Six Nations Junior B Rebels Lacrosse Association
2018 Honourees, Lacrosse
Every now and then a team comes along that dominates a league for an extended period of time, the word Dynasty is a label that gets attached to the franchise. In 2006, the Six Nations Rebels were just another team in the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) Junior B League. Missing the playoffs for that year.
The Rebels were founded and began play in the 1996 OLA Junior B lacrosse season known as the Six Nations Red Rebels thanks to the tireless work by Ruth Isaacs to get the team started up. The Red Rebels finished their first year in seventh place, winning only five games out of twenty-two that season. The following 1997 season, the Red Rebels turned things around by finishing first in the division with an 18 and 4 record on route to their first franchise Founders Cup title by defeating Orillia Rama Kings 9 to 7 in overtime.
Six Nations dropped the term “Red” from their team name prior to the 2002 season and became known as the Six Nations Rebels.
Since that 2006 season, a group of young Junior graduates took over the coaching reigns with Stew Monture being named the head coach in 2007. He also brought on National Lacrosse League experienced players in Cory Bomberry and Roger Vyse and goalie Derek General to be the assistant coaches. The coaches instill a high-paced offense with a pressure the ball defense that took a short while for players to buy into.
Starting off with a couple losses in 2007 to Orangeville and Niagara, it took a couple of games for the young Rebels players to buy into the systems the coaches were introducing to the squad. Once the players got the system in their own minds, the Rebels would finish the 2007 season with a 17-3-0 record, the only other regular season loss was an overtime loss to a veteran-laden Windsor AKO Fratmen squad. The Rebels only 2007 playoff hiccup was another overtime loss to Owen Sound on route to the franchises second Founders Cup win in Kamloops, British Columbia with a combined record of 36-4-0.
The following 2008 season saw the Rebels complete their first perfect regular season going 20 and 0. Rebels completed the OLA Playoffs with 12-4-0 record to advance to their second consecutive Founders Cup tournament being held in Guelph. Six Nations defeated the Guelph Regals 8 to 7 in the Founders Cup Gold Medal game for their third Founders Cup in the franchise history.
In 2009 (16-3-1) and 2010 (perfect 20-0-0 regular season), both Rebels squads were highly competitive, however, the Elora Mohawks would silence any dreams of a fourth Founders Cup by winning back-to-back five-game series in the Western Conference Finals.
The 2011 season saw Ron Chatelain take over as head coach for the Rebels. The team went 19-1-0 during the Regular season, followed by playoff series wins over Wallaceburg Red Devils, Windsor Clippers, Elora Mohawks and Halton Hills Bulldogs to advanced Founders Cup being held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Rebels won all six games by outscoring the opposition 108 to 39 and fourth Founders Cup title.
The Rebels won the bid to host the 2012 Founders Cup tournament at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA) from August 14 to 19. The team also saw Stew Monture return as head coach. Rebels went 18-2-0 during the regular season and made it through the Western Conference to battle Akwesasne Indians for the J. A. MacDonald Trophy as Ontario Junior B Champions. Rebels won the first two home games of the series, then tragedy hit when Carney Elijah Johnson passed away on August 6. The Rebels pressed onward to complete the OLA journey by capturing the Ontario title on August 10.
The 2012 Founders Cup final saw the two Ontario Finalists battle for the ultimate prize with the Rebels holding on to an 8 to 7 win in front of 2,800 fans at the ILA. The record crowd was the largest to view a Junior B title game in Canadian Lacrosse Association history for a fitting tribute to their fallen teammate and fifth Founders Cup title in franchise history.
The 2013 season saw Rebels assistant coach, Murray Porter named as head coach. The team finished the Regular season with their third perfect regular season at 20-0-0. OLA Junior B Playoff run finished with sweeps of Brampton Excelsiors, Niagara Thunderhawks and Orangeville Northmen; completing with a four-game series win over Clarington Green Gaels to advance to the Founders Cup tournament in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Rebels won all six games by outscoring their opponents 117 to 35 to claim the three consecutive and sixth Founders Cup title.
The 2014 season had the Rebels looking for the four-peat and fourth perfect 20-0-0 season was in the books. The Rebels swept the Welland Generals and Niagara Thunderhawks before needing four games to defeat the Orangeville Northmen in the Western Conference Finals to advance to the Ontario Junior B Finals against Halton Hills Bulldogs. The Rebels swept the Bulldogs in three games to earn the right to represent Ontario in the Founders Cup tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The Rebels had little to no trouble going 6 and 0 through the round-robin portion of the Founders Cup tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Then defeating the Seneca War Chiefs 14 to 7 in the Founders Cup Final to win their fourth consecutive Founders Cup title and sixth National Championship in eight years and the franchises seventh crown since 1996.