Just Added: Paul Paddon's Hec Crighton Announcement

I noticed that I had stopped listing All-Canadians to the Gee-Gees page at about 1990 so I've added a few more as well as highlighted those who are now in the team's Hall of Fame, at least as individual performers.

The individual team pages can be a little dry so when I came across the announcement of quarterback Paul Paddon winning the Hec Crighton award in 1970, I thought I would add it as something of a page break between that section and the score listings.

It is a little disappointing, frankly. You'd think being named the country's best player would come with a bit more flash, but I was reminded that this award was only introduced in 1967 so it was fairly new at the time.

This is the Ottawa Journal's version of the announcement. 

Paddon joined the Gee-Gees program in 1967 and 1970 was his final year. He was inducted into the Gee-gees Hall of Fame in 1993.

1980 Atlantic Bowl: Ottawa U. Gee-Gees 28, Acadia Axemen 08

Runners-up obviously don't generate the same kind of interest as champions do, but the 1980 team sure captured the imagination while I was putting together their game results last night.

The gaps in talent are usually evident with with past U. of O. championship teams. Come a point, it ceased to come as a surprise when Ottawa would beat a Laurentian or Royal Military College team by 40+ points. 

This 1980 team was not like that. They ultimately lost the national championship game by a wide margin (I believe the halftime score was 35-00 against) to Alberta but put together a strong regular season record of 6-1 and won three playoffs games to get there.

(The one regular season loss? The Panda Game against Carleton by a score of 30-21.)

Throughout the season, an average score for the Gee-Gees was about 17-12. They didn't blow anyone out but they allowed very few points and kept plowing forward.

The game below was their peak and the one that launched them to the national championship game. I liked that it shone the spotlight on the offensive since that is such a rare occasion. 

Take a bow, 1980 team, reading about your exploits was a lot of fun. 

Additions To The Carleton Ravens Hall of Fame

The Carleton Ravens page above has a list of football players and builders that have been named to the school's hall of fame. Two more names were added earlier today, one in each category, following an announcement by the school on September 29th. Both men have connections to the pro level in the city as well.

Cameron Legault is the player added. He was a defensive tackle from 1996 to 1998, the program's last season until its return in 2013.  He was a first-team All-Canadian selection in 1998 and has been named the school's athlete of the year.  

Legault was a second round draft choice in 1999. He played eight years in the Canadian Football League including one season in Ottawa with the Renegades in 2005.

The other HoF addition was John Ruddy. Ruddy played for the Ravens as a defensive back between 1970 and 1975 but he is inducted as a builder for his key contributions to restoring the Ravens program. Ruddy is also a member of the OSEG ownership group that brought pro football back in the form of the RedBlacks. 

1996 playoffs: OttawaU Gee-Gees 28, Carleton Ravens 00

As set up in the previous post, here is the second of two playoff meetings between the University of Ottawa and the original edition of the Carleton Ravens. 

The Gee-Gees would beat McGill the following week to reach the Atlantic Bowl but lose to the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in that game, 13-05.

1986 Playoffs: Carleton Ravens 31, U of O Gee-Gees 15

Earlier this afternoon, I posted the results of the 1986 Panda Game between (if you're new here...) Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.

In reviewing a few more newspaper articles from that year, I noticed that the two teams played three times that season. For them to play twice a year wasn't unusual but three times was. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize that the third contest was a conference playoff game. Being that was played in November, that should have been clear from the beginning.

It occurred to me that playoff contests must have been rather rare between these team as Carleton,well, did not make the playoffs too often during their first go-round. I looked it up quickly and that third game in 1986 was the first such meeting of only two (so guess what the next post will be about?).

That seems noteworthy, and so I share it here with you.

Bishop's eliminated Carleton the following weekend, unfortunately. 

Just added: 1986 Panda Game Recap

2000 Gee-Gees Vanier Cup Win

With the announcement of Marcel Bellefeuille's return to Ottawa U., let's revisit his last game at the helm of the Gee-Gees. It was a good one. :-)