HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-29, Page 14Page 14 Times -Advocate, April 29, 1998
Rev calling it quits after four years with the Hawks
Dave Revington has led the Exeter Jr. D Hawks to an all -Ontario title in '95/96 and the finals this season in four short years
EXETER — A glorious chapter
•n the Exeter Jr. D Hawks hockey
club history book is coming to a
close after coach/general manager
Dave Revington announced he will
not be hack with the club for the
'98/99 season.
Revington has coached/
developed the Hawks to two all -
Ontario final series with a win in
.'95/96 and a narrow seven game
loss to Wellesley this season.
Before coaching for the Hawks,
Revington spent five years with the
Exeter Sr. A Mohawks and nine
years before that with the Lucan Jr.
D Irish. •
Both the Mohawks and the Irish
won two all -Ontario titles under
Revington's tutelage with the Irish
almost winning a third.
Revington is splitting with the
Hawks on good teens. He said he
has simply had enough hockey.
"I started in 1980 in Lucan," he
explained. "That's 18 years ago and
that's.enough hockey."
Revington said he had thoughts
on leaving the club earlier in the
year, but shelved them during the
stretch to the playoffs and during
the hard-fought playoffs where the
Hawks played 27 games and many
overtime periods.
"There are other things to do,"
Revington continued, "There are
lots of coaches around. It's time to
let someone else do the job."
He'll miss working with the
players and competing for all
Ontario championships, the two
things that inspired him. But there
are definitely some things the man
known as 'Rev' won't miss,
"Those cold Tuesday night prac-
tices add up," he said. "And I won't
miss some of the referees."
Revington wasn't prepared at
press time to say what he plans to
do next.
He said he is on vacation for a
couple weeks
and will take
some time to
consider his op-
tions. He did di-
vulge he is con-
tcmplatingtaking
a job that will
force him to
move from the
area.
Revington said
he enjoyed work-
ing with the
Hawks ex-
ecutive, adding
their quality ef-
forts have paid
off.
"1 think we've
made this a viable
organization and that's proven on
the ice," he said. "It's not about
team A versus team B...it's about
people."
Hawks pres-
ident Tom
McCann said
Revington will
he sorely missed.
"It obviously
leaves us with a
big hole to fill,"
he said.
Compounding
the matter is the
fact assistant
coaches Barry
Baynhatn and
Dean Schram
have not yet
committed to re-
turning next sea-
son.
Despite the bad
Dave Revington
news of Revington's departure,
McCann said he will look back on
Revington's tenure with fond mem-
ories.
"We had the best.coaching staff
in the league and perhaps in all of
Ontario minor hockey," he said.
"We certainly don't have any hard
feelings. We understand he needs
to take some time off and collect
his thoughts. We are just as happy
he was here for four years. Hope-
fully we will be able to attract some
pretty good candidates (for the
coaching and G.M. posts)."
The Hawks will lose almost half
of their team next year due to over-
age players and some players mov-
ing on to Jr. B teams and other
higher tiers of competition,
McCann said.
"We hope to put together a good
nucleus for someone to work with,"
he said. "We obviously need to put
a general manager in place quick-
ly."
There were some rocky waters fi-
nancially for the Hawks when Rev-
ington took over as coach/G.M.,
but the team's success under Rev-
ington has cleared any cash flow
doubts.
"In four years we've played 69
playoff games," McCann said.
"That's when the team makes most
of its money. We don't have tons of
money in the hank, but we are pret-
ty solvent going into next season."
McCann said he'll be hack to
serve on the Hawks executive next
season as will vice-president Bill
Farquhar.
McCann had these parting words
on Revington: "We're real sorry to
see him go. We hope he changes
his mind and comes hack to us
some day. He has a 10110 offer the •
community."
• Panther senior boys clr
• Young gymnasts t ..
is Week in Sports...,
action page l5..
gena - page 16
:
Panther' senior ruggers take it to Saunders
EXETER — The South Huron District High School
senior boys rugby team fought off London's Saunders and
a raging wind for a 12-5 victory at home on Thursday.
Down 5-0 at half-time with the wind against them, the
Panthers played an excellent second half. Ben Allen and
Jason Neil scored tries, Neil on a 60m sole effort. He also
kicked the convert.
Jeremy VanEsbroeck, Rob Turner and Jason Brown
also played extremely well, coach Terry O'Rourke said.
the seniors didn't fare as well on Tuesday when they
hosted Wingham Madill. They lost 22-12.
Cord Radford and VanEsbroeck scored a try each and
Neil kicked a convert.
' "The guys competed very hard and played well,"
O'Rourke said.
Jeremy Pickering, Aaron Suatos and Judd Desjardine
played well.
The junior boys lost 12-0 to Madill. O'Rourke said they
played well with Bryan Evan, Mike Skinner and Cal De -
Lange standing out.
The senior boys are 2-2 on the year and the juniors are '
0-2.
The girls team lost to Madill by five tries. Coach Dave
Wright said they played well despite the score.
The senior boys host Westminster today at 4 p.m. and
will compete in the Miller Cup at Stratford on Saturday.
the girls travel to St. Marys tomorrow. All three teams
host Stratford Northwestern on Tuesday, the action kick-
ing off at 2 p.m.
Top photo: South Huron District High School girls rugby player Kathy VanBergen tries to barrel through the Madill
defence during their game at South Huron last week. The Panthers lost by five tries. Bottom right photo: south
Huron senior boys rugby player Jeremy VanEsbroeck goes up for the line -in during a home game versus Saun-
ders on Thursday. The seniors won 12-5. Bottom left photo:South Huron junior boys player Ryan Parker is suc-
cessful capturing the ball during a line -in versus Madill last week. The juniors lost 12-0. (photos/Craig Bradford)
Rugby fever!
•
Call .Sports Reporter Craig Bradford
with your sports tips
(519) 235-1331 • Fax (519) 235-0766
Saddle Club back in Exeter?
EXETER — The Exeter Saddle
Club is returning home...maybe.
The Saddle Club and the Exeter
Recreation and Parks Advisory
Committee are negotiating a deal
that would have the western horse
riding club come back to its former
home beside South Huron Rec Cen-
tre.
The Saddle Club moved to its
current grounds in Huron Park
when it was asked to leave when
the rec committee decided to stop
holding the Exeter Rodeo over 20
years ago.
The rec committee has offered to
rent the grounds next to the arena
to the Saddle Club for $400 per
year for three years with a one year
termination clause that works both
ways.
The proposed deal currently calls
for the Saddle Club to move its in-
frastructure and donate it to the rec
committee.
The Saddle Club would also be
asked to do ring maintenance, have
their own insurance and hold no
night shows in '98.
"We would Love to come into Ex-
eter but we're still negotiating,"
Saddle Club president Pauline
Johns said.
One concern is that the Saddle
Club has worked long and hard to
improve the Huron Park site.
Work there has included the con-
struction of a food concession stand
and office, the ring, fencing,
bleachers, installing hydro, digging
a well and the purchase and erec-
tion of seven lights.
The Saddle Club rents the land
from the Ontario Development Cor-
poration with the lease expiring
next month.
If the Saddle Club decides to
move back to Exeter, Johns said
members fear they will lose much
of their authority.
"Where we are now we own
everything," she said. "If we move
back to Exeter it's their stuff."
Another consideration is the
amount of work the Saddle Club
does already on the annual Rodeo.
Both Johns and Exeter recreation
program co-ordinator Jo -Anne
Fields agreed that the return of the
Saddle Club would boost the Ro-
deo's profile, especially with the
same type of'activities on hand -at
the site at least once a month for
spcctato>;s to see.
"We're hoping" they could 'come
back this season," Fields said. "If
we could get them to come back we
could be even more of a rodeo
town. It would really be nice to
have them back in town again."
Fields said they are aware and
ready to talk about the Saddle
Club's concerns.
"We're open to that," she said,
adding the rec committee are ready
to "sharpen their pencils."
The Saddle Club had 57 members
Iasi year. The show season begins
on May 17, tentatively at the Huron
Park site, from 10 a.m. to about 4
p.m.
Come out to our coffee and
dessert information night
May 6 7:30 p. m.
for Exeter Golf Club
Wednesday Evening
Ladles League
Rain or shine golf time: 4-6 p.m.
Bob will be available at driving
range between 4:30-7 p.m.
More info call 235-1517
Leagues Starting!
May 4 - Mon. Night Men's League
May 5 - Tues. Morning Ladies' League
10 a.m. General Meeting. Lunch & golf to follow
May 6 - Wed. Night Ladies' League 4 p.m. golf
7:30 p.m. General Meeting, rain or shine
May 7 - Thurs. Morning, Senior Men's League,
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Registration. Golf to follow
Tournament dates availably
For information call 235-1517