The 1966 Golden Eagles / Sooners Playoff Series

The Ottawa Sooners owned the Interprovincial Junior Football League in the early 1960s but in 1966 the Eastview Golden Eagles were the dominant force on the Ontario side.

An article summarizing their final game of the 1965 season indicated that the Eagles would lose only four players to eligibility rules going into the next season and clearly that experience was a huge factor in their 1966 success. The won their first five games of that season by shut out before losing the sixth to the Sooners by a score of 12-00. They turned that result around for the seventh and final game, defeating those same Sooners 18-16. 

The two teams would then meet for a two game playoff series, both won by Eastview. 

October 16th

October 23rd

I was specific to being dominant in Ontario because following their series victory of the Sooners, the Golden Eagles lost 15-00 to Quebec powerhouse Notre Dame de Grace in Montreal the next weekend.

Among the players on the Eastview team was Paul Paddon who would go on to win the Hec Creighton award at the university of Ottawa in 1970. He only participated in a portion of the season because he went to play in the States for a spell.

Barry Ardern's name should be familiar as a defensive back with the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1968 to 1972. He played on both offense and defense for Eastview.

Jim Foley, another eventual Rough Rider, was also a contributor to that Eastview team. He was with the Riders from 1973 to 1976, earning two Grey Cup victories and the league's 1975 Most Outstanding Canadian award. 

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.