Junior C Lions lose season home opener to Embrun Panthers

 “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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The last putts have been made on the weekly ladies and men’s nights at the Morrisburg Golf Club, to end a good season for both.

The ladies got their final wrap-up tournament played on the last full day of summer on Saturday, a day that was certainly making way for autumn.

The rains arrived just as the ladies teed off at 11 a.m. and continued throughout play, but says ladies club captain Monique Patenaude . it did not deter the players. They all completed their 18 holes  and we finished our year with a wonderful turkey dinner.

Fifty golfers participated in Saturday’s final ladies scramble, and for the second consecutive year the team of Lori-Anne Davies, Shannon Casselman and Judy Laurin (minus Stephenie Cochrane this year) won the “bragging trophy”. This year they earned the right to “brag” with a two under par 70.

Patenaude thanked the day’s sponsors who were Jim Annable/Chevron Construction and Dave Cassell/Strader Motor Sales.

“We have to thank all of our ladies night sponsors who were so very generous,” says Patenaude. “And also, many thanks to all the players who made our ladies nights so successful.”

This year’s ladies nights averaged 48 participants.  Winner of a free membership for 2014 was Gisele Hooles and the ZMAX pull cart was won by Susan Whyte.

The final ladies evening play was completed last Wednesday, September 18 with 48 golfers participating. The highlight of the evening was the “Price is Right” game with Bobette Barker (aka Monique Patenaude). 

The men held their men’s night finale tournament on Saturday, September 14 with 64 golfers participating.

Blake Barry was the 18-hole A low gross winner with a 75, Larry Cooper won B flight with an 85 (retro) and Garry O’Neill won C flight with a 91.  Net winners were Lee Beaupre in A flight, Allan Patterson in B flight and Pietre Ozinga in C flight.

Winners selected their prizes from a final prize table valued at $3,500.

Picking up prizes for the closest to the pin shots on the par threes were Ron Lapier #2 and #8, Blake Barry #5, Allan Patterson #11, Donald Black #14 and Dave McClenaghan #17. 

In addition a draw was made for a Morrisburg Golf Club 2014 membership and that was won by Dave McClenaghan.

Also wrapping up was the season-long men’s night team event. Participants paid an entry at the start of the season and those participants were then divided into four teams (nine players per team) whose scores were tracked each week.

At the end of the final men’s night on September 12, two teams were tied, so the back nine of the final Saturday, September 14 tournament was put to use to end the deadlock. That didn’t do the trick and so a rep from each team was selected to putt on behalf of their team.

Representing their teams were Blake Barry and Lee Beaupre, upon whose shoulders was place the weight of the entire summer golfing season. Both lined up at the front of the ninth green to place their putt closest to the hole. Barry came to within 12 inches and Beaupre got to within six for the win.

The winning team consisted of Beaupre, Bryan Cochrane, Larry Gallinger, Barry Henderson, Andy Patenaude, Scott Robinson, Derek Thain, Eric Wemerman and Danny Youmelle.

Finishing second were Wally Baker, Blake Barry, Donnie Mabo, Mick Mabo, Dave McClenaghan, Pieter Ozinga, Bruce St. John, Jim Tuttle and Bob Youmelle.

Club captain Andy Patenaude, said the 2013 men’s nights were extremely successful, and he thanked the many evening sponsors.

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Last week the Morrisburg Curling Club had three ladies’ teams in a Cornwall   bonspiel. 

Our first, composed of Ruth Kelly, Anita Cooper, Cheryl Thompson and Kathy Hardy, played in the early draw. Their opponents were Alexandria in the morning and Brockville in the afternoon. The ice took some getting used to, but they played well, unfortunately coming up short in both matches, against the curlers who finished first and second overall in the bonspiel.

Our other quartet in the early draw included Alice Thompson, Susan McIntosh, Betty Locke and Sharon Van Allen. They dropped their first match to Vankleek Hill, but won handily against Maxville. While they didn’t finish in the top two for the day, Betty and Sharon won prizes.

Greta McGann, Joanne Baker and Paula and Claire Locke were in the late draw. Their morning game was against Brownsburg. It was a good match, but the other team pulled out the win. In the afternoon, their opponents were from Brockville, and they fell to our local curlers.

Richmond hosted a bonspiel two days later. Alice Thompson, Susan McIntosh, Betty Locke and Sharon Van Allen lost their morning match to Pembroke, and they beat a Navy team in the afternoon. By the way, Barb Truscotte of Carleton Place scored a rare eight-ender at the bonspiel (not against our ladies!)

Three teams of senior men invaded the Prescott club last week and took three strong wins against their hosts. Our local heroes were Wally McDonald, Neil Williams, Bud Perry and Bob Youmelle, Martin Schneckenburger, Ron Beaupre, Doug Jarvis and Al Gowanlock, and Jack Barkley, Ted Herriman, Earl Jeacle and Eric Johnson. As always, apologies to any spares not mentioned, as some invariably fill in for busy local seniors. Well done, fellows!

On November 17, Morrisburg will be hosting the Gamble Cup mixed competition, with two teams from each of Russell, Metcalfe and Winchester doing battle with our local champions. 

Two teams are already interested in competing on our behalf, but if others would like to be considered, please sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board at the bottom of the stairs. Mahlon Locke will work out playoff times if needed. He is also looking for volunteers for that day, and the sign-up sheet is located at the bar.

Susan McIntosh will be running her popular two-person bonspiel Sunday. We hope to see full draws for that one. The early draw begins at 9 a.m., and the late draw starts at 10. 

Susan says her husband Dave is making his famous chilli, and we’re sure there will be other food items to complement that delicacy. The entry fee is $15, and there are cash prizes for the winners in each of the three divisions in each draw. Sign up before the spaces are all filled! Good curling!

Curling Notes:

•Denis Thibault was a member of the championship team, the Morrell foursome, in our first bonspiel of the year. Sorry for the error, Denis. Keep up the good work! 

•We have the stick bonspiel at the club this week, and the same day, three daytime men’s teams will be in Cornwall for another friendly bonspiel. 

We’ll report next week. 

•On Nov. 27 and 28, Jack Barkley, Sue McIntosh, Andy Patenaude and Betty Locke will be in Maxville, competing in the Ontario Senior games, and two Scottish men’s teams are coming to our club on Tuesday, January 15.

•The competitive women’s invitational bonspiel in Kemptville last weekend featured top teams, and Rachel Homan from the Ottawa Curling Club won top honours. We can likely expect to see her as Ontario’s representative again in the Tournament of Hearts.

•Some of our ladies expect to announce their entry into the Crystal Heart Bonspiel in several Ottawa rinks, February 7-10. We have had several teams entered in this classic in the past, the largest for women in the province. Sixty-four rinks are allowed in the open division, and 32 in the seniors’ competition. We wish new and repeat entries all the best as they plan for this huge event.    

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