Football Manitoba Hall of Fame Inductees 2013

Ron was an impressive athlete playing football in his early younger years south of the border. Following a highly successful career in the amateur leagues, he was drafted by New Orleans Saints. He had Pro tryouts with New Orleans, Winnipeg, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

GEORGE EAKIN (Official)

September 19, 1929 – February 21, 2010

George played for the Norwood Legionnaires and received the Masterson Award for being the most valuable player. Following his days as an active player, George decided to enter the challenging role of officiating. He was a member of the Manitoba Football Officials Association from 1958 to 1973. George officiated Midget, Juvenile, High School, Junior, Senior, University, and was a Head Lineman in the Canadian Football League for many years. He became a member of the MFOA Executive as Appointment Secretary, although it became well known that his wife Bernice did most of the work. George served on the Executive for 11 years.

ROGER HAMELIN (Player)

Roger entered St. Paul’s High School in the 1957-1958 school year. He was on the Athletic Council in Grade 9 and played on the football team. On the 1958 Crusaders Football Team, he was a co-captain. In the 1959 yearbook, his write-up says he that he was a “Crusaders All Star” and also a Team Co-Captain. His ambition: be a member of the Big Blue and Gold. He also coached an intramural basketball team at St. Paul’s High School. In the 1959-60 school year, his write-up says he was “Vice-President of 11C. ‘Big Roge’ is well liked. He has the ability to filibuster when he wants to kill time.

1961 TO 1970 -WINNI PEG BLUE BOMBERS 9 YEARS

POSITION: TACKLE

GREY CUP CHAMPS IN 1961-62

MARSHALL QUELCH (Player)

Marshall’s initial claim to fame was as a middle heavyweight weight lifter. He held Manitoba weight lifting records from 1958 to 1968. He was a Canadian Weight Lifting Champion in 1959. It was in conversation with a weight lifting friend that led him to become involved in football. The imprint that he left on the St. James Rams Senior Football Team will never be forgotten. His amateur football playing career lasted a total of seven years (1960-1966) all with the St. James Rams Intermediate-Senior Football Club.

During his time with the Rams, Marshall was regarded as an incredibly strong, ferocious football player. He was a terror on the football field and because of his leadership and play was named a team captain in 1962 and remained a team captain through to 1966.

Known to often play two ways in those days he played, offensive guard, tackle, defensive tackle and end. Marshall was named to the senior all-star team on four occasions over the course of his seven year amateur career:

ARNOLD “ARNI” TAYLOR (Coach)

“Arni” began his coaching career at Ft. William High School (Ontario) in 1952. He moved to Winnipeg in 1954 as a teacher at Gordon Bell High School. Unfortunately during his first year, high school football was cancelled due to a polio epidemic. The following year along with Jim Foubister Sr. he had the opportunity to coach the football team.

In 1957 he transferred to Tec-Voc High School as they were in the market for a football coach and Coach Taylor was attracted to the challenge.

His first year coaching was highly successful. The Tec-Voc Hornets Football team captured the City Championship, followed by the Provincial Championship. This was a milestone for the school as it was the first Football Championship. The following year the team repeated its success by capturing the City Championship and Provincial Championship once again.

ASHLEY PREST (Special)

Amateur football was one of the first sports I covered when I was hired by the Winnipeg Free Press in the summer of 1987 to write sports. The Manitoba Junior Football Conference, the Winnipeg High School Football League and some minor football, we covered stories from those leagues back then.

Of the many high school playoff games I covered, I remember the 1992 championship won by the Churchill Bulldogs under head coach Brian Dobie. I had started calling Churchill the “Little School that Could” in the paper because of the size of the kids’ hearts were so much larger than the numbers of bodies in uniform

I know the University of Manitoba Bisons won the Vanier Cup in 2007 but I wasn’t there for that one. I was in Toronto with them for the one they didn’t win in 2001. That was an unforgettable group of character guys who took a Bisons program from the shadows into the spotlight and built it into one of the best in the country. They invented swag a long time before the Bombers did.

MICHAEL KACHMAR (Coach)

As a youngster, I remember carrying Ed Bortnak’s equipment to Osborne Stadium every time Daniel Mac played, in exchange for a ticket to the game, and for the use of the equipment on the weekend. Ed’s only comment was “Don’t use the sweater.” From that point on, I went to play high school football at Daniel Mac, for the Winnipeg Rods Junior Football team, as well as for St. Vital Bulldogs and the six man football team at United College, now the University of Winnipeg.

I fell into coaching by accident. John Potter called me, in the early fall one year and asked if I would be interested in coaching, to which I replied that I had no coaching experience, but I would give it a try. The biggest mistake the coach made was to give me a whistle. After that I was hooked! I spent three years as an assistant coach at DMCI and then I was coerced by John Potter and Kas Vidruk to become an assistant coach with Peter Connellan at Sisler High School as the regular coach, Al Kornberg, was away on a leave of absence.

Much of what I have brought to coaching has been from the direct influence of Andy Currie and John Potter, my high school coaches, great role models for all of us as their players.

GEORGE DEPRES SR. (Coach)

1927-2088

George’s entire life was involved in sports in one role or another and throughout his life never believed in doing one thing at a time. From his adolescent years through to his early twenties, George was an avid athlete participating in hockey, football and baseball

As a player, he would agree that football was his passion with an amateur playing career that included the St. Paul’s Crusaders and the Winnipeg Rods Junior Football Club. He went on to play professional football with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, an organization which he held in high regard throughout his life. He remained a proud alumni member.

Two of his more memorable major coaching accomplishments included years with the Winnipeg Rods Junior Football Club. Depres coached the Rods to five junior Canadian Championship games in a 7 year span, winning three titles in 55, 56 and 61 (finalists in 54 and 59).

Following his junior victory in 1961, Depres was recruited by the University of Manitoba to resurrect their CIAU football program and serve as head coach.

EDDIE CASS

(1893 – 1985)

Although a successful business man, Mr. Cass will be remembered for his work in the community. He was a well-known humanitarian and a committed sports enthusiast who worked behind the scenes supporting and advocating a wide variety of organizations and causes.

Eddie was responsible for creating the St. Paul’s Crusaders High School Football Team. St. Paul’s joined the MSRL in the 1931-32 school year. Of that year, Mr. Cass said, “All we had was faith…no uniforms, no coach.” In the early years, Mr. Cass worked diligently to ensure the League was viable. During his tenure as Director of Athletics, the Crusaders won nine MSRL League (Manitoba School Rugby League) Championships and four Provincial Championships. Well into the 1950s the newspapers made mention of Mr. Cass of being the St. Paul’s most dedicated fan as he regularly attended the football games. Under his leadership of dedicated coaches and the mentorship of Jesuits past and present and with the support of men like Eddie Cass, Crusaders Football has established a history and tradition of excellence.

In 1980, the Winnipeg High School Football League grew to ten teams. As a result, the decision was made to split the League into two divisions. One the divisions became the Cass Division to honour Cass who was the “best friend amateur sport in Manitoba has ever had.”

KAS VIDRUK

(1925 – 1986)

Kas Vidruk was born in Siaule, Lithuania on October 6th, 1925. After attending St. Paul’s High School, believe it or not he got his start in football as a player in 1942 signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at the tender age of 17 years for the princely sum of $50 as older players left for the War, making him perhaps the youngest player in CFL history at that time. During his professional career he played both offense and defense as a centre, guard, tackle and linebacker.

While still playing with the Bombers, Vidruk taught high school and was a lecturer at the University of Manitoba. After retiring from the Bombers, Vidruk was extremely active both as a teacher and became deeply involved in supporting the Winnipeg amateur sports community.

It was perhaps after teaching high school for three years, and then being appointed the Phys. Ed. Supervisor for the Norwood School Division that would lead to his contribution as a builder to amateur football

Kas retired after a long and successful career in June 1986.
Bottom line, Kas Vidruk was always there to make sure the amateur athletes got the recognition they deserved and made sure his disapproval was shown to anyone who referred to it as “minor sport”.

The Winnipeg Rams participated in a four team league during the 1950’s in Manitoba. The teams were the Norwood St. Boniface Legionaires, St. Vital Bulldogs and the CUV Vets.

Intermediate football at that time was a step below the Canadian Football League (CFL). It was made up of players who were past their junior football eligibility, finished with University football or who had been cut by the Bombers and wanted more experience with the hopes of trying again to play professional football.

The 1964 edition of the Rivers Rams Football Team is undoubtedly the best yet. After three years of building, Rivers unleashed a team which over-ran all opposition tying a Canadian High School record for consecutive wins to that time. On the season the Rams accumulated 189 points for, and a mere 20 points scored against them.

The Winnipeg Hawkeyes Juvenile Football Club was a powerhouse in the latter part of the 1960’s in Juvenile Football in Winnipeg and in Canada. Their first appearance in the Canadian Juvenile final came in 1966 but unfortunately ended in a loss. Two years later they were back and in 1968 and then again in 1969, won the “Little Grey Cup” synonymous with the Canadian Juvenile Football Championship.

The 1968 championship game was played at Winnipeg Stadium on Saturday, November 2nd, in front of 4000 fans The Hawkeyes went on to trounce the Lachine Lakers, winning by a lopsided score of 60-7.

The St Paul’s High School Crusaders’ Championship victory in 1982 was often described as a “rags to riches” story. The team consisted of only 29 players, the majority of whom were in grades 10 and 11. So not only were they few in number, but they were also smaller in stature than most of their opponents. What’s more, by the end of the regular season, the team was plagued with injuries. In spite of these odds, they were able to win St Paul’s High School’s first-ever Winnipeg High School Football League Championship that year.

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