The last few seconds of the 1981 College Bowl were ticking away. Acadia Axemen trailed 12-11 with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Canadian University Football championship game after defending titleholder Alberta Golden Bears had broken an 11-11 tie on a missed field goal that resulted in a single point. The crowd at Varsity Stadium in Toronto was hushed as Axemen quarterback Steve Repic started his 22-point-underdog club on a final march from their own 35-yard line. Just over two minutes left and 75 yards of turf to travel. Repic completed four consecutive passes, three to end Don Clow, for 52 yards to the Alberta 23. Quentin “Snoopy” Tynes carried the ball to the two. A pair of plays later, Tynes number was called again and he bulled his way one and half yards into the end zone for what would be the winning touchdown. Only a minute remained. Players danced and hugged, as it turned out, not prematurely. Acadia coaches decided not to kick the ball deep. Jim DiRenzo booted a line drive that bounced off one of the Golden Bears and was recovered by Acadia. The clock was run out, resulting in a wild, on-field celebration by Axemen fans. The Axemen had achieved an undefeated season (7-0) in the Atlantic Conference, scoring 180 points and allowing only 75. They then overpowered Mount Allison Mounties 34-11 in the conference championship game at Raymond Field in Wolfville. The next weekend, at the Atlantic Bowl in Halifax, Acadia whipped Queen’s Golden Gaels 40-14 to advance to the national championship game. While football is a team game, something head coach John Huard had stressed all season long, many Axemen achieved individual honours.

In the Atlantic conference, Repic was MVP. Tynes was Rookie of the Year. Stuart MacLean was Defensive Player of the Year and Huard earned the Coach of the Year award. Twelve Axemen were AUS all-stars. MacLean, Tom Johnson and Chris Rhora were All-Canadians. Huard was national coach of the year. Repic was College Bowl MVP. Five players were drafted by CFL teams -Clow, MacLean, Rhora, David Conrad and Steve Crane, the latter two playing in Canada’s professional football circuit. The team was inducted into Acadia’s Sport Hall of Fame. Huard is in the Acadia Hall in the builder category.There were 47 players on the squad, all of whom bought into Huard’s disciplined approach to the game. “All players had to be on time and prepared for each meeting and practice,” Huard wrote in a letter to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. “Before he received his equipment, a player had to jump rope for 30 minutes and, at 6 a.m. on the morning following a game, he would be required to jump rope and stretch. Players played multiple positions with little or no reduction in productivity. Staff stressed conditioning that resulted in a higher degree of fewer injuries due to improved flexibility, strength and endurance.” Tony Stewart, who played offensive line at Acadia in the late 1960s and early 1970s, coached the offensive line and special teams under Huard after assisting coach Bob Vezpeziani before him. “John was very demanding, but very fair. He had high expectations, demanded discipline and a “for the team” attitude,” Tony says. “John was not a yeller and screamer. He would occasionally get upset, but he was never demeaning. He had face gestures and didn’t need to speak. The kids knew what he meant.”

Huard adds. “Overall team effort counts. Victory gained is not a personal victory for anyone or any one group. It’s a shared victory … depending on input from individuals as they accomplish what’s needed to win within the rules of the game.”

Players: Colum Armstrong, Ron Arsenault, Rod Barton, Alex Callus, Dave Clark, Don Clow, Mike Cox, Stephen Comeau, David Conrad, Steve Crane, John Davies, Darrell Dempster, Mike DeWare, Jim Direnzo, Brian Fraser, Nadder Haddad, David Haley, Alan Hartley, Lee Hodgkins, Tom Johnson, David Joudry, Joseph Joyce, John Knowles, Ross Langley, Bill Little, Scott MacLean, Stuart MacLean, Stephen Margeson, Nick Matejuk, Ron Meech, Stephen Moran, Tony Munden, Larry Priestnall, Steve Repic, Chris Rhora, Donald Roach, Ernesto Salamone, Vincenzo Salamone, Keith Skiffington, Steve Smith, Bob Trainor, Bruce Tufts, Quentin Tynes, Hubert Walsh, George Watkinson, George Wenk, Jim Williams

Coaches: John Huard, David Hirsch, Bill Hurley, Phil Hurley, Wayne MacDonald, Bill McLeod, Dan McNally, Dan Palov, Tony Stewart Trainers: Jim MacLeod, Heather MacGowan Team Physician: David Simms Managers: Mike MacKay, Brian Auger

Bio courtesy of Joel Jacobson