The Maritimes have been blessed with many very fine football teams over the years. Don Loney’s St. Francis Xavier X-Men of 1966 were one of the best. Certainly, when it came to on-field domination, this particular club had few equals. It steamrolled over all comers.

Opening the Bluenose Football conference’s regular season at Sackville, N.B., the X-Men were powered by fullback Paul Brule’s brilliant effort in crushing the Mount Allison Mounties 58 – 0. Brule, an Ottawa native, ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns, and added a third major when he pulled in a pass in the end zone. Led by Phil Hughes, the St. F.X. defence resembled a brick wall, allowing the Mounties only 16 yards on the ground and 39 through the air.

A week later, in their home opener, the Xaverians scored another laugher, slamming the Dalhousie Tigers 54 – 0. This time, all that Brule did was score five TDs. Other majors came from Terry Gorman, Skip Corrigan and Paul Schonart. The defence, again, was rock solid. Then it was University of New Brunswick Red Bombers turn to visit Antigonish for a sound thrashing. UNB managed 12 points but the hometown machine responded with 47. Again, Brule was the story: three touchdowns and 339 yards rushing. X also got big scores from quarterback Dick Pandolfo, Corrigan, John Burke and Bill Morris. Romp 4 came in Charlottetown when the visiting X-Men  whipped the St. Dunstan’s Saints 49 – 0, giving Loney’s crew 208 points in the four outings. Back at home, the Blue and White faced the Acadia Axemen and posted another easy shutout, this one 39 – 0. The Xaverians were in a must-win situation when they faced the defending champion Saint Mary’s Huskies in Halifax in the final game on the schedule. The Huskies, too, were unbeaten entering the contest at Wanderers Grounds. More than 5,000 spectators watched in heavy rain as St. F.X. met the challenge with a 27 – 15 victory. Brule rushed for 242 yards and two TD’s. The regular season line: 6 wins, 0 losses, 274 points for, 27 against. Brule easily won the scoring crown with 120 points on 20 touchdowns. The Bluenose title automatically put the X-Men into the annual Canadian College Bowl in Toronto. Though no national title was on the line, bragging rights were. The opponents were the Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks, a 7 – 0 club in Ontario league action. Considered underdogs by the Toronto media, St. F.X. got a super game at quarterback from Dolan, who completed 12 passes for 282 yards in a well deserved 40 – 14 victory. Gorman had his best afternoon of the season, hauling in three TD passes, while Brule cashed in with two TD’s and 172 yards. Another touchdown was registered by Arnason, a Dartmouthian and one of the few Maritimers in the lineup.

A perfect 7-0 season in which the X outscored opponents 314 – 41. How much more convincing could a team be? Don Loney coached 17 years in Antigonish, producing several outstanding clubs. There were so many good ones that, even with all his knowledge, he is unable to pinpoint one as better than all the rest. Instead, he picks three: the teams of 1958, 1963 and, of course, the 1966 powerhouse that enters the Nova Scotia Sport Heritage Centre Hall of Fame. The retired Loney – a true Hall of Famer himself – looks back on the 1966 College Bowl win with fondness. “It was the opinion of most (most being Waterloo – Lutheran fans) that the little school from the East Coast was going to get a lesson in football. That was not to be. Our team played one of the finest games I have seen a college team play, before and after. Everything worked to perfection. (But) the most satisfaction came from the fact that we had shown the people in that part of the country that a team from a small university in Atlantic Canada could more than hold its own in national competition.” Carrying the ball into the Hall of Fame 28 seasons later, Don Loney and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men ensure themselves a lasting pew in Nova Scotia sports history. A fitting final chapter to a remarkable story.

Team members were: Terry Arnason, Bryce Bell, James Benton, Paul Brule, Stanley Butkus, Robert Charett, Skip Corrigan, Terence Dolan, Edward Goodwin, Terry Gorman, Gregory Gosling, Phil Hughes, John Keaveney (Sr), Don Loney (coach), Neil MacDonald, Bernard MacLean, Burns MacPherson, John “Packy” McFarland (Sr) (assistant coach), Taso Meere, Peter Montague, Carol Morgan, Morris, Dick Pandolfo, John Pike, Jon Purcell, Peter Sare, Paul Schonhart, James Shea, Helmut Stoeckl, Michael Stoneham, Wally Strapps, Gary Yabsley.

Bio courtesy of Hugh Townsend