With Norm Zimmer, Pete Machell and Jerry Kendall having graduated from their championship junior team Brampton were poised to take Senior honours. Weston, however, had added Bob Stephenson and Toots White. They were better than ever. Stephenson was soon famous for the spectacular goals he scored from behind the net. Air Stephenson had arrived and at a time when the Gaits were mere twinkles in their grandmother's eyes.

The league had only one nine team division, yet there was still playoffs. The top two teams would meet, regardless of their records. Unfortunate break for the Excelsiors. They finished first at 14-2 but had to playoff against 13-3 Weston.

The new format did not help the bottom five clubs. None were a factor and all had losing seasons. The most stunning collapse was by St.Simon's. The Anglicans had goaltending woes, plus Max McGregor jumped to Riversides. In his place Mouse Lount led the offence with 9 goals and Bill Scott supported him with 8. The Saints still fell to 3-12-1. McGregor led Riversides with 14 counters. He simply replaced the offensive output lost with the departure of Lionel Conacher. Riversides also won only three times. St.Catharines was even worse with a pair of victories. Percy Oille had a terrific year with 14 goals but he received no help from his friends. Matters were little better for Young Torontos(5-9) or Mimico(6-9). George Laceby's 9 tallies topped Torontos marksmen. Jack McDonald scored 14 for Mountaineers.

Orangeville and Maitlands remained in contention until the end of August. Dufferins were as high scoring and as exciting as ever to watch. Maitlands offence was just as productive, thanks to the return of Conacher. The Big Train's finest showing was on June 9th against Mimico. He missed the first 20 minutes due to a baseball game. Immediately after driving in the winning run, Conacher hopped into a waiting car and raced across town. By the time he reached Scarborough Beach Mountaineers were up 2-0 and threatening an upset. That all rapidly changed. In the remaining three quarters Conacher scored six goals as Maitlands won 12-3.

Orangeville's title hunt looked strong until the last month. They entered August with only two losses, tied with Brampton and right behind Weston. Maitlands were a close fourth with three defeats. The two pretenders soon started to slide. On the 1st, Dufferins lost at home to the frontrunners 3-2. On the 11th, Maitlands fell, losing a 5-4 thriller to Orangeville. The next week, Art Pim's hattrick led Brampton past Weston 6-5. That created a tie at the top. The Suburbanites recovered to again defeat Dufferins, 6-3. Four days later, the red shirted Excelsiors provided the knockout blow by beating Orangeville 5-4. With four losses Maitlands were still alive and drew within one game of Weston by doubling them 4-2 on Labour Day. They now had to hope for an St.Simon's upset win and also defeat Brampton themselves. The Suburbanites clinched the last playoff spot by crushing the Anglicans 13-2. Meanwhile Maitlands fell to Brampton 11-2.

Over 6,000 lacrosse enthusiasts made their way to Weston on September 15th. The home side took double the penalties but still controlled the opening game of the final. The red shirts were listless, struggling to make and catch the simpliest passes. Pete Machell tried to get them going in the second quarter. His sparkling individual effort deserved a goal but Fred Rowntree saved sensationally. The Suburbanites were up 2-0 on Ramshaw goals before Brampton broke through in the third. George Sproule scored during a two man advantage when Rowntree was caught wandering. Toots White responded instantly, surprising John Campbell with an over the shoulder shot. The last twenty minutes were evenly played. Hutch Keith made the final result 4-1 when he put one into the top of the net.

Up north the red shirts continued to struggle. They did score first but were outclassed the entire opening half. Bob Stephenson set up the Weston attack. The big fellow tied it 1-1, then led the visitors to a 4-1 lead. Brampton saved face in the final forty minutes as substitutes Dr.McLean and Alex Hilgartner sparked their comeback. McLean scored all three, however 4-4 wasn't good enough.

With Orangeville in Senior they could not defend their Intermediate title. The crown passed on to Hamilton Tigers. They defeated St.Mary's for the championship. The Clare Levack competition commenced in Weston. The locals were off their stride but still won 7-4. Stephenson and Harry Coulter both counted a pair. Tigers were at a disadvantage. They dressed Guy Smith and veteran native player Dave Thomas, however referee Eddie Powers ruled both ineligible. Thus the visitors had to play without a substitute.

The rematch in Hamilton was a fiasco. Weston started Toad Farr in goal and he shutout the Tigers. That plus Gordon Coulter's hattrick were the only positive efforts. The trouble began when the home side's netminder Bob Rohmer was injured. Brother Ernie attacked the Weston players which sparked a brawl and a field invasion. The fans were barely back in their seats when a rumour circulated that referee Bill Fitzgerald had struck a Hamilton player. They raided the playing area again, in an attempt to lynch Fitzgerald. He needed a police escort to the dressing room. By the way, the final score was 9-0.

Senior began the year with 11 clubs but finished with only 7. Allowing Ottawa into the league, given the travel distance, was not a wise decision. They played only three games. Mimico also lasted for only three. Niagara Falls was a bit better as they endured eight losses before giving up. The major casaulty was St.Catharines. The A's quit after having a win against Hamilton taken away. Percy Oille had been ruled ineligible. Curiously Oille was in his fourth full season wearing the double blue. On a technicality St.Catharines was gone and would not return until 1928.

The playoffs were expanded to allow the top two teams in each division to qualify. In Group One, Brampton and Weston went virtually unchallenged. Orangeville was suppose to be their main threat, however Dufferins fell off badly. 5 wins against 9 losses as Foster Wilson and Clyde Gordon were their only bright lights. Irish-Canadians, a Toronto club, also managed five wins on the strength of Max McGregor's leadership. The top two clubs were stronger than ever. Excelsiors added three more juniors: Stew Beatty, Claude Jennings and Jack Worthy. They also picked up defender Ted Reeve. He had taken a sports writing position at the Brampton Conservator. Weston improved their side by adding Conny Golden from Orangeville.

Toronto Maitlands and Hamilton were the best in Group Two. They had an easy run once St.Catharines had dropped out. Athletics defeated Maitlands 3-2 and Hamilton twice, by scores of 6-4 and 5-4. The short lived 5-4 win came in overtime. St.Simon's was the only other challenger in the division. Their 5-6 record was not nearly good enough. Maitlands split their four regular season meetings with Tigers. They lost the initial games by scores of 9-4 and 4-1, before winning twice, 12-3 and 7-4. Maitlands starting goaltender Bill MacArthur missed the opening contest. Home advantage was key in the Group Final. Maitlands won 7-3 at Scarborough Beach and they needed that four goal cushion heading to the Steel City. The second match was played in a heavy rain. The home side played well but MacArthur continually broke their hearts. Hamilton did strike in the second quarter when Dave Thomas beat four defenders to score. Verral Diedrick soon tied it as he fooled Bob Rohmer with a long shot. By the second half, the Bengals were desperate to please their largest crowd of the season. They threw everything at Maitlands' goal but only managed one more score. Hank Gowdy put them up 2-1, however Diedrick's second made the final result 2-2.

That same afternoon a battle was raging in Weston. Brampton entered the war minus veteran defender Percy 'Ski' Warre, out for the year with a badly sprained wrist. Goaltender John Campbell was also absent, replaced by Bert Burry. Their woes mounted when Norm Zimmer went down on the slippery field injuring his shoulder. It wasn't an easy game for the Suburbanites either. Bill Coulter sprained his ankle early. Unlike Zimmer, he eventually returned. It was a contest with plenty of minor penalties and lots of 10 men lacrosse. Excelsiors led 2-0 early but surrendered three unanswerd goals before halftime. They jumped back in front 4-3 in the third quarter. Once again the defending champs replied. They counted a trio in the last twenty minutes to win 6-5. Bob Stephenson and Toots White both scored twice. George Sproule fired a pair for the losers.

The next Saturday, a record crowd turned out in Brampton. The stands were full and spectators surrounded the field, right up to the boundary lines. Every time the ball left play their was a delay in retrieving it. It was another hard checking affair, with no deliberate fouls. Sproule scored the only goal of the first quarter, from Pete Machell, tying the series. The Suburbanites devastated the home side in the second. They scored three times in seven minutes. First, Stephenson from a scrimmage. Second, Gordon Coulter after Brampton had failed to clear the ball. Finally, Stephenson again. He scored from in close but it was disallowed because of a crease violation. Big Bob simply won the ensuing draw and potted one which counted. Though they were shocked, Brampton did not give up. Both Stew Beatty and Sproule tallied in the fourth frame with low, fast shots. Sproule's grass cutter blew through Fred Rowntree's legs. Tied 3-3, Excelsiors only trailed by one in the series. Five minutes of pressure followed. Eventually Toad Farr relieved by sending a long pass to Earl Stevenson. Burry came out to check him but the Weston sniper rolled the ball into the open net. 4-3 was the final score.

That was basically for the championship. Maitlands had a game crew but the titleholders played perfect lacrosse at Scarborough Beach. Conny Golden, Ty Silk and Stephenson knocked the heart out of the Toronto side with early goals. Weston won easily 11-5. Bill MacArthur's inspired play prevented a worse beating. A week later, the dominance continued. It was only 2-0 after 40 minutes, however the Suburbanites scored 4 third quarter goals to put it away. George Laceby brought Maitlands further disgrace when he was ordered off the field for rough play.

Brampton Excelsiors had won three straight O.L.A. crowns before the war and Young Torontos had matched them during the war years. In 1925 Weston went one better. In a six team league their chief threat was once again Brampton. Excelsiors tied them for first place with a 14-6 record. The other four clubs finished well back. Defensive minded St.Simon's placed third with 10 wins and 9 losses. Orangeville were 9-11 in their final year in Senior. The high flying Dufferins had five top ten scorers: Toots White, Clyde Gordon, Andy Hawkins, Roy Cruickshank and Rod Anderson. Irish-Canadians finished 8-11, while Toronto Maitlands ended up last at 3-15. Lionel Conacher joined the Irish and teamed with Art Pim to give them a respectable run. Without the Big Train, Maitlands had the worst offence in the league.

It was the final season for Conacher. An individual superstar, he was a force in every game. Yet Irish-Canadians, like all his clubs, disappointed. In six years none of the Big Train's teams ever made the playoffs. Some of Conacher's 1925 heroics included five goals against Brampton(June 13th) four points versus Orangeville(July 8th) and four goals against Maitlands(August 8th). If only he had played in every game! Conacher spent the rest of the decade occupied with other sports. He did find time to referee some lacrosse games. His gutted stick would remain in retirement until the professional box league of 1931.

With the schedule expanded to twenty games, O.L.A. fans were treated to an exciting scoring race. Toots White and Norm Zimmer dueled the entire summer. White led by one goal in August. Zimmer, however, finished red hot as Brampton's #13 became the league's first 50 goal scorer.

Weston and Brampton met in the Final. The series had a listless start but Pete Machell and Jack Worthy picked things up with second quarter goals. The Suburbanites evened matters as Bill and Harry Coulter both beat John Campbell with long shots. Jerry Kendall put Excelisors up 3-2. Then Zimmer was knocked out of the contest with a knee injury. That proved to be the turning point as the rudderless Brampton offence floundered over the last 40 minutes. Weston scored five unanswered goals for a 7-3 win. The casualties continued: Ted Reeve received a three inch cut over his eye, courtesy of Bob Stephenson, and Ty Silk broke his thumb, yet continued to play.

Over 4,000 attended the rematch in Brampton. A second quarter "free for all" was started by Jim Burton and Coulter. Police had to resort to using their batons to end it. That was the only trouble in the game. There was a fourth quarter fight but it was in the grandstand. The players paused to watch it. Goaltender Walker Wilson and defender Bill Coulter were the visitor's game stars. They stopped the shooters, intercepted passes and fed the home players on offence. Weston needed a good defence because Brampton had ball possession for 60 minutes. They were up 3-1 in the second frame and bombarding the Suburbanites' goal when Weston broke away and Griffith suddenly made it 3-2. Undaunted the home side kept coming. In the final quarter they outshot the titleholders 10-1. George Farr and Norm Zimmer scored to put them up 5-3, however time eventually ran out.

The previous season the Clare Levack Trophy had not been played for because the Senior schedule ran to mid October. In 1925 it lasted almost as long, until October 3rd, yet Hamilton and Weston did meet for provincial bragging rights. The seniors had a catastrophic start, losing 11-8 in Hamilton. They rebounded to shutout the Tigers 9-0.

Ontario hosted the Mann Cup in 1926. Thus the O.L.A. champion challenged for the trophy for the first time since 1919. New Westminster had won the previous six years but every series had been held on the west coast. To make the Mann Cup a national final the C.L.A. started the tradition of alternating the championship from east to west every year.

So the red carpet had been rolled out for the O.L.A., however there was still a problem. The national final was scheduled for the Labour Day weekend, yet the senior league rarely completed its schedule before October. The solution was for the five clubs to play a split schedule. The initial eight games would determine the Mann Cup representative and the combined first and second half records would decide the league title.

St.Simon's returned to contention. They won their first three matches, including a 6-2 victory over Weston. Bill Davis, Angus McKinnon and Art Pim outplayed the Suburbanites' defence. The defending champs had already lost 7-6 to Brampton! In that game Toots White's hattrick was wasted. Pete Machell scored a pair and, an unlikely source, defender Ted Reeve had also counted a deuce. It was Claude Jennings who scored the winner. With two losses Weston looked finished. Fortunately they would not lose again in the First Half. Excelsiors also handed the Anglicans their initial defeat. Machell scored three in the triumph. With four straight wins Brampton appeared to be Mann Cup bound. They stumbled on Dominion Day. St.Simon's beat them 3-2 as Hal Wallace tallied the winner. Within nine days both clubs would lose to Weston. The titleholders tripled the Saints 3-1. Conny Golden, Bill Coulter and Ty Silk did the damage. Then they got past Brampton 7-5. Bob Stephenson, Ken Kingdon and Earl Stevenson each scored a brace. All the contenders had two losses. The last thing the O.L.A. needed was a three way tie break! Luckily upsets settled the matter. On July 10th, Irish-Canadians toppled St.Simon's 5-4. Two weeks later, Maitlands upended Brampton 7-4.

The Mann Cup competition began August 28th when Weston crushed Montreal Nationals 17-8. Toots White counted five for the victors. Ten years earlier such a result would have been unthinkable - like an Alberta team, in the year 2009, routing Victoria Shamrocks. Unfortunately Montreal would never again be the centre of the lacrosse universe. Winnipeg Tigers earned western honours in a close series. Over two games they outscored Ocean Falls, B.C. representatives, 13-12. Can't confirm this but I suspect New Westminster and Vancouver boycotted the new Mann Cup arrangement.

The final opened at Hampden Park on Labour Day Saturday. A steady downpour limited attendance to 3,000 and turned the field to mud and water. The covered grandstand was full and the unlucky latecomers had to stand in the bleachers. Winnipeg's equipment had been lost in transit so they had borrowed St.Simon's pads. The Weston attack was too strong for the Tiger defence. The O.L.A. champs scored the first five, then cruised to an 11-3 win. Conny Golden led with five goals. Prior to Monday's second game, a minute's silence was observed for Eddie McLean. The Winnipeg player had died at home the previous day. The match was marred by questionable play. First, Bill Coulter and Red Spencer knocked down a Tiger player and began to pummell him. Later, Harry Coulter ran down goalie Thompson as he was fielding a ball. After a fifteen minute delay, the netminder continued. He was a bit groggy, plus had an injured shoulder and knee. Also bruised pride because the Suburbanites again scored 11 goals on him. Spencer with four and Nels Riley with three were the most effective. It was another 11-3 result. The O.L.A. had a Canadian Champion!

St.Catharines hosted a memorial game on September 18th for the late Bill Fitzgerald. 1,500 attended and the funds raised went to the Fitzgerald family. Athletics and Maitlands opened with an exhibition contest. The main event was between Charles Querrie's Pros and George Kalls' St.Catharines. Lionel Conacher dressed for Kalls and James Murphy refereed. Querrie's Pros won 7-4.

The Second Half of the O.L.A. season saw St.Simon's slip from contention. They stayed close into autumn but struggled against their chief rivals. Their final two meetings with Weston were disasters. Losses of 15-5 and 11-5. The Anglicans finished with a 9-6 record. The Mann Cup champs did stumble three times in the Second Half. In early August Irish-Canadians doubled them 8-4 as Buck Johnston scored five points. The irish also upset Brampton in August, 5-4. It was a rough month for Excelsiors. St.Simon's defeated them 5-3. After that they made a late season charge. The crucial win came on October 9th. Norm Zimmer and Pete Machell both scored twice as they defeated Weston 4-3. This was accomplished with Bert Burry in goal. Starter Bert Large was out for the year with an injury. Thus the top two both finished 11-5.

On October 16th over 3,000 crowded into Roselea, most of them draped in Brampton red and white. Eddie Powers' Weston crew were without Bill Coulter and Nels Riley, plus Harry Coulter lasted only a few minutes before his bad knee started acting up. With only one healthy substitute, the visitors were in trouble. Luckily the penalty list was light. Rain fell intermittenly all afternoon but it could not dampen the spirit of the crowd. Excelsiors enjoyed quarter leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 6-2. Pete Machell scored one on a free throw and featherweight Jerry Kendall added another. The Mann Cup holders had been humbled 8-2!

Harry Coulter also missed the rematch. It was a typical Weston/Brampton affair, very rough. There was an early fight and the fans eagerly joined the fray. Referee Bert Booth had his hands full. When lacrosse was finally played Weston began to reduce the six goal deficit. By the third quarter Earl Stevenson put them up 4-0. Brampton must have wondered if it was possible to defeat the Suburbanites. Indeed it was. Hero of the opener with a hattrick, Jerry Kendall ended the rally with Excelsiors' first goal. They added another when Art Doddemeade scored. A 4-2 loss but they had finally beaten Weston! Official records list the Suburbanites as Mann Cup champions for the year. The only non league winner to take the cup. Brampton Excelsiors could make a fair claim that the trophy was theirs.

For the first time since 1914,the Ontario champion would travel to British Columbia to contest the Mann Cup. Weston put themselves in the best position to be that team. They went through league play undefeated, 9-0-1. St.Simon's was the only team to give them trouble. On May 28th, they tied the league leaders 2-2. Sandy Ryding and Nels Riley scored for Weston. Bill Davis and Angus McKinnon replied for the Anglicans. The June 18th meeting was a 6-5 thriller. Toots White broke the tie with a late goal. On the other hand, Brampton were humiliated by the Suburbanites. 10-1 to start the year, followed by a 5-3 game in June. Ed Kingdon, Earl Stevenson, Riley, Ken Kingdon and White all scored in the second game.

It was a difficult year for the other clubs. Maitlands opened with a 6-5 win over Irish-Canadians. They didn't win again. The worst beatings they suffered were: 16-2 and 15-2 to Weston, 13-3 and 16-5 to St.Simon's. Irish-Canadians did not fare much better. In June they won back to back games. Varcoe scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Maitlands. Then they doubled Hamilton 6-3 as Hopkins pair led the offence. All the irish's other matches ended in grief. Up from Intermediate, the Tigers lost three of their first four and were never contenders. They finished 3-7, all three wins came against the bottom teams.

Which left the top three to claim the three playoff positions. With first place Weston earned a bye to the final. That left St.Simon's(6-2-1) and Brampton(6-3) to meet in the opening round. Both were well rested as their last regular season games were washed out by heavy rain. Led by Max McGregor's goal and assist, the Anglicans won in Brampton 3-2. A week later, they faltered at home. George Sproule's two goals were the difference as Excelsiors won 4-2, taking the series 6-5. Goalie Bert Large's performance was key in the win.

A well rested Weston squad showed no mercy in the final. On August 6th, seven different players scored as the Suburbanites won 10-3. With two goals and an assist Toots White was high man. Bob Stephenson also had a pair. The second contest was just as onesided. 7-2 was the result as Stephenson led with three markers and five points. Nels Riley added a deuce. Brampton's disappointing season ended with goals from Sproule and Pete Machell.

Officially Weston were Mann Cup holders. They started their defence in Montreal by winning Eastern Canadian honours. They routed Montreal Celtics 18-5. White scored six and Hal Wallace four. In Winnipeg, the Ontario champs opened with an 11-2 win. They lost the second game 7-6 but took the series by a comfortable margin. In Edmonton, they crushed the Native Sons 13-3.

Next came the hard part. No eastern team had ever won on the Pacific Coast, in Mann or Minto play. New Westminster had a powerful squad, featuring: George Feeney, Red Fraser, Johnny Vernon, the Patchells and the Stoddarts. As a double incentive the series winner would also represent Canada at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Alas, Weston would share the same fate as such great teams as Brampton Excelsiors, Toronto Tecumsehs, Montreal A.A.A. and Montreal Nationals - defeat. New Westminster ended their undefeated season with a 6-3 win. They followed it up with a 6-5 victory. The Mann Cup was back in Queen's Park.

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