1963 Season Preview

1963 Schedule

The 1963 season will start with some important dates in the opening week with Louisville hosting London to kick off the season. Then, Buffalo will open their new stadium on Friday against Boston. Finally, Halifax will play their first home game at home against the Royals on Canada Day. The 4th of July game will feature the Independents and the Raiders, and Buffalo and Indiana will each host Labour Day games against Providence and Louisville respectively. 

Power Rankings

1 - Montreal Rouge
1962 Record: 7-5 (3rd East)
1962 Result: Lost McCallister Cup
The Rouge had a spectacular second half of last season going on a 5-game win streak to close out the regular season and then getting back-to-back wins in the playoffs to get to the McCallister Cup. They fell short in the game, so GM Virgil Gross went out to make some upgrades. He would bring in LB Elijah Goldwater to pair up with LB Sam Fitzroy in the LB core, and then they would trade for WR Darryl Duke. With Duke, the Rouge now have one of the best WR cores in the league with Derek Cross and Taylor Karis already one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. If QB Gene Bishop takes off in his third season in Montreal, the Rouge could light up the league.

Captains
C - DB Quentin Xavier*
A - LB Sam Fitzroy
A - RB Scott Mallard-White*

2 - Louisville Thunder
1962 Record: 9-3 (2nd West)
1962 Result: Won McCallister Cup
The Thunder are coming off of their first McCallister Cup with a very similar starting roster to last season. The only major departure ends up being DL Clyde Dale. With a very similar team coming in the Thunder could very well find themselves fighting for the top once again, however, their one weakness could end up becoming the lack of depth. The salary cap ended up being an issue with this team and had to let go of a lot of depth pieces from last season. Louisville will still be a strong team as long as they stay healthy this season.

Captains
C - QB Leonidas Dumont
A - LB Scotty Williams*
A - DB Alexander Bradley

3 - Boston Independents
1962 Record: 7-5 (4th East)
1962 Result: Lost West Division Semi-Final
Boston’s season did not go according to plan last year after QB Nathaniel Braddock was knocked out with an injury. Without Braddock, some of the other issues the team had, especially on defence, were exposed. So GM Ernest Bryan went out and made some improvements with the acquisition of DL Timmy Kerr and DB Clinton Gates, both former Raiders. The players should fill in the weaknesses that they’ve had in the last few seasons, and with Braddock coming back, they have a shot once again to be one of the best teams in the league this season. 

Captains
C - LB Brent Harper
A - QB Nathaniel Braddock
A - WR Ellis Lindholm

4 - Providence Gold Stars
1962 Record: 8-4 (1st East)
1962 Result: Lost East Division Final
Many figured that last season was Providence’s last shot with the bulk of the team that they had, but GM Allen Hutchinson decided to go all out and bring back as many of the players they had to take one more shot. While it may not be the most ideal plan. But based on how badly this team wants to win, it may just work. On top of that, you do have the younger players getting better as well. DB Neville Falkner, DL Craig White, and WR Cedric Peterson should be able to contribute as much, if not more than the veterans of the team. 

Captains
C - QB Connor O’Rourke
A - DL Calias McDonough
A - OL Wilfred Gibson

5 - London Tigers
1962 Record: 10-2 (1st West)
1962 Result: Lost West Division Final
 The Tigers are still quite a good team coming into this season, but they have run into some issues with some departures this season and last. The main issues could be on the OL with Kazimir Smirnov leaving last season and OL Ulysses Fairgrove leaving this season. They were able to bring in some young talent, but the question will remain if OL Jimmy McKay and rookie OL Emil Jennings can make up for the loss. They will also be moving on without LB Wilson Rockwood-Barnes and DL William Collins who both joined Indiana this season. London has been one of the strongest teams in the past 5 years, but they will need to get over the small hurdle to remain at the top.

Captains
C - LB Aengus Lynch
A - QB Riley Kiernan
A - RB Clifford Russell

6 - Buffalo Blue Wings
1962 Record: 4-7-1 (4th West)
1962 Result: Missed Playoffs
It was disappointing for Buffalo to miss the playoffs last season, but they are coming into the 1963 season as one of the more exciting teams to watch. QB Charles Lemieux and RB Jimmy Golden are both hitting the start of their prime and will look to lead the young offence on the field. DL Lonnie Vincent will return after injuries kept him out of most of last season which should bring more confidence to the defence. Buffalo is oozing with potential this season and they could very well find themselves fighting at the top of the West, however, they are still learning and could also fall out of the playoffs again.

Captains
C - S Frazier Brooks
A - OL Jean Mathieu-Baptiste
A - QB Charles Lemieux*

7 - Indiana Victors
1962 Record: 5-6-1 (3rd West)
1962 Result: Missed Playoffs
Last season was the best in Victors’ history, so there are expectations that the team can continue to climb out of the basement of the West Division. They certainly made some changes to give them a shot at improving, bringing in DL William Collins, LB Wilson Rockwood-Barnes and rookie OL Viktor Stahl. They did also acquire former 1st overall pick, QB Lyle Painter. The former champion is likely entering the season as the backup to QB Mike Key, who won each of his 4 starts last season. However, Key will not likely have a long leash with Painter now in town. The hope will be that the team doesn’t run into too much drama and is able to get results on the field.

Captains
C - DL William Sanderson
A - DB Kelly Kirkland
A - TE Emmanuel Hines

8 - Ottawa Royals
1962 Record: 7-5 (2nd East)
1962 Result: Lost East Division Semi-Final
The Royals enter the 1963 season looking the weakest they ever have in the QB Jean Matieau era. With the retirement of RB Alexei Volkov and the slow decline of the aging core, not many are surprised to see the mighty team has taken some steps back. This season is likely going to be a building year for young players like WR Carter Henderson, DL Zane Tannith, and RB Corbyn Knight, while the veterans continue to do what they can for the team on the front lines. However, even with the team falling off a little, as long as they have Matieau, they certainly aren’t far off from a run at the playoffs.

Captains
C - QB Jean Matieau
A - DL Olaf Viktorsson
A - DB Mingan Oliver

9 - Long Island Raiders
1962 Record: 2-10
1962 Result: Missed Playoffs
Back-to-back disappointing seasons have forced GM/Owner Wayne Tillman to make massive changes to his team. The departure of QB Lyle Painter, DL Timmy Kerr, DB Clinton Gates, WR Darryl Duke, and S Johan Eckhart were all brought on in a bit of a clean-up for the roster. Tillman has opened up a lot more spots for younger talent like WR Larry Mossholder, WR Casey Coleman, LB William Washington II, and DB Lauri Hayha. They will also have a battle at the QB position between QB Terry Bourbon and QB Stanley Troyer. The two are expected to split starts out of the gate to see which will perform better. Overall, the hope will be for the team to take a year to grow and then be back in the hunt come next season. 

Captains
C - DL Vernon Spears
A - RB Dareion Fields
A - OL Elliot Winterbottom

10 - Halifax Mariners
1962 Record: 0-12
1962 Result: Missed Playoffs
Does a season spent as a “one-off” team and going winless sound familiar? Well, The Athletics were certainly not the first following after the 0-10 Long Island Hawks. The then rebranded Raiders were able to go all the way to the McCallister Cup the next season. While this Halifax team has certainly improved with lots of young talent starting to grow, they are still much further away from being able to replicate the massive turnaround of the Raiders. The big weakness could ultimately end up being that the QB position is up in the air with 1962 1st round pick QB Micheal Benedict and 1961 3rd round pick QB Buck Murphy competing with veteran QB Caldwell Higgins III for the job. Overall, Halifax could still be lots of fun to watch this season as they begin their new chapter.

Captains
C - OL Ward Briscoe
A - DB Joe Robinson
A - RB Stavros Black

Wally’s Predictions
WEST
Louisville 9-3 -y
Buffalo 7-5 -x
London 7-5 -x
Indiana 5-7
Long Island 3-9

EAST
Montreal 9-3 -y
Boston 8-4 -x
Providence 7-5 -x
Ottawa 3-9
Halifax 2-10

DSF
(3) LDN over (2) BUF
(3) PRO over (2) BOS

DF
(3) LDN over (1) LOU
(1) MTL over (3) PRO

McCallister Cup
(1) MTL over (3) LDN

I think it's going to be a very close battle this season. I like Buffalo being a surprise in the West, but in the end, the Tigers come alive in the playoffs to return to the final, while Montreal takes over the East and returns to the McCallister Cup this season and takes it home.

1963 Week 1
just a side note I decided to experiment with putting the play-by-play and colour commentators into the game descriptions just to give a little more life to the world.

Louisville Thunder - 8, London Tigers - 16 - Thunder Stadium - June 27, 1963 - 7 PM ET - Kickoff - Weather: Rain - TV: Clint Georgetown and Jamar Swinton with special guest Johnnie Stafford
1st Q
0-7 LDN - RTD RB Clifford Russell
2nd Q
0-10 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
3rd Q
0-13 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
1-13 LOU - Single K Frank Hughes
4th Q
1-16 LDN - FG K Nimrod Handsworth
8-16 LOU - RTD QB Sammy Townsend

The Thunder and Tigers opened the season on a rainy evening in Louisville.
The rain became quite the factor with several fumbles throughout the game, however, the rain ultimately caused several injuries.
QB Leonidas Dumont would go down after tweaking his ankle on the muddy turf, while being tackled and would be replaced by QB Stanislav Ovechkin.= (the play also resulted in a fumble). 
London’s offence was able to gain a little bit of ground against the Thunder defence, while Louisville’s offence struggled without Dumont. 
London would come away with the important win to start the season 1-0.

Buffalo Blue Wings - 23, Boston Independents - 27 - Milton Charles Stadium - June 28, 1963 - 7 PM ET - FNF - Weather: Cloudy - TV: Jerry Goldbridge and Jackie Calhoon
1st 
0-3 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
3-3 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
2nd Q
10-3 BUF - PTD QB Charles Lemieux -> WR Julius Drake
10-10 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
3rd Q
13-10 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
13-13 BOS - FG K Johnnie Berg
16-13 BUF - FG K Ryan Perch
4th Q
16-20 BOS - RTD RB Kendall Morgan
23-20 BUF - RTD RB Jimmy Golden
23-27 BOS - PTD QB Nathaniel Braddock -> WR Paul Franklin

Buffalo opened their new stadium in a back and forth duel against the Independents.
They, unfortunately, came up short following an unreal game-winning drive from Braddock to close out the game. 
WR Julius Drake was the first player to score a touchdown in the new stadium and certainly got the crowd going.
Boston’s improved defence ended up being a factor with DL Timmy Kerr getting to Lemieux a couple of times and forcing an interception to LB Konrad Aust.

Indiana Victors - 28, Long Island Raiders - 10 - Victory Stadium - June 29, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Light Rain/Cloudy - TV: Harold Mansfield and Jim Earnest
1st Q
7-0 IND - RTD RB Cody Barnes
2nd Q
14-0 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> TE Emmanuel Hines
14-3 LI - FG K Henderson Schumacher
3rd Q
21-3 IND - RTD RB Don Gregson
4th Q
21-10 LI - RTD RB Dareion Fields
28-10 IND - PTD QB Mike Key -> WR Ed Edwards

The Victors came out firing on all cylinders against the Raiders to open the season.
QB Mike Key got the start and had a pair of touchdown passes in the win.
The Raiders struggled with QB Stanley Troyer still getting used to his new offence which led to RB Dareion Fields doing most of the heavy lifting.
Troyer threw a pair of picks in the game to DB Kelly Kirkland and DB David Jones.

Montreal Rouge - 41, Providence Gold Stars - 28 - Mount Royal Stadium - June 30, 1963 - 2 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - TV: FR - Cyril Etienne and Quinton Jacque - EN - Bob Walton and Steven Kelly
1st Q
7-0 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
14-0 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop ->TE Eli Grant
14-7 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
2nd Q
17-7 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
17-10 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
24-10 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
24-11 PRO - Single K Ira Foster
3rd Q
24-18 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Sammy Moss
24-21 PRO - FG K Ira Foster
27-21 MTL - FG K Arthur Kettinger
4th Q
34-21 MTL - RTD RB Scott Mallard-White
34-28 PRO - PTD QB Connor O’Rourke -> WR Cedric Peterson
41-28 MTL - PTD QB Gene Bishop -> WR Derek Cross

The Rouge and Gold Stars duked it out in an offensive shootout where the Rouge took an early 14-0 lead and was able to maintain the lead for the rest of the game. 
Providence was still strong, but the slow start caused by a S Garet deVale interception hurt the team in the end.
RB Scott Mallard-White seemed to be on a mission with his 3 touchdown performance in the win. 

Halifax Mariners - 23, Ottawa Royals - 18 - Atlantic Stadium - July 1, 1963 - 5 PM ET - Canada Day - Weather: Clear - TV: George Leblanc and Kevin Holcombs
1st Q
7-0 HFX - RTD RB Stavros Black
7-3 OTT - FG K Maurice Lafayette
2nd Q
10-3 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
10-10 OTT - RTD RB Eddie Thompson
13-10 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
3rd Q
20-10 HFX - PTD QB Caldwell Higgins III -> WR Joshua Lafleur
20-17 OTT - PTD QB Jean Matieau -> WR Chester Bennett
4th Q
23-17 HFX - FG K Elvis Franklin
23-18 OTT - Single K Maurice Lafayette

The Mariners would give their new home crowd something to cheer about in their first game with a huge win over the Ottawa Royals, snapping their franchise 12-game losing streak.
London, ON native, QB Caldwell Higgins III, was given the start, being the first time he was able to start for a Canadian team in his career; he was able to throw a touchdown in the win.
DB Joe Robinson came up with a pick for the Mariners, and rookie DL Wayne Baxton would get a huge forced fumble on RB Eddie Thompson after an unreal hit. 
Ottawa looks out of sorts, but Matieau was able to give them a little bit of life in the 3rd quarter. 

Injury Report
OL Sal Valcano BOS - Day-to-Day
OL Pete Brackenridge BOS - 6 Weeks
WR Orlando Barrack BOS - 7 Weeks
DL Lonnie Vincent BUF - Day-to-Day
LB Aengus Lynch LDN - Day-to-Day
DB Larry Pickett LI - 3 Weeks
QB Leonidas Dumont LOU - 2 Weeks
DL Theo Conte LOU - 2 Weeks
LB George Yokoi LOU - Day-to-Day

Players of the Week

OFF: RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 3 Rushing Touchdowns, 117 Rushing Yards

DEF: DL William Sanderson IND - 2 Sacks, 6 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble

Standings
WEST
Indiana 1-0
London 1-0
Buffalo 0-1
Louisville 0-1
Long Island 0-1

EAST
Montreal 1-0
Halifax 1-0
Boston 1-0
Ottawa 0-1
Providence 0-1

Power Rankings
1 - Montreal -
2 - Boston +1
3 - London +2
4 - Louisville -2
5 - Providence -1
6 - Indiana +1
7 - Buffalo -1
8 - Halifax +2
9 - Ottawa -1
10 - Long Island -1

Week 2 Games
LI (0-1) @ BOS (1-0) - JUL 4 - 5 PM ET - 4th of July
IND (1-0) @ LDN (1-0) - JUL 5 - 7 PM ET - Friday Night Football
LOU (0-1) @ BUF (0-1) - JUL 6 - 3 PM ET
MTL (1-0) @ OTT (0-1) - JUL 6 - 7 PM ET - Saturday Night Football
HFX (1-0) @ PRO (0-1) - JUL 7 - 2 PM ET

Let's go Rouge! What a great start to the season! Buffalo losing stings but what can you do against one of the best QBs in the league.

Good surprise for Halifax, and Im almost shocked that the Victors won that game.

Big division win for the Tigers, although it was a bit sloppy. I'd imagine the Thunder are our second biggest rivals, especially since both teams have been so good in recent years.