BRANTFORD, Ont. (CP) — Six Nations lacrosse legend Ross Powless, a member of the Canadian and Ontario lacrosse halls of fame, died Monday after a lengthy illness. He was 76.
Powless died at Willett Hospital in Paris, Ont. A funeral service will be held on Thursday.
“He was very highly regarded as a man who had distinguished himself as a lacrosse player and as someone who had served his community in other ways,” Six Nations Chief Coun. Roberta Jamieson told the Brantford Expositor Monday. “He served on the Six Nations recreation committee and as band administrator for the elected band council.
“He was also a wonderful story-teller who was always willing to share his thoughts and experiences with others.”
She described Mr. Powless as a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who was a source of great pride and inspiration. “He will be sadly missed by the people of the Six Nations,” said Jamieson.
Born Sept. 29, 1926, in Ohsweken, Ont., Mr. Powless was married for 55 years to Margaret Wilma Powless. Together they raised 14 children. He is predeceased by sons Victor in 1955, Gaylord in 2001 and Gregory in 2002. The Ohsweken arena was renamed in honour of Gaylord Powless.
Ross Powless played on four Mann Cup winning teams in the early 1950s. He won the most valuable player award in 1953 and twice won the Tom Longboat Award as the top Indian athlete in Canada. Following his retirement from playing, Powless went on to become a successful coach. He coached the Brantford Warriors to the Canadian Senior B Championship in 1968 and a year later, was the coach of the Rochester Chiefs, the winner of the Can-Am Lacrosse League Championship.
He also coached six of his sons — Gaylord, Gary, Greg, Harry, Richard and Darryl — on the Ontario First Nations team that captured the All Indian Nations Championship Cup in 1974. Stan Cockerton, the executive director of the Ontario Lacrosse Association and the vice-president of the International Lacrosse Federation, had high praise for Powless.
“He was certainly one of the best players of his era,” Cockerton said. “He was highly respected in lacrosse circles and the thing I remember most about him is the passion he had for the game. He came out to watch his sons and grandsons play and you could see the respect people had for him.” Powless helped start Six Nations’ minor lacrosse and hockey leagues.
In 1997, he was awarded the volunteer service award by the Ontario Municipal Recreation Association.
He also enjoyed fishing, pool and playing cards. Powless served as a Six Nations band councillor for eight years, and worked as a housing inspector until his retirement in 1991.
(Brantford Expositor)
MISSISSAUGA – The Iroquois Nationals clinched a berth in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships (WILC) semi-finals Monday night with a 21-14 win over the United States of America at the Hershey Centre.
The Iroquois Nationals (3-1), have 13 Six Nations residents playing for the squad in Cam Bomberry, Cory Bomberry, Tim Bomberry, Ryan Davis, Derek General, Bob Henry, Clay Squire-Hill, Duane Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Ken Montour, Tom Montour, Delby Powless and Kim Squire.
Iroquois currently sit in second-place behind the undefeated Team Canada after 4 of the 5 games completed in the round-robin portion of the tournament. The round-robin portion of the tournament concludes Wednesday in Kitchener at the Memorial Auditorium with the semi-final games going Thursday also in Kitchener.
The Bronze Medal game starts at 10 AM Saturday before the Gold Medal game which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Saturday at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton.
A championship banquet is to be held at 7:30 later that night at the same venue.
Team Iroquois’ Delby Powless was a late addition for the squad as his Rutgers University Scarlett Knights were eliminated from the NCAA Division I championships by Georgetown. The Rutgers loss is the Iroquois’ gain as Powless is among the WILC scoring leaders. Powless along with Rich Kilgour and Robert “Bear” Henry were added to the roster prior to the first game of the tournament against Scotland. The trio replace Mike Benedict, Mike Stevens and Mike Thompson who couldn’t make the 10-day commitment.
The Iroquois slowly built the lead and were ahead 4-1 after 15 minutes and 10-3 at the half. The Nationals extended their lead to 16-7 after 45 minutes.
Delby Powless led the way against the Americans with a 10 (4G, 6A) point effort. Cory Bomberry had six goals for the Iroquios Nationals. Ken Montour played the entire match against USA.
Six Nations’ Jake Henhawk shared the goaltending duties with Dwight Maetche for the Americans. Chris Panos of the New York Saints led the way for the U.S., scoring their first five goals of the game. Dan Marohl had a goal and six assists for the losing side.
Australia won their first game of the tourney with a 13-12 victory over Czech Republic in the first game of day four while the Canadians made easy work of Scotland 25-5.
In day three of the WILC, the Iroquois easily defeated Team Australia 24-7 Sunday afternoon at the Hershey Centre. Considering that the Aussies had only taken up playing the indoor version of the lacrosse just six months prior to the start of the tournament, they did a pretty good job of being competitive against the more experienced Nationals.
Neal Powless had the hot hand with 8 (5G, 3A) points to lead the Iroquois Nations against Australia. Cory Bomberry also had 9 (1G, 8A) points.
Australia played its strongest game of the tournament, staying within three goals until the Iroquois blew the game open with four goals in the last four minutes of the second quarter.
Iroquois Nationals head coach, Darris Kilgour said, “We are playing better as the tournament goes on. We used today’s game as a learning process leading up to our games against the USA and hopefully Canada again in the Gold Medal game.”
Canada routed Czech Republic 25-1 in other action from day 3 of WILC. Scotland upset the favoured USA 15-12 and put the USA in the position to face the strong Canadian squad in the first semi-final game Thursday in Kitchener. Scotland will likely face Iroquois Nationals in the other semi-final game unless the Scots lose to Australia in the round-robin finale and the Americans knock off Canada.
Day 2 of the WILC saw Canada down Iroquois Nationals 15-13 Friday night at the Oshawa Civic Centre. It was perhaps a preview of the gold medal final Saturday at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Playing before a packed house of 3,823 fans, the Canadians took a 4-0 lead in the first four minutes of the contest. After which Nationals goalie, Derek General settled down a played spectacular to allow the Nationals to be tied 8-8 at half-time. Six Nations Chiefs head coach, Pat O’Toole played in goal for Canada during the first half and Anthony Cosmo was in goal for the second-half.
Canada grabbed a 12-10 lead after 45 minutes thanks to some diligent work by Delby Powless to get the ball to Cory Bomberry who fired his shot past Cosmo with only two seconds left in the third quarter. Both teams scored three times each in the final quarter with Iroquois Nationals lifting General in favour of an extra-attacker, but Canada would hang on for the win.
General finished the game with 40 saves on the night.
The Iroquios’ not only lost to Canada, but it cost them a 31-goal scorer in the National Lacrosse League when Tony Henderson broke a bone in his foot and be forced to watch the rest of the WILC action from the sidelines.
Cam Bomberry led the Nationals with 5 (1G, 4A) points while Delby Powless (3G, 1A), Cory Bomberry, Neal Powless and Duane Jacobs had 4 (2G, 2A) points apiece. J.D. Jones had a goal and an assist while Clay Squire-Hill scored once for the Iroquois Nationals.
Canada was led by John Grant (3G, 4A) and John Tavares (2G, 5A) with 7 points each. Dan Stroup and Kaleb Toth also had hat-tricks for Canada while single goals were by Tracey Kelusky, Colin Doyle, Glenn Clark and Pat Coyle.
Scotland defeated Czech Republic 15-3 in the first game of day 2 and the USA hammered Australia 22-4.
Iroquois Nationals kicked off the tournament with a 19-12 victory over Scotland in the first game of the 2003 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Oshawa, Ontario last Thursday afternoon.
The Scottish team is made up of mostly Canadian players that have Scotish ancestry.
Delby Powless led the Nationals with 5 goals and 4 assists while Cory Bomberry added 7 (3G, 4A) points with Kim Squire netting 6 (1G, 5A) points, Neal Powless with 4 (2G, 2A). J.D Jones, Cam Bomberry and Tom Montour all had 2 goals and an assist while Tony Henderson and Al Jones contributed a maker and a pair of helpers. Kyle Kamieson had a pair of assists while Clay Squire-Hill and Tim Bomberry had one assist each.
Albany Attack’s, Dan Teat led the Scots with 4 goals and 4 assists.
The Americans opened the tournament with a 22-9 win over the Czech Republic in the 2nd game of the day at the Oshawa Civic Centre.
Canada followed that game up with a 28-5 victory over Australia.
Lindsay Squire made her CanAm League debut last weekend during the James General Pre-season tournament in Welland and still feels a little intimidated.
Lindsay Squire said, “It is a lot different playing with the men than the women. It’s scarier.”
Squire didn’t look that much out of place, but she did get hit a couple of times by the Brave defenders. “I got hit a couple of times and I took a ball right off the leg.” Squire continued.
Squire says the players in the tournament had no mercy on her. “I got rocked a couple of times in the tournament.” Squire recalled. “They had no mercy on me out there on the weekend. A couple of guys took it easy on me tonight, but I still got hit.”
Squire earned her first point of the regular season on a pretty passing play for the game winning goal as she received a pass from Jody Porter at mid floor and quickly passed it to a streaking, Jason Johnson who promptly beat Braves goalie, John Miller for a 7-5 lead at 6:10 of the third.
Turtle Island News presented the National Lacrosse League Native American Most Valuable Player award to Six Nations Arrow graduate, Cory Bomberry of the Rochester Knighthawks for the second consecutive year for his contribution to his team’s success.
Bomberry said, “I am honoured to have been selected for the award for the second time. Just being nominated is an honour. I would like to thank all the people who voted for me.”
Bomberry helped the Knighthawks to the top NLL team in the regular season with a 12-4 record. Unfortunately, the Knighthawks were edged 8-6 in the Champions Cup game to the Toronto Rock with Bomberry earning four assists in the contest.
Bomberry was the top Native American scorer with 22 goals, 43 assists for 67 points. He scored 11 powerplay goals had 12 minutes in penalties and scooped up 72 loose balls in 16 games during the regular season.
Bomberry has one of the most feared shots in the NLL and played for the Six Nations Chiefs and Brooklin Redmen of the Ontario Lacrosse Association Major league during last summers lacrosse season.
Bomberry will also be seen during the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in the upcoming weeks as he will be one of the main offensive weapons for the Iroquois Nationals in the five country, six team tournament.
Name Team Votes PCT. Cory Bomberry Rochester Knighthawks 92 21.96% Cam Bomberry New Jersey Storm 39 9.31% Ken Montour Columbus Landsharks 25 5.97% Tim Bomberry New Jersey Storm 20 4.77% Tony Henderson Philadelphia Wings 37 8.83% Derek General New Jersey Storm 22 5.25% Rich Kilgour Buffalo Bandits 40 9.55% Tom Montour Toronto Rock 19 4.53% Marshall Abrams Rochester Knighthawks 35 8.35% Nick Trudeau Albany Attack 18 4.30% Kimbo Squire Toronto Rock 19 4.53% Gewas Schindler Columbus Landsharks 8 1.91% Dallas Squire Philadelphia Wings 15 3.58% Duane Jacobs Buffalo Bandits 12 2.86% Kyle Jamieson Columbus Landsharks 11 2.63% Neal Powless New Jersey Storm 9 2.15% Jake Henhawk Albany Attack 7 1.67% Neal Powless New Jersey Storm 9 2.15% Doug Noganosh Ottawa Rebels 2 0.48% Mike Benedict New Jersey Storm 2 0.48% --------------------------------------------------- Total # of Votes 419
When people look back and see the Six Nations community, small by population standards, has won the Canadian Lacrosse Association national titles in both the Junior and Senior ranks.
They have one man who was the mastermind behind those championships. Everyone in the lacrosse world knows him as “Cap” Bomberry. Born, Oliver Bomberry, but a nickname “Cap” given to him in honour of his grandfather, Levi “Cap” Bomberry was the name that would become synonymous with Six Nations lacrosse championships.
The Six Nations Arrows’ 1992 Minto Cup championship and the Six Nations Chiefs’ run of 1994, 1995 and 1996 Mann Cup titles. Cap Bomberry was 6 years-old when he first started to play lacrosse.
Jake Bomberry, Cap’s father, was still playing when he first picked up a lacrosse stick. His father played for an Iroquois team in the mid to late 1940’s. In fact, Jake Bomberry organized the first Six Nations PeeWee team in 1950 and they were entered into a tournament in Brampton. The PeeWee team won the their 1st championship in the debut against other Ontario teams.
Charlie Thomas, Ivan Thomas, Irvin Harris, Al Bomberry, Robert Logan, Cap’s older brother, Jake Bomberry Jr., Paul Bomberry and Marvin Henry played on the PeeWee team. Leo Thomas was the goalie on the PeeWee squad that Cap Bomberry recalled.
"Charlie and Ivan (Thomas) had a net set up on their yard.” Bomberry recalled. “But, Jake and I didn’t have that. We had kinda like a garage. So, we were replacing boards every fall. The boards were getting busted up. My father said “You break them, you replace them.” “And to this day, that is what I taught my boys.” Bomberry added. “Now, I’m teaching my grandchildren the same thing. You break, you replace. Today, that is usually glass.”
Bomberry played lacrosse in an era where the Six Nations community did not have an indoor arena. The kids had to play wherever they could get a game together. Playing lacrosse at the Onondaga Longhouse became a ritual Sundays.
The competitive lacrosse games against other teams faded away from the early in 1950’s to the mid 50’s when Oliver Smith attempted to revive the community teams. Smith organized a bantam aged team consisting of Gaylord Powless, Roger Smith and a couple of Johnson’s and Jamieson’s were also on those teams.
In 1957 and 58, a group of eight (Glen Hill, Donnie “Miles” Hill, Lorne Jamieson, Pug Martin, Peter Isaacs, Jake Bomberry and goalie, Cap Bomberry) Six Nations boys went to Hamilton to play Junior for Bill Buckley of the Bengals.
In 1959, the Ohsweken Warriors was formed with lacrosse legend, Ross Powless coaching the team, Herbie Hill (Donnie “Miles” Hill’s father), Del Farmer and Paul Wellwood (secretary) were the executive for the team that was made up of the local Six Nations players.
The team moved from Ohsweken to Hagersville the next year, but in 1961 a group of six players (Willy Logan, Jake Bomberry, Ross Powless, Chuck Martin and Ray “Wheels” Hill) went to St. Catharines to play Senior A lacrosse.
In 1962 & 63, the boys played out of Paris and moved back to Hagersville in 1964 to play out of their new arena.
The Hagersville team celebrated a Presidents Cup championship that year as they were called the Ohsweken Warriors.
The team stayed together and moved to Brantford in 1967 when the Civic Centre was built and named the Brantford Supertest Warriors. The team celebrated another President’s Cup title that year by beating Namaino, British Columbia in Brantford with Ross Powless as the coach.
In 1968, the Warriors had a coaching change as Powless left and Dean Smith took over the reigns. With 90% of the players that won the Presidents Cup remaining with the team, the Supertest Warriors repeated as President’s Cup champions.
By 1971 when the Brantford Warriors won the Mann Cup, Cap was starting to get involved with his children’s lacrosse teams. Bomberry was forced to sit out the 1972 year. As Bomberry put it. “That’s what the rule stated.”
With some coaxing, Bomberry came out of retirement for the 1973 season to play for the Braves in the North American Lacrosse Association and the team won the championship. The NALA was predecessor of the CanAm League, as we know it today.
That team would be the last team Cap Bomberry would be involved with as a player. Cap’s six growing children took more and more of his time.
As the children grew, Cap got into the Six Nations Minor coaching ranks right up through to the 1980’s.
The Junior B Braves were on the verge of folding and Clifford “Gicks” Whitlow called Bomberry one night to discuss the team back in 1980. Gicks (Whitlow) said, “I don’t want to see the team fold up.” Bomberry recalled. “Will you come and help us. Let's revive it and let's get it going again. We organized the Six Nations Arrows. We put a contest out at the local schools to name the team and the Arrows name was picked with the team logo that is still used to this day. It was a Miller girl that won the contest.”
As Cam Bomberry was starting to come into his own skill abilities, Cap knew he had to make a tough decision. He decided to help out more with the minor system and help when he can with the Jr B Arrows. Bomberry did coach the Arrows for one season, Gaylord Powless, Larry Hill and a few other coached the Arrows during this time.
With plenty of qualified people around to coach the Arrows, Cap started to turn his attention to the management side of the team and loved the General Managers job. Cap was able to recognize a talent that would help the lacrosse team and attempt to get them to come play for Six Nations.
Bomberry said, “To this day, I could pick guys out from back then that are playing in the pro league. A lot of the guys are playing in the pro league that we played against. When they were little kids. Brampton, Kitchener teams. Steve “Chugger” Dietrich and Steve Driscoll. A lot of them guys from PeeWee all the way through. Guys that graduated all the way up to the professional ranks.”
In the meantime, Cap’s son Cam was playing Junior A in St. Catharines for three years until Six Nations got the Junior A franchise and Cam came back home to play. Clifford Whitlow was involved with the team, Kevin Sandy was the General Manager, but in 1990, Sandy asked Cap to come and help him with the team.
The next year in 91, Kevin Sandy didn’t want to take the GM position. The position was open and Cap jumped at the chance. Eventually, in the final year of Junior for Cam Bomberry and a number of players (Derek General, Sid General, Miles General, Dallas Squire, Bob Henry and Brandon Hill) that came up through the Six Nations Minor Lacrosse system, the Arrows were a solid OLA contending team.
After the 92 Minto Cup victory, Cap moved up to the Major Six Nations Chiefs and became their GM in 93.
One year later, after persuading the Chiefs executive that certain players were needed in order to seriously challenge for the Mann Cup, Six Nations won their first of 3 titles in a row. Cap remained the GM for one more year after the 1996 championship season before resigning.
NLL Native American MVP, for the 2nd year in a row and Rochester Knighthawk, Cory Bomberry, 26 years-old said of his father’s influence, “What my father taught me in lacrosse is also what he taught me about life in general. Respect and responsibility. Respect for my teammates and responsibility to my teammates as well. Also in life, you have to respect everything and be responsible for your own actions. I am the youngest of his kids. It is something that he taught all of his kids.”