StFX's John Hatch and 1981 Acadia football team to be inducted into NS Sport Hall of Fame
(HALIFAX, N.S.) – StFX men’s basketball star John Hatch and the 1981 CIS champion Acadia Axemen football team were among the two teams, two athletes and two builders announced today who will be enshrined into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame this fall.
(HALIFAX, N.S.) – StFX men’s basketball star John Hatch and the 1981 CIS champion Acadia Axemen football team were among the two teams, two athletes and two builders announced today who will be enshrined into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame this fall.
The official induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 2nd, 2013 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. Tickets for Induction Night will be available in September at the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.
“Undefeated,” “underdogs,” “overcame the odds,” and “greatest comeback in Nova Scotia Sport history” are terms used when discussing the two teams that are being inducted.
The 1985 Kentville Wildcats were the first Nova Scotia baseball team to win a National Championship and the 1981 Acadia University Football team went undefeated to win the Canadian College Bowl (now Vanier Cup).
Basketball star and St. Francis Xavier University’s all-time leading scorer, John Hatch and Canadian Welterweight Boxing Champion, Lawrence Hafey round out the Athlete-Team category.
In the Builder category, Tak Kikuchi has ruled the world of gymnastics as a coach, judge, administrator and club developer for over 40 years and Stephen Fairbairn has helped grow snowboarding in the province to the point where Nova Scotia snowboarders have been to four consecutive Olympics since 1998.
Bruce Rainnie, television news host at CBC Charlottetown, an accomplished CBC sport play-by-play man, colour commentator and event host will be master of ceremonies for the 14th time, in what promises to be an evening filled with joyful memories, good laughs, and heartfelt words.
1981 Acadia University Axemen Football Team:
Going into the Canadian College Bowl (now the Vanier Cup) this team was a 22-point underdog, despite posting a perfect season in Atlantic Canada.
The week before, the Axemen trounced the Queen’s Golden Gales 40-14 in the Atlantic Bowl.
Overcoming the odds, they defeated the defending champion, University of Alberta, 18-12.
More than half of this team was homegrown, which was uncommon in this era. They were one of six teams in Nova Scotia history to win the National Championship and one of only 13 teams in CIS history to complete an undefeated season.
That year, Steve Repic was League MVP and College Bowl MVP, Quentin Tynes was Rookie of the Year, Stuart MacLean was Defensive Player of the Year, and John Hurd was Coach of the Year. Stuart MacLean, Tom Johnson and Chris Rhora were CIS All-Canadians and John Huard was the CIS Top Coach.
Players: Colum Armstrong, Ron Arsenault, Rod Barton, Alex Callus, Dave Clark, Don Clow, Mike Cox, Stephen Comeau, David Conrad, Steve Crane, John Davies, Darrell Dempster, Mike DeWare, Jim Direnzo, Brian Fraser, Nadder Haddad, David Haley, Allan Hartley, Lee Hodgkins, Tom Johnson, Dave Joudrey, Joseph Joyce, John Knowles, Ross Langley, Bill Little, Scott MacLean, Stuart MacLean, Stephen Margeson, Nick Matejuk, Ron Meech, Stephen Moran, Tony Munden, Larry Priestnall, Steve Repic, Chris Rhora, Donald Roach, Ernesto Salamone, Vincenzo Salamone, Keith Skiffington, Steve Smith, Bob Trainor, Bruce Tufts, Quentin Tynes, Hubert Walsh, George Watkinson, George Wenk, Jim Williams
Coaches: John Huard, David Hirsch, Bill Hurley, Phil Hurley, Wayne MacDonald, Bill MacLeod, Dan McNally, Dan Palov, Tony Stewart
Trainers: Brian Auger, Jim MacLeod, Heather MacGowan, David Simms
Manager: Mike MacKay
John Hatch:
John Hatch is the all-time leading scorer in St. Francis Xavier University basketball history with 2,968 points (Exhibition, Regular Season and Post-Season play) in just four seasons between 1980 and 1984.
Hatch’s 1,470 career points scored in 72 regular season games currently ranks him 18th all-time in Atlantic University Sport conference history.
John is also second all-time in rebounding at StFX with 1,478 (Exhibition, Regular Season and Post-Season play). His 735 career rebounds in regular season play are the tenth highest total in conference history.
He is a three-time consecutive AUAA Most Valuable Player, three-time consecutive CIS First Team all-Canadian, and the only X-Men to ever receive the all-Canadian honour on three occasions.
He represented Canada at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, where his team placed 4th and 6th respectively. John also won gold with Canada at the World University Games and played professionally in Switzerland for 7 years.
He is now residing in Switzerland with his wife and family.
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Source: Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
Photo Courtesy of Nick Pearce