Sagamok hosts All Ontario Native Fastball Championship
By Leslie Knibbs
SAGAMOK ANISHNAWBEK—28 teams gathered in Sudbury and Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation for the 47th Annual All Ontario Native Fastball Championship (AONFC).
The games played in Sudbury were at the Terry Fox Sports Complex, Delki Dozzi and the OJA Sports Complex on August 24 and 25 with championship ballgames held on Sunday at Sagamok on the ‘Field of Dreams’ playing field and the Community Hall field. The series included six divisions, Men’s and Ladies Master (40 years and older), Open Divisions (men and women) and the Junior Division of boys and girls 18 and under.
The Opening Ceremony took place in Sudbury on August 24 at Terry Fox Sports Complex with Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger and newly elected Sagamok Chief Nelson Toulouse giving opening remarks. Despite the threat of rain and an overcast sky, the games began on schedule and went till dusk.
Throughout Sunday’s games in Sagamok, dozens of family and friends gathered cheering their home teams on. Loud chants of “Battle Hard, Battle Hard,” were heard throughout the day in the stands at The Field of Dreams when the home-team Junior Boys Sagamok Eagles were up against Wiikwemkoong Sons of Pitches from Manitoulin. In a hard-fought battle from both teams, the Sons of Pitches won the junior title with a close 13 to 12 victory.
Todd Showan, coach of the Junior Eagles expressed pride in his players’ performance.
“We had two big rallies in the game to come back from a four-run deficit.”
Shown was especially proud of his team in that according to him, “there were 15 kids who never played fastball until this weekend.” Now that is really something taking runner up position. Jared Southwind maintained his stellar pitching on the mound completing the full game with a total of nine strikeouts. It would be a safe bet to call the Jr. Eagles, naturals.
Jared’s mother, Charmain Abitong, sat in the stands behind home plate cheering her son’s team on.
“I felt very proud of these young men playing together this weekend. They had several shining moments and made new friends and had fun,” she said. “I trust they felt proud of each other’s skills and commitment to supporting one another in the game. It was a great weekend of ball and I’m sure looking forward to next year when we come together again.”
Chief Toulouse, who has played “lots of ball”, sat in a lawn chair watching the Junior’s game was inspired by the play and camaraderie of the team.
“Watching the Junior game between Sagamok and Wiky is really inspiring to watch these young men battle it out on the ballfield. The future looks very bright,” he said smiling.
Complete 2018 Championship results of the tournament are:
- Men’s Open Division
Nawash Sin win over Delaware Warriors 12-1
- Women’s Open Division
CMO Chaos wins over Six Nation Juniors
- Men’s Master Division winners
Six Nations Senior winners over Sagamok Chiefs
Six nations went undefeated
- Women’s Masters Division
Sour Springs over AOK Lady Rebels
- Under 18 Jr Boys Division
Wiky Sons of Pitches 13-12 over Sagamok Eagles Jr
First Nations have a long tradition excelling at playing most everyone’s favourite sport of baseball. Three fastball veterans of the AONFC were in attendance over the weekend tournament. 40 years ago, back in 1978 and again in 1982, there was a talented men’s team from Moose Factory competing for the Championship. Two of the Cheechoo brothers, Oliver, who played short stop on that legendary team and his brother Mervin, who pitched a no hitter to the top of the sixth inning in the 1982 series were in Sagamok with friend Norman Hardisty for this year’s championship series. The team from Moose Factory won the championship both years with Hardisty scoring the winning run beating out a strong Garden River team 1 to 0.
As in past years, many generations of families made their way out to the fastball championship games.
Coordinators for this years AONFC were Michael Abitong and Vanessa Nicholson from Sagamok. The 2019 AONFC will be hosted by the Chippewas of the Thames next year.