Chatham-Kent’s Top 10 Sports Stories of 2014
Bridget Carleton drives into the paint against a USA defender during the U17 World Championship quarter-final game – Photo by FIBA
10. Maroons Malfunction – The Chatham Maroons did a number of amazing things in 2014, but it was the team’s malfunctions that garnered a bigger following. Near the end of 2014, the departure of head coach and general manager Mark Davis was a huge point of debate. The teams repeated use of illegal players, which started in January 2014 with a crushing OHA decision to punish the Maroons, marked a year of instability for the Maroons off the ice, despite their on ice successes.
9. Prospects Reign – We launched our monthly and team-by-team prospects reports in 2014, and these articles will now forever be a part of our repertoire due to their overwhelming popularity. The Women’s Prospects report in particular gained notoriety not only in Chatham-Kent, but across the OUA and NCAA and several teams started contacting CKSN for assistance with recruiting. Whether it was our Top 15 Prospects list, which have become a monthly feature, or our team-by-team looks, CKSN’s prospects reports drew thousands of readers each time we published. Players such as Ross Krieger even gained an almost cult following on CKSN wanting to know their progression from list to list. For local hockey fans, don’t worry, the prospect reports are here to stay.
8. LKSSAA Launches – It might not have been one of the flashiest stories of 2014, but the newly formed LKSSAA high school loop, an amalgamation of the Kent and Lambton leagues was certainly important, as it will have a permanent impact on local athletes, teams moving to OFSAA, and the development and sustainability of school sports in Chatham-Kent. While there were definitely growing pains, it appears the early returns for the league were positive in season one. Overall it was an extremely positive development for sports in Chatham-Kent, in particular, for high school athletes.
7. Mitchell’s Bay Mariners – What started as an April Fool’s joke, quickly grabbed the attention of tens of thousands of residents from Chatham-Kent and across Southwestern Ontario as CKSN announced the founding of the Mitchell’s Bay Mariners as the newest area Junior C team. Apparently owner Rod Reel hooked a few too many readers, as CKSN was flooded with our limit of emails and calls. Unfortunately for Chatham-Kent’s Mayor Randy Hope, he also took the bait and even congratulated the community of Mitchell’s Bay at the following weeks council meeting, landing him in the news, and putting the Mayor on thin ice? Enough with the fishing puns? Then seriously, check the calendar this year when we announce Chatham-Kent will be hosting the first ever tricycle Nascar event.
6. Saying Goodbye – As with any year, 2014 came with highs and lows. The Chatham-Kent sports community lost several incredible people in 2014. Those being remembered including Sophia Vlasman, Devin Tedford, Jason White, and Dennis Brewer are among the many Chatham-Kent citizens, and sports community members to pass away in 2014. These individuals all left a lasting impact on us, and as a New Year rolls around, we’d like to express our continued condolences to the friends and families of these individuals.
5. Bobcats Growl For Mitch – The Blenheim Bobcats 8-man football team were as perfect as a team could be in 2014, and they did it all with a teammate, Mitch Moore in mind. Early in their season, the Bobcats shaved their heads to show support for Moore, who was diagnosed with cancer. The Blenheim Bobcats would then cap off their perfect LKSSAA season beating the JMSS Panthers handily in the LKSSAA final. The team was paced all season by Dalton Shuian, who had 5-touchdowns in the final, and earned CKSN’s Athlete of the Month honour.
4. Seth Griffith Makes The NHL – Wallaceburg sports fans, and local hockey fans in general followed Griffith’s every up and down on pins and needles. He opened the season being sent to the AHL, but didn’t waste much time earning a call up. Griffith made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins, and three games later, scored his first NHL goal. He followed that up a few nights later with back to back highlight reel goals that saw Griffith’s talents showcased on repeat on TSN’s Top 10. Griffith stayed in the NHL for much of 2014, and has proven he will play in the big leagues for years to come.
3.Chad Larprise Wins The Ultimate Fighter – People went hogwild watching Chad Laprise fight his way to the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Nations, Australia vs. Canada, and then win the show’s title, along with a UFC contract. Laprise didn’t disappoint once he got to the UFC either, as the Chatham, Ontario native won his UFC debut, defeating Yosdenis Cedeno as a part of UFC Fight Night Halifax.
2. Chatham-Kent and the OHL – The year ended with much speculation that the OHL would soon have a team in Chatham-Kent. That however, wasn’t the only story. Chatham-Kent’s crop of OHL draft picks was huge this year, with Joseph Raaymakers and Brady Pataki jumping directly into the league. Last year’s draft crop of James McEwan, Trent, Fox, and Brendan Johnston also earned full time OHL jobs. Not to mention Dane Fox being the OHL’s Overager of the Year, Patrick Watching being the Scholastic Player of the Year, and Travis Konecny being the league’s rookie of the year. Fox and Blenheim’s Kyle Hope also saw their OHL careers end. The ties between CK and the OHL continue to develop, and maybe 2015 will be the year Chatham-Kent gets a team of their own.
1. The Year of Bridget Carleton – There isn’t much more Bridget Carleton, a young basketball phenom from Chatham, could have done in 2014. She opened her year being named CKSN’s Chatham-Kent Female Athlete of the Year, and kept rolling from there. In the summer, Carleton captained Team Canada’s Cadette team to a silver medal at the FIBA Americas. She parlayed that into a roster spot on Canada’s National Junior Basketball team, who she played for at the FIBA Americas U18 tournament. Dominating the new LKSSAA senior girls loop en route to a LKSSAA, and SWOSSAA title, Carleton also found time to play for the London Ramblers, and sign her National Letter of Intent to play next season for the NCAA Division I Iowa State Cyclones. Oh, and Carleton also advanced to OFSAA in Badminton, winning Kent in the Girls Doubles division. Not bad for a single year.