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Jim Young (aka "Dirty 30") about to feel the wrath of big Ed McQuarters at Regina's Taylor Field, September 6, 1971.




DH

Loved his running feud with Grady Cavness of the Bombers. Both well versed in the use of the elbows

That 1971 pic is the best look I've seen of the Centennial helmet. I remember seeing it for the first time in a grainy Toronto Star pic that accompanied the game story for the Lions Aug 29th 27-24 home win over TOR (which was the Argos 1st loss after going 4-0 to start the season). With the b&w low res I had no idea what the logo was supposed to depict. (the BC Lion head used before and after that season was easy to figure out).

It's interesting the Lions were allowed to adapt it to their colours, since the official Canada, Confederation, and Centennial dogwood logo appears to be 3 gold "C"s on a blue background.

You are right about that logo BC 1988 - our 1971 Shaughnessy Little League baseball trophies featured that sticker on the base of the trophy. Somewhat unusual that the Leos would turn it into a helmet design instead of sporting it as a jersey patch, but it's distinctive and I always know when I see a photo what year it was!

Funny you should mention that BC-Argos game as that was a game that I attended with my Dad. I hadn't yet turned 8-years old but I have a photographic memory and can still recall where we sat in the stadium, one of the touchdowns, and even the weather that day. I recall the game being quite a big deal because it was Joe Theismann and the high priced (and powered) Argonauts. For the Leos to knock them off that Sunday afternoon was quite the upset.

A running back named Josh Ashton Jr. from the University of Tulsa was the star of that game. Strangely, he left the club later that week (perhaps homesick) and ended up playing in the NFL. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 44. Here are a couple of images I have from that game (both featuring one of his long runs).






DH

Nice sharp game pics. Dave Raimey was having trouble containing #25 that day.

Living in the East all through the '70s and most of the '80s, I had minimal exposure to the Lions until they started to turn heads in the Dewalt era. The '70s seem to be full of what-ifs, chief among them the one-way pipeline of talent running from BC to EDM, as well as players like Ashton Jr.

BC 1988 wrote:Nice sharp game pics. Dave Raimey was having trouble containing #25 that day.

Living in the East all through the '70s and most of the '80s, I had minimal exposure to the Lions until they started to turn heads in the Dewalt era. The '70s seem to be full of what-ifs, chief among them the one-way pipeline of talent running from BC to EDM, as well as players like Ashton Jr.

I cant remember a single qb between kapp and tagge.

It was tough being a Lions fan back then. It was a very dry period from the Grey Cup winning season of 1964 right through to the Vic Rapp era of 1977, which finally instilled a commitment to winning, discipline, and accountability.

The club recruited very well in 1971 and 1972 - lots of high profile US collegians signed here such as Don Moorhead, Don Bunce, Ray Nettles, Johnny Musso, and Ron Estay. By 1974 Nettles was a consistent All-Star and Moorhead showed flashes at quarterback (but was always getting injured. Same goes for Alabama legend Johnny Musso). You wonder "what could have been" had so many good players not been jettisoned to the Eskimos.

Even without Tom Wilkinson, Larry Highbaugh, Ron Estay et al., the Leos roared out 8-4 record in '74 beind a very good O-line (particularly Curtis Wester at guard and Al Wilson at centre), two 1,000 yard rushers in Lou Harris and Monroe Eley, and a mobile quarterback in Moorhead who could exploit the run. When he went down to injury, the club lost the final 4 games of the season and the West Semi Final. One wonders if those who departed for Edmonton would have put that '74 team over the edge.


DH

BC 1988 wrote:Nice sharp game pics. Dave Raimey was having trouble containing #25 that day.

NOTE - It's actually the same 54 yard run to paydirt but taken from different angles. The first is from a short lived local publication called "Football News," the second is a Vancouver Sun image.


DH

David wrote:It was tough being a Lions fan back then. It was a very dry period from the Grey Cup winning season of 1964 right through to the Vic Rapp era of 1977, which finally instilled a commitment to winning, discipline, and accountability.

The club recruited very well in 1971 and 1972 - lots of high profile US collegians signed here such as Don Moorhead, Don Bunce, Ray Nettles, Johnny Musso, and Ron Estay. By 1974 Nettles was a consistent All-Star and Moorhead showed flashes at quarterback (but was always getting injured. Same goes for Alabama legend Johnny Musso). You wonder "what could have been" had so many good players not been jettisoned to the Eskimos.

Even without Tom Wilkinson, Larry Highbaugh, Ron Estay et al., the Leos roared out 8-4 record in '74 beind a very good O-line (particularly Curtis Wester at guard and Al Wilson at centre), two 1,000 yard rushers in Lou Harris and Monroe Eley, and a mobile quarterback in Moorhead who could exploit the run. When he went down to injury, the club lost the final 4 games of the season and the West Semi Final. One wonders if those who departed for Edmonton would have put that '74 team over the edge.

DH

Lou Harris had 1232 yards rushing, 532 receiving, and a league best 12 touchdowns. Monroe Eley also rushed for over a thousand yards (1176). We had quite the rushing attack that season, even with Johnny Musso injured and only playing 3 games. But even with those impressive stats, our best rushing season was in 1960, when we ran the football for 3.248 yds. Yup, you read that right.

Our best passing season was 1991, when we threw for 6,714 yds. behind the arm of Doug Flutie and the hands of Ray Alexander and Matt Clarke. We scored 661 points that season, the most points of any Leos team ever, averaging 36.7 points per game and had a mind blowing 9,117 yds. of net offence. The closest we came to that season of offence was in 2000, when Steve Burratto stepped in and coached our Leos to 7,861 yds. of net offence (and we were a two back set and not in the spread offence

Our best season in getting to the quarterback was in 1986. Our defense, led by James Quick Parker, Tyrone Crews, and Larry Crawford were sack masters. We sacked opposition quarterbacks 86 times that season.

9,117 1991 CFL Record 7,861 2000

This fan remembers Josh Ashton. He was like an explosion on the scene. Boom. And then gone. Took the wind right out of the sails of Eagle Keys.

Eagle had a shifty back named Bobby (Moore? something) in Regina. He was asked if he could get a back like that in Vancouver. Ashton was his answer. And then ... gone.

But Eagle also found Monroe Eley. Lou Harris. Johnny Musso. Jim Evenson. Some absolutely great running backs.

Eagle did not have the same success finding quarterbacks for B.C. LOL One "top" recruit was Don Moorhead. OMG. I recall him making a lateral directly behind himself to a running back. But, there was no back there. LOL After one game, when our QB was under siege, Eagle said that we "stumbled, bumbled, fumbled, and fell down." LOL

I recall sports writer Jim Taylor, "looking into the brain" of the Man from Turkey Neck Bend, Kentucky, Eagle Keys. Taylor had a great fondness for Keys, but Eagle could not do for B.C. what he did for Regina, that is, build a Cup winner.

Even in those "wilderness years" for the Lions, there was considerable entertainment value.

After a blowout loss for the Lions, I recall Ernie Afaganis, so diplomatic in the broadcast trailer at the south end of the stadium, finding soothing words for the vanquished team.

Pretty good thread here, David. Lots of good memories.

David wrote:Being "Throwback Thursday," I thought some of you might like to look at some colour footage of our Leos in 1963 and 1964 (our first "Glory Years"). The first is a home playoff game against Saskatchewan in November 23, 1963 (one day after US President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald). This was the 3rd game of a total point playoff which we won 36-1 to move us to the home Grey Cup game the following week. That was played on a glorious sunny day - those highlights follow right after, then the '64 Grey Cup win in Toronto.

FF to the 42:50 mark. Although it's before my time, it's still really cool to watch in those beautiful burnt orange and black unis.

[video][/video]


DH

I just watched the video David and loved watching it. Great to see my fave Leo at the time, Ron Morris make a couple of outstanding catches. From Kapp and Fleming, Swift and Munsey, Claridge and Homer, Dennis and Cotter, Fouts and Martin, Brown and Fieldgate, and Neil Beamont, it was fun to watch. Thanks!!!!

West Coast Joe wrote:Eagle had a shifty back named Bobby (Moore? something) in Regina. He was asked if he could get a back like that in Vancouver. Ashton was his answer. And then ... gone.

But Eagle also found Monroe Eley. Lou Harris. Johnny Musso. Jim Evenson. Some absolutely great running backs.

I think the player you're referring to WCJ is Bobby Thompson (who burned the Leos many times). Bobby Thompson and Silas McKinnie. Uggh!

And not to be overly pedantic - nobody likes a know it all but Eagle didn't actually find Jim Evenson.

The Portland Pig arrived here in 1968 when Jim Champion was coach (I believe Eagle was with the Riders). Evie was an Oregon dropout and was playing rugby at the time when one of the guys he was playing rugby with was Lefty Hendrickson (our tight end) who convinced him to come up to Canada and give the CFL a shot. Jim Evenson ended up winning rushing titles and is still the club's 2nd all-time leading rusher (behind Willie Fleming). He was also a 2-time CFL All-Star and 4 time Western All-Star. He is 4th all-time in BC Lions single game rushing yards, with a 202 yard effort against the Bombers in 1969.



DH

BC 1988 wrote:It's interesting the Lions were allowed to adapt it to their colours, since the official Canada, Confederation, and Centennial dogwood logo appears to be 3 gold "C"s on a blue background.

If I'm not mistaken, they were permitted to use team colours because they represent all of BC. At least that's the way I remember it...

David wrote:

West Coast Joe wrote:Eagle had a shifty back named Bobby (Moore? something) in Regina. He was asked if he could get a back like that in Vancouver. Ashton was his answer. And then ... gone.

But Eagle also found Monroe Eley. Lou Harris. Johnny Musso. Jim Evenson. Some absolutely great running backs.

I think the player you're referring to WCJ is Bobby Thompson (who burned the Leos many times). Bobby Thompson and Silas McKinnie. Uggh!

And not to be overly pedantic - nobody likes a know it all but Eagle didn't actually find Jim Evenson.

The Portland Pig arrived here in 1968 when Jim Champion was coach (I believe Eagle was with the Riders). Evie was an Oregon dropout and was playing rugby at the time when one of the guys he was playing rugby with was Lefty Hendrickson (our tight end) who convinced him to come up to Canada and give the CFL a shot. Jim Evenson ended up winning rushing titles and is still the club's 2nd all-time leading rusher (behind Willie Fleming). He was also a 2-time CFL All-Star and 4 time Western All-Star. He is 4th all-time in BC Lions single game rushing yards, with a 202 yard effort against the Bombers in 1969.



DH

No problem, David. Tendency to be pretty casual with the facts in a discussion through recall. This site is a good place to get the facts straightened out, as in a hot stove league. As with Bobby Thompson. Yup, that is the guy.

I mentioned Eley, Harris and Musso as finds by Eagle. Then recalled that Evenson played for Eagle also. I did not distinguish that Eagle did not recruit him.

I recall seeing TC at UBC. Eagle putting the troops through their paces, including Jim Evenson.

A.D. Whitfield was at TC also. He had played for Lombardi with the Redskins.

Another memory. Eagle had a weird contraption at that TC. Metal frame. Tubes to grab the players as they struggled to run through it. Whitfield cut through it like it was nothing. Evenson blasted through it. A lIttle DB, Jerry Butler, I think, got caught up in it, helpless. LOL Some time later, the following year maybe, Eagle wanted more "hit on the corner" and brought in Wayne Matherne.

Some memories, not really fact checked for dates, etc.

David wrote:The Portland Pig arrived here in 1968 when Jim Champion was coach (I believe Eagle was with the Riders). Evie was an Oregon dropout and was playing rugby at the time when one of the guys he was playing rugby with was Lefty Hendrickson (our tight end) who convinced him to come up to Canada and give the CFL a shot. Jim Evenson ended up winning rushing titles and is still the club's 2nd all-time leading rusher (behind Willie Fleming). He was also a 2-time CFL All-Star and 4 time Western All-Star. He is 4th all-time in BC Lions single game rushing yards, with a 202 yard effort against the Bombers in 1969.



DH

This thread is bringing back some good memories from an otherwise bleak era in Lions' history. I recall in 1968 Evenson finished just two yards behind George Reed for the rushing title, 1,222 to 1,220. The Lion coaches spent the following day going through film from the season to see if they could find a couple more yards. They didn't but Evenson had a better rushing average than Reed (4.9 yards to 4.6).

Evenson had 1,287 yards the following season but was still 66 yards behind Reed, although he again had a slightly higher average per carry. He didn't win a rushing title until 1971.

The late '60s, unfortunately, was the Paul Brothers era. The Lions didn't have much of a passing attack to complement Evenson's inside run game.