Memory Lane: We've lost some amazing BCC souls

UPDATED: Scroll to the bottom for additional souls I originally missed.

We've lost some gosh darn amazing souls during my time teaching at Central and, although inevitable since none of us get out of this game called life alive, that doesn't make it any less painful. I am blessed to be able to call each a good friend and their untimely passing has been an emotional experience.
This is a personal list and I am sure there are others that I haven't included in this list, so please forgive the omission, but these are the people that left an indelible mark on my life.

Bill Simmons

William "Bill" Simmons was my grade 9 French teacher and then my Sr Volleyball coach. Affectionately coined "Wild Bill" by my buddies and I, I remember his colourful sense of humour as his standout quality. Although politically incorrect these days, his pet line was, "Hey Porter! Shut up already ... Do you wanna be next year's Timmy?" in reference to the child annually selected as poster feature for the March of Dimes. I can't say that what I learned in Bill's classroom has stuck with me through the years, but I can say that the way he enriched my life outside the classroom profoundly impacted it. Sadly, our continued relationship was cut short the same year that I returned to Central as a member of the staff, when Bill passed just prior to the beginning of the Sr Rugby season. He had been serving in the role of manager for Ron Andrews for a number of years, and his passing was an emotional time for Ron and the players. If you look closely at some of the photos taken of the 1999 Gold Medal team, you'll see the initials BS embroidered on the sleeve.

Paul Bethune

Paul was a beloved teacher in World Studies department at Central and give of his time outside of class as a Cross Country and Rugby coach, but it will be in the role of MC for the annual Teacher's Assemblies that most alumni will remember him. I first met Paul in the early 90's when he, Martin Carl and I were among those taking the HPE AQ course being run by Marty McCrone one summer up in Orillia. Paul was caring, funny, quick with a smile, generous and a great friend. One of the clearest memories I have of his sense of humour is a video that he and Martin created as a project for the HPE course on condoms ... I laughed for hours because of it. Another clear memory centers around his ability to do the Ol' Soft Shoe. I was walking by his history class one day, glanced in the open door, and found Paul up on top of his desk dancing. Asking him later that day, he grinned, "It was a deal with the kids. I told them that if the class average on a test was high enough, I would dance a jig on top of my desk." Sadly, Paul passed far too soon, a victim of cancer, and he left a palpable hole in the hearts of Central.

Paul Regan

Paul "Rico Suave" Regan was a gem of a human. I first met Paul when I was a Central student, and he was involved with a small store on the corner of Dunlop St and Mary St called Georgian Sports. I was a high school hoops nut and Georgian carried a wide selection of basketball shoes that were not the more popular brands. Thanks to Paul, I was the only kid wearing Pony and I loved that. One of the vivid memories I have of the store was a giant poster of George "The Iceman" Gervin sitting atop a throne of ice blocks ... I sooooo wanted that poster, but it was never for sale.
Our paths crossed again, much later on, when Paul became a much loved VP at Central, bringing his amazing personality to a difficult job. Paul earned his nickname because he knew everyone in Barrie ... and beyond, I would later find out ... and would use that influence to schmooze a solution to a host of problems he encountered with Central's most needy population. Quick with a smile, a joke, or a handshake, Rico also proved to be human because you could only push him so far. I recall being in the office one day, overhearing a loud conversation he was having with one particular transgressor, when he burst out of the office, "Can you hear it? Can you hear it? Na na na naaa. Na na na naaa. Hey hey hey, goodbye!" It took everything I had to suppress a giggle that was screaming to get out. Rico's legend grew exponentially when, on a trip to Notre Dame with some club basketball players, a custodian for the arena revealed that Rico had been a standout hockey player there and was considered to be a minor legend. We were all shocked because we had no idea. Sadly, Paul was taken from us far too early after losing a his battle with cancer.

Jane Hare

Jane and I crossed paths in life on a few occasions. We initially met early in my teaching career when her youngest child, Daniel, was in my grade 3 class at Maple Grove PS. She was active on the parent council and I was coaching a number of teams that Dan and her other children were playing on. Much later on, she became a member of the office staff at Barrie Central and were rekindled our friendship. Jane had a quick wit, for which I was often a target, but there was nothing that she wouldn't do for those she cared for. Our friendship went to the next level when she approached Ron, Jay and I about assisting with the Sr Rugby team in the role of manager. While I know her motivation was to assist us, it didn't escape my notice that there were other reasons for this generosity. Jane was affectionately referred to by me as a "Puck Bunny", a massive supporter of hockey and the Central kids who were excelling at it. During that time, we had a few lads on the team that were performing at elite levels in hockey. With all of her positives, Jane was not without faults ... Aren't we all? ... and she let her temper get away from her on occasion. Sadly, we lost Jane to a severe illness that caused organ failure, and her passing had quite the impact on myself and the school.

Hondo Varep

Hondo was a Uber popular art teacher at Central, but that is not how he and I fostered our friendship. Hondo was one of my rugby coaches and was tough as iron but quick with a smile and a witty remark. By the time I returned to my alma mater as a teacher, Hondo was close to retirement so we didn't get to share very many new experiences, but he was quick to offer to help with any issues that arose. A talented artist, some of his framed pieces hung on the walls of the staffroom near the Camelot Table, and were a daily visual reminder of him. The funeral for Hondo was held just up the street from Central, at the now demolished Central United Church. I have to admit, it was a tough one to deal with but impressive to see the impact that he had on so many in his relatively short life.

John Kinnear

John was a the science head during the final years of Central's existence. He was also my one of my daughter's favourite teachers, partially due to his unique and dry sense of humour, and partially due his teaching abilities. John was a fellow amateur shutterbug and we shared many a conversation about tips and tricks, or about how he could help the Yearbook with coverage of events happening in the halls. John had a tough final two years as he encountered a number of afflictions that put a damper on what should have been the exhilaration of retirement. It that was not meant to be, and his passing was a traumatic event for many of his students. I certainly felt a loss and I know that Maddison was shocked to hear of his passing.


Bob Caville

Bob didn't come to teaching until a little later in his adulthood, but once he arrived, he quickly set about making a difference. Most students recognized his great bearded visage as Papa Smurf, the math teacher and girls' basketball coach. What many didn't realize were the sheer volume of hours that Bob spent as Athletic Director and the accompanying hours that were invested in organizing Central's extracurriculars. I was blessed with the opportunity to work side by side with him in both girls' basketball and my role as OFSAA representative. Bob was a gentle soul, quick with a smile and a kind word, and he built deep, caring relationships with his students and players, perhaps because he and his wife did not have any children of their own. Bob's passing was a punch in the gut because his phone call to me about his cancer diagnosis was completely unexpected, considering his recent retirement, and because the time from the phone call to his passing was so swift. He left myself and many of Central's family with a chunk missing from our soul.

UPDATED: My apologies to the Clarkes, Whitfields and Rumbles

Bruce Clarke

For anyone reading this who did not go to Central, Bruce "Clarky" Clarke was one half of an amazing coaching tandem that created the fabled "Red Army", or Barrie Central Football Juggernaut, that steam rolled all comers on the way to mythological status in high school sports. I was never blessed to have Clarky as a teacher but we shared 3 football seasons during my Gr 11-12-OAC years. Bruce was a quiet but incredibly intense man who scared the living crap out of me as a 16 year old. Since I was primarily on offense the first two years, the only words he shared with me were critiques of the offense's performance. That all changed in my OAC year when injuries forced the decision to have me play both sides of the ball as TE and CB, and Clarky showed that he accepted me into his circle the way he showed everyone who enjoyed that privilege ... the Clarky Shot! Picture a busy geography hallway between classes and you're strolling along with your girl, books under the left arm, when a flash of dark hair and glasses unloads on your left shoulder with a rock of a left fist that deadens your entire left arm. Books drop, pain shoots down your arm and torso, and you look left to find a Cheshire grin adorning Clarky's face as he rumbles, "Good to see ya Porter." You're dying from the pain but happy to know you've made the inner circle in one of high school life's bittersweet moments. Bruce was hard to get to know, but he there was no doubt that he cared for his players. One of the greatest strokes of luck was that the Central Football family was able to hold a final reunion in celebration of the years just before Central closed, and we all got a chance to let Clarky know how we felt. Sadly, he passed a short time after that.

Jim Whitfield

Although I was never blessed to know Jim when I was a student, we became friends when I joined the staff of Central and I joined the lunch hour running group. In didn't hurt that Jim was a rugby man and showed his support almost every game. His large size belied a gentle soul as he was quick with a smile, a handshake and laugh, but when he lost his temper ... well just don't go there. I would have loved to spend more time getting to know Jim but we seemed to only be able to share the occasional time, here or there, but that didn't stop him from showing me his genuine care each time we spoke.


Jane Rumble

I never had Jane as a teacher and, although still on staff for a short time when I made the leap of faith to move to high school, we really never got a chance to share a lot of time. However, that didn't stop Jane from greeting me with a warm smile and a kind word every time we spoke. Jane was the better half of the Rumble pair, her husband Bruce was both my English teacher and is still a very good friend. Based on how she treated me as a friend, I feel strongly that I missed out on an opportunity not being in her class. A few people have commented to me on Social Media how much they were impacted by having her as a teacher.

Carol Warnica

I was never blessed to have Carol as a teacher, but that doesn't mean that I don't have an opinion of her ability to impart a meaningful and enriched education. Carol was inspiring, intelligent, enlightening, caring, dedicated, compassionate and humorous all wrapped up in a single person ... and she had a profound impact on her students, a fact supported by the outpouring of comments on Social Media. I was gifted the bonds of friendship by Carol and she made a significant impact on me through her smiles, mini-hugs and caring. As a beloved aunt to Rhett, Mitch, Dan and Landon Warnica, Carol was an ever-present figure at swim meets when I was managing the BCC team. Most importantly, Carol exuded a love that was rare, conveying a genuine sincerity with a gleam in her eye. She may be gone physically, but she'll never be gone spiritually. 

Memory Lane: Moustache May

Quick Quiz ... Which two words in the English language will cause a Central student to giggle uncontrollably? If you answered Moustache May then you are a tried + true Centralite! Or at least someone that was a part of the BCC family from 2008 to 2011.

Unlike its charitable cousin Movember, Moustache May (MMay) emphasized the "fartsy" rather than the "artsy". It was about giggles, laughs, grins and smiles. MMay was a 31 day photographic celebration of follicular fantasticness that superseded all other endeavours. It was a phenomenon whose tentacles stretched across North American, creating a brotherhood that survives today, thanks largely the quality of individuals involved coupled with the easy access of Social Media. A quick Google search would bring you to the web site (CLICK) that was the hub of the creative genius. Birthed in the creative minds of a handful of web-brilliant types in the Nashville area, Moustache May started out as a Whiskerino, a celebration of facial hair, but quickly built momentum and surfaced in 2007 as an on-line phenomenon full of youthful (although, not all youthful) testosterone-laced humour spiced with acerbic wit. Blossoming from a handful of followers in 2007 to the hoard-qualifying numbers of 2011, MMay met its bitter end on June 1st, 2011 when the original caretakers felt overwhelmed by its nuclear rise as it became an all-consuming task to maintain. The sadness lasted a few days into June, but those that were involved soon embraced the experience like prom infused memories of high school times gone by.

In the case of Central, the excited buzz was palpable throughout the entire month, bringing grins and giggles to staff and students alike. Of course, the greatest glee was reserved for those innately involved and the creative muse percolated throughout the day as ideas for photos were dissected and critiqued.

Like any good spectacle, you need a program to sort out the players:

Drew Forsyth 
aka The Continuum Transfunctioner
Drew was the co-initiator , along with Kris Gilewicz, having stumbled across the Moustache May web site in 2008. If you know Drew personally, you know that he rarely does anything half way, meaning he was "all in" when it came to his personal celebration of Moustachiness. Not one to shy from the spotlight, nor to avoid pushing the envelope, Drew embraced his role as creative spearhead and all around crazy dude.

Kris Gilewicz 
aka Simcoe County Chopper
As a fellow initiator, with a level of creativity surpassed by few, Kris was equally enthusiastic about his personal celebration of Moustachiness. While not quite at Drew's level of zaniness, he is a very close second, turning heads and prompting giggles with every posting. Always a willing co-conspirator for shenanigans and hijinks, Kris embraced the challenge of daily photo posts with the same zeal and passion ... and can grow a stache in about 3 days!

Shaun Lahaie 
aka Art Vandelay
Joining Drew and Kris as the force behind the BCC chapter of MMay, Shaun brought his own personal brand of lunacy to the celebrations. Affectionately coined a "Naked Mole Rat" by yours truly, Shaun's largest obstacle for MMay shenanigans was the absence of body hair. Not to be outdone, he embraced his short comings, albeit using a telephoto lens for photos. If there's a 3rd part to Yin/Yang, Shaun would be it, as he, Kris and Drew are like "peas in a pod". God Bless their wives!

Yours truly 
aka EasyRider
I was brought into the fold in 2009, and quickly set about the task of matching the zany antics of my Masters, much like a young Padawan. I was the elder, though not necessarily wiser, statesman of the group and I feel that I almost matched their zaniness factor, perhaps upping the ante here and there. My MMay experience was fully supported by my entire household with my own children begging to assist wherever they could. During the 3 years I was involved, I forged friendships with a number of my fellow moustache celebrators, and stay in contact through social media.

The BCC Moustache May supporting cast included our fellow hell raisers Jay Malandrino, Craig Banks, Frank Cunsolo, and Kyle Sweezey ... Sweezey's pencil thin Clark Gable effort was noteworthy.

Yet another reason why the staff at Barrie Central were a tight-knit, fun loving, crazy bunch who loved teaching and living life to the fullest. I miss both my Central "peeps" and all the belly laughs we shared around the Camelot table in the staff room.

Editor's Note:
A few months after the demise of MMay, my saint-of-a-wife allowed me to experiment through my own personal Whiskerino ... A YEARD, or year-long beard! I cultivated it like a prize begonia, but a deal is a deal and it fell victim to the barber's shears. If I behave really well, perhaps she'll let it resurface? Hmmm.

Memory Lane: Teacher's Assemblies

This post is most certainly aimed at Barrie Central Alumni but there's a good chance, even if you know someone who went to Central, that you've heard about the annual zaniness that invaded the Fisher Auditorium on the last school day in December before the holiday break. Although some would think it a recent phenomenon, the annual Teacher's Assembly has be delighting students for years with a vaudeville-style spectacle that included music, dances, skits, parodies and even drag queens. I have vivid images burnt into my brain cells of my quiet, reserved teachers (or so I thought) cutting loose in the name of good fun in front of a packed house of 1000 strong. Name me another school that has their semester's highest attendance on the last day before holidays lest they be the one that missed something remarkable. Being a part of the small minority that transitioned from audience to actor, I find myself somewhat melancholy that future generations will miss this rite of passage now that Central is gone forever.

CLICK for Teaser: The Last Assembly

Like all of us, my life changed ever so slowly as I passed through those first few years teaching at Central, and I eventually realized that as prestigious as my mind was, I would be grateful for visual reminders in my golden years. That feeling coincided with taking over the production of Central's Yearbook, so I have a nearly 2 TB external drive filled with photos and videos documenting the last decade Central's existence. There may be a few retired colleagues that have photos carefully preserved in cedar chests or pine cupboards documenting the years they toiled in the halls of BCC, but the following video is a short selection of what I have.

CLICK for Slideshow

Memories as a WATCHER:
When I lean back in my recliner, close my eyes, and really concentrate, I can retrieve snippets of hilarity that include the Nutcracker, Whistling Bellies, and, of course, the Rock Band and its star-studded line up.

My first exposure to the glory of the Nutcracker ballet was in grade 11 ... I think ... when most of the PHE teachers shed their sweats for tutus and tights, prancing and bounding their way around the stage. Images of Dave Garland, Tom Krawzyk, JJ Irving, Penny Gow, Irene Nicowski, and Hondo Varep ... to name a few ... as they revelled in the refinement of Tchaikovsky, will forever produce a small chuckle.

In grade 12, my eyes were treated to the midriffs of my beloved teachers like Brian Honey, Bill Huddleston and Doug Eves as they flexed and danced their way across the stage to the theme song from the movie "The Bridge Over the River Kwai" (CLICK). I can recall laughing so hard that I developed a stitch in my side, like the ones you get from running too far.

The coup de grace was always to Teacher's Rock Band that featured the wailing guitar of math teacher Bill "Huddle-ROCK" Huddleston, English teacher Bruce "Big Bass" Rumble, and the velvety vocals of Doug "The Duke" Eves as they covered Gene Chandler's classic "The Duke of Earl". My apologies to any other teachers who were involved in the Rock Band, but it was almost 40 years ago and I have never found anyone with video footage ... Watching the ones I have, that was likely a good thing!

Memories as a PARTICIPANT:
Succumbing to the pressures of modern times, the more recent assemblies turned to the media for inspiration, leading to GAP commercial reproductions that included old farts attempting, and usually failing wonderfully, to replicate the day's popular dances like Gangnam Style, Hot in Here, Crank Dat, and I like Big Butts, to name only a few. Responding to the changing times, the more recent years switched sponsors to Old Navy, but the comedic effect remained the same, the slapstick just as zany, the embarrassment just profound. Thank you Sue Berardi for giving up all of those lunch hours for all of the lunkheads who just couldn't learn the dances.

Checking off an item on my personal Bucket List with a stranglehold on my fears, I fronted the Teacher's Rock Band with bastardized versions of Trooper's "Raise a Little Hell" and ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" but my swan song of Bob Seager's "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" will forever haunt my own children's minds ... Sorry Maddi and Keaton ... but at least now I understand people who describe it as an emotional rush. Thank you to Sean Rogers, Dave Chung, Neil Mavor, Lisa Perry and Graham Hilliam for being so patient and accommodating.

When in comes to childhood trauma, however, nothing says OMG like your father baring most of what he owns while performing the Nutcracker ballet in as little gold sequins and tights ... unless you also recognize that I was also bastardizing the dance because I'm behind on every move. If that wasn't enough, I performed (?) it twice ... once in 2013 (CLICK) and again in 2015. Many thanks to my partners Jen Hare and Barb Sturrock for putting up with me.

The videos that were recorded encapsulated the sheer volume of talent that the Central teachers kept as closely guarded secrets ... until the right time. Likely my personal favourite was the 2015 parody of Adele's "Hello" featuring Drew Forsyth, Kris Gilewicz, Jay Malandrino and Shaun Lahaie (CLICK for marginal quality copy). Of course, no film success was safe from copy ... remember the Blair Witch Project parody? Or the WASSUP commercials? Or the lip sync of "Wanna be a Rock Star"? Terry Tate - Classroom Linebacker? Brick in a Box?

The hardest part of being in the show is racing backstage after performing so you could get to the side aisles to watch what your colleagues were doing next. I missed so many of the "Bare Naked Ladies Fully Clothed" live performances ... many thanks to Robin Malandrino, Jen Weening and Jill Lapenskie ... but some of the videos of the assemblies were saved following the closure, so I have seen their brand of brilliance after the fact. I'll share some of the videos that I rescued if I ever figure out how to do it because the files are so large.

If you went to Central, my gift to you is to jog your memory so that you can relive your own experiences in the Fisher Aud.

Those were good times, my friends, really good times.

Fake News? Or disturbing investigation?

We all have been affected by this pandemic, that's a no-brainer. All of the finger pointing and blaming will have zero effect on the actual management of the pandemic and its potential to leave millions of deaths in its wake ... that's what we should all be focusing on. With so much at risk, coupled with the associated anxiety, we need to be wary of both the validity and bias of the news reports we use to arm ourselves with knowledge about the virus, it's effects and, to a certain extent, it's origins.

This is not a post about how bad things are, but rather, a raised eyebrow following a viewing of the video below. Fear mongering or generating prejudice is NOT my intention in this post. If you find a debunking of this report, please let me know. I have been primarily using Social Media as a launch pad for investigations on all that C19 has affected, both here in Canada and globally. Once I find something that peeks an interest, I will then look for more substantial information, and par for the course, I find conflicting opinions at the heart of each search.

Give this video a listen, and treat it for what it is as a biased view. I must confess that it connected with me on a few levels. I am not a fan of their obvious intention to condemn the Chinese Communist Party, carte blanche, but I also admit that the evidence, as presented here, is pretty convincing that there is something fishy going on. I was a fan of the producers making the distinction that this is not a condemnation of the Chinese people, expressing genuine appreciation of their character.

I am fully cognizant of the recent phenomenon of Fake News but research on this video does not reveal any credited source debunking ... yet ... although snopes.com does point a critical eye toward the bias of the Epoch Times, the ones who created this video CLICK. If the supposition is that this video is based in fact, and the experts to be believed, the argument points as far too much of a coincidence in the degree of similarity between the SARS variations and, in particular, the evolution of the S proteins that make Covid19 so contagious for humans as statistically impossible to be a "natural" evolution. Again, bearing in mind that factual validity is the heart of the question, the report insinuates that bats are not even sold at the market, further condemning the thought of a natural cross species contamination.

A simple web search on C19 origins reveals a number of articles, like the one from Nature.com CLICK, that refute the claims made by the video, creating confusion for the general public, and casting doubt on all sources of information.

Another post CLICK is from Dr Jason Sheppard PhD (image to right) whose work in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and postdoctoral work at MIT earned him Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Utah. It's hard to argue that a person with so many letters after his name could wrong.

I am a science-trained educator. I place great faith in what can be proved through bonafide research, and I understand that exploration of our natural world is integral to the advancement of health care. With that in mind, I have always felt uneasy with the concept of gene splicing and genetic manipulation, despite the benefits that have been reported. The insidious part of the video is the professional manner in which it lays out its arguments, resonating with those of a science background, creating belief that the specifics surrounding the emergence C19 HAD to be the result of human interference. The conspiracist in me realizes that was the intention.

Having read a number of articles in preparation for writing, I really don't think that I'm any further ahead so the lesson to learned is to cast a critical eye on all things you read. The origins of the virus, in the end, really don't matter since it is already here and taking its toll on humans across the globe.

Of course, the "elephant in the room" is how are we going to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen again and what lessons do we learn from this pandemic?

Memory Lane: There's only one Kenny!

In the continuing series of strolls down Memory Lane, I would be remiss if I didn't spend at least a few moments remembering Mr Central Rugby, aka Kenny McCartney. Kenny was a prototypical "larger than life" individual who seemed to have figured out early on what was important and what was fluff. Nobody bought in to the Barrie Central RFC style more than he did, and it was that passion that imprinted him on each and every soul who came to know him. There are a few Kenny-isms that became integral components of the program.

Sadly, Kenny left us far too early when he lost his life to an accident while on a rugby tour. The outpouring of grief prompted a number of  donations to create a fund that Kenny's dad entrusted to the program to create a fund to help kids or a memorial. A number of ideas were discussed, the most popular at the time was a tree planted in the back corner of Red Storey Field in his honour. When the demise of Central was confirmed by the SCDSB, it was jointly decided by Kenny's family and the program that the most appropriate memorial would be bench that overlooked the Jim Hamilton Field at the Barrie Community Sports Field. Kenny was there on that sunny day in 2015 when his beloved Phoenix won their 9th OFSAA championship, the bench having been dedicated that very morning to his Dad and brother.

For me personally, the mystique that was Kenny McCartney began in the summer of 2002. When he filled out the registration form for provincial team tryouts, he coined our program THE Barrie Central RFC. Those capital letters would forever be emblazoned on every piece of kit we produced, but the piece de resistance would come in 2005 on the kit reveal for our tour to California. You need to understand that
(a) Rugby tours are an integral part of the culture of the game and (b) As Kenny often stated, "it's all about kit"
Nobody lived that larger than Kenny. The buzz of excitement was palpable as the day of the reveal approached, and true to form, when Kenny received his duffle, he quickly coined the occasion as  "Kitmas", a term I had never heard before. He may have not been the author of the term, but he revelled in the idea.

Kenny was one of a rare breed of players who would "Walk the Talk". He was never shy to chirp the opposition, but unlike so many others who are all hot air, Kenny could back it up. He never shied from the spotlight and shouldered all criticism stoically, even drawing attention to himself through his ever-present bright red scrum cap. Although not blessed with a collision-ready frame, Kenny never complained about the trials and tribulations that besot his body as a consequence of the physicality he practiced. What he lacked in brawn, he made up for in brain, possessing a prestigious rugby IQ and confounded opponents by being continually one step ahead. In didn't hurt that he was far more fleet of foot than many acknowledged.

In the 2004 OFSAA Championship game vs heated rival SUXbridge (another Kenny-ism for Uxbridge SS ... Sorry Paul Connolly), we scored a beautiful try on a run by center Jonathan Church, During the typical McCartney-esque celebration, an opponent's chirp prompted Kenny to smile and reply, "Just wait here. We'll be right back." We would go on to score again, just moments later, and Kenny's smile was a wide devilish grin. He told me later that he didn't hear very many more chirps that day after that.

I confess I cannot recall the season that "The Kick" happened, but I recall the lead up, building all throughout the season. Kenny LIVED rugby, and despite some attempts at other sports ... basketball, anyone? ... he spent hours devouring rugby highlights. At practice one day, he revealed his desire to pull of the ultimate cheeky play live in a game, and he was as giggly as a school girl when he demonstrated it to us. You need to understand that kicking is a highlight skill in the game, and is often performed to gain advantage. Kenny's thought was to be in full gallop, and as he approached an opposing player, put the ball behind his back and kick it over his own head with his heel without slowing down. Witnessing his proficiency with the move, I cautioned him that executing this in a game would not only be incredible, but likely to result in a Donnybrook since it was so cheeky, which he took as the proverbial "line drawn in the sand." The Good, the Bad and the Ugly about it was
(a) He did execute the move in a game vs Bradford,
(b) The player he used it on looked ridiculous on the game film, and
(c) It did result in a tussle, but thankfully no red cards were awarded that day.
Ron and I were sure we would hear about it from Dave Stephens, the Bradford coach, but he shrugged and said it was typical Kenny, a tribute to his reputation as a local legend.

Let me be honest with you, Kenny was not without failings, but he was a loyal as the day is long, generous to a fault, a "Salt of the Earth" human being. If you were his buddy, there was nothing that he wouldn't do, no favour too large, no need too small. Kenny spread his love far and wide. He chose to travel down the 400 to play club rugby for the Markham Irish, playing a part on a McCormick Cup while a member. He also won a National Championship as a member of Team Ontario, sharing the honour with rugby friends from all across Canada. He even endured himself to rugby friends across the pond as a Rugby Ontario Exchange partner, spending a semester in England.

The world forever changed the day you left us Kenny, but you can be sure you will never be forgotten. I will tell you this ... he was THE Kenneth McCartney ... RIP buddy.

SPECIAL NOTE:
The Central RFC family was saddened recently to learn of the untimely passing of Dustin Klammer. While Dustin only joined us for a short time, he endeared himself to all quickly with his mischievous grin and great sense of humour. RIP Dustin.

Memory Lane: My first year at Central

My strolls down Memory Lane have resulted in revisiting the stacks of photo albums and newspaper articles ... remember those ... that I have collected over the years. In one box, I found an old Central Beanie that I rescued from the garbage pile, just after I had started teaching there. The re-discovery pulled me back to the 1998-1999 school year.

1998-1999 was pretty abnormal, at least for me. That was when I decided to make the jump from the elementary panel to the secondary panel, joining the staff of Barrie Central, my alma mater. I was pretty charged about returning to my old stomping grounds but equally nervous about working along side some of the teachers who were still on staff that taught me ... weird feeling!

Unfortunately, the first semester included some political action, and I will admit that I was uneasy about whether or not I'd made a good decision. The silver lining ... there's always a silver lining ... was that I made some new friends, not the least of which was Ron Andrews, who would become one of my life's biggest influences.

The fall sport of choice was Jr Football, working along side BCC legends Tom Krawcyck and Timo Peltonen. I know that we worked really hard with the kids but we weren't very successful, exiting the playoffs pretty quickly. As I remember, it was pretty fun and I was like a kid in a candy store to be coaching older athletes. I also remember being in awe of Tom as he coached in late October wearing only a tight tee and shorts while the rest of us shivered our way through practice.

The basketball season in 1999 was super special because it was with a host of players that I had the honour of coaching in club basketball before arriving at Central, including a reunion with Joe Santoro from PVPS days when we won a Simcoe County Championship together. There were the ex-POW players Bryan Taylor, Derek Cool, and Taylor Armstrong, still chirping in my ear about that epic battle of PVPS vs POW in the area final that earned PVPS a trip to Counties. There was John Michael Irving who had won battles with me when he was at Codrington PS and I was at Maple Grove PS plus we shared some club basketball success. There was getting to know more about Ryan Edgar and how he earned the nickname of Junk Yard Dog. There were other former PVPS players like Rob Mallette, Justin Dyck, Matt Ferguson (the original Ferg), Steve Santoro (Joe's younger brother) and Ryan Griffiths that would play supporting roles. There were some new faces like JC Moore, Mark Huddleston, Ben Lee and Adam Moody. Most importantly, there was team manager, and number one fan, Johnny Cool who was Derek's younger brother, and owner of the greatest name on the planet.

It was all around epic and, as my "rookie" season, I was eager to prove myself! 

I can recall a solid regular season punctuated with a City of Barrie championship clash against St Joe’s and their tremendously gritty team, coached by Harold Regan. It turned out to be a long running rivalry between Regs and I that continued until I retired. 

The in-season successes were followed by a great GBSSA playoff run that eventually resulted in a somewhat easy win over North, played in Huntsville of all places. Winning GB's earned us a berth to OFSAA, being hosted by CCI and their coach Bob Hirst, another coach I would go on to have a great rivalry over the years.

We entered the OFSAA tournament seeded #8 (if I remember correctly) put together some pretty darn excellent basketball with comfortable wins over Simcoe, Sir Robert Borden and Burlington Central in the opening games before matching up with #1 seeded Peterborough CVS in the semis. They had beaten us soundly earlier in the season when we hosted them for a game day and my boys were chomping at the chance for a rematch. As the game began, it quickly became apparent that the game would go down to the wire as each team’s starter matched up almost equally with their opponent. As time on the scoreboard clicked down, with PCVS up 3 with seconds remaining, Joe Santoro put up a long 3-ball that took what felt like 10 seconds to stop rolling around the rim before falling out. It was an incredible game and one of what would turn out to be many in my career where, despite coming out on the short end, we walked away knowing that we played the best we could. As the saying goes, we got beat ... we didn't lose. We would play for the Bronze the next day vs Chatham Kent and rebounded superbly from the loss to win the school's, and my, first ever OFSAA Basketball medal.

SIDENOTE A: 
The semis left such an impression on both BCC and PCVS that life-long friendships were established. I remember our whole team sitting behind PCVS’s bench during the Gold Medal game, cheering them on to the Gold. PCVS’s coach Dave Goulding and I enjoyed (and still enjoy) a great coaching friendship. Their best player, Jesse Young, and I became good friends.

SIDENOTE B:
One funny story that came out of the OFSAA in Collingwood centered around Jr guard Rob Mallette. To understand the story fully, you need to know two things:

1. Rob grew up on Scott Cr, just behind PVPS, the elementary school where we first met. Scott Cr had a reputation for being a tough place to live and Rob was never short of opinions about his childhood growing up there.
2. When we won GB's, I inquired about accommodations for the OFSAA tournament and, finding none, secured permission from Principal Mary Ellen Smith to use 2 chalets that were nearby. The Sr's were in one chalet with co-coach Wes Smith and I was in the other with the Jr's.

Back to the story ... I came down the stairs on the first morning to find Rob, awake and sitting up on the pull out couch he was sleeping on, looking around the living room. When I queried, he replied ... this is from memory and could be slightly altered ... "I'm memorizing this because it isn't going to get any better than right now." He quickly got up, went to the window, and pulled the drape aside, "Look ... there's no "deals" going down, or naked kids trying to beat each other sticks, or parents drinking in the garage." He smiled while I jiggled with a fully belly laugh. 

My first high school rugby coaching experience would turn out to be one of the most memorable. It began in the depths of a Barrie winter where we travelled up highway 11 to practice in a Chestnut's horse barn ... definitely a new experience for me! Having no point of reference, I had no idea how good these guys were. One of the funny sayings that came out of the experience was, "We practice in it so we don't play like it." High school kids can be pretty bright some times. There's even video proof on YouTube, but it's in two parts ... Click #1 ... Click #2 ... Thanks Justin! Looking at the footage now makes for some serious eyebrow raising because the game has changed so much since then.

The seasoned opened with another high school first for me as we boarded the bus for a trip to Washington for the annual Cherry Blossom Rugby Tournament that would be played in the shadow of the Washington Monument. We played some pretty impressive rugby, considering how early it was in the season, and we not only won, but endeared ourselves to the National Guard by both swimming in the reflecting pond and, once being asked to get out, singing O'Canada in celebration, much to the chagrin of the National Guard.

We would go on to run the table with an unblemished record, including a Red Hot Rugby Tournament title, all the way to the GBSSA Championship. My memory is a little hazy of that GB game, but I am pretty sure it was against Bradford and was a lopsided affair ... no offence Bradford.

My first OFSAA championship played out at Fletcher’s Fields in Markham in June of 1999. That particular team was loaded with elite talent, with many eventually representing Canada at various age levels, but more importantly, were an incredibly tough team, both mentally and physically. Leading the charge, arguably one of the best athletes I have ever coached, was co-captain and 8-man Bryan Taylor who, at 6’6” and 220 lbs was an imposing 18-year-old. BT, as he was affectionately called, would go on to quite the career internationally before injury forced an early retirement. Other players who would also wear the Maple Leaf were SH Dave Ashwood, FH Derek Cool, IC Kyle McCabe, and OC Chris Bowman, but there were a number of lads who easily COULD have played at that level but, for their own personal reasons, chose not to chase that dream. As I reflect on it now, we were blessed with some really big kids who were "tough as nails", as the saying goes. One player I am very proud of was FB Andrew McCutcheon who, following his own playing days, has become quite an accomplished coach in his own right leading Bill Crothers HS to many successes and their own OFSAA championship in 2014 and coaching my son Keaton in 7s rugby.

We would keep our undefeated record intact with resounding wins over Earl Haig, Lawrence Park, and Saltfleet, before facing Upper Canada College in the final. It became obvious to me, as we shook the opposing coach's hand before the game, that there was a little history between he and Ron. Riled up by Ron's pregame talk, the lads marched onto the pitch led by Sr prop Mike Lassiter's haunting bagpipes, and from the whistle it was obvious that Central was determined to win this championship. Treating the packed stadium to a brand of rugby rarely seen in high school, the end favoured the Red-Black-White as Central won going away, earning my first OFSAA Gold medal, and second OFSAA medal of the school year.

What a year! A harbinger of what was to be an incredible run until Central closed forever in 2016.

SIDENOTE C: 

1999 turned out to be a spectacular year! In the fall of 1999 ... the 1999-2000 school year ... Central would win yet another GBSSA Football Championship with an upset wins over North in the semis and then Innisdale in the final.

Ahhhh, hindsight is always 20/20. Looking back, all of those fears I had the previous fall about making the correct choice, they were pretty unfounded, now that I look back on it.

Memory Lane: There's always a Silver lining!

This isolation thing must be having an effect on me because I have regularly found myself taking strolls down Memory Lane to visit the most impressionable events from my coaching years.

When I was offered a position on the staff at Barrie Central, my old football coach, Dave Garland, was on the interview committee and it was clear right from the onset that his agenda included me helping coach football. The long and short of it was that I coached the Jr team to a lacklustre performance in year one, and then a couple of years at Sr, winning a GBSSA Championship in 2001, but I really wasn't in love with the whole scene. Don't get me wrong, my co-coaches were awesome, and while there were players who whole-heartedly embraced the values and practices we were preaching, there remained a sizeable number that weren't really interested in become elite, and that drained much of the love out of it for me. This eventually led to me opening the door to coaching girl's basketball as my fall coaching duty.

I was blessed with talent in both co-coaches and players throughout those years.
As for coaches, the late Bob Caville and I were like Gump's "Peas and Carrots" when it came to what we both had to offer to the team, while Robin Lawrence, BNC grad and hoops star, and I shared a much closer make up and she became a close friend as the years rolled by.
As for players I got to work with, Kayla Alexander (Bio), the Lukan sisters Alyska (Mac+Ott), Megan (Bio) and Kaili (Bio), Kirsten Shedden, Nerida Kort Vander Linden, the Innes sisters Kira and Kylee, the Schweitzer sisters Holly and Ally (Mac) but they were supported by amazing athletes who's primary focus was a different sport like Emily Belchos (Bio). There are a plethora of others who may feel slighted that I didn't name ... Ladies, please understand that I mean no offence.

One team, in particular, immediately causes a coronary flutter, partially because of how it concluded but also because the girls came together over a win-filled season to be one of the best joint-effort tournaments I have ever coached.

The backbone of the 2011 team was 5'10" Sr Kaili Lukan, the youngest of the three superstar sisters to grace Central and quite possibly the best one on one defender I have ever coached, male or female. Kaili could single handily take over a game by locking down the opposition’s best player and breaking the opposition’s spirit in the process. She was so talented, she would go on to an incredible NCAA career with Wisconsin-Green Bay, following in her sister Megan's footsteps, where she helped WGB appear in multiple NCAA tournaments and was Defensive Player of the Year in the Horizon League in her Sr year.

Providing significant help was 6'0" Soph Ally Schweitzer, who would go on to her own successful career as a member of McMaster Marauders where she was a heralded recruit (Click).

The rest of the supporting cast were a plethora of incredible athletes like Nerida Koert Van der Linden (who also holds the record for the longest name I have coached), sisters Kira and Kylee Innes, Ally's sister Holly, Emily Belchos, Emma Chown, Corinna Mageean, Brittany Triemstra, Claire MacDonald, Tori Bailey, Chanel Frangakis and Laura Benson.

My co-coach was Pappa Bear himself, the late Bob Caville. Bob was a "Salt of the Earth" type of man and a terrific basketball coach, to boot. We each brought our own strengths to the team and I am forever in his debt for sharing his knowledge and friendship with me.

We won the GBSSA title going away and entered the tournament seeded #9. The hype about our team grew with each upset as we posted wins over #8 Glebe HS, #15 St Ignatius and #6 Thomas A Stewart. We eventually won our way into the Gold Medal game against heavily favoured #1 General Amherst, who's starting line up was the stuff of legends going 6'5", 6'3", 6'1", 6'0" and 5'10" ... Sr Girls ... Are you kidding me? In the end it came down a 2-point lead for GA in the waning seconds after Kaili’s last second shot bounced out, and I prepared myself for the inevitable tears of a heart-wrenching loss … Except that didn’t happen.

As the girls rushed into a group at mid court, the resounding cheers swelled in volume, “We’re Number Two! We’re Number Two!” Bob and I looked at each other incredulously, tears welling in our eyes, and we shared a long embrace filled to the brim with pride. The school's first OFSAA Girl's Basketball medal AND my highest placing OFSAA medal in basketball.

I can still hear their favourite song, “Ooooh ooooh ... Sometimes … I get a feeling …”

We all need something to laugh at!

I recently dug out the ol' six-string and see what I could remember after almost 35 years. Sadly, the strings were rotten and that was that. It got me thinking about the old days when I used to enjoy a pint or three during a JAM sesh on the deck in university. I could see if Amazon has some I can get as I don't imagine good ol' Music Pro downtown has been deemed an essential service. Better still, I could get a hold of fellow Georgian coach, Josh "J-Mo" Morgan, who also happens to be the Uber talented frontman for the group Barriers. As a testament to the friend that he is, Josh was able to help a buddy out and replaced my strings for me ... with all social distancing protocols observed ... so I could revisit those days. I will, of course, warn my neighbours before I take to my deck during this pandemic ... It'll be a while before my fingers are ready for any sustained playing.

In light of the anxiety and stress that so many are feeling right now, I thought that I would make an attempt at turning up the corners of corners of some mouths. Please don't be quoting copyright violations to me ... I'm only so intelligent and can't do this solely on my own ... because I was inspired by the Covid 19 Rhapsody and My Corona floating around Social Media. You'll be thankful that I chose to include lyrics but no audio, mostly because I can't play these songs yet.

My Many Weeks of Infection (Think 12 Days of Christmas)
On the 1st week of Covid, our government said to we,
It's NOT here in Canada,
AND we'll just wait and see.

On the 2nd week of Covid, our government said to we,
You SHOULD Social Distance,
It's BARELY here in Canada,
BUT we should wait and see.

On the 3rd week of Covid, our government said to we,
PLEASE wash your damn hands,
You MUST social distance,
It's REALLY here in Canada,
NOW we have to wait and see.

On the 4th week of Covid, our government said to we,
You NEED to stay the hell at home,
PLEASE wash your damn hands,
You MUST Social Distance,
It's GROWING here in Canada,
So we'll SHUT DOWN and see.

On the 5th week of Covid, our government said to we,
AMERICA IS BLOWING UP!

You NEED to stay the hell at home,
PLEASE wash your damn hands,
You MUST social distance,
It's GROWING here in Canada,
So we'll HOLD ON and see."

Thank God I'm a Cana'jun (Think Thank God I'm a Country Boy)
Well life in isolation is really kinda WHACK,
Too much for a old northern boy like me to hack,
I'm Early to rise then early in the sack,
But thank God I'm a Cana'jun.

Well the retired kinda life really does me no harm,
Staying in my little home, keepin' kind warm,
Soapy hands and sanitizer are all the frickin' norm,
Thank God I'm a Cana'jun.

Well I got me a great wife, I bought me some viddles,
When the sun comes up, I got the corona virus riddle,
Distancing was fine at first, but now hurts just a little,
Thank God I'm a Cana'jun.

When DoFo and Trudeau were elected, don't ya know,
This old northern boy thought, "Well, that really blows!",
Didn't like either of 'em and their "Dog and Pony Show",
But thank God I'm a Cana'jun!

Now I gotta say somethin', I really, really should,
Through all of this, they've both been kinda good,
So I'll "eat crow" and admit they've done what they could,
So thank God I'm a Cana'jun!

Well I got me a great wife, I bought me some viddles,
When the sun comes up, I got the corona virus riddle,
Distancing was fine at first, but now hurts just a little,
Thank God I'm a Cana'jun.

Should have switched our stocks to diamonds n' jewells,
But we'll make out better than them money hungry fools,
We'll just hunker down, 'cause the long haul's the rule,
And thank God I'm Cana'jun.

Yeah, Americans are thinkin' that's a mighty keen,
Cana'juns and our health care, if ya know what I mean,
We'll ride out this virus like nobody's seen,
Thank God I'm a Cana'jun!

Well I got me a great wife, I bought me some viddles,
When the sun comes up, I got the corona virus riddle,
Distancing was fine at first, but now hurts just a little,
Thank God I'm a Cana'jun.

If I was a Super Neighbour (Think If I had a Million Dollars)
If I was a super neighbour (Echo ... If I was a super neighbour)
I would buy you a bubble (Echo)
And if I was a super neighbour (Echo)
I'd buy you sanitizer for your hands ... Maybe Lysol and some TP
And if I was a super neighbour (Echo)
I'd share my Netflix ... Maybe some internet or some pie

And if I was a super neighbour ... I'd buy you tiiiiime

If I was a super neighbour ... A bunch of groceries I would share
If I was a super neighbour ... Bake some fresh bread, if I dare
If I was a super neighbour ... Somehow fill up your refrigerator
I could make cookies or some cake ...
Or some milk or some eggs or some fruit ...
Or some pre-wrapped sausages and things, hmmm

If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
I'd visit you every day ... but at the end of the driveway
If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
I'd watch your kids play in your yard ... let you a nap during the day
If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
I'd post all sorts of signs ... Hearts for nurses and doctors

And if I was a super neighbour ... I'd buy you tiiiiime

If I was a super neighbour, I would walk for you to the store
If I was a super neighbour, so you could stay quarantined for sure
If I was a super neighbour, you wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner ...
Unless you really want Kraft dinner ...
And some really cool Ketchups ...
Like super fancy Dijon Ketchup ...

And if I was a super neighbour ... I'd buy you tiiiiime

If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
If I was a super neighbour (Echo)
That'd be great!

To quote Elvis, "Thank you, thank you very much."
Please, No ovations ... it's embarrassing.

I LOVED coaching my kids!

I have always loved coaching! My earliest coaching memory was working at the YMCA, coaching basketball, when I was maybe 13 or 14 years old. By the time my children came along, I was an "old hat" and, in all my arrogance, I felt that I could do a better job than most, so I chose to coach my own children in the host of activities they participated in. A lot of my colleagues are pretty quick to spout that they think coaches should let contemporaries work with your kids, but I beg to differ, and I've got hundreds of great memories to support that opinion. It wasn't always smooth, but it was always fun, and I am confident that the experiences shaped them into the great human beings that they have both have turned out to be.

I should begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed coaching my daughter Maddison in swimming, and I am proud to tell you that she qualified for OFSAA each year she represented Central, despite the lack of talent her father displayed at the poolside. She and her Barrie Trojan team mates were well beyond my ability to enhance their skills, but I comfort myself with the thinking that I was able to assist a little with the mental side of competition. The ironic thing about me coaching swimming is that I sink like a rock and that almost lead to me not obtaining my PHE degree at Queen's ... but that's another story for another time. I have loads of good memories from those days, but being brutally honest, rugby is my true passion and she didn't choose to play.

I had the best of both worlds in coaching and fathering my son, but the stretch from 2012 to 2016 was pretty F'n awesome, I must say, with a host of amazing memories, humorous stories, and a scare to keep me on my toes. For me it was the penultimate experience combining two of my greatest passions. Both Maddi and KP were troopers for handling their highly demanding father ... most of the time ... but when like minds work that closely, as is the case with KP and I, there's bound to be some fireworks. Both of us are pretty stubborn, believe strongly in our abilities, and are not at all shy about voicing our opinion, but we navigated the choppy waters without capsizing. He has shared with me that he would like to pay if forward some day now that he has retired from active duty, and that's something that I am extremely proud of.

I reluctantly stepped away from coaching with the ORU in 2013 quite simply because KP had decided to invest himself full on into rugby, and I felt that my involvement would create conflict of interest issues for my co-coaches. It was the provincial team, after all, but that didn't mean I stayed away because I replaced the whistle with my camera, becoming team journalist.

Here are some memories that come to mind about the things we shared during those years:

2012 Barbarian Cup (Jr Provincial HS Championships)
When Sean Anderson scored a try in the final seconds of the championship, KP had to slot a left sideline 35 m conversion to win ... which he did, prompting me to announce loudly, "Who's kids just won a provincial championship for his team?"

When we later shared a hug and I marvelled at the "ice in his veins", his bugged out and replied, "Holy sh*t! I thought we were up one!" That left us both giggling.

2012 Ontario Summer Games 7's Gold
Although relatively new to the 7-a-side game, KP secured a spot on the Toronto side competed in the Ontario Summer games held at York University in Toronto.

Continuing to bask in the sunshine of success during the spring, KP and his team mates beat the other Toronto side for the OSG Gold when team mate Riley DiNardo scored a late try to seal the win. It was a pretty cool thing to experience, one that I didn't experience when I was a player.

I'm pretty confident that this was the point he decided that rugby was it!

2013 OFSAA Gold
Central had a brilliant season and earned a spot in the final against one of the largest high school teams I had ever seen in Moira SS out of Belleville.

After brilliantly "steering the ship" as a G11 scrumhalf, we shared a kiss and hug as we basked in the glory of Gold, and like a chip off the old block, he lamented, "I should have made that kick" referring to the PK he missed in the waning moments.
Lofty goals, people, lofty goals.

2014 OFSAA Silver
A parent's worst nightmare!
Finding him after the final whistle sounded, signalling a last minute loss 7-0 to Erin, I found KP hyperventilating and looking bewildered. The conversation went like this:
KP: "Did we win?"
Me: "No, bud, we lost 7-0"
KP: "How did I play?"
Me: "Pretty damn good, but you made some weird decisions at the end."
KP: "Did we win?"
Me: "No we lost."
KP: "How did I play?"
It would be this major concussion that kept him from playing anymore that year, and would be the beginning of the end of his playing career, 3 concussions later.

2015 OFSAA Gold
Keaton and Robbie Andrews, Ron's son, were one of the best 9-10 combos that we would coach, and both took their turn being the last second hero, on home turf, in an OFSAA tournament. Robbie scored late in the semi to ensure we would fight for Gold while Keaton scored on the last play of that final to seal the program's 9th OFSAA Gold, easily topping my personal coaching memories.

2015 National Championships
As the starting scrumhalf for the RO U19 side vs the Evil Empire (again), KP's performance made me one "slap happy pappy", and would earn on him a trial with the U20 Canadian team, a step that would culminate in achieving his dream of being selected to the National team.

Unfortunately, the Canada U20's dream of the World Trophy Tournament was destroyed by the no-time-on-the-clock 55 m miracle kick off the boot of U20 USA's flyhalf Ben Cima.
CLICK HERE to see the game in its entirety.

Staving off Dementia ... hopefully

Based on opinion rather than science, my aim is to stave off the potential for dementia by continuing to dredge up some really old memories, and I thought it was time to focus on some quotable quotes and anecdotes from all of those years at Central. As an aside, I recently watched an old episode of the Nature of Things about memory and how much of what we are certain is factual is actually a mish-mash of truth and fantasy.

I am hoping that the following are more fact and less fiction.

NOTE: Since some of these might prove a trifle awkward, I will abstain from actual names, but I am sure those involved, should they read these, will be able to figure it out!

1999 Cherry Blossom Tournament - Washington, DC
Ron and I met on the picket line in the fall of 1998 and, discovering we had a mutual love in the game of rugby, he welcomed me aboard the Good Ship Central. My first major event was a a multi-hour bus ride to Washington, DC for the program's first ever Cherry Blossom tournament, which was played in the shadow of the Washington Monument on the West Mall. The Reader's Digest version was that we won the tournament despite a deluge that left the entire team mud from head to foot. One of our brighter sparks decided that washing the mud off in the Reflecting Pool, prompting the hoard of National Guard who descended on us to request that we get out ... immediately. To make matters worse, another of the bright sparks decided that the perfect response to extricating the players was a rousing rendition of O'Canada. They did let us leave but there weren't a lot of smiles.

2001 GBSSA Championship vs Innisdale ... I think
After the game ended in another win for the good guys, a certain lock confessed that he made a poor choice in his pre-game nutrition by consuming a few green apples. Apparently his digestive system was not appreciative, resulting in what he coined "Green Apple Splatters" that resulted from the exertion of an early ruck. Our 8-man, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, went white when he realized he had bee sticking his head beside our locks hind end during scrums.

2002 OFSAA Semi vs Saltfleet SS
After scoring a go ahead try, and realizing we needed the convert,  our captain and scrum half asked our lock who was lining up the kick, "Can you make this?" referring to the resulting kick. "Yes" was the reply, prompting an immediate retort, "You better F-N make it!" I'm glad to tell you he did and that we went on to win on home turf vs Brantford CI, securing the program's 4th OFSAA Gold.

2003 OFSAA Tournament ... I think
To have continued success over the years, our program adopted a host of additional skills and habits, designed to enhance our player's abilities. Not the least of which was a more stringent nutritional regime, designed with performance in mind, thanks partly to the efforts of Ron's sister, a registered dietician. The lads embraced the diet, enjoying the performance benefits, but they were teenagers, and they begged that the bus ride back from OFSAA (a Bronze, no less) make a pit stop for some teenagery-style food. Gleefully clutching their $25 bag of Wendy's, a feast ensued that would have left medieval courts in envy. A short time down the road, however, the glee was replaced with panic as a number of the lads implored the driver stop on the side of the road to allow many to purge the expensive poison from their systems, much to their disappointment.

2004 OFSAA Championship vs Uxbridge SS
During our run to the championship game, our scouting identified that the Uxbridge South African born flyhalf was a problem waiting to happen. Head coach Ron dreamed up a wrinkle in our defensive structure that would potentially limit the flyhalf's effectiveness, instructing our OHL hockey-playing Inside Center to take a Kong line on the FH each time. The thought of continually crunching the same player throughout the game brought a huge smile to our center's face. It was he who coined the tactic HPP, or Hockey Player Pinch. We won our 5th OFSAA championship and the Uxbridge FH looked like he had just tangled with a Mack Truck and lost.

2007 OFSAA semifinal vs Upper Canada College
We have been so blessed over the years, and 2007 was no different. We have the luxury of playing a Team Canada prop at inside center, striking fear in the hearts of the opposition backs. Despite his physical prowess, this young lad possessed a quality set of skills in his toolbox, skills that would prove to be the difference as the semifinal game would down. Our program pride's itself on being well prepared and, as such, we have a play that allows for a drop-goal attempt if 3 points are required to find the win. Down 10-9 to UCC, our prop-turned-back executed a perfect diving spin pass to our FH (who also played Team Canada, I should add), who calmly slotted the kick to earn us a berth in the final 12-10. We would go on to win our program's 6th OFSAA Gold by besting rival Uxbridge SS.

2011 OFSAA Championship vs Trenton HS
In a match between titans, the game was tight going down to the finish when a Trenton player broke through and scored what looked to be a last second win, but the touch judge behind the play held his touch flag straight out, indicating that he had witnessed foul play. After a lengthy discussion with the referee that included the referee repeatedly asking, "Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" the whistle was blown, the try negated, and a penalty awarded to the Good Guys. A tap and kick into touch gave us our 7th OFSAA Championship. As it turned out, a Trenton player had thrown a punch into the face of our Inside Center in an act that forever made him the Central version of Helen of Troy with "a face that launched a (champion) ship".

2013 Season and the Birth of a Nick Name
Our program has benefitted from a host of unlikely heroes over the years, and some of those heroes are enshrined in program lore as codes for certain specialities in the hallowed Tech Pack, known forever throughout the ensuing generations. Although the likes of "Curtis-ball", "Conan" and "Gussi" have roots in actual names, it is the nicknames that bring the grins to the faces like "Mogul" (based on a certain scrum half's resemblance to Mowgli) or "Ali" (based on the aligator-like catching motion of a certain lock), but the one near and dear to my heart because it was a certain SH/FH's nick name, as affectionately coined by that year's co-captain, "Tron" which was short for "Fagatron".

2015 Season and the Love-Fest in Midhurst
I have already recounted the incredible experience of winning our 9th OFSAA championship, on "home" turf at Jim Hamilton Field, with both of our sons playing major roles, but the one thing that I haven't written about still brings on the emotions every time I revisit the memory. Following the victory, the trophy presentation and the medals, the hundreds of "old boys" there in support, joined arm in arm for a huge Kumasa. For those that don't know what a Kumasa is, it is the Central Rugby cheer created by the players from 1994 that is used just prior to the beginning of every game, very much our version - with all due respect - of the New Zealand Haka. Sadly, I was so caught up in the moment, I neglected to film it, and will forever have to be content with my memory of it.