The MHSAA votes to eliminate the bronze medal playoff.
In the quarterfinals, the 7th-seeded wildcard Winnipeg Dakota Lancers, who’d lost to the Winnipeg Fort Richmond Centurions in the Cloverleaf conference finals, defeated the 2nd-seeded Winnipeg Windsor Park Royals 52-31 as Peter Falk scores 16, Ken Kiraly 8, Jim Kentel 7, Rod McDowell 7, Craig Hornby 4, Bob Gross 4, Kevin Drummond 3, Roy Niewenberg 2 and Bryan Kornberger 1, while Vigier, Kevin Shaw and Parson were scoreless. Steve Groshak led Suburban conference, the Royals, with 9. Jones added 8, Kuldys 4, Van Eleslander 4, Steeves 2, Duncan 2 and Bryant 2, while Coady, Innes, Karwacki and Thompson were scoreless.
The top-seeded Winnipeg Westwood Warriors clubbed the 8th-seeded B provincial champion Dauphin Clippers 66-51 as George Rugg scored 14, Greg Doull 10, Ken Friesen 9, Lunsford 8, Riley 6, Connor 6, Sharples 4, Ricker 4, Atkinson 4, Hutsal 3 and Lawson 2, while Bergen and Ricker were scoreless. Trent Lintick led the Clippers (coach Larry MacDougall, manager Randy Dudar, statistician Roger Joyal) with 20. Bob Genoway added 10, Jamie Simpson 8, Harold Wellborn 5, Gordon Fidierchuk 2, Bruce McDonald 2, Rod Hrechka 2 and Darrel Drebnisky 2, while Jeff Esler, John Ochitwa, Rich Gushnoski, Keith Hiatt and Don Slobodzian were scoreless.
The 4th-seeded Winnipeg Fort Richmond Centurions clipped the 5th-seeded Winnipeg Kildonan East Reivers 55-31 as Tom Friesen scored 18, Ken Russell 12, Bill Rhoda 10, Norm Kehler 6, Cowan 4, M Deviane 3, Stork 3 and B Kehler 2, while Haynes, Ryland, J Rhoda and L Deviane were scoreless. Dieter Bueddefeld led the Reivers with 19. Sigurdson added 6, Charlie Beach 4, J Bogducki 2 and Tonn 1, while Stupak, Craig Kozarsky, Tiede, Loewen, Daryl Haran and Gawick were scoreless.
In the last quarterfinal, the 3rd-seeded Winnipeg Sisler Spartans nipped the 6th-seeded Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings 51-48. Clyde Van Caezeel iced the win with a free throw six seconds to play. The Spartans led 15-14 after one quarter. The Vikings led 26-24 at the half and 36-33 after three quarters. “What can you say about a game like that,” Spartans coach Gary Grubert told the Winnipeg Free Press. “That Brandon team is tough. I had heard Neelin was the tough team in Brandon, but this is the strongest Brandon team we have ever seen in this tournament.” Ralph Macek led the Spartans with 19. Bob Shastakowski added 14, Clyde Van Caezeele 11, Tom Bender 3, Shemley 2 and Ken Bacala 2, while Bob Pesclovitch, Norm Isfjord, Burch, Ray Kinaschuk, Brent Corrigan, Roger Twerdun and Alfred Schleier were scoreless. Spartans coach Gary Grubert told the Winnipeg Tribune that “it was amazing. We shot 50 per cent in the first half and still ended up two down. That really is a fine team. … We were a little too anxious at first. But once Ralph and Clyde got working together, it was better.” Gary Taylor led the Vikings with 17. Kevin McLachlan added 16, Don Jackson 11, Rob Morrow 4 and Bob McCreath 2, while Done, Neil Thompson, Bruce Stobbe, Leonard Chambers, Shane Corely and Lancaster were scoreless. The Vikings led by five late in the third quarter but “we committed a costly turnover and they scored as the buzzer was sounding,” said Vincent Massey coach Aubrey Ferris. “It was anybody’s game. … I think we opened some eyes in here.” The Vikings were coached by Ferris, assisted by Mike Hill.
In the semis, the top-seeded Winnipeg Westwood Warriors stunned the 4th-seeded Winnipeg Fort Richmond Centurions 67-47 as coach Dave Guss used a press in the second half to rattle the Centurions. He didn’t call off the press throughout the entire game because he said he wanted to prevent a comeback. Greg Doull led the Warriors with 18 points. George Rugg added 12. Westwood led 28-18 at the break. Tom Friesen led the Centurions with 14, Bill Rhoda added 14.
In the other semi, the 7th-seeded Winnipeg Dakota Lancers defeated the 3rd-seeded Winnipeg Sisler Spartans 51-44. Bob Gros hit a pair of free throws with a minute to play to put Dakota ahead 47-44 and then two more with 35 seconds to go to ice it. Jim Kentel adds another pair from the line with 17 seconds to go. “It was a great team effort,” Lancers coach Dale Bradshaw told the Winnipeg Free Press. “Their pressure got to us early but the guys adapted and began running what we wanted to. Jim Kentel was everywhere for us tonight. He continually saved us and broke their press. Also, I like to have Bob Gros at the free throw line because he doesn’t feel the pressure like anyone else.” Bradshaw told the Winnipeg Tribune “we haven’t shot the ball that well from the outside at any time this year, not even in practice. … We’re just playing them one by one.” Peter Falk led Winnipeg Dakota with 15 points. Kevin Drummond added 11, while Bob Gros and Jim Kendal each scored 8. Ralph Macek led Sisler with 18. Clyde Van Caezeele added 16.
In the final, the 7th-seeded Winnipeg Dakota Lancers defeated the top-seeded Winnipeg Westwood Warriors 43-40. “It was just pure hustle,” Lancers coach Dale Bradshaw told the Winnipeg Free Press. “We expected the Warriors to press and we were ready for it.” Winnipeg Dakota led 9-6 at the quarter, 23-20 at the half. Westwood coach Dave Buss noted that “yes, they handled our press well. We didn’t get too many turnovers from it at all. I have to give Winnipeg Dakota credit though. They played well. They played perhaps their best game all year. They also beat us on the boards.” Kevin Drummond led Winnipeg Dakota with 14. Peter Falk added 9 and Bob Gros 5. George Rugg led Winnipeg Westwood with 12. Greg Doull added 11. Warriors coach Dave Guss told the Winnipeg Tribune “they got full reward for their performance. And we couldn’t counteract what they were doing. … They outmuscled us on the boards, really that was the big thing.”
The all-tournament team featured: Kevin Drummond (Dakota); Tom Friesen (Fort Richmond); George Rugg (Westwood); Greg Doull (Westwood); and Ralph Macek (Sisler)
The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Sisler Spartans: Ralf Macek; Clyde Van Caezeel; Bob Shastakowski; Norm Isfjord; Kelly Berth; Brent Corrigan, Bob Pesclovitch; Roger Twerdun; Tom Bender; Ray Kinaschuk; Alfred Schleier, Brad Scibak; Glenn Chorney; Wesley Herbert; S Hemley; Ken Bacala; Norm Isfjord; Kelly Burch; coach Gary Grubert
The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Fort Richmond Centurions: Tom Friesen; Ken Russell; Bill Rhoda; Norm Kehler; Cowan; M Deviane; Stork; Barry Kohler; Hayes; Ryland; J Rhoda; Lou Deviane; Lewis; Stevenson; Brown; Price; Scott;
The silver medalist Winnipeg Westwood Warriors: Greg Doull; George Rugg; Ken Friesen; Lamar Lunsford; Riley; Gord Connor; Dan Sharples; Dale Ricker; Dave Atkinson; Ron Hutsal; Clayton Bergen; Ed Riley; Jim Lawson; Barnes; Dahnke; Daryl Kehler; coach Dave Guss; manager Don Gange
The gold medalist Winnipeg Dakota Lancers: Ken Kiraly; Jeff Parsons; Jim Kentel; Peter Falk; Bob Gross; Craig Hornby; Bruce Shaw; Bryan Kornberger; Roy Nieuwenburg; Rod McDowell; Kevin Drummond; Vigier; Parson; coach Dale Bradshaw; assistant Bill Noyes; manager Pat Parker; manager Brad Oswald; manager Rawle Bramadat