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yo by Ron i Johnson and jib sails Let's have a look at the professional sports scene this week. There are some interesting and important things going on which are worth mentioning. In National Hockey League news, a major suspension, and an overlooked retirement come to mind, Ric Nattrass, a Hamilton, Ontario native who plays for Montreal Canadiens, got word of his suspension from the league after being arrested for possession of-some marijuana and hasish. For having on his person a small amount of hashish, each of these lightweight, but nonetheless illegal substances, the NHL and its president John Zeigler, saw fit to suspend Nattrass for the whole 1983-84 season. This sentence could be cut back to "'just" 40 games, if Montreal asks that it be commuted. It may seem harsh that Nattrass gets a year's suspension for holding grass and hash, when in the National Football League four players got the grant total of four-game suspensions in connection with a cocaine bust. Surely the marijuana caper pales in comparison to charges dealing with coke. Not to the NHL. The laws governing big league hockey state that no one associated with hockey will be also connected to illicit drugs. That's the rules, and that's the way it's interpreted. Too severe you say? Not nearly. We're glad that one official body had the guts to really do something about the problem of drugs in sports, and didn't try to whitewash the issue, or deny its existence. Pro sports - take notice. The NHL is right on! And now to the retirement imentioned earlier. Last week in the Toronto Star, there was an amusing and well written article about ex- NHL'er Larry Hillman. Hillman was a journeyman defenceman who holds the record for having been traded 18 times in his 22-year-career. The writer was making a case for Hillman's admission to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Likewise, this week out of Buffalo comes the unpublicised news of the retirement of defenceman Bill Hajt. The tall, rangy defenceman was the back- bone of Buffalo's considerable defence for about a decade, and received very little notice from the fans or the press. However, ask Scotty Bowman who his best defenceman was over that period, and he'll tell you about Hajt. So, just as his play went unnoticed, so also does his departure from pro hockey. Where do the journeymen of sport go to retire? Are they local heroes in their home towns? You bet! But that doesn't somehow seem to be enough. Pro sports could not survive if it didn't have the ordinary, mortal players with which to compare the so-called superstars. They should have a retirement benefit for all the Bill Hajt's, Larry Hillman's, and Bob Uecker's of the world! All the rage lately in the world of sport is aboul something taking place off the east coast of our southerly neighbour. Our thoughts on this matter is this - What's all the fuss about? So America has held the America's Cup for 132,000 years. It's only a big deal if the Yanks are about to be upset. How many of us had ever heard about any of the participants in the event until just recently? Oh sure Canada built a special boat to try to dethrone the Americans, and that caught our fancy for a while. But, try to name any of the crew of the Canada I. My favourite sailor still is Popeye, and I'll : favour "'The Lollipop' as a good ship! urneymen Sports Report 'Sports Views Coach Rick Presse of St. Theresa's senior boys Crusaders volleyball team looks pleased with his squad in this shot from Saturday's Huronia Volleyball Club Invitational Tournament at MSS. Presse had good reason to be happy, as _ his Reason to smile Ron Johnson . % Sports Editor * charges went on to win the championship with a solid 15-4, 15-11 win over crosstown rival Midland Secondary School. Could be the first of Many of St. is. St. T 's dominates MVC Invitational by RON JOHNSON St. Theresa's High School continued their dominance in local boys volleyball on the weekend, as they took two of three titles in the Midland Volleyball Club Invitational high school volleyball tournament. In midget action, Crusaders split their round-robin games, winning three and losing three, and were relegated to the con- solation side of the to irney. STHS then proceeded to beai Orillia Park Street 15-12 and 15-13, and Collingwood 6-15, 15-6, 15-3 to cop the consolation champio- nship. Rookie coach John Madden, a newcomer to the school, is doing an excellent job of in- stilling the strengths of St. Theresa's programs - spirit and together- ness. Madden noted that! Ken Moreau was a real inspirational leader, and that captain Peter Lalonde was in- strumental on offence, putting away several solid smashes. STHS juniors, with coach Jean Goodrow leading the way, took the junior title with a hard-fought 16-14, 15-6 decision over Midland Secondary School Marauders. Goodrow described the championship games as "very ex- citing," featuring some great power volleyball displays from both sides. On the day, the defence of Keith Proulx, Greg Swick, and Pat Marchand was very solid, and the net play from Rob Weber, Pat Woods, Proulx, and Kevin Belcourt was outstanding. Junior Crusaders went 5-1 in round robin play, and then 4-0 in the playoff section. In the senior portion of the Saturday tourney at. MSS, St. Theresa's won their second championship of the day. Crusaders took this one by once again defeating a very tough Midland Secondary School team in the finals. STHS took the title with a 15-4, 15-11 verdict over Midland. Coach Rick Presse was extremely pleased with the balanced at- tack which was the cornerstone of his team's win. On defence, when the opposition got the ball by the blocks of Doug Haworth, John Swick, and Kerry Heins, the secondary lines, led by Steve Charlebois, pulled off some outstanding digs to salvage many points. "The ability o the defence at this early stage of the season is --take junior, senior titles very surprising,' ex- plained the coach yesterday. Doug Haworth, a grade eleven student, who is still junior-aged, came in for some high praise also from coach Presse. 'He has worked very hard at his skills, and has won a spot in the starting line-up. He typifies the dyive, spirit and dedication of this team," enthused Presse. Also outstanding for our team were co- captains Kerry Heins and Kris Cote, who exemplified the determined efforts of the team as a whole. St. Theresa's High Schoo] boys -velleyball team has made _ two consecutive trips to the all-Ontario tournament, and by the looks of this team's early efforts, this could be the year of "Three for St. T."' 'skins on top, beat Eagles 26-6 Brooklea Eagles' Ken Maheu scored an early touchdown on their second possession which held up until near the end of the first half when Commodore Redskins' quarterback Andy Wicksted scampered into the endzone from 10 yards out. The convert was incomplete and the half ended deadlocked at six. Second half was all Redskins as they scored 20 unanswered points to knock off the previously undefeated Eagles 26-6 in Penetang-Midland Touch Football League play on Sunday. Bill Hartman, Dave Mink, and John Brown had the majors, and Wicksted added a 2- point covert. Once __ again the Redskins' defence was the force behind the win, as pass rushers Wiig LeClair, Dave Ogilvie, and Rick, Presse put constant pressure on the Brooklea quarterback, allowing defensive backs Jeff Attwood, Dave Mink, and Glen Bannon to pick off several passes to set up key field position, enabling the Redskins to maintain their un- blemished record. Toros get first win In their third game of the Penetang-Midland Touch Football season, Granada Toros finally put together their first win, downing the Town TV Unknowns 12-0. Sporting their new green and gold sweaters, Toros moved the ball well in the first half, finally scoring six points on a pass from Jim Szarka to Karl McAllan. The duo connected again in the second half to put the Toros up by 12. Szarka and McAllan shared the qurater- backing chores, and their job was made easier by good Organization and the adeptness of the receivers. Unknowns fought valiantly to come back and held the Toros in their own end for most of the final quarter. Toros made a goal-line stand on several oc- casions, shutting the Unknowns out. Good sportsmanship was evident throughout the game, and the victorious Toros celebrated the win later with their sponsor the Granada Inn. Wednesday, September 28, 1983, Page 19