Dec. 14th, 1944: Joe Asquini is Awarded the Gerry Boucher Trophy

Many years ago, I was contacted through the previous version of this website by a relative of Joe Asquini. The lady in question was looking for more information about Joe's playing days. I tried to help and was ultimately given a gift that exceeded my contributions to the cause.

Since acquiring much better access to old newspapers articles, I've occasionally attempted to get in touch with this lady again to find out if she'd achieved her goal or if there was anything more she was looking for. So far, no luck. 

I was reminded of all this again last night when an article about Mr. Asquini caught my eye. It's taken some time to find it simply because it is from mid-December of 1944. By then most of the football-related activity is over so searches don't extend that late into the year.  

Mr. Asquini was honoured as a high school player at Ottawa Tech prior to joining the Ottawa Rough Riders. The articles about that award are copied below and if his relative is still looking for material, hopefully she stumbles across this post one day and this is something new to add to the collection. 

Scott Alexander Named to Carleton Ravens Hall of Fame

Carleton University named its 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame class on May 12th and it included record-setting Ravens receiver Scott Alexander.

The following information was compiled by Ravens Sports Information.

In an era when football was primarily a running game, wide receiver Scott Alexander began his career with the Ravens in 1969 and set the bar for all other Carleton receivers to be compared. Over four seasons, Alexander rewrote the Carleton record book establishing records that still stand nearly 50 years later.

Alexander graduated as the school’s all-time scoring leader with 134 points, a record that still holds today. He also established Carleton records with ten touchdown catches and 62 points in a single season, as well as touchdowns in a career with 22. His single-season record of 10 touchdown catches and 62 points scored still stands today. Alexander’s 22 touchdowns in a career has been tied twice but remains unbroken. Alexander’s 89-yard touchdown in the 1972 Panda Game remains the longest passing play and touchdown in Panda Game history for either school.

That 89-yard touchdown pass in the 1972 Panda Game actually set the career touchdown record. The clip below is from the October 23rd Ottawa Journal.

So relatively speaking, he ended up shattering the old mark when he reached 22. That the record has not been broken since speaks for itself.  

Sept. 10th, 1994: Ottawa Sooners 25, Hamilton Hurricanes 13

Today is the Canadian Junior Football League's National Signing Day. In their own words "the day in which players can finally sign with a CJFL club. When a player signs he is essentially signing for his entire junior football career as the player then becomes the property of that team."

I hope the Sooners take advantage of this event to market themselves a little bit as they continue their rebuild after two seasons away from the field.  As we wait for results, here's a recently-added game summary from 1994 that I came across while looking up information about that year's Rough Riders squad. Enjoy.