OFSAA split into two regions because of the growing number of associations. Two tournaments were held and two champions declared. Teams were given the option of competing in one or the other of the regions, Niagara Falls CVI, for example, the Western division champions in 1964, opted to compete in the eastern regionals a year later. The Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles, the 1964 Eastern titlist, a year later opted to play in the western regional.
In the West quarterfinals, held in London, the Niagara Falls CVI Red Raiders clipped the Windsor W.F. Herman Green Griffins 55-45 as George Saddler and David Crowe each scored 12. Jim Lundy added 10, Darryl Hudson 9, Jack Saddler 7 and Brian Mulligan 5. The win was the 59th in a row for Jimmy Rose’s squad. John Poulson led the Green Griffins with 16. Ted Hoole added 8, Rich Basinski 8, Ken McQuire 6, Andy Parichi 4 and Menard 3, while Halliwell was scoreless. The Green Griffins also included Petruk, Bauer. Red Raiders coach Jimmy Rose told the Windsor Star “we were lucky to win. It was our defence which saved us.” Green Griffins coach Lou Veres said “that’s what killed us. We lost the ball six straight times when we brought the ball down the floor. That, plus our foulings.”
The Windsor Assumption Purple Raiders, who’d been given a berth in the West regional after Sarnia withdrew because of a conflict with exams, dumped the Welland Notre Dame Fighting Irish 63-50 after leading 34-24 at the half. Mario Baggio led the Purple Raiders with 22. Rick Cloutier added 18, Sante Salvador 17, Danny Hogan 4 and Angus 2, while Dupuis, Callaman, Tebbs, Bondy and Lanktree were scoreless. Ray Roger led the Fighting Irish with 14. Ward Simpson added 12, Mulligan 8, Jack Tallon 6, Carpenter 5, Gosselin 5, while Asselin and Sicova were scoreless.
The Hamilton Hill Park Rams clocked Tillsonburg Annandale 67-39 as Bob Croft scored 30 and Vic Vinerskis 9. Dave Heath led Annandale with 12. Gary Demeyer added 10 and Dave Davis 10.
In the last quarterfinal, the London Sir Adam Beck Spartans dumped the Scarborough Cedarbrae Collegiate Colts 53-42. The Colts (coached by Bev Sturgis) included Dennis Rolland, Ed Rowland, Ken Parsley, Dunc Wood, Bert Vermaskari, Ken Porter, Frank Vermaskari and Dane McCoubrey.
In the semis, the Niagara Falls CVI Red Raiders defeated the Windsor Assumption Purple Raiders 62-46 as Darryl Hudson scored 20, David Crowe 17, Jack Saddler 10, Jim Lundy 9 and Brian Milligan 6, while George Saddler and Chisholm were scoreless. Rick Cloutier led the Purple Raiders with 17. Mario Baggio added 10, Sante Salvador 9, Danny Hogan 8 and Angus 2, while Dupuis was scoreless. The Red Raiders led 27-20 at the half. Purple Raiders coach Lou Veres told the Windsor Star “we were just flat.”
In the other semi, the Hamilton Hill Park Rams, paced by 6-10 centre Bob Croft’s 28 points, defeated the London Sir Adam Beck Spartans 46-41. Jim Potter added 7, Vinerskis 4, Ian Joliffe 3 and Brian Gruhl 3. Beck almost rallied for the win as its full court press began to rattle Hill Park but several key Croft buckets in the final minutes ensured the victory. Brian Blissett paced the Spartans with 13. Larry Rooks added 10 and Greg Poole 8.
In the West final, the Niagara Falls CVI Red Raiders thrashed Hamilton Hill Park 69-42 to capture their third consecutive OFSAA title by holding Hamilton Hill Park superstar 6-10 Bob Croft to 13 points. Croft who’d scored 30 in Hamilton’s opening round contest and 28 in their semi-final win against the London Sir Adam Beck Spartans, opening the final by scoring the game’s first two buckets to give Hill Park a 4-1 lead. With 6-3 Jim Lundy unable to contain Croft, Niagara Falls coach sent in 6-5 Dave Crowe to assist Lundy. Crowe played him from the front, Lundy from behind and Niagara Falls breezed thereafter, holding Croft to a single field goal for the rest of the game. Croft picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter. He finished with 13 points, including 7-8 from the line. Niagara Falls shot 27-55, including 10-16 in the third quarter. Hamilton shot 15-60. Darryl Hudson paced the Red Raiders with 22. Dave Crowe added 18, Jim Lundy 6 and Brian Mulligan 6. The Red Raiders also included George Saddler, who played with “frozen” ankle after tearing a tendon and missing the semis, Dave Crowe, Bob Chisholm, Rodger Magda, Bob Vukmanich and John Stuart. Jim Potter and Brian Gruhl each added 11 for the Rams, while Jim Connon scored 4, Ian Joliffe 2 and Larry Hardman 1. The Red Raiders finished (14-0) on the season, the third consecutive campaign without a loss.
In the Eastern Ontario qualifier, the Ridgemont Spartans defeated the Renfrew Raiders 65-59 as Peter Scobie scored 17, Danny O’Connor 14, Jim Cassidy 9, Doug Ewart 8, Pinkney 5, MacNeill 4, Murdock 3, Larry Journeay 3 and Mace 2, while Dolan and Scott were scoreless. John Wilson led the Raiders with 31. Lindsay Stewart added 9, Powell 9, Miller 5, B MacDonald 5 and Ray MacDonald 2, while Sutton, Egan, Rogers, Rodgers, Easy, Hebert and Reynolds were scoreless.
In the East tourney quarterfinals, held in Barrie, the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles opened with a 55-36 thrashing of the Ottawa Ridgemont Spartans as Jim Carroll scored 22 and Jim Pikula 10. Peter Scobie led the Spartans with 9. The Spartans (coached by Jock Simpson and managed by Steve Iscoe) also included Larry Journeay, John Cassidy, Doug Ewart, Brian Dolan, Geoff Mace, Robin MacNeill, Danny O’Connor, Gord Pinkney, Peter Murdoch and Randy Scott.
The Thornhill Tricolours defeated Smith Falls 59-46 as Dale Crouter scored 28. F.G. Allard led Smith Falls with 14. Fred Worsfold added 13. Smith Falls also included Dick Daughtrey.
The Sudbury St. Charles Cardinals dumped Oshawa Central 64-51 as Gary Polano scored 30. D Calder led Oshawa Central with 14. Al Horn added 14. Oshawa Central also included Larry Horne, Walter Rudy.
In the last quarterfinal, the Coburg District Collegiate Vikings clipped Barrie Central 56-46 as J Ravensdale scored 26 (alternately reported as 13). Sayers added 13, D Daye 12 and A Davis 12. Ray Thompson led Barrie Central with 16. Bob Skrypynchuk added 11. Barrie Central (coached by Ron Mossop) also included Wayne Richardson, Herb Shannon, John Gufton, Kenn Cook, Mike Lumsden, Gord Carruthers, Jim Carron, Brian Murray, Jerry Ferguson and Don Johnston.
In the semis, the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles defeated the Cobourg District Collegiate Vikings 48-31.
In the other semi, the Sudbury St. Charles Cardinals thrashed the Thornhill High Tricolors 78-52 as Gary Polano scored 27. Jim Kellam led the Tricolours with 25. The Tricolors also included Dale Crouter, Paul Rivers, Jim Benton.
In the East final, the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles defeated the Sudbury St. Charles Cardinals 51-39 as Joe Pikula, a tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, scored 16 points, along with 17 boards, Jim Carroll 15, Neil Rourke 9, along with 14 boards, Kelly 6, Chmiel 4 and Kings 1, while Quinlan, McPherson, Dzuiba and Bell were scoreless. The Eagles shot 16-55 from the floor and 19-28 from the line. Green Eagles coach Reverend Harvey Roach told the Brantford Expositor that “I thought about winning this title last year (when St. John’s won the Ontario B title) before the season even began. But it seemed so far away then. We’ve won it now and it seems hard to believe.” Roach noted that his troops shot poorly in the first half but he told them at the break that “you’ve beaten better teams than this. Just keep playing the way you are – you’ll start hitting this half.” The Green Eagles befuddled the Cardinals by constantly switching between a zone and a man-to-man defence in the second half. Jeff Ravendale led Sudbury with 16. John Snow added 7, Gary Polano 7, Joyce 6, O’Brien 5, Bradley 4, Orange 3, Jakubo 3, Boluk 3 and P Snow 1, while Moga and Holgate were scoreless.
The West silver medalist Hamilton Hill Park Rams: Bob Croft; Brian Gruhl; Jim Connor (Connon?); Vic Vinerskis; Jim Potter; Martin Oakes; Don Campbell; Ian Joliffe; Larry Hardman; coach Bob Leedale
The East silver medalist Sudbury St. Charles Cardinals: Jeff Ravensdale; John Snow; Gary Polano; Pete Whitehead; Pete Pitchford; Miks Moga; Joyce; O’Brien; Bradley; Orange; Jakubo; Boluk; P Snow; Holgate; coach Rev. Hud Marshall
The West gold medalist Niagara Falls CVI Red Raiders: Jack Saddler; David Crowe; Bob Chisholm; Brian Mulligan; John Stuart; George Saddler; Darryl Hudson; Jim Lundy; Bob Vukmanich; Rodger Magda; coach Jimmy Rose; assistant Howie Triano
The East gold medalist Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles: Jim Carroll; Joe Pikula; Neil Rourke; Larry Kelly; Marty Kings; Joe Chmiel; Larry Kelly; Lorne Bell; Peter Quinlan; Mike McPherson; Chester Dzuiba; Bill Hutton; coach Father Harvey Roach; manager Mel Usselman