Islanders nip Junior B Lions

 

 “I knew if I surrounded myself with some good coaching talent, we could turn it around. It took us about a month, but we did it,” said  head coach, Mark Evans at the  Morrisburg Junior B wrap-up banquet on Saturday, March 22. “We are looking forward to next year. There are people approaching us and that makes me damn proud.”

“I want to thank Shawn and Dave for their input. I think we are a great team and I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” said Evans as he thanked his coaching staff.

Evans, who started the year as an assistant coach, took over as head coach in November with the team holding a dismal one-win record in 14 games. He then put together a coaching team that included assistants Shawn Blanchard and Dave Veenstra and trainer Dale Lewis. It was an uphill battle from there, but the coaching staff, management and players hung tough, worked on their game plan and by the end of the season were holding their own.

At the banquet, the management and coaching staff, made it clear how proud they were of all of the players for taking it to the end.

This year the team came under the new ownership of Kevin Casselman, Rick Gilmer, Gary Brownlee and Dale Lewis. Speaking on behalf of the management, Kevin Casselman thanked all of the volunteers who helped with everything from music, to timekeeping to fundraising. Volunteers with the team included Jason broad, Jack Bjergso, Chris Harrington, Tracey and Chris Mabo, Rosann Brownlee, Patti Laframboise, Paige Morris, Erein Gilmer, Marilyn Crabtree. Lois Casselman, Bonnie Barkley, Brenda Stitt and Lisa Whelan. 

PIctured is retiring team captain Drew Veenstra with Lions coach Mark Evans. Veenstra was named the team's MVP.

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For the second consecutive year, golfers Jamie Scott and Brian McNairn have won the Legion District Golf Championship and will represent Morrisburg Legion Branch 48 at the provincial championship. Scott and McNairn shot a two-under-par […]

 

Cedar Glen golfer, Kurtis Barkley shot a one under par 69 here Saturday, to successfully defend his Morrisburg Men’s Open title for the fourth consecutive year.

The 24 year old, Williamsburg golfer, who this year is playing out of both Cedar Glen and Upper Canada, recently qualified in the Chase the Dream event with a three-over-par 75 shot at Upper Canada.

At the qualifier he wasn’t satisfied with his putting, so he has since changed to a belly putter, and the results showed up in the 69 he shot at Morrisburg, on Saturday.

The Morrisburg course is experiencing major issues with several greens which made Saturday’s putting difficult for the 63 golfers.

“I had 31 putts today, which is below my average,” said Barkley who opened his round with a pair of bogies. Although the par five first hole is one of the troubled Morrisburg greens, Barkley said he couldn’t fault the green for the opening six. “It was actually a one-putt bogie,” he said with a laugh. The bogie four on the par three second hole, also not in good condition, was, however, the result of a three putt.

After that the talented young golfer charged back with three consecutive birdies to go to one under and that’s how he finished it on the front, with a one under 34.

On the back, Barkley stayed at one under until a three putt on the par five 15th pushed him to even.

He got the stroke back with a birdie on the par three 17th and finished the round at 69 for his fourth consecutive championship.

Next up in the 19-player A flight was Rob Kimmerly (Prescott) with a 73. Upper Canada golfer, Lance Lepage was third with a 74 and Matt Rochon was next at 75.

Morrisburg’s Kevin Duvall shot a 76 which gave him the A field’s low net with a 67, and Dave Saunders (Brockville) was next with a 77. The final two golfers to break 80, in A flight, were Peter Gilder (Brockville) and Brett Corlyon (Cornwall) with 79s.

Sixty-three golfers competed in three flights in this year’s men’s open.

The top shooter in B flight, for the second consecutive year, was Lee Beaupre (Morrisburg) with a 77. Last year Beaupre shot a 78 to tie for the top B flight position but lost in a playoff.

This year he took the title by a single stroke over Bruce Perrin of Prescott. The two were the only B flight shooters to break 80.

Coming in with an 80 for third place was Scott Hodgson of Morrisburg. Eric Wemerman, Morrisburg and Randy Mullin, Iroquois were next with 81s. Wemerman’s 81 gave him a net score of 63 for the flight’s low net win.

Greg Millard (Morrisburg) and Allan McNairn (Upper Canada) were next up, tied with 83s.

For the second consecutive year, a playoff was required to determine the C flight winner. Jason Broad and Dan McLelland, both of Morrisburg, shot 87s for the tie and the latter took the win in sudden death play.

Doug Warner (Morrisburg) was next up with an 88 and after that, the scores went into the 90s with Sean Boulerice and Steve Boucher (both Morrisburg) tied with 91s.

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