1950
Maple Leafs Sponsor Athletic Night to Raise Funds for Team
In order to raise fund's for this year's team, The NDG Maple Leafs are throwing an “Athletic Night”: at the NDG Community Hall, tomorrow night.
Starting at 8 p.m., there will be a showing of the Calgary Stampeder _ Montreal Alouette Grey Cup final football game of 1949, and in addition to this, Ches McCance, a starry player with the Alouettes will be one of the guests present.
Also included in the list of guests, that will also feature Councillors, Jack Lyall, Charles Guy Pare and Richard Quinn, will be famed Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Bill Durnan, six times winner of the Vezina trophy, and Jim Allen, assistant coach of the McGill Redmen Football team.
Sponsored by the players of the team, a committee under the chairmanship of popular Jim Ambrose has gone all out in making the evening a success. Crests to the captains of various hockey teams in the NDG leagues will be presented during the event, and several other sport shorts will be shown on the screen.
All proceeds from the evening will be turned over to the team for equipment. A spokesman of the NDG Maple Leafs football club said recently, that approximately $1500 would be needed before the team would be ready to play in the junior QRFU league of 1950.
Many players of last year's championship team will be on hand to conduct the program for the evening, which takes place tomorrow night at the corner of Cote St. Antoine Road and Decarie Boulevard.
Article from “NDG Monitor” August 24, 1950
NDG Maple Leafs Start Practices; Need Help
Officials of Club Stress Financial Difficulties as Team Begins Training
By Bernard Dube
Whether the next edition of the NDG Junior Maple Leafs club will compare favorably with the championship teams it dressed in the last four seasons will depend on the deportment of the newcomers who will replace many of last year's star players, now departed, and on the kind of support it receives from the public.
Executives of the club are not as worried about their players as they are about the support of the public, which they say has been far from encouraging.
With more than thirty aspirants, many of them members of last year's team, loosened up and threw a pigskin around Trenholme Park gridiron every evening this week, head coach Solly Mastro and club-secretary-treasurer Charles Johnson weren't making it a secret that the fate of the club lies pretty much in it's supporters hands.
“People complained when NDG didn't have a team and now that we have one and a championship team at that, they won't back us” they echoed.
The club requires a minimum of $500 before it can dress its players, for the Sept. 9th or 10th opening game.
So far they have no place to store their equipment in close proximity of Trenholme Park, their home grounds, and no place where players can shower and change for practices and home games. The club is in pressing need of such quarters - a large garage would do fine - to proceed with pre-season training.
“People don't seem to realize what goes into the shaping of a football club,” Johnson said.
It's an expensive proposition to run a football club over the small season it operates. We've been playing at a loss since we've re-organized the club in 1946.
“A new ball costs $15. Then there's another $15 for officials. Add to that, medical supplies and other incidentals and it costs us $40 for every home game we play. On good days we collect a maximum of $10 by passing a box among spectators, but usually we average $5 a game,” he said.
“When the team plays outside games we have to charter a bus.”
Since 1946 it cost the team between $900 to $1200 annually to operate. So far the team has a little over $100 to start things rolling. The club needs sweaters, pants, cleats and other equipment and a sizable budget for their upkeep.
It's official plan to run a drawing with the sale of tickets scheduled to begin next week. Also, club heads plan to canvass merchants and known supporters in the vicinity and a few uptown for donations.
“Many of our loyal supporters have promised to help us out,” Johnson says, “but they can't carry the load all by themselves. We need more.”
Ironically enough, in the past years people outside the NDG district have helped the club more than local residents.
“We've been lucky in past years not to have had any of our players injured seriously, but still we spent about $250 in hospital bills. To prevent injuries our boys have to go out on the field in good condition and with good equipment,” Johnson said.
While the club heads try to solve their economic problem, the process of culling the best 30 players from the 40 or so trying out, is proceeding nicely.
All this week, practices were devoted to light drills. The boys did some physical training but were mostly given a free hand to run the stiffness out of their legs and loosen up. The heavier training, including blocking and tackling sessions will start with next week's practices.
PRE-SEASON CHATTERMATTER: Fleet-footed Gordie Raza will play again this year. Some doubt had been raised concerning his return, but he informed the club over the weekend that he'd be back and has been out practicing. He's one up on most of the players as far as being in condition, having practiced already with the Lakeshore Intermediate team.
. . . The NDG club's coaching department is not lacking in talent and experience. Such former figures with the team as Edgar Mott, Harold Day and Ernie Gray are out giving Mastro a hand. The team still needs extra hands to take care of its equipment at practice and games and handle several other tasks . . .
Alouettes mastermind Lou Hayman has made it explicitly clear in a letter to heads of all junior QRFU teams that his club is not and has no intention of backing any of them. Which is quite understandable. Any team backed by the Alouettes would receive applications from every junior player in the city. With such a crop to pick from, the team would be packed with stars and unfair competition for others. Hayman's letter was to quell a rumour that the Alouettes were backing the Cartierville Cavaliers. All Hayman has done for the Cavaliers was to suggest one of his former players, Sammy Segatore, as their coach. However, there is a possibility that the Alouettes may donate some of their old equipment to be divided among the needier junior teams.
Bill Davies, football star of former years, who shared the coaching job with Mastro last year, is now coaching the Lakeshore Intermediate club . . . Over 80 percent of those trying out with NDG Maple Leafs are local boys. They are mainly products of Loyola, West Hill, Montreal High and other schools in the west end of the city . . .
NDG Maple Leafs have been poorly supported compared with other league teams. The Rosemount Bombers for instance pull in an average of $60 to $70 a game. The old rule allowing teams to dress only 24 players was changed to allow them 30 players since the regular schedule was upped to 10 games, and also to give more boys a chance to play in an organized league.
Article from “NDG Monitor” August 31, 1950
Maple Leafs Juniors Prepare For Long Season
Twelve Boys Signed; More Trying Out for Positions
Coach Solly Mastro Reports Culling Difficult as Many Top Players Report
By Bernard Dube
Six members of last year's team and six newcomers were signed up by the NDG Maple Leafs Football Club this week. Another 13 to 15 players will be offered contracts in the course of next week.
Heading the list of returnees from last year is fleet-footed Gordie Raza who'll be playing his third season under local colors. A swift running half with a stubborn, independent streak in him, he chalked up four touchdowns last year to tie for second place in the scoring honors with another NDG Mapleleafer, Bill Dickie.
Most promising of the newcomers is George Meehan, a diminutive halfback as hard to hold onto as a wet football, whose tricky footwork and consistent ground gaining made him the most talked about player on the Loyola high school squad last year. His specialty is end runs. In all probability, he and Raza will handle the half-back spots on the Leaf's two squads.
Others Signed
Others who signed up for their second year with Maple Leafs are: John Harris, swift running half who learned his football rudiments at West Hill High School; Jack Connolly who plays end and was originally a product of Loyola; Len Jones, a big dependable lad, who handled the snap position and has enough power to move a freight; Bill Wren, another hefty boy who is deadly on the tackle and plays a hard driving game all along. He's the teams utility man more or less, having played nearly all positions last year; and Bill McLeod, a likable chap strutting a crop of red hair, who played formerly with Westmount Juniors. A heavy boy, he plays on the line and is known as a hard driver and expert tackler. He broke into the QRFU when he was only about 15 years old.
Newcomers already signed include Bill Melvin, short and stubby linesman, who comes originally from Loyola; Ron Lamb, a quarterback formerly with the Montreal West High School team; Des Yearwood, a local boy who plays halfback and held a berth on the Montreal High School team in past years; Johnny Hersey, a linesman who played with Montreal High School two years ago; and Jim Foster, another linesman, who played with McGill.
Head Coach Solly Mastro is indulging in much head scratching over who to sign up and who to dismiss. He says the task of culling the chaff from the wheat is especially difficult this season.
“I've got a pretty good bunch of boys out and it'll be hard making sure I pick the best,” he said.
Meanwhile on the gridiron at Trenholme Park each evening until dusk, the club is whipping itself into shape. Rivalry for the various positions becomes all the more keener each time another player is signed up and the number of positions remaining diminishes.
From all appearances the club will have an exceptionally fast backfield and a heavy dependable line. But there is a lack of plunging halfbacks.
Meanwhile, off the field, all is not too well with the NDG club. There's still a shortage of uniforms and money to purchase some. Five players this week had to confine themselves to light practice, because the team was that many uniforms short. Also, the present dressing room is so small, players have to take turns to go in and change.
The opening league game is scheduled for a week from this week end. Coach Mastro said he will barely have time to cut his squad for that first game and plans no exhibition games in the meantime.
PRE-SEASON CHATTERMATTER: Tickets for the NDG Maple Leafs Club Equipment Fund are now on sale at a dime apiece and three for a quarter in scattered spots all over town. Most stores on Sherbrooke Street are selling them and they can be purchased from any player or executive of the club. Former players and supporters are also dishing them out. The draw will take place Wednesday, November 15, at the team's club house at Trenholme Park . . . The first prize is not a table as was erroneously printed on the tickets, but a lovely table lamp donated by Electrolier Limited. Second prize is a radio; third, a toaster; fourth, an electric iron; and fifth, a five dollar grocery order. . . Big Jim Ambrose, who with Alec Olsen from NDG Maple Leafs last year team, have been signed by Alouettes, were out practicing with the club a couple of nights this week. He says he likes big pro football fine. . . Bill Dickie, another lad from last year's team, is also practicing with the club and heads for Denver, Colorado, shortly, where he will play college football. . .
Article in "NDG Monitor" September 7, 1950
Maple Leafs-W in Season Opener Saturday
Old Rivalry Renewed For 1950 Season in QRFU
Juniors Play First Game; Westmount Inters Meet Three Rivers in Nightcap Tilt
By Bernard Dube
The Hatfields and McCoys will be at it again when the NDG Maple Leafs club tussles with its arch rival, the Westmount Warriors, in the opening game of the QRFU 1950 schedule at the Westmount Athletic Grounds on St. Catherine street west at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Eleven more players, eight of them newcomers, have been signed, bringing the total of those who have penned Maple Leafs contracts to 23. Head Coach Solly Mastro said four or five more would be signed during the course of this week.
Members of last year's team re-signed are backfielder Bob Swail, linemen Bruce Jones and Ross (Blimp) McCallum, the latter a rugged 245 pounder.
Newcomers on the club are quarterback Gerry Rountree, who played for West Hill High School two years ago; versatile Robert Baird, a fast lad with a fluff of red hair who gathered renown as a track man at West Hill High School last year; end-man Jack Stryde, backfielder Peter Dowie and lineman Robert Byford, all of whom also wore West Hill High School sweaters last year; Danny Harkin, a backfielder who played with Lachine juniors last fall; Lawrence Levy, who played football for St. Johns Technical School in Winnipeg, Man. In past years; and Stan Easton, die-hard snap and lineman who sparkled Catholic High School's football team last year and was chosen on Montreal's all-star high school team, have also signed on.
Coach Mastro said he was quite confident his club would take the game but taking no chances was having his boys limber up on their Trenholme Park home gridiron every night this week including tomorrow.
The rivalry between the two clubs which has often erupted into fisticuffs exhibitions right on the field stretches back a few years. In the last three games played between the clubs, NDG Maple Leafs won handsomely which did little toward promoting “bonne entente” between these two neighbours. The Warriors will not rest until they've handed Maple Leafs a taste of their own medicine. In turn the locals are assuming a growing pride in their perfect record last year against Westmount and will go to all extremes to keep it unsoiled by a defeat.
In other words, it ought to be quite a game.
Meanwhile a brief victory has been registered by Maple Leafs club executives; they managed to gather enough financial assistance to purchase sweaters. However, they still lack the price of a few dozen football pants. So don't be surprised if on Saturday Maple Leafs players come out wearing pants of different colors.
PRE-SEASON CHATTER MATTER: Westmount Club executives hope to have a roaring crowd of two thousand for the season's first game at the Westmount Athletic Grounds S. NDG Maple Leafs play Westmount Warriors in the first game and in the second the Westmount Intermediate team plays host to an Intermediate team from Three Rivers. . . Three members formerly with NDG Maple Leafs club will play with Westmount Intermediates. They are Jack Cornforth, Ducky Aird and Gordie Poirier. . . There are also a few NDG lads who will play for Three Rivers. . . a local backing softball teams in the district in past years. The Maple Leafs Club had hope for a few hundred dollars contribution from the owner but due to the loss he's taken on the softball teams, he was unable to come through.
Two gents doing splendid work behind the scenes with the NDG Club are Jack McKenna, the manager, and trainer Eddie Walsh. . . Mel James who heads the publicity department for both Westmount teams has sent out invitations to the local press gentry to be his guests at the first game. Expected to attend are Dennis Crow, Herald sportswriter and a local gent who got his first taste of sports at Oxford Park; Pat Curran from The Gazette; Red Fisher, formerly with The Monitor and now with The Standard; and Charlie Boire of The Star. . . Sale of tickets for the NDG Maple Leafs C Equipment Fund is reported progressing well. They can be purchased at most stores in the district until drawing time in mid November.
Article in “NDG Monitor” September 14, 1950
NDG Maple Leafs to Open Home Season Saturday
Meet Rosemount Bombers At Trenholme Field
Locals Swamp Westmount Warriors 36-0 in 1950 Season Inaugural
That powerful football machine, the NDG Maple Leafs junior club, still throbbing from its decisive opening game victory over the feeble Westmount Warriors last week end, will swing into high gear when it clashes with the highly touted Rosemount Bombers at the Trenholme Park gridiron Sat afternoon.
The smooth-working Leafs will be at maximum strength for this second game now that diminutive Georgie Meehan, swift and elusive half-back who missed the opening encounter because of a twisted ankle, has been announced as fit to play.
Although the addition of Meehan to the line-up will certainly bolster the club, the Leafs were never in dire need of him as they out-tackled and out-ran the Warriors at the Westmount Athletic Grounds last Saturday.
Paced by Gordie Raza, who notched two touchdowns, the Leafs chalked up four converted majors in the first half and two more in the second.
The Westmounters never seemed capable of a sustained ground gaining effort. They went for a few first downs in the first quarter but never got into dangerous position. NDG linemen smothered seven of their kicks before they could travel ten yards.
Bob Baird accounted for the first touch after a run from 30 yards out which was followed closely by Raza's 35 yard dodging sprint around the right end for the second major. The swivel-hipped half-back notched his second major with another 35-yard dash this time around left end shortly afterwards. Then Jack McTeer chalked up another major just before half-time.
While the line held itself impregnable and smothered all feeble thrusts by a dispirited Westmount crew, the Leafs plowed downfield shortly after the last half began and Ronnie Lamb carried the pigskin over after darting through a sieving Warriors' line on a 30-yard dash.
Jack Stryde administered the coup-de-grace by stumping through one of many openings in the Westmount line and sprinting 25 yards to pay dirt.
Westmount took to the air in a last desperate move but Chuck Canning';s deft passing went for nothing. In the last quarter he threw a beauty into the reach of a free-running Warrior who was so eager for the pass that he fumbled it.
John Hersey's educated toe accounted for all of the six converts. His kickoffs were too low generally but coach Mastro, who is justly beaming over his club's performance, says practice will correct this.
Outstanding on the line was big Bruce (Stonewall) Jones who mauled all opposition in sight coming and going. The Leafs showed good spirit on and off the field; the squad on the bench keeping up a constant chatter of encouragement to their mates.
Kicks and Cracks: By all appearances the Westmount Warriors will be going in for night practices very soon. Lighting equipment used by McGill has been loaned to them and will be set up at the Westmount Athletic Grounds. Ironically, the Warriors started practicing two weeks before NDG Maple Leafs, hoping to pay the local team back for the trouncing it gave We in all games they played together last year. . . A backfielder with the Warriors was quite mournful of the poor showing of his team's linemen. “But we'll beat NDG yet,” seems to be his team's spirit. The brilliant display put on by the Leafs was certainly not in keeping with their drab and unmatching uniforms. Their sweaters failed to arrive in time for the game so that the L had to wear last year's. Also, because of lack of funds, the team still has a shortage of decent pants, and players wore the only ones available. Some were white and others a drab wine color, but neither compared favorably with the slick ones worn by the Warriors. The Leafs were even short of helmets. There were barely enough to outfit one squad.. . . Coach Mastro says he can still sign three players and will gladly look over any new aspirants. Mastro is not underestimating any one and will practice a couple of nights this week to polish their play.
Article from “NDG Monitor” September 21, 1950
Leafs Have Close Shave, 5-4; Meet Orfuns, Sunday
Playing Away; St. Als Prove Problem to NDG
Des Yearwood Scores Major as Rosemount Pulls Boner in Last Minute of Play
By Bernard Dube
A miss may be as good as a mile in some instances but not so with the NDG Maple Leafs football club who sweated out an uncomfortable victory over Rosemount Bombers at Trenholme Park Saturday afternoon.
Coach Solly Mastro won't let his boys forget that luck played the major part in their victory and hopes the close shave will make them a more wary crew when they tangle with the unpredictable St. Aloysius Orfuns at Vickers Field in the east end Sunday afternoon.
Only questionable strategy on the Bombers part prevented the Leafs team from being upset a second time in as many meetings with their adversary. Bombers beat them in the last game of their two-game total-points play-off series last year and were threatening a repeat performance as they forged downfield in the last few minutes of play to land only a few yards away from paydirt with a second down.
Bombers had the choice of attempting a placement from their awkward position deep in the Leaf left goal zone or of exhausting their two remaining downs in a touchdown try.
With the game quickly drawing to an end and Leaf linemen showing signs of determination, Bombers elected for a placement try. The kick was bad, landing within easy reach of Ron Lamb who ran the ball out of the Leafs goal area.
Coach Mastro standing to watch the play, shook his head in resignation once the danger was passed and walked back to sit at the players' bench muttering most audibly to his assistants to have the boys out for more practice soon.
Near the end of the first quarter Rosemount drew first blood on a rouge when Al Zipkin brought down Gerry Rountree behind the L goal line.
The teams see-sawed back and forth over the field during most of the second quarter. Nothing very spectacular happened except for a brief burst of glee from Leafs fans when Don MacDonald who spent the afternoon intercepting Rosemount passes, pulled one down in the Leafs goal zone and outdistanced all pursuers running it back to the Bombers line. But the touchdown was disallowed when the play was ruled off-side.
Bob Swail started what ended in the lone L touchdown, early in the second half. Taking a Rosemount kick, he ran it back a few yards before being smothered, and then went through center for eight yards in a second attempt. Rosemount was penalized for roughing and on the following two plays Gordie Raza went for 12 yards to bring the Leafs practically on the Rosemount line. Des Yearwood went over for the touch. Len Jones' snap back for the convert was too high and John Hersey attempted to carry it around end but was brought down.
Shortly afterwards Manny Barnoff who dressed with Maple Leafs last year, went through the center of the Leafs line for a 15-yard gain. A Rosemount pass was good for another 20 yards. But that was as far as Rosemount could advance. Don Emo was stopped cold in an attempt to pierce the line and a Rosemount side pass proved useless when the receiver was tackled for no gain. Manny Barnoff took over and place kicked for three points, rounding the afternoon's scoring.
Maple Leafs forced the play in the Bombers zone after Don MacDonald intercepted another pass and ran it back 23 yards. Early in the last quarter Bruce Jones and Don Emo were thumbed off for fighting and except for the Rosemount brief splurge in the last minutes, Maple Leafs held the advantage.
KICKS AND PUNTS: Ross (Blimp) McCallum played his usual hard driving game on the line with that carved smile never leaving his puss. . . . Raza turned in another good performance. Not as many runs as usual, but he was a consistent tackler . . .
George Meehan did not dress for the game because his ankle ids still bothering him. It's doubtful if he'll be on hand for Sunday's tussle. . . Danny Harkin also missed the game because of illness. Meanwhile socialites John Harris and Bill Melvin, who “occasionally” play football with Maple Leafs, missed the game to attend a wedding . . . The Maple Leafs engage Cartierville Cavaliers at Woodland Park next Wednesday night. . . So far Ollie Segatore's Cavaliers have made a poor showing . . . They lost their first two games, and scored only 5 points while 57 were scored against them . . . Two other donations have been received for the Maple Leafs Equipment Fund. Each of $30 they come from O'Connor's Fish Company Ltd., and from Leonard Fisheries. Donations for the fund can be sent to the Maple Leafs Football Club Equipment Fund, 5485 Western Avenue, NDG, Montreal.
Article from “NDG Monitor” September 28, 1950
Maple Leafs Meet South Shore Here Sat. Afternoon
By Bernard Dube
Anybody expecting NDG Maple Leafs Junior Football Club to be shedding tears over last Sunday's defeat, their first in four years of scheduled play, will find them a pretty clear-eyed crew when to oppose the undefeated South Shore Combines at Trenholme Park Saturday afternoon
The myth that the Leafs were unbeatable was destroyed when the unpredictable St. Aloysius Orfuns took advantage of the champions' carelessness to come from behind in the last minutes of play and register a 10-9 upset at Vickers Field in the city's east end Sunday.
The Leafs record of invincibility, which stretched back to the fall of 1946 when the team first entered the league, appeared well on its way to being extended another game when they started the fourth quarter leading 9-2.
The Orfuns starry kicker Gerry Rowlands instigated his team's comeback in the dying minutes of the game with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Johnny McAleese in the Leafs' end zone. Gerry Hecklinger converted and the Saints were one point down. Then the Leafs were penalized for interference on the kick-off and when the Orfuns took possession of the ball, their ace Rowlands booted one for 60 yards to tie the game. Jim Kunst intercepted a Leafs' pass soon afterwards on the 15-yard line and set up kick-happy Rowlands for the winning point.
Leafs Hold Edge
Before their lapse in the last quarter the Leafs held a comfortable edge in the play. Georgie Meehan, the minute and elusive halfback who had been missing from the Leafs' line-up because of an injured ankle, scored the lone Leafs' touchdown in the first half. John Hersey's educated foot accounted for the convert to give the Leafs a four-point advantage at half time.
Hersey kept the Leafs' mastery in evidence early in the third quarter with a neat 20-yard placement to complete their afternoon's scoring.
After that it was a matter of David tacking advantage of Goliath's carelessness. The Leafs kept playing good ball but not he brand of hard-hitting consistent football that had branded them as champs in past years.
Coach Solly Mastro, a man with a bagful of football wisdom, took the reversal with a philosophical air. The defeat, he said, had served a good purpose. The Leafs had been playing under growing strain with their record of invincibility hanging over them. Now, he says they'll forget about records and play each game with a little more relaxed spunk.
Swail Ill
Backfielder Bob Swail missed last week-end's game because of illness but was ably replaced by Meehan who is bound to improve still after a few more games with his new teammates. Backfielders Gordie Raza and John Harris although not figuring in the scoring, came up with their usual spirited efforts. The line tended to be porous in the last quarter but was effective when the Leafs were in possession.
The Leafs were out practicing on their insufficiently lighted Trenholme Park gridiron Monday and Tuesday night and after dispensing with the lowly and hardly dangerous Cartierville Cavaliers at Woodland Park last night, reported themselves ready for bear when they meet the Combines.
The Combines, undefeated in their three league games so far and cocky after their 11-1 pummeling of Westmount Warriors Sunday are expected to prove the Leafs toughest opposition in many seasons.
Facilities Poor
Meanwhile the Leafs are still lacking decent facilities for night practices. Coach Solly Mastro had few automobiles parked with their floodlights flashing over the Trenholme Park grid to provide enough light for his team to practice their signals at evening practices this week.
The NDG Maple Leaf Club equipment fund campaign is not receiving too much encouragement, except from a few persons in the west-end who can always be counted on to help out local youths in time of need. One of them is S.J. Langill who forwarded a $10 contribution to the fund this week.
Contributions can be forwarded care of the NDG Maple Leafs Equipment Fund, 5485 Western Avenue, NDG, Montreal.
Article from “NDG Monitor” October 5, 1950
NDG Maple Leafs Out For Revenge Here Saturday
Meet St. Aloysius Orfuns In Return Tilt Saturday
By Bernard Dube
Pity St. Aloysius Orfuns when they tangle with NDG Maple Leafs at Trenholme Park Saturday afternoon, if they are opposed with the same brand of fiery spirit which shook the Leafs into overcoming a six-point deficit to overwhelm the cocky St. Lambert Combines 19-6 last weekend.
The Leafs can be a very touchy crew at times and still touchy about their 10-9 loss to the Orfuns a couple of weeks ago which brought to an end their four years of invincibility in scheduled play, they can't be counted on to be in an “afternoon tea party” mood on Saturday.
The slim loss to the Orfuns has already produced awesome results. A few days later they swamped the innocuous Cartierville Cavaliers 86-0 to set some sort of record and draw reproachful comments for their ruthlessness from fans and officials alike.
Lethargic Leafs
The Combines swept by a lethargic Leafs crew in the first half. They scored a single point on a rouge when the receiver of a kick by St. L Bill Shea, was tackled behind his goal line.
Near the end of the second quarter Sid Alcorn, St. Lambert's smooth passer lifted a 20-yarder into the hands of Don Bennett, who ran it to pay dirt. The convert was blocked.
Backfielder Georgie Meehan set the Leafs rolling early in the third quarter when he broke around left end for a dozen yards. Des Yearwood swept around right end on a reverse for another five yards and on two successive plays Gordie Raza put 15 yards behind him. Meehan drove through centre for another short gain to set up John Hersey for a placement.
Hersey instigated the first Leafs' touch. He kicked a high forty-yarder which St. Lambert fumbled. Jack Connolly was in fast on the play and dribbled the ball downfield into the Combines goal zone. The Leafs hemmed their adversaries in and Don MacDonald ran it around end to touch ground with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Hersey who experienced little luck with his booting most of the afternoon, saw his attempted convert blocked.
TD For Harris
After Leafs took possession on a Combines fumble in their goal zone, John Harris drove around left end for a touchdown. Hersey's convert attempt failed, prompting him to throw his helmet against the ground in disgust.
In the fourth quarter the Combines took to the air but with little success. Harris intercepted one of their passes and ran it 60 yards for his second major of the afternoon. Hersey's convert this time was good to round up the game's scoring with two minutes to go. The Combines in a last desperate effort, unable to budge the Leafs' line attempted to get the ball downfield with a kick (rest of paragraph missing)
Leafs Bob Baird and St. Lambert's E. Boyle were thumbed out of the game for fighting. It was a hard game throughout with tempers flaring easily. Ross (Blimp) McCallum came back to the bench a few times uttering comments which were hardly in keeping with a Sunday school class. The Combines had a half a dozen pretty cheerleaders who kept themselves in evidence while their team was ahead and only trailing by a few points, but quieted their antics later to a whisper when the Leafs took a comfortable edge in the play. Commenting on complaints about his team's ruthlessness when they trumped the Cavaliers 86-0, Solly Mastro said his boys went out to win. “They're out there to play football the best way they can no matter what the score is. If we let down and took it easy once we ha d a comfortable advantage it wouldn't be fair to the spectators.”
The Leafs play Rosemount Bombers at Laurier Park Monday afternoon.
Article from “NDG Monitor” October 12, 1950
Leafs Meet Westmount in Valois on Sunday.
Whitewash Rosemount 13-0 In Thanksgiving Tussle
But Lose Saturday to St. Aloysius Orfuns by 6-5 Count; Hersey Stars
By Bernard Dube
Judging from week-end performances, the myth that the NDG Maple Leafs Club is an invincible football machine, has been done away with for good. However, they still have the reputation of being the toughest opposition in the Junior QRFU loop.
And Westmount Warriors are being promised a taste of this toughness when the meet the Leafs on the Lakeshore gridiron in Valois Sunday afternoon.
With an easy 36-0 victory over the Warriors to look back on and say “we did it before, we can certainly do it again,” the Leafs view the coming game confidently.
They were their old selves again when they expertly whitewashed Rosemount Bombers 13-0 at Laurier Park Monday, as part reparation for their fumbling 6-5 defeat in the hands of their old nemesis, St. Aloysius Orfuns at Trenholme Park Saturday.
Their weekend record of one win, one defeat has placed them in a three-way tie for first place in the Junior QRFU loop with St. Aloysius and South Shore Combines.
Combines have one more game to play but the Leafs, who beat the Combines handily in their last encounter, could quickly neutralize this advantage by scoring over South Shore when they meet again in ten days.
Hersey Starry
John Hersey, Leafs stellar kicker, now in second place in the league scoring column, accounted for 8 points against Rosemount. His placement boot in the first half started his team rolling and he added another single near the end of the second quarter when he kicked the ball behind the Bombers line and it was permitted to roll out of limits for a rouge.
Leading 4-0 when they entered the second half, the Leafs rolled downfield continuously only to have the Bombers Bill Zipkin boot his team out of danger.
Hersey came into the limelight again in the third quarter when he kicked a 35-yard literally standing on their toes.
Interception By Raza
Late in the 3rd quarter Gordie Raza intercepted an intended Bombers pass at centre and swivel-hipped his way for 40 yards before he was dragged down. However the Bombers succeeded in pushing the Leafs back again. Later in the last quarter Ron Lamb floated a long pass into the outstretched hands of Gerry Rowlands who outraced all pursuers to touch territory.
Hersey wrapped the game up primly by converting. Rosemount had a new though brief lease in the game when they intercepted a Leafs pass in the last minutes and carried it up the field. But that was as far as they went; the Leafs line had decided not to budge another inch.
Saturday Loss
But all did not go well with the Leafs on Saturday afternoon. As in their first encounter when they upset the Leafs 10-9, St. Aloysius Orfuns crept up from behind to surprise the sleeping locals.
Hersey started his team nicely on its planned revenge by scooping up a fumble on the Orfuns 32 yard line to set up the Leafs for a touchdown.
Georgie Meehan carried through the Orfuns blockers to their two-yard line and Des Yearwood took it from there to paydirt on the next play. The convert was blocked.
The Orfuns crept back consistently and in the third quarter took advantage of two successive Leaf fumbles to set themselves up for their equalizing major and winning point. Jimmy MacKenzie recovered the ball on the Leafs' 35-yard stripe and on the following play Gordie Rowland fired a long pass into the hands of Ike Amromin who went for the touch. Gerry Hecklinger's convert brought the Orfuns what proved to be their winning point.
The Leafs tried an aerial counter-attack in the last minute but had little luck and were hemmed in strongly by the Orfuns.
KICKS AND CATCHES: What may have accounted for much of the Leafs' spirit in the game against Rosemount is the talking to they received from coach Solly Mastro before going into play. He told them to stop expecting to win games on past reputation. Reason the Leafs are playing at Lakeshore Sunday instead of Trenholme Park as previously scheduled is that they can reap in better gate receipts there. And they sure can use the money.
The Leafs have three more games to play. They meet Westmount, South Shore and Cartierville Cavaliers, in that order and on successive weekends. To win all three would assure them at least a tie for first place.
Gordie Raza still tops the junior QRFU loop scoring list with 35 points, but has a companion in Cal Green, South Shore halfback who crept up on him during the last week. Second in the scoring list is John Hersey who's also coming up fast. He has four field goals, one single and fourteen converts which gives him 27 points. Four of the six leading scorers in the league are Leafs' players. The other two are Georgie Meehan and John Harris who each have twenty points, having notched four touchdowns apiece so far. The Leafs have scored more points and have had fewer scored against them than any other team. They have notched 173 points so far, including 86 in one game against Cartierville Cavaliers, and have only had 26 scored against them for an especially low average of 3.7 points a game.
Article from “NDG Monitor” October 19, 1950
Forgotten Leafs To Meet South Shore On Saturday
NDGer's Need Win To Stay in Title Hunt
Maple Leafs Swamp Westmount Warriors 40-0 in Sabbath Tilt at Valois
By Bernard Dube
The NDG Maple Leafs Junior football club, though looked upon with indifference by the major part of the daily press and almost forgotten by its own supporters, still managed to swamp the Westmount Warriors 40-0 at Valois Sunday afternoon, and by all appearances should not experience too much difficulty when they tangle with South Shore Combines in St. Lambert on Saturday.
Cause of this indifference on the part of the press and most of its supporters may be laid to the Leafs' "misfortune" of having lost all of two games and both by a single point and on flukes in five years of play.
When the NDG Club rode the helm, clothed in a colourful garment of invincibility, its supporters burst out with loud hurrahs and the daily press, always on the lookout for an angle, delved it's prying nose into the record book, to see how long it has been since a similar team had come out with such considerable winning performances.
Forgotten Leafs
But last Sunday, the forgotten Leafs, forced by economic necessity to play their home game away, put on a champion's exhibition of football mastery over Westmount before all of 300 paying fans.
They started rolling after seven minutes had elapsed in the game and when half time was called they were ahead 26-0 and seemed hardly in need of a rest at all. They added more points in the 3rd and last quarter via consistent aerial attacks that had the Warriors wondering if they were playing in the right league.
Connelly Stars
Jack Connelly led the scorers with two touchdowns. Gordie Raza, Ron Lamb, Bob Swail, Des Yearwood and John Harris notched the other majors while John Hersey earned the other points with deft converts.
Minus their star backfielder Georgie Meehan, whose absence from the game was said due to a tardy awakening Sunday, the Leafs were never in need of him when, led by a quiet, but hard-driving lineman Nick Timko, they set up a defence that Westmounters, never for all their feeble attempts, succeeded in breaking.
This was the last encounter between these two teams this season. The Leafs won the first game in the same easy way, 36-0, giving them a 76-0 total-point record against the Warriors, a record worthy of mention under ordinary circumstances. But some daily papers saw fit to devote all of one paragraph to the Leafs. Meanwhile backslapping St. Aloysius Orfuns for their 10-3 win over South Shore Combines, who started the game minus several of their players.
The Leafs will have to topple South Shore Combines to stay in the running with St. Aloysius who are predicted to win both their last games against the Cartierville Cavaliers this weekend and Rosemount Bombers next week. In case that the Leafs get by South Shore, they'll have a pretty clear field with only Cartierville to take care of, and they took care of them like loving brothers in their previous encounter, winning 86-0.
In case the Leafs and St. Aloysius end up tied for first place, playoffs will follow and we should know then if St. Aloysius' two victories, each by a single point over the Leafs were at all flukes or evidence of mastery, as some one gent of the daily press has been but too prone to declare.
Just to keep the record straight, in nine games the Leafs have scored more points (213), nearly more than any other two clubs together in the league, and they had half as many scored against them as any other club. Furthermore, the league leading point getter is a Leaf man, Gordie Raza, with 40 points and out of the four leading scorers in the league, including Raza, three are Leafs. Oh, the poor, decrepit Leafs!
Article from “NDG Monitor” October 26, 1950
Maple Leafs Out For Another Shutout Sunday
Hope to Extend Whitewash Streak to Four Straight
Leafs Will Also Be Gunning for Eighth Straight Consecutive Win Against Cartierville
By Bernard Dube
When the NDG Maple Leafs oppose the lowly Cartierville Cavaliers in Cartierville Sunday afternoon they'll not only be out for their eighth victory, which is practically assured, but will fighting for their fourth consecutive shutout.
Their third was registered Saturday afternoon, when by way of demonstrating that their first victory over the team was no accident, they outplayed the dismembered South Shore Combines by a score of 21-0.
The Leafs have not let up steam since they were stung by a 6-5 defeat to St. Aloysius early in the month. Following the upset they breezed past Rosemount with a 13-0 victory and rode helm over the inconsistent Westmount Warriors to the sprightly tune of 40-0.
Early Lead
The game was only three minutes old Saturday when the Leafs first drew blood from an anemic South Shore crew with John Hersey kicking for a rouge. Five minutes later Georgie Meehan slipped through a weakened enemy lines for a touchdown. Hersey made it 7-0 with a convert.
Ron Lamb kept up the momentum with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Hersey's convert attempt was incomplete but he redeemed himself aptly three minutes short of half time when he placed kicked for three points.
As the first half drew to a close, Cal Green, the Combine's star player and new league leading scorer by virtue of points picked up when his team drubbed Cartierville a week ago, carried for eight yards but was brought down hard and had to be helped off the field. He never returned.
Combines Rally
In the third quarter South Shore applied pressure but though helped by a Leafs penalty for roughing, they never got in a threatening position. They tried aerial attacks without much success and the Leafs kept them pretty well hemmed in.
Leafs earned two more penalties for illegal interference and offside, but managed to reprieve themselves with hard tackling and a strong line.
South Shore came near to threatening late in the third quarter with end sneaks and runs but weren't successful in completing their plays, running out of downs before they could get going.
Brooks Shaken Up
Leaf's Dick Brooks was badly shaken up when NDG fumbled and everybody piled over others to recover. South Shore's Bob Alcorn finally took possession and the Combines advanced deep in the Leaf's zone.
But big Len Jones brought the Leafs out of the danger area when he intercepted a Combines pass and ran it back 12 yards. Leafs moved up field with Bill Wren, Danny Harkin and then again Wren carrying on successive plays, but lost ten yards when Ross McCallum was caught for holding.
Hersey moved the team up again with a 40-yard kick and a South Shore attempt to return the ball upfield via a pass was spoiled when Bill McLeod slapped the ball down.
Meehan Wiggles
Meehan brought the crowd of 3,000 to its feet with a 25 yard wiggle through centre which was followed by Len Jones's plunge through the line up to the Combines 20-yard stripe. A Leafs' extension pass was knocked down and a placement try by Hersey went afoul with Combines carrying the pigskin out to their 7 yard line.
On the next play Des Yearwood intercepted a pass by South Shore's Sid Alcorn and ran it around their unprotected left flank for a touchdown. Hersey's convert was good and completed the afternoon's scoring.
In the dying minutes both teams tried aerial attacks with little success. Gordie Raza carried on most of the Leafs plays and gained yards but time ran out before he could get the ball to paydirt.
Kicks and Punts
The Leafs weren't too happy when the fellow who broadcast the plays over the loud speaker said they were feeding the ball to Raza specially in the last minutes of play so that he could get a touchdown to help him catch up with Cal Green who tops the league scorers. This must have particularly irked Raza who is a team man first. He often asked his coach to warn the players to feed him the ball only when he is in position to do the most with it and not merely as a gamble to boost him in the scoring column . . . No matter what happens in the schedule from now on, NDG will meet St. Aloysius Orfuns in a sudden-death playoff game probably on neutral ground a week from this Saturday . . . Coach Solly Mastro has his crew working out most evenings at Trenholme Park this week, not so much in preparation for the game against the Cavaliers, as for the playoffs . . . The Orfuns beat the Leafs twice by one point, but the Leafs still are confidant that they can take care of the Orfuns . . . Jack Connolly and Jack Stryde missed last Saturday's game because of injury. They probably won't line-up for Saturday's game and save themselves for the playoffs . . . The winner of the Leafs-Orfuns playoff will meet the winners of the Verdun Loop. The one who emerges from this encounter meets the Ontario winner in Montreal and the winner of this playoff in turn meets the winners from the west. . .
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 2, 1950
Junior Grid Final At McGill Stadium Tuesday Eve
NDG Maple Leafs Meet St. Aloysius Sunday
Sudden Death Game Set For Loyola Grounds; Winner Will Meet Verdun at McGill Tuesday
By Bernard Dube
A revengeful NDG Maple Leaf Club, toughened and polished following a half dozen practices in the last ten days, will be out to break a jinx when it tangles with St. Aloysius Orfuns at Loyola College stadium on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they play a sudden-death game to determine the winner of the Quebec Rugby Football Union Junior League, Montreal division.
The winner will oppose the Verdun winner at McGill Stadium Tuesday night under the lights to determine who will meet the junior champions from Ontario in Montreal November 11 for the Eastern Junior Championship of Canada. The Eastern champions will then tangle with their Western opposites November 18 in Montreal or Toronto.
NDG Coach Solly Mastro and his high scoring gents have high hopes of being around when the final game between the east and west champs will be played.
Win By Default
The Leafs completed their regular season schedule without too much effort Sunday when they were awarded the decision over Cartierville Cavaliers by default.
The Leafs had gone on a rampage and humbled the Cavaliers 86-0 in their sole previous encounter this season which might account for the Cavaliers unwillingness to contest this last game.
An executive of the Cartierville club informed Coach Mastro that his team was "riddled with injuries" and could not possibly play unless outside players were brought in. Coach Mastro decided against playing anyway since the game would not have counted because of outside players participating and to prevent any of his Leaf players from being injured in view of the hard contest ahead against St. Aloysius.
Leafs finished in a tie for first place with St. Aloysius who disposed of Rosemount Bombers last week-end. Both teams won eight and lost two to give them 16 points apiece and a four point lead over their closest rivals, South Shore Combines.
Leafs bowed to St. Aloysius by one point margins in their two encounters this season to a account for their only losses. But the slim defeats, resulting both from errors in judgment on the part of Leaf players when otherwise the local club had a clear-cut advantage in play, have had no other use but to aggravate the locals.
Coach Mastro, after putting his players through a tough practice grind, and with Jack Connolly and Jack Stryde who had been on the injury list, reported fit to play, promises a surprise for the Orfuns. Only doubtful starter for the Leafs is hard-driving Nick Temko who injured his shoulder in practice.
Money Troubles
Meanwhile behind the scenes in the Leaf camp, club executives are still plagued by economic difficulties. They need $200 to keep the team from going in the red.
With the sombre prospects of operating the team under similar difficulties next year, Coach Mastro is eyeing an outside park to use for home ground next season. He reports advances made by Lakeshore Flyers of the senior QRFU league to enlist the Leafs as their farm team and have the locals use their Lakeshore park as their home.
Coach Mastro says that unless the club gets money and a suitable park in this district, it will seriously "consider" the Lakeshore offer and probably play there next year.
KICKS AND PUNTS: Because the Leafs did not play Sunday, Gordie Raza was robbed of the leading position in the scoring line-up. In the last game against Cartierville, he notched four touchdowns and could surely have notched at least one in this game which was all he needed to tie with Cal Green who finished with 45 points. Raza finished third with 40 points, one less than Gerry Hecklinger. Fourth in the scoring honors was John Hersey with 37 points. He could also certainly have boosted his record and probably given team-mate Raza a run for his money. Other Leaf players figuring among the ten first scorers are Georgie Meehan and John Harris who both accounted for 25 points and Ron Lamb and Des Yearwood who have 20. Raza scored the most touchdowns (8) in the league and Hersey booted the most converts (20). The Leafs were also way ahead for points scored, 234, during the season, which was 69 more than St. Aloysius their nearest rivals. The Leafs also had the least (26) scored against them compared with St. Aloysius' 67 points against.
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 9, 1950
NDG Finally Defeat Orfuns In Title Game
In a hard fought game that saw two players on each side being thumbed off for battling, a revengeful NDG Maple Leaf Club downed St. Aloysius Orfuns by 10-1 at Loyola grounds Sunday in the deciding contest for the championship of the Montreal section of the Quebec Rugby Football Union
Before an estimated crowd of 3,000, Solly Mastro's Leafs took the advantage in the first quarter when they capitalized on a St. Aloysius fumble which Don McDonald scooped up and ran back 50 yards through an open field.
Bill Wren, handling the kicking spot for John Hersey who was thrown out of the game for fighting with J. McCracken in the early minutes of play, converted to put the Leafs in a comfortable lead.
In the second quarter Orfuns came back with a sustained ground attack and came near to notching a major when they broke through to block Ron Lamb's kick in the Leaf end zone. Dick Rochford, hard driving Orfuns lineman, knocked the ball into the goal zone but Lamb recovered it to keep the score down a single point.
Orfuns hardly threatened after that though they had a strong wind backing them in the third quarter. Leafs notched another
To be continued......
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 9, 1950
NDG Leafs Play Hamilton in Westmount, Saturday
Take QRFU Championship With 36-6 Victory Over Verdun Shamrocks Club
By Bernard Dube
With the Quebec Rugby Football Union championship neatly tucked away by virtue of a 36-6 victory over Verdun Shamrocks at Molson Stadium Tuesday night, the NDG Maple Leaf junior football club looks toward meeting Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the Eastern Canadian title with a confidant eye.
The Tiger-Cats, bristling after copping the Ontario championship with ease, meet an old enemy when they tangle with the Leafs at Westmount Athletic grounds Saturday afternoon. They trounced the Leafs 31-0 in Hamilton exactly one year ago.
But the Leafs that rolled over Verdun Shamrocks this week displayed little sign of fear at prospects of meeting the redoubtable Ontarians.
After a slow start they carried upfield at the five minute mark and capitalized on a 10-yard Shamrocks penalty for roughing, to produce their first major. A short over centre pass to Jack Connolly was followed, on the next play, by a swift 15-yard dash to pay dirt by Bill Wren. John Hersey added a point with an expertly kicked convert.
Minutes later John Harris carried from the Leaf zone to Shamrock ground to set up Ron Lamb for a single.
Early in the second frame, Shamrocks charged back from their 37-yard line to register their sole major with Jack Carruthers carrying deep in the Leaf zone and plunging over the line on the next play. Bill Sheppard converted.
Georgie Meehan took a Shamrock kick and swivel-hipped his way around left end for 25 yards followed by a 15-yard dash by Gordie Raza. Lamb booted one, long and willowy, to Collins behind the Shamrocks goal line. Meehan went in fast and brought down the Verdunite for a rouge.
Shamrocks revived momentarily in the latter part of the second quarter with Jack Carruthers doing some fancy carrying, but their drive was quickly blunted when Don MacDonald intercepted a shovel pass in their zone and went for a major. Hersey notched the convert.
Shamrocks charged back with consistent ground attacks but were stopped cold on the Leafs' three yard line with hard tackles by Jack Stryde, Bill McLeod and Wren. Three Shamrock passes in the last minute of play were incomplete.
Leafs broke loose early in the third quarter with Harris and Meehan doing the carrying. Meehan intercepted a pass on the Shamrocks' 46-yard line and on the next play went for 20 yards. Harris burst through center for another five and carried another five on the next play. Wren covered two yards and Harris again took possession from 14 yards out to run it for a major. Hersey's convert attempt failed.
Shamrocks fought back and carried upfield but Stan Easton knocked down a pass which would have placed them in threatening position. Easton and Bruce Jones stopped another charge moments later with hard tackling.
Late in the third frame Raza took a Shamrock kick and ran...
To be continued
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 9, 1950
Jubilant Leafs Get Confidence In Verdun Win
By Mel James
To hear the boys of the NDG Maple Leafs whooping it up in the McGill Stadium dressing room following the 36-0 victory over Verdun Tuesday, you would have thought they had just beaten Hamilton. . . Stuffing themselves on cokes and sandwiches, the players gained a lot of confidence from the victory. . . that is the players who didn't play in Hamilton last year.
On Saturday at the Westmount Athletic Grounds it will be exactly one year to the day since the Maple Leafs and Tiger-Cats faced each other. Quite a few of the 2,500 in attendance rated the Maple Leaf chances much better than before, and half believe the local lads can come up with an upset.
Some confusion may have reigned over the colour scheme of the uniforms in Tuesday's contest. . .. The Shamrocks were wearing red, while the Leafs were decked in green. To add to the confusion a couple of cheerleaders for the Shams were also dressed in green.
QRFU prexy Reg Watson was one of the first in the Maple Leaf dressing room to congratulate the boys, and Norman Gillespie, the secretary of the league was another. The players kept quiet long enough for the best wishes but then whooped it up again with plenty of chatter being thrown at their favourite coach, Solly Mastro. He grinned from ear to ear when the boys hoisted him to their shoulders following the victory though he seemed a little worried about tumbling off.
Gordie Raza remained his modest self after the 80 yard sprint for a TD in the last quarter. "Bruce Jones gave me a wonderful hole to go through," he grinned, and Bruce grinned in the same manner when congratulated for making it. George Meehan who was also a sprinting star of the game, quietly and quickly undressed in one corner of the room, and is anxious to meet up with the Hamilton club on Saturday. . . Ross "Blimp" McCallum shouted for his wallet as soon as he got in the room because he'd just picked up a phone number of some young lady and wanted to be sure not to lose it.
Pete Brown, the 220, 5 foot six inside Leaf player, carefully removed his sweater over a sore on his chest. . . He drew quite a round of laughs when he hobbled out to the field in the second quarter only to get chased back by the referee until the next play. . . but played a fine game all the way.
There were a number of ex-Maple Leaf players watching the contest. Bill Bastien was on the sticks, while Gordie Noseworthy, Karl Stenskrud, Jeff Adams, Jim Birmingham, Brian Mulvaney and Edgar Mott, the latter, now one of the assistant coaches of the club, were on hand in the local cheering section.
While there was plenty of cheering in the McGill dressing room, it was interesting to note that most of it came from the rookie members of the squad. . . Bill Wren, Bob Swail, Jack Connolly, Bill McLeod, Johnny Harris, Len Jones, and a few other veterans of the last year Hamilton game seemed a little more serious than their new companions; probably thinking that the time to cheer is when Hamilton is beaten from their winning track. And the chance will come Saturday with game time set at 2 p.m.
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 9, 1950
Many Ex-Leafs to See Action in Lakeshore-Westmount Tilt Sunday
By Mel James
When the Lakeshore Flyers invade the Westmount Athletic Grounds on Sunday, to play the Westmount Warriors of the Senior "B" QRFU, they will bring with them a host of ex-NDG players.
Most of these players under the guidance of Bill Davies, former Big Four great and coach of the NDG Maple Leafs last year, played in the Maple Leaf uniform over the past few years.
Both snap positions are held down by NDG Maple Leaf veterans, they being Bert Dunn and Bill Wilkinson, while kicking ace of the squad, Mike Maruska wore the Maple Leaf uniform last year.
Wenty Young, a product of Westmount, who played with the Maple Leafs last year, will team up with his brother Ben on the line, while Jack Cornforth and Brian Mulvaney are both former linemen with the NDG club.
On ends are Bob Ireland and Paul Doyle, also ex-members of last year's Maple Leaf Club, who brought the QRFU Championship back to the NDG fold.
Meanwhile the Westmount Warriors have only a few local lads playing with the squad. On the line is hard driving Gordie Poirier, while in the backfield is fleet-footed Ducky Aird. It will be a big day for the boys of both squads since a Warrior win means the championship without a play-off while a Lakeshore victory will assure them of a play-off game with the Westmounters who are presently holding down first place.
The game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Sunday at Westmount Athletic Grounds.
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 16, 1950
NDG Maple Leafs End Football Season
Hamilton Reputation Causes Local Downfall
Final Drive by Leafs Comes Too Late; Intricacy of Hamilton Plays Impresses
By Bernard Dube
To win, a football team must not only have the prowess but also confidence in its ability to win, lack of the latter was the main contributing factor in NDG Maple Leafs 22-7 defeat at the hands of the powerful Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Westmount Athletic Grounds Saturday afternoon, which eliminated them from further contest in junior football this year.
This came to light as Leaf coach Solly Mastro and local football observers early this week conducted a post-mortem on the Leaf's defeat.
The Leafs appeared overawed at the reputation which had preceded Hamilton into Montreal and showed evidence of this in the first few minutes of the game when they allowed the smooth-working Tiger-Cats machine to walk through them with out much opposition.
The Hamiltonians worked their way deep into Leaf territory with successive running plays and a long forward pass. A short Hamilton kick was fumbled behind the Leaf goal and recovered by Hamilton's Cam Fraser for his team's first major. The convert was good.
Momentary Revival
The Leafs revived momentarily and drove deep in Hamilton territory on consistent ground plays. But Hamilton's hard driving Bill Brady carried 32 yards to midfield and Tiger-Cats drove toward the Leaf goal line on two successive first downs. Brady carried from ten yards out for the major. Harras passed to Howarth for the convert. Minutes later Miksza's kick was caught by Ron Lamb who was roughed for a single, giving the visitor's a 13-0 lead.
With two minutes to go in the first quarter, Leafs peeked out of their daze, forgot momentarily the Tiger-Cats' big press write-ups, and uncorked some of the sparkling drive that gained them four provincial championships in five years.
John Harris and Georgie Meehan carried for two first downs to Hamilton's 51-yard line. Gordie Raza took a hand-off, wiggled through their first blockers and swept around left, sprinted in the open for about 10 yards, then shrugged off two would-be tacklers who had managed to catch up with him and raced unharmed to the Hamilton stripe. Hersey expertly kicked the convert.
40-Yard Run
Hamilton, working with two full and well balanced squads, came back in the second quarter with Bill Brady carrying 40 yards on a reverse end run to set up Frankie Dilks who went over standing up on the next play. Harras converted.
In the third quarter, Leafs came back strong to match the visitors both on offense and defense, but Georgie Meehan who suffered an ankle injury near the end of the first half, was unable to resume playing, and his absence may have meant the difference between merely holding off Hamilton and getting extra points.
After Leafs had surged upfield, Ron Lamb punted from 42 yards and the ball bounced through the end-zone into touch for a single. But Hamilton notched a single a minute later when Gerry Rowntree was rouged on Fraser's kick.
In the last quarter, Leafs kept on the offensive and came near notching a second touchdown when Raza carried through centre for 22 yards and almost broke free in the Hamilton zone. Hamilton's Cam Fraser and Miksza completed the scoring with kicks to Raza and lamb who were rouged.
Tempers Flare
Tempers flared when competition stiffened in the second half and Ross MacCallum and Hamilton's Jack Blaicher were thumbed out of the game. Both teams also bore down in their tackles and Bill Wren, who played hard throughout, was carried off the gridiron with a twisted ankle.
KICKS AND PUNTS: The whole NDG team fought hard and played well they woke up to the realization that Hamilton was just another football team. Had they gone into the game with the same attitude, many think the score would have been much closer. The Leafs had been trounced 22-0 and 31-0 by Hamilton in previous attempts for the Eastern Canada championship. Veterans of these games and others who were around then, did little good by exaggerating when warning the Leaf players of what they were up against. . . . The Leafs completed three of their eight pass attempts while Hamilton completed five out of 12. Hamilton's two squads had an amazing set of intricate plays, the likes of which had not been seen in local competition for years. Len and Bruce Jones, Bill McLeod, Bob Baird, Pete Brown and Bob Byford turned in strong performances for NDG along with Stan Easton. . . . the boys only wish they could have a return match with the Tiger-Cats.
Article from “Hamilton Spectator” November 13, 1950
Hamilton Kids Nail 22-7 Win In Rough Tilt
By Donny Harvey
"Get this one for Smut." was the battle cry in the Junior Tiger-Cat dressing room in Montreal Saturday afternoon and two hours later Fred "Smut" Veale, celebrating his fifty-first birthday, had the nicest present a football coach could ask for.
The Tee-Cees gave the popular mentor his third straight Eastern Canada age-limit football title by swamping Montreal Notre Dame de Grace, 22-7, in frigid weather at the Westmount Athletic Grounds.
Striking for two majors in the initial quarter, the locals had little trouble with their heavier opponents in a game that was featured by rough play.
Four Players Ejected
Four players, two from each club, were thrown out of the game, two for the final minutes of the first half and two in the final minute of the game. Pete McIntyre and Jack Blaicher were the Hamilton players who received the penalties.
The NDG Maple Leafs threw fists, elbows and knees all afternoon and the Tiger-Cats were resplendent with bruises after the game. It goes without saying that the Hamilton youngsters retaliated and several full-scale battles almost resulted.
A large portion of the 1,500 fans in attendance were cheering for the Hamilton club right from the start. Supporters of other teams from Montreal and district had come out hoping to see the Maple Leafs beaten as their rough tactics had won the disfavour of the spectators early in the season.
Await Western Final
The Tiger-Cats are now awaiting the outcome of the Western Canada final which is being played in Winnipeg Tuesday night between Winnipeg Light Infantry and Vancouver Blue Bombers. The survivors will come east for the Dominion final next Saturday.
Figures compiled by frozen fingers gave Tiger-Cats a big 19-7 edge on first downs. They had a tremendous margin in the first half as they held Montreal to negligible gains. The only Notre Dame major came late in the initial quarter on a sensational 55-yard run by diminutive Gordie Raza. The Tabbies led, 13-6 at quarter time, increased their margin, 19-6, at the half and were sitting on a 20-7 bulge at the start of the final quarter.
Many Fumbles
On two occasions in the first half, Hamilton fumbled when only five yards away from a major score. The Montreal squad also had their share of miscues in the below freezing temperatures, the first Tiger-Cat major resulting from a fumble.
Halfbacks Bill Brady and Frankie Dilks and quarterback Oddie Harras turned in brilliant efforts for the winners. The latter called a terrific game and paved the way for two of the touchdowns with his fine passing. Hamilton also held a big edge in the kicking department as Cam Fraser and Ches Miksza gained ground on almost every exchange, even when kicking against the wind.
Fraser Scores Major
Hamilton started a drive in the opening minutes to push deep into Montreal territory. They finally bogged down and Fraser got away a short but high kick which was fumbled just inside the Notre Dame goal line. Fraser raced in to grab the oval as it bounced into the air. Harras kicked the extra point.
Minutes later. Jack Sanderson burst through centre and picked up 40 yards before being pulled down. Then came one of the prettiest plays of the game as Dilks threw a long pass to Fraser on an extension play. The Tiger-Cat end went up between two rival players and made a sensational grab, ploughing to the three-yard stripe before he was halted. Brady went over standing up on the second play. Harras again made the convert.
Chet Miksza booted a singleton to give Hamilton a 13-0 lead but Raza put the homesters back in the game with a brilliant run through the entire Hamilton club for a try which was converted by John Hersey.
Brady, Dilks Combine
Early in the second frame, Brady sprinted around the end for 30 yards to the one-yard line. Dilks carried over and Harras converted.
Two more drives to the five-yard line went for nought as the Leafs picked up a couple of Hamilton fumbles.
Ron Lamb kicked a point for Notre Dame early in the third quarter but Cam Fraser nullified it with a long boot in the same frame. Both points were set up by fumbles.
Fists Fly
Oddie Harras was roughed up badly in the final frame and fists flew momentarily before the officials got things under control. An enraged Hamilton team then rolled from its own end to the Montreal three-yard line but a holding penalty wiped out a 15-yard jaunt by Dilks and set the Cats back to the 25. Cam Fraser kicked a point and Miksza added another late in the frame.
Jack Sanderson, Gordie Deckert, Cec Szczesniak and Ron Lewington also played well in the Hamilton backfield while upfront, John Miso, George Menicasin, Bobbie Howarth, Bill Cooper, Pete McIntyre, Don Dunn and Jim Havers stood out.
The Teams
Hamilton - Flying wing, Deckert; backs, Brady, Dilks, Sanderson, quarterback, Harras; centre, Havers; insides, Masi, Miso; middles, Cooper, Menicasin; outsides, Howart, Fraser; alternates, Patton, Dunn, Szczemiak, Kosakowski, Lewington, Martinello, Blaicher, Miksza, Charuk, Kinder, Bell, McIntyre.
Montreal - Flying wing, McDonald; backs, Meehan, Wren, Harris; quarterback, Lamb; centre, L.. Jones; insides, McCallum, McLeod; middles, Melvin, Hersey; outsides, Connolly, Stryde; alternates, Baird, Byford, Dowie, Easton, B. Jones, Levi, McTear, Shepard, Raza, Rountree, Yearwood, Brown.
Officials - Referee, Ross, Montreal; umpire, Lamont, Toronto; head linesman, Quigg, Toronto.
Article from “NDG Monitor” November 23, 1950
NDG Maple Leafs Debate Playing At Lakeshore
By Bernard Dube
Solly Mastro, the husky, quiet, unassuming little man who led ill-equipped and support-lacking NDG Maple Leaf teams to four junior Quebec Rugby Football Union championships in the last five years, says it's mainly up to the local public whether the NDG Club will operate out of this district next fall.
With a minimum budget of $2,000 required to operate next fall, Mastro says his club has two likely choices: to raise the funds or else seek support from the QRFU senior champs, Lakeshore Flyers, and in return operate as it's farm team in Lakeshore.
A meeting will be held in St. Augustine's Church hall at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, to consider the first choice.
Since the Leafs closed their season's activities with a valiant display against the powerful Hamilton Tiger-Cats two weeks ago, Mastro says he has been approached by a few persons who have offered to help raise funds.
In view of this, a committee of about 25 will be formed at next week's meeting to begin immediately a district-wide canvass. Anyone interested in helping out "is cordially invited and assured of a warm welcome," club executives say. "To meet the standards of a club like the Tiger-Cats, we need organization and we need it quickly," they add.
Meanwhile, with receipts from the club's last two games still to come in, the club expects to "just about break even," this year.
However, club executives had hoped that some funds would be left over, not only to help things off to a good start next year, but to give players each a windbreaker and a much-deserved banquet to celebrate their copping the district and provincial championships.
About 18 of this year's team are still eligible to play next fall. And several promising young players from local high schools have applied for a berth with the club, Mastro reports.
With such enthusiasm among local young athletes, he says it would be a shame to have to fold the club. If needed funds are raised, the club will operate out of a local park or football ground and training will start in the early part of the summer. "If we operate, we'll be as tough competition as ever," Mastro promises.
The Leafs have been in a poor financial condition since they began operations this summer. Forced to play most of their home games at Trenholme Park where, because it is city property, admittance could not be charged and where a collection among spectators hardly proved worth the trouble, players had to play with poor equipment, most of which was second hand and badly in need of repair.
Some help was received from local merchants and individual supporters and a drawing sponsored by the club also contributed. But this was not enough to put the team in easy circumstances.
The Winners
Winners of the drawing were announced this week: First prize, Mrs. S.M. Shepherd, 5748 Trans Island Avenue; Second prize, Gerry Little, 1720 Dorchester St. W.; Third prize, Marion Starnine, 2215 Oxford Avenue; Fourth prize, A. Huot; Fifth prize, C. Naylor, Park Row East.
Mastro says he wishes to thank those who helped the team this year and especially Frank Bowers, who cared for the team's equipment; Bill Ingham, trainer; Jack McKenna, manager and Eddie Walsh his assistant, assistant coaches Edgar Mott and Ernie Gray; and Charley Johnson, secretary.
Mastro, a salesman with Hodge Brothers, began an active football career with a Catholic High School team. He played three years with Eastward Juniors and four years in Big Four competition with Montreal Bulldogs. While serving in the Navy during the Second World War, he played on Navy teams in Montreal and Halifax.
Article from “NDG Monitor” January 18, 1951
NDG Maple Leafs to be Honoured at Football Banquet Monday
By Bernard Dube
Players and Executives of the NDG Maple Leafs will be presented with 3 trophies at a gathering Monday night at the Royal Montreal Regiment Armory sponsored by the QRFU to honour this year's junior and senior champs.
The mighty Leafs, who copped the junior championship in flashing style last fall will be handed back the Pat Lynch and Bunny Sabbath trophies which they have won four out of the last five seasons as junior champions.
They will also receive the Leo Dandurand Trophy, emblematic of provincial junior supremacy. This trophy is being presented for the first time.
Senior Champs, Lakeshore Flyers will be officially presented with the coveted Dunville Trophy and Major Forbes Pewter Mug.
Besides the two championship teams, all clubs in both junior and senior leagues last season are expected to send two representatives. The Verdun Junior Football League which returned to the QRFU fold last fall will also be represented.
Leading football personalities, newspaper sports writers and civic officials have been invited to attend.
Successful Season
The event will mark the completion of one of the most successful seasons enjoyed by the QRFU in the 68 years it has operated. The event is scheduled to start at 8:15pm. Following speeches and presentations, refreshments and entertainment will be provided.
Coach Solly Mastro said he hoped to have specially tailored windbreakers ready for the occasion to be presented to each of his players along with the regular QRFU crests, but that unfortunately the windbreakers will not be delivered for some time yet.
It was learned that a recent raffle held in aid of the NDG club had promoted $400. Part of this amount will go to pay for the windbreakers which each player will be asked to contribute $3.00 each.
Plan Meeting
Mastro said plans were afoot to stage a meeting of NDG Maple Leaf supporters next month with an eye towards staging another campaign for funds. The club needs $2,000 to operate out of NDG next fall. Failure to get needed finances would force the Leafs to join up with a senior league club which could sponsor them. In this case, Lakeshore Flyers are the likeliest prospects.
However, Mastro has high hopes that the needed money will be raised and that the Leafs will operate as they have done in the past, out of Trenholme Park.
He expects to have 18 of the 27 players which formed his championship squad last fall out again this year. And to fill in positions left vacant, he says there will be many upcoming young football stars to choose from so that the Leafs will again be a threatening aggregation in junior football circles next fall.
He plans to start his training program in August.
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