1920 jr champs

With several local senior players still under Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association bans for their sins of "professionalism", it fell upon a sprightly bunch of juniors in the summer of 1920 to resurrect our old neglected national pastime in the Garden City. The "Great War" was now better than a year into the past…the tragedy of more than 60,000 young Canadian lives vanishing on some muddy battlefield in France or in Belgium…and others returning home with missing limbs or sight or spirit…a huge scar on an entire generation. Maybe now was the time to bring back some of our lost innocence, some of our old passions and joys, anything at all from a simpler time.

The "City Lacrosse League" of St. Catharines brought to life a new generation of lacrossists, kids that were born just a little too late to really understand far-away places like Passchendaele or Ypres or Vimy Ridge, but not too young to somehow understand the heroes of earlier days…when victory meant the tally on a scoreboard, and the vanquished would return on another sun-filled day to run again.

People began returning to the tree-lined lacrosse grounds and strained to see the ghosts of "Shooty" Richardson or "Sleepy" Harris, of "Zip" Carlisle or maybe even the Downey brothers, "Tricky" and "Tod"…bygone legends of summers remembered. But what they found on this field of lost dreams would seem almost as good. Yes, the old game was back. Carrying the torch were some lads that represented the not-so-far-flung corners of this city…the green-shirted Western Hill boys from across the Burgoyne Bridge, the downtown Lyceums dressed in their purple and white uniforms, and the pride of St. Patrick's Ward…the Young Athletics in their familiar light and dark blue.

The new season opened on a Friday evening in late May and The St. Catharines Standard would report, "Before a large crowd which was frequently carried to its tip-toes in the throes of excitement, the city lacrosse league had a most auspicious opening." The Young Athletics triumphed on that spring evening by a 5 to 3 count over West St. Catharines and the daily would describe it as "a grand match and full of fever-heat interest from start to finish."

The Lyceums and the Young Athletics would be the true contenders for the city honours…Lyceums with all their raw speed and stamina to offset the greater experience and stick-wizardry of the A's…and a month into the season the teams would be deadlocked in the standings with identical 4W - 2L records.

As for the westies, the boys from West St. Catharines struggled with just one win in their first six games and in a game scheduled for June 30th, the Western Hillers virtually conceited the entire season by playing some well-known over-age players including goaltender Johnny Cunningham and "Ducky" Sweitzer at inside home. This decision was actually made by the players themselves…"Captain "Red" Millar (the coach) strongly opposed the move, which was settled in the green shirts dugout by a straw vote among the players, only one it is understood, standing pat for a straight regular team." West St. Catharines would play out the schedule with their seniors in the line-up, and all the games would be recorded as forfeits.

But the question of over-age players may not have been limited to the Westerners. Rumours regarding certain members of the Young Athletics were partially confirmed just a couple of weeks later when The Standard reported…"The arrival of certain documents from the attorney-general's office at Toronto, which had to do with a vital statistic dating back about twenty-two years ago, led President Anderson to exercise his authority and cancel the playing certificate of Harry Lee, the sterling cover point of the Athletics, and as a result the followers of the light and dark blue had an old-fashioned conniption fit as they rightly judged that the benching of Lee would put one large crimp in their championship chances."

But the team's loyal supporters need not worry…Johnny Phipps was returning from an injury and he would certainly excel at Lee's old defensive position. And the A's even had another ace up their sleeve with their knowledge of the age of one of Lyceums' own star players, a fact that they kept secret until such time as it could be used to full advantage. Questions about Art Kinghorn's age, a Cornwall native who had played senior in Niagara Falls, was disclaimed by the team and the local paper reported that "the Lyceums maintained a high regard for the rules, stating that the regulations of their little league did not prevent Kinghorn from playing." But after the Young Athletics recorded a 4 to 2 victory on Friday July 29th to clinch the City League championship, the news was finally revealed…"For three weeks the Young Athletics management have had possession of Kinghorn's birth certificate showing that he is considerably overage, but have said nothing and have played against him without making the knowledge public. Now that they have won the championship without having made use of this weapon, they have no reason to keep silent any longer."

With the Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association junior play-downs more than a month away, the Young Athletics were rebuilt as a City League all-star squad. The Lyceums' goaltender "Dutch" Harris, defensive star Percy Oille and home player McIntosh came to the blues along with defense stalwart Vince O' Brien and speedy Ernie Lounsbury from the Western Hill boys, and they would all augment the A's core line-up of Omey Haynes and John Phipps at point and cover point, Harry Bennett at center plus Art Brookland and Orland Milligan at outside and inside home.

By late August the boys were practicing nightly in preparation for their opening playoff game scheduled for Saturday September 11th against the Maitlands of Toronto. The Maitlands came to town with an Ontario playoff decision already to their credit (over Bradford), and featured Lionel "Big Train" Conacher, a future multi-sport legend of near mythical proportions. The first match went to the A's by an 11 to 7 score and a week later the team traveled by boat to the grounds at Cottingham Square with a four-goal lead on the two-game goals-to-count series. But in Toronto, the boys had a hard time corralling the "Big Train" as the Maitlands opened up an early 5 to 0 lead before winning by 8 to 4 and tying the series at fifteen goals each. "The Young Athletics played the Maitlands off their feet right on their home grounds with the exception of seven minutes in the first quarter, during which period the Maitlands tallied five goals, Conacher, the huge home player running in four of the five."

The management of the A's offered the Maitlands $150 to play the deciding game in St. Catharines but the Toronto team refused. The O. A. L. A. then ordered the game to be played at neutral site Brampton on the following Saturday. With Conacher opting to play rugby in Hamilton on the day, the Young Athletics registered a relatively easy 9 to 2 with about 100 St. Kitts supporters joining the team. "The boys along with their following left the city by motor, trucks and single cars totaling a parade of about a dozen." This was the second game for the Young Athletics with future hall-of-famer Billy Hope, the regular-season coach of the Lyceums, at the helm. Why coach Art MacGlashan stepped aside was never explained in the local newspaper.

Next up for the A's was the team from Weston and the management tried to explain the big increase in ticket prices. "Owing to the fact that the Ontario Association take ten per cent of all semi-final and final games, and the city getting fifteen per cent along with eight per cent War tax and the fifty dollars the locals offered Weston to come here, the management have decided to raise the admission fee to thirty-five cents." But this didn't deter any of the interest as The Standard would advise, "If the advance sale is any indication, there will be a bumper crowd so procure your tickets early and avoid the delay at the gate."

The game went off on Saturday October 2nd before the bumper crowd as advertised. The Toronto Mail and Empire would write, "Three thousand people at a junior game on an October day is certainly indications that the game of lacrosse is far from dead in St. Catharines." What the fans witnessed that day would be discussed for decades to come…35 goals scored by a local field lacrosse team in one game. The St. Catharines Standard - "It is natural for fans who did not see the game to say, 'poor game, too one-sided.' One-sided it was; but it was far from being a poor game. It was the most wonderfully extraordinary performance and may never be seen again…When the crowd began to see there was a chance for a record they became hilarious in their applause and cries for still more goals." The paper called it a record and compared it to the 27 goals that the senior Athletics scored against the professional Toronto Chippewas in 1905 and the 31 tallies the same senior team recorded against the Eatons of Toronto in 1911. Even old-time Athletic player George Parke would proclaim, "To my mind, they have it over any team this town ever turned out, and that is saying something. They're the most wonderful bunch of boys I've ever seen. There's no selfishness among them; no one appears to look for individual honors, it's team work and combination. Our old home players never pulled off such snappy stuff that these boys do; they've got speed and stamina. The defense is exceptionally good. Bennett, Brookland and O' Brien are a great trio of stick handlers. The passing of the team is in a class all by itself."

After the 35 to 2 triumph, the Westonites well reasoned that the thirty-three goal deficit would be too much to overcome and cancelled the return match planned for the following Saturday. This allowed the Ontario junior finals to be opened up a week later against the champions of the northern and western districts, the Hanover Mount Royals. The Toronto Star would report, "Herb Henning and his pets from Hanover will travel to St. Catharines for the first of the final junior games on Saturday. The Garden City lads are touted as favourites for the championship but this does not phase the Hanoverites, who thus far this season have shown a good road team. They'll have to be in the pink on Saturday to keep the tally sheet down to a reasonable total, if the St. Kitts boys keep up the pace of last week against Weston."

The A's moved their nightly practices into the Lake Street armory in preparation for the big series. There was some concern about the status of Ernie Lounsbury after he took a "butt end of the stick in the abdomen" in the Weston game. The Standard would report on Friday, "Many local fans will regret to hear that Lounsbury, the clever little home fielder, has been in his bed since last Saturday's game as the result of an injury he received." But the game speedster from Western Hill was in uniform at the grounds at 2:30 the next afternoon when referee Len Smith of Toronto called both teams to center field and gave a short sermon "as to the imperative necessity of a clean game."

From the opening faceoff, the A's went to the attack and Percy Oille collected the first goal in 90 seconds. A short time later center Harry Bennett scored and then Orland Milligan pushed in two more from his inside home position. The double blues would go on to take the opening game of the finals by a convincing score of 21 to 2. The Standard - "Lounsbury who was in the bed all week played one of his usual brilliant games. He and Vince O' Brien did a tremendous amount of fielding, the latter scoring several beautiful goals. Harry Bennett was just as effective as ever at center and never tired. Oille was all over the field and took a hand in the scoring. Phipps was as solid as a rock at cover point and used the body effectively. In fact every member of the team was himself and tried every minute."

The boys traveled to Hanover by the Grand Trunk Railway for the return match scheduled for the following Wednesday afternoon, and with a nineteen-goal advantage, the ultimate title seemed in little doubt. The A's went onto the field and were surprised to see some new faces in the Hanover uniforms. "Of the five new men on the Hanover team, four were ringers and from their actions, were there to bull doze or batter the little Saints into submission," wrote The Standard. "Among the ringers were two men from Markdale and one from Durham who were over age and should have been in the senior class."

The game was rough and tough, and would go to Hanover by a score of 6 to 5. The A's Dr. Chapman would provide The Standard his own views of the match, "at times they were positively brutal and the better people of the town openly disapproved of it…and I had difficulty in getting on the field to look after two of our boys who required surgical attention. Referee Smith was incompetent. He appeared to be afraid of the crowd. It was well for our lads that they had the big lead."

The battered and bruised champions returned home the next day and arrived at the St. Catharines train station a 6 o'clock, the city's first champions since 1914. The old town turned out in force to welcome home their own native sons as it had so many times before. This train station had been the focal point of so many lacrosse celebrations in happy days of old, and it also played as the tear-filled backdrop of more recent journeys to or from a war in a far distant place.

The train rolled in…the band began to play…the people cheered...and some cried without even knowing why…

"We raise peaches and lacrosse players," declared one of the streamers in last night's big procession. "And the best varieties on both" might very appropriately have been added.

It was an enthusiastic multitude that welcomed home the conquering heroes of the Young Athletics lacrosse team, junior champions of the O. A. L. A. The station yard was practically blocked with autos, the platform was one huge wedge of people, and when the train pulled in, the cheering was tumultuous.

After the boys had had their hands almost shaken off, they were escorted to automobiles, a procession was formed and with fireworks blazing merrily, the 19th regiment band playing gaily, away they went to parade the principal streets of the city.

The Western Hill folks were out to the last man and the very last youngster, and the welcome they received over there must have warmed the cockles of the hearts of the champions.

Arriving at St. Paul street square, the procession halted. Owing to the unavoidable absence of His Worship Mayor Lovelace, Ald. Riffer, acting-mayor said a few words of hearty welcome to the Athletics. "During the past years, it has been the privilege of St. Catharines to welcome home her soldier sons from Europe's battlefields; today it was a privilege to welcome home her heroes from another battleground, upon the field of sport. And as our soldiers had gallantly and gloriously upheld the honor of our country, so had our athletes upheld the fair fame of our city." St. Catharines tendered to the Young Athletics thanks and congratulations; the city was proud of them. He tendered a cordial invitation to every one of the players to be guest at the banquet at the Welland.

Then Ald. Riffer called for three cheers for the Young Athletics, and these and a "tiger" were given with will.

Then the procession went on its way, greeted by cheering citizens. The boys of the team were naturally proud of the reception accorded them, and like real heroes were very modest in speaking of their achievements. Some of the lads carried bruises as the result of the fray at Hanover, but this was good-humouredly referred to as "all in the day's work."

At the banquet the players were also given an enthusiastic reception and welcomed by President Graves on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, who said he had been a player and in the Athletics years ago, the city had many champions but never of the class of the present ones.

The reply was given by Henry Day, Secretary of the Club, who created a ripple of laughter by his very emphatic statement that in his opinion the Chamber of Commerce occupied a secondary position to lacrosse, which made known St. Catharines to the outside world when there was no such organization in the city.

At the request of Mr. Day, the team was excused before the lecture of the evening as they were tired after their two and a half-day trip and strenuous game. The head of player McIntosh was entered as an exhibit and he was referred to as the wearer of the white cross, the cross being made of plaster and bandages. McIntosh now attends school in Toronto, but arrived home for the evening to attend the reception.

This story is dedicated to the memory of the Canadian 10th Battery from St. Catharines who endured the initial chlorine gas attacks at the second battle of Ypres in April 1915. And to Lance Corporal Fred Fisher of St. Catharines, a member of the Royal Highland Regiment, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his role in the same battle.