History of the A's

Dedication...Young and Old

THROUGH THE SPORTS GATE 

by Jack Gatecliff 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Friday August 10, 1962 

“The Juveniles And Jack” 

It has been 12 years since a St. Catharines team last won the Minto Cup, emblematic of Canadian junior lacrosse supremacy. Providing funds can be found to keep this series alive, it shouldn’t be that many years before another group of St. Catharines players pick up junior medals. 

The team referred to is currently playing juvenile under the direction of Pete Conradi. This is as fine a minor lacrosse team as has played here in many a day and their record of 11 straight wins, invariably by one-sided scores, proves that they have an exceptional future in the higher grades. 

We asked Pete when he thought his juvenile club would be ready to step into junior (St. Catharines is without a junior team for the first time in six years). “I’d like to make a try for junior next summer,” he answered. “We might loose a few games but by 1964 I can’t see any club stopping us.” 

And he said it not boastfully, but with firm conviction. 

“Right now they can’t wait to play the next game,” says Conradi. “If they can retain that exuberance for at least two more years they should be able to get the job done in junior just as easily as they are winning now in juvenile.” 

The juvenile Athletics of 1962 are almost a throwback to local lacrosse teams in the thirties, forties and early fifties. They play a running, exciting game, something seen on too few occasions recently in senior. 

But the most appealing part of this club is that they obviously enjoy what they are doing, none of the now-prevalent pleading required by coaches to get a full team for out-of-town trips. Rather than playing lacrosse when there’s nothing better to do, they give up other activities to play. 

If some of this dedication could be rubbed off on the senior teams in the province (and we omit from that statement the seven or eight players with each club who can always be counted on to turn out every game by their coach) the highest series in the province might regain many of its lost fans. 

*  *  *  *

Speaking of dedication, one player with plenty of that ingredient with the Athletics this year is Jack Timlock. 

It would be stretching the truth to say that the former St. Catharines policeman is among the more talented players in senior. In fact he was crowding the 30 mark when he finally broke into senior lacrosse. 

After a couple of years in junior as a defenseman around 1944 and 1945, Jack gave up the game for a while, then tried out unsuccessfully for the senior A’s for a half dozen years. 

Finally in desperation he turned out for goal. “I don’t care how often I play, I’d just like to be with the team,” he told the coaches at that time. 

It’s pretty difficult discouraging anyone with that much desire, so Timlock was allowed “to be with the team” as a spare goaltender, and when the ranks were depleted, as a forward or defenseman. 

Two years ago as a goaltender, he won the most popular player award with the St. Catharines Athletics. 

Last year Bob McCready returned from a sensational junior season with Whitby, was promptly named the first string netminder, and with Justin Howe filling in as spare there was, once again, no room for Timlock. 

He promptly obtained his release and turned out for the ill-fated Niagara Falls Scobies. The Falls won few games last season but Timlock was one of their bright spots both on defence and in goal. 

The Falls folded after that one year in senior and one of the first out for the St. Catharines club this spring was the indefatigable Mr. Timlock. “Some guys seem to get tired playing lacrosse when they’re not long out of their teens. I missed a few years so I’ve still got some catching up to do,” said Jack who admits that he’s “35 going on 40.” 

McCready is still playing sound goal so Jack turned out for defence. Not only has he been one of the players who is on hand for every game, home and away, but he has also been something of a scoring sensation. 

The limited OLA statistics don’t list his scoring marks but we’d hazard the guess he has counted at least a dozen goals this season and has picked up a like number of assists. Not a bad record for a 200 pound defenseman-turned goaltender-turned defenseman. 

His latest exploit was last Friday night when Port Credit Sailors arrived without a goaltender. 

The Athletics, for once, had a full compliment of players, so who volunteered to go into the nets for the opposition? 

You guessed it, Jack Timlock. 

And he didn’t just fill a Port Credit uniform either. When Jack Timlock plays, he goes all the way whether he’s with or against his regular club. So well did he play in fact that the Sailors edged the Athletics 12 – 11 and it was Jack who came up with the key saves when the A’s threatened late in the game. 

Many have said that lacrosse has outlived its usefulness. Many players have to be coerced into putting on uniforms. Others play a few games, then disappear for weeks without even bothering to inform the management of what their pet peeve happens to be. 

But when there’s men like Timlock…and a few others…still giving with the big effort, it would take a strong man to blow the whistle on senior lacrosse in this and other centres still fielding a club. 

Tonight the Brampton Excelsiors, the league leaders, are in town. Chances are Jack will be playing for the Athletics. However, if he isn’t, don’t be too surprised if he’s in a Brampton uniform. Or if the referee doesn’t show up, who knows…he might be in a striped jersey and blowing a whistle. 

Jack Timlock

photo by Don Sinclair, St. Catharines Standard

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