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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-08-09, Page 18Page 18 Times -Advocate, August 9, 1.989 Sports Spotlight by Wayne Proctor The Exeter Mohawks have expressed an interest in playing Senior A hockey in the 1989-90 season. I for one would like to go on record as saying I am in favor of it. There are a number of reasons why I think it would be good for the state of hockey in Exeter. The most important reason I feel is it would give some new com- petition into the South Huron Rec Centre for the fans to see. Last season the Mohawks won the provincial Senior B hockey champi- onship and beat up most teams in the process in getting there. I think the fans were getting tired of looking at the Elora Rocks and Tavistock Royals every third night at the SHRC, although Tavis- tock has said they are going to pLck it in for next season. Except for a brief slump during the time of the Hardy Cup, the Mohawks had things pretty much their way all year last year and for several years before that. I think the fans and to a lesser extent the players began to lose interest in hockey after they destroyed their op- ponents so many times last season. Wins of 12-3, 14-2, 13-1 by the Mohawks were commonplace last season and I.think some new blood would help to change things at the South Huron Rec Centre. After so many blowouts last year I don't think other teams in the Senior B league would stand in the Mohawks way if they wanted to jump leagues. It would make for some more interesting write ups after games as well for me. There is nothing harder than making a 12-2 blowot•' sound exciting and interesting in the paper. The Mohawks need a change of scenery on the road next season as well which I think will help them do well next season. One thing that would be required of the Mohawks if they were to make the jump to Senior A is they would have to play a lot more during the week om the road. This makes it difficult for the players who work because they like- ly have to leave work early to get ready for the game and travel three hours on a bus to get to the game, which would be the case for the Mohawks if they travel to Dunnville for games, which are played Tuesday night. What makes it doubly tough for the Mohawk players is that once the game is over and by the time they shower and get back on the bus and travel back home they are looking at about three or four hours of sleep before work the next day. That is why the Mohawks are a little hesitant about making' he jump. They want to have a commitment from all of the players be- cause they can't be making road trips with 10 and 11 skaters like they did last year on several occasions and expect to do well against the higher competition. They need every player to give 100 per cent all the time. One big advantage is that most of the teams in the Senior A league are near London or east of London and many Mohawk players come from that area. The team bus is able to stop on the way through and pick up the players in that area, which would give them a little more time at work or sleep the night after a game. It would also be a challenge for new coach Dave Revington, being forced to compete in the Senior A league in his first year as Senio hockey coach. Revington coached several years in the Junior D ranks with the Lucan Irish and was hired recently to coach next sea- son for the Mohawks. One other thing that may change next year with the Mohawks that they move their main home games from Sunday night to Satur- day night in hopes of drawing more fans to the games. Th; t shouldn't be a problem because the only thing they would have to compete with there is the mighty Mapled.eafs on the tube. The finals decision on snaking the jump to Senior a should be made at the Mohawks General Meeting which will be held later this month. Whatever happens, training camp is only about five weeks away. Moore Fuels down Fullarton EXETER - Exeter's Dave Moore Fuels Pee Wee Girls Softball team ended their season last Monday night with a hard-fought 27-20 win over Fullarton. Christine Morgan and Terri Snell each belted a couple of home runs for Exeter and Christie McInnes scored five times with two triples, one double, and two singles. Mclness was the winning pitcher in the game but got some relief help from Jodi Hamilton. Dave Moore Fuels ends the regu- lar season with a record of seven wins, and three losses. Royals complete sweep of Tavistock Merchants TAVISTOCK - Exeter Royals completed a two -game sweep of Ta- vistock Merchants in OASA play last Tuesday as tltuy defeated the home team by a score of 5-2 in 10 innings. Brent Dawson, Greg Wise and Dan. Heywood scored 10th -inning runs to provide the margin of victory. Royals opened the scoring in the first inning as Pete Tuckey led off with a walk and later scored on a two -out single by Wise. Tavistock tied the score in the fourth on a long home run by Tim Hcrgatt. Exeter regained the lead in the sev- enth as Scott Brintneil singled and lglrr c�nrnt/-nnly I" hoYe the Mer- chants- tic the game in the bottom of the seventh. Exeter, givingtlp three hits and one run. Wise picked up the win with_ six inilinvS ?if i7*lirf, Hc gave up one run on five hits and struck out five. Royals now advance to meet Ta- vistock Orioles in the zone finals with the winner advancing to the intermediate "C" tournament cham- pionship in Waterford September 16 and 17. Playoff win In South Perth League play on Wednesday a two out double by Brian Voyes in the 19th inning, followed by a clutch RBI single by centre fielder Pete Tu key, provided the winning margin as Royals de- feated Stratford Leysers 1-0. The ex- citing game featured a classic pitch- ing duel between Royals' starter Derwyn Hodgins and Stratford's Mark Daoust. Hodgins went the distance for the win as he allowed four hits, did not walk a batter and suck out 24 of the 34 batters he faced. Daoust gave up one run on seven hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out 10. On Thursday, a tired Royals' squad, who were playing their sixth game in nine days, travelled to Stratford and lost a seven to two de- cision to Optical Design. The defeat left Exeter with a twelve and eight record in their quest for a berthin the "A" division of their league playoffs with five games remaining in regular, season play. They hosted Scbringville Royals last night in Hensall, travel to Ta- vistock Thursday night and will be participating in their tournament this coming weekend in Exeter. Crediton tourney winners Royals in tournament Continued from page 17 players with Senior A experience including. Jeff O'Brien formerly of Zurich. Abrex are led by pitcher Glen Ingelhart, who is also a dou- ble threat at the plate. The 1989 Royals Fastball Tourna- ment continues throughout Satur- day evening and begins play again Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. The championship game is slated for Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The Royals invite you to enjoy top -rate fastball as well as the food concessions and licenced facilities at the South Huron Recreation Centre softball diamonds. The Exeter Royals would also like to thank the following businesse: for donations to the team through- out the year and towards this yearE tournament: R.S.D. Sports Den Exeter Tavern, Exeter Plymoutl Chrysler, Kongskilde, Frayne Che Olds, Brintnell General Concrete. "A" Champions - The Shipka Rookies took the "A" championship at the recent Crediton men's slo- pitch tourney held in Crediton by defeating the Clinton Cardinals 12 to 8. The winners are shown Expressback, left, Ron Mason, Jim O'Neill, Geoff Moss, Jim Guenther, Les O'Neill, Don Weigand. Front, left, Paul Brannon, Dave Partridge, Ron Pickering, Jim Dietrich, Bruce Dietrich and Mike Brannon. Missing Joe Arnold. win big Continued from page 17 each scored three times in the game • for the Express. Paul Gilmour went the distance on the mound for the Express giv- ing up all seven runs on seven hits, two walks and four strike- outs. The Express will make up their final rainout of the regular season in Lakeside Sunday, and will start the playoffs Tuesday night against the same Seaforth team in a best - of -three series. Game two will be played in Seaforth next Thursday, August 17 and if game three is needed it will be played Sunday August 20 in Exeter. Take "B" title - The "B" championship at Ow Crediton men's slo-pitch tournament held recently in Crediton was won by the Crediton Tigers by defeating the Mitchell Indians 16-15. Shown after their win are back, left, Robert Pertschy, Dan Lewis, Larry Fenton, Bev Thompson, John Gollen, Doug Case and Shawn Finkbeiner. Front, left, Ron Morley, Andy Mathers, Steve Finkbeiner, Jim Dixon and Jim Thompson. Missing Gary Giles and Fred Wells. Bombers are "B" finalists - The Exeter Atom Bombers won the "B" championship in the Usborne Minor Baseball Association's Atom toumament held in Hensall on the weekend. Front row (1-0 Andrew Davis, Kian MacDougall, Ben Glavin, Scott Keys, Bob Ha- milton. Middle row (1-r) Brad Tieman, Michael Hodgins, Jason Grenier, Cale McLeod, Chad Dalrymple, Darryl Parsons, Tony Ea- gleson. Back row (I -r) Allan Keys, assistant coach Gerrard Grenier, coach Cam McLeod. Missing, Jeffrey Jarret, Tim Ditner, Tyler Obre, Rob McIntosh. Exeter beats Grand Bend GRAND BEND - The Exeter Pee Wee Boy's Softball team picked up a 12-8 win iri the their final game of the season last Monday night in Grand Bend. Exeter's second baseman Jeff Bowen had a perfect three for three night at the plate. Bowen followed a single in the second inning with an- other single in the fourth. His heads -up baserunning in the fourth inning caused him to score the tying run on Kevin Ross' RBI single to make it a 5-5 game. Bow - en's third at bat was a bases -loaded triple in the fifth inning, Bowen then scored again when Ross .fol- lowed with his second rbi single of the day. This seven run barrage was an- swered with a serious threat from the Grand Bend Pce Wees in the last inning. With three runs already in and the score 12-8, the bases were loaded with Troy Stelllingwcrff at the plate. Stcllingwerff had had al- ready singled and tripled and a .400 batting average for the season, Stel- lingwerff posed a Exeter's winning pitcher Steve Cook. However, Cook snuffed out the threat with with his 11th strikeout of the game to pick un the win. Cook finished the game with a three hitter. Grand Bend ends the regular sea- son with seven wins, four losses and one tie. Miles Ford Sales Contest Winner Laying down the bunt - The bunt is a very important part of a fastball game, especially when runs are hard to come by like they were in last Wednesday's Exeter Royals' game in Hensall. Here the Royals' Dan Heywood lays down a bunt in the Royals' 1-0 10 -inning win over Stratford Leyser in a zone playoff game. Dave Partridge, Service Manager of Miles Ford Sales, presents contest winner Bruce Watson with his 1 year ser- vice maintenance warranty. Mr. Watson is a resident of Grand Bend. mHes ford soles Service Dept. 235-0121 600 Main St., S. Exeter