Churchill football program celebrates its history as it turns 50

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This article was published 02/09/2010 (5850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Art Bryant still remembers how he spent the summer of 1961.

Then a young teacher at Churchill High School, Bryant’s July consisted of buying equipment and opening boxes as he prepared for the first season of football at the Fort Rouge institution.

“Football was an up-and-coming thing,” recalled Bryant, who worked with George Schultz to get the program off the ground. “Churchill was never the biggest school; it didn’t compare to the other (schools in the league at the time). But we won a couple games that first year. I’m kind of proud of that to tell you the truth. We only got hammered by Kelvin.”

Bryant only coached the team for two seasons before being transferred to Kelvin. But as the Bulldogs prepare to kick off their 50th season of football, his presence is still felt within the program.

Now 76, Bryant still attends anywhere from two to five games a season and never misses a playoff game.

“It’s sort of like leaving your hometown,” Bryant said. “It’s always been a special place for me.”

The Bulldogs have won eight championships in the last half century, with the most recent coming in 2008.

Cam Watkins, a wide receiver and linebacker from Elmwood entering his fourth season in the program, was part of that squad as a Grade 10 student.

Watkins and his teammates always get a kick out of seeing Bryant and countless other Churchill alumni at games.

“It’s pretty exciting for someone to be still involved after that long, it shows how important the program is to them,” Watkins said.

Quarterback Josh Hutton, another four-year Bulldog, said it means a lot to the current players to see how much the alumni care about the team.

“This program is more of a family,” said the Tyndall Park resident, who will captain this year’s team along with Watkins.

Both players said the atmosphere in and around the school is more electric during football season.

“It’s such a tight-knit community and small school,” Watkins said. “You feel the energy during the season, and it’s a lot more exciting to be in the school.”

Two years after his playing career for the Bulldogs ended in the early 1980s, Yussef Hawash returned to Churchill to coach the offensive line. Twenty-five years later, he’s still on the coaching staff along with many other former players who don’t teach at the school.

“Almost all of our assistants are alumni,” Hawash said. “I think we have great memories of our playing days. Any guy I’ve made contact with (about coaching) has said they’ve been honoured or humbled that I asked.”

After Bryant’s tenure, John Puchniak led the Bulldogs to three straight championships from 1967 to 1969. Brian Dobie, who is entering his 15th season as the head coach of the U of M Bisons, ran the Churchill program from 1975 to 1995. The team has continued to compete for titles in recent years under Kelsey McKay and current head coach Dan Sylvestre.

As current leaders of the program, Hutton and Watkins say the team feels a responsibility to made the school’s 50th season a special one.

“It would be great for all the alums,” Hutton said. “Winning it all in the 50th year would be great.”

To celebrate their 50th season, the Bulldogs will be honouring their former coaches at their Sept. 10 homecoming game against River East. After the 5:30 p.m. game, there will be a social at Riverview Community Club from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

avi.saper@canstarnews.com