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{ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, DECEMBER 13,2000 PAGE B1 TREADMILLS TNew & Used Starting at ,$40000 BHS off to 1-2 start in league play Boys' basketball returns to area high schools BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the floor and basketballs swishing through the net have returned to area gymnasiums throughout Durham Region. The Durham senior boys' basketball league tipped off recently, bringing a return of high school sports to the area. Although the league is a long way away in terms of number of teams from previous previous years, nine schools have submitted entries for this season. season. Norm Johnson, from Bow- manville High School, who was the convenor of the league last season, has returned to the top post. "I sent around a notice to all the schools and asked who was interested in playing this year," said Johnson of how the league was formed. Teams will play a home- and-home series against each of the other eight teams in the league for a 16 game schedule that will run until Feb. 23. The ; top four teams will qualify for ■playoffs. Because the league is following following all of the guidelines set ;-forth by OFSAA, the league champion will be eligible to Teams will play a home-and-home series against each of the other eight teams in the league for a 16-game schedule. advance to the provincial championships. St. Mary's, the defending Durham-area champion from Pickering, is looking to defend its title. Johnson also predicted predicted that Dunbarton would be a "strong" contender for the league championship as well. Other teams in the league in addition to St. Mary's, Dunbarton Dunbarton and Bowmanville include include Pineridge, Anderson, O'Neill, Exeter, Eastdale and McLaughlin. So far in league play, Bowmanville Bowmanville has a 1-2 record with losses to McLaughlin and Eastdale. The lone victory came against Exeter. At a tournament that was held in Peterborough, the team lost in the B Championship game. BHS finished the tournament tournament with a 2-2 record. ANDREW IWANOWSKI/ Statesman photo Mark Dillon (24) of Bowmanville High School goes up to block a shot by an Eastdale play- . er during a senior boys' league game. ' 'Every mistake we make ends up in our net': coach Curtis Hodgins BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor Bowmanville Eagles coach Curtis Hodgins summed up Sunday's Provincial Junior League encounter with Syracuse Syracuse as a "crazy game." While the outing did have its strange moments, it's unclear unclear if he meant the game itself itself was crazy, or if the end result result was going to drive him in that direction. The winless streak has the team working its way back down the standings, sitting sixth in the East Conference, only /■ two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Sunday's 5-4 setback in overtime extends the team's current slide to eight games, registering a mark of six losses losses and two ties in that span. In the overall picture, the streak has the team working its way back down the standings, sitting sitting sixth in the East Conference, Conference, only two points out of the eighth and final. playoff spot with a record of 13-15-6. "The guys are working and doing everything they can. Every mistake we make ends up in our net," said Hodgins, trying to rationalize the losing streak. The part that will undoubtedly undoubtedly drive him crazy is the streaky play of his hockey club since late October. Prior to this eight game winless skid, the Eagles won seven out ...» i* -,mS I» - " 1 of eight games. Prior to that winning streak, the team had gone eight games without a win witli three ties and five losses. After losing to Bancroft 8- 5 on Friday night, the Eagles looked to be headed for another another lost weekend. But trailing 4-3 late in Sunday's game and goaltender Rick Marnon on the bench, Kyle Crouch's second second of the night with 25 seconds seconds left to pull the Eagles into a 4-4 tie to salvage a single single point. In overtime, Syracuse picked up the win and extra point when T.J. Fox scored 1:44 in. "That's two Sundays in a row that I thought we outplayed the other team by a good margin margin and have nothing to show for it," said Hodgins in reference reference to last Sunday's 7-4 loss to Peterborough. "One point is better than nothing but it's still frustrating." frustrating." WHITBY C0URTICE/0SHAWA 728-8881 579-8880 RON PIETRON1RO/ Statesman photo i Syracuse Junior Crunch forward Jon Ames tries to stuff a rebound past Bowmanville Eagles goaltender Rick Marnon during during first-period action on Sunday night. An overtime goal gave Syracuse a 5-4 win. DUNN'S TAILORS OSHAWA CENTRE Across from Reitmans A SIZE FOR EVERY MAN torn WE CARRY SUIT SIZES FROM 34TO 54 John Ross and Adam Speight had the other goals for Bowmanville, who scored twice on the power play and another shorthanded. Specialty Specialty teams played a huge roll in the game as Syracuse scored a power play and shorthaiided See WINLESS page B2 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9am-10pm Saturday 9am-10pm Sunday 10am-6pm Eric Wesslby was a familiar sight around the rink Twenty-five year career in sports reporting BY BRIAN LEGREE Staff Editor Eric Wesslby was well- known throughout Durham's sporting community on many fronts. As a journalist, he served with the 'Oshawa Times' as a sports reporter and sports editor for more than 25 yeafs. On the minor sports scene, he coached baseball and hockey teams for just as long. Wesslby, who retired in the early 1990s, passed away in Calgary Saturday after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 69.- "He was a colourful character, character, everyone enjoyed him around the rinks," says Dave Sheridan, who coached several several Oshawa minor hockey rep teams with Wesslby in the 1970s. "And he was kind of like the Billy Martin of minor baseball, a really, emotional coach who got the mosrotrr' of his players. But. his bark was really worse than his bite." Wesslby coached several teams to Ontario Minor Hockey Association titles, including a team featuring Dale Hawerchuk in the mid- 1970s. His lengthy association with minor hockey led to a trophy being named after him. The Eric Wesslby Trophy Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding novice player. Wesslby was a fixture at Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa, Oshawa, whether he was coaching baseball or covering covering the sport. "He was a real student of the game," says long-time friend Jim Lutton, who has been general manager of the Oshawa Legionaires for more than 30 years. "And if there was anything anything on trivia, talking about baseball, he was a historian on it. He knew almost the whole history of baseball." Wally Donaldson, who worked with Wesslby for 18 years at the 'Oshawa Times,' remembers Wesslby helping him at the start of his career. "He was the right guy to approach, he knew the game, the ins and outs and he was very helpful when I was learning," says Donaldson. Wesslby is survived by his wife Diane, stepdaughter Susan Sayeau, stepsons Douglas Bell and Donald Bell and 10 grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Wednesday in Calgary and a memorial service will be held in Oshawa in January. January. Memorial tributes can be made to the Tom Baker Cancer Cancer Centre, c/o Alberta Cancer Cancer Foundation, 1331 - 29th Streetn, N.W., Calgary, Alta, T2N 4N2.