Est. 2020
THE HISTORY....
For over 65 years Wellington County has enjoyed Junior Box Lacrosse. From the dirt floors in the original Elora arena (Players remember getting sticks full of dirt when they scooped up the ball) to present day cement floors and who knows, maybe indoor synthetic turf in the foreseeable future ???
In the early 1960's the Fergus Thistles, stacked with local players, enjoyed many great seasons. At that time the Junior Thistles were in direct competition for fans with the Senior Thistles. In 1963 the Jr Thistles relocated to the growing population of almost 15,000 people in Guelph. They became the Guelph Mohawks and played out of the storied Memorial Gardens in the Junior 'A' circuit for that season. A few members of that 1963 season were Eddy O'Keefe, "Cee'ce" Denny, Bob Mulvey, Brian Johnston, Don Mackenzie, Bob Postle together with goaltenders Bill Clark and Bryan Halls.
In 1964 after playing their regular season in Junior 'A', the team was relegated to Jr 'B' for the playoffs. Loaded with Fergus/Elora players such as Bob Brown, Larry Magnus, Dan Nixon, Bryan "Fuzz" Ronald and Jim Homer, they captured the Castrol Cup, the predecessor of what we now know as the Founders Cup, defeating the Eastern Champion Cornwall Wildcats (T-Birds)16-8, behind Barry Redwood's 7 goal outburst. Elora's Eddy O'Keefe accepted the trophy for Guelph. Two more seasons were played in the Royal City with moderate success on the floor and at the turnstiles.
Elora lacrosse enthusiasts, Homer Gerber, Charlie McKenna, Bill Henderson and others convinced the executive to move to Elora (population 2,300) assuring them that fans would show up. The lacrosse starved community did just that for the 1967 season, and boy did they ever, packing the Elora Arena every Saturday night! In Elora's first season they went undefeated and would face the also undefeated Cornwall Wildcats (T-Birds) in a best two out of three game series. Cornwall hosted game one which saw the Wildcats trounce the Elora squad 16-5, handing the Mohawks their first loss of the season. Elora would regroup for their next game as they showcased Captain Arden Fisher, along with brothers Gerry, John and Rick McKenna. John had returned home excited about the opportunity to play with his two brothers after playing previously for Brampton. Game two was a sold out Saturday evening affair, in the extremely hot and steamy tin barn "AKA" the Elora Arena. The Mohawks would come from behind to prevail 14-13 and push a third and deciding game at home the very next afternoon. With Gerry McKenna's 4 goal contribution, Elora claimed the Championship after unleashing its offensive power over a bewildered Cornwall squad 14-12 who themselves anticipated certain victory. That regular season would see six Mohawks in the league's top ten scoring. Long time local fan and team Life Member, Linda Swanston recalls the Wildcats team afterwards in downtown Elora giving their champagne to the Mohawks players and fans to enjoy (as their goal fell short) ..... a true act of sportsmanship.
In 1968 with the company of such players as Pete Landoni, John Readyhough, Ron Weatherhead, Rick Lloyd, Steve Warmington, Murray Shannon and goaltender Bruce Griffin, Elora's dominance was on full display, as they returned to the Castrol Cup (Founders Cup). Team executive member Lorne "Pie" Kerr remembers the team flying to the tournament held in Winnipeg, Manitoba and recalled Elora fans driving but also taking the train, bus and even hitchhiking to Winnipeg. That's right..hitchhiking!! Now that's some fine fan dedication. Facing the host team Winnipeg North Stars in the final, Elora hammered them with a more than convincing 26-10 victory, earning their 2nd consecutive Canadian Championship. They would arrive back home and be welcomed to a fire truck led parade and a huge Village celebration in MacDonald Square.
Some very good teams followed, with the fans always by their side. It wasn't until 1976 with Coach Ron Weatherhead and the leadership of team Captain Brent Service that the Mohawks would make a return to the National Championship Tournament hosted that year by the Windsor Warlocks who Elora had previously beaten in the Western Division Final. Players such as Jerry McCulligh, Pete Machin, Wayne England, Steve Pinchin, Craig Robinson, the Landoni's, Charlie, Brad and Jeff, snipers Morley Bosomworth and Larry Dobbie, along with a goaltender trio of Scott Marshall, Barry Miller and Rob Mason led the Elora Mohawks to an 8-6 victory over the British Columbia representative, Burnaby Cablevision. The local paper estimated 400 fans made the trip to the border city to watch the final game and cheer on the Mohawks. Arriving back home well after midnight, the festivities extended throughout the early morning hours and well past dawn as locals first gathered at the Legion to celebrate with the team after a very large and boisterous parade through the Village.
This year (2026) marks the 50th anniversary of this Junior 'B' Founders Cup Championship team.
For the next nine seasons the Mohawks played Junior 'A' with varying degrees of success. In 1978 they lost to the Whitby "Braves" CBC Builders in the Ontario Final.
In 1987, Elora returned to the Junior 'B' circuit and enjoyed many successful seasons both on the floor and in the stands with their loyal fan base always filling the Elora Community Centre. They would qualify for the Championship Tournament in both 1999 and in 2000, earning themselves a 4th place finish and a bronze respectfully. They would host the Tournament in 2004 but would be defeated in the final. 2005 would be a much finer year as Elora would hoist the Founders Cup again at the tournament held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where they would thrash the Edmonton Warriors 11-2 in the final. That team was lead by cousins Jamie Rooney and future NLL Toronto Rock star, Rob Marshall and included a handful of the sons of former Mohawks players.
Numerous great teams followed, with multiple Division Championships won, while appearing in back to back Ontario Finals in 2008 and 2009 however with the thirst of a Provincial Championship not being quenched. That all changed in 2018 as Elora would regain Jr 'B' lacrosse supremacy by earning a 9-5 victory over the Seneca Warchiefs at the Founders Cup held on the first nations reserve of Akwesasne. The 'Hawks were lead by Captain Klayton Hoelscher, current NLL goaltender Landon Kells and offensive weapons Tyrus Rehanek, Cole Spear and Kurtis Woodland who himself amassed a ridiculous 40 points in just 5 tournament games.
More very competitive years followed with a rabid fanbase wanting a 6th cup for Elora (technically 7th in franchise history re: Guelph Mohawks 1964 win) Those expectations would be fulfilled just 5 seasons later.
In 2024 that wait was indeed over as the Ontario Champion Elora Mohawks travelled down Highway 6 to Hamilton where they swept the tournament, overwhelming the host Bengals 10-1 in the final. Elora, led by current NLL Buffalo Bandit, Carter Coffey, team Captain Owen Williams, Evan McDougall along with the Wilson brothers, Tobias and Brinley brought home the cup with a memorable fire truck escort through town and to the fans awaiting to celebrate with them at the Elora Community Centre. The next season would have the Mohawks attempt to repeat as Ontario Champs but would fall just short in the final.
Elora is entering the 2026 season in Jr 'A' as a member of the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) with many players returning home to once again wear the black and gold with pride and determination. Just like the 1960's McKenna brothers who always dreamed of playing together in their hometown, the Wilson brothers, Tobias, Brinley and Levi hope to duplicate the success of the storied McKenna trio. "ONCE A MOHAWK, ALWAYS A MOHAWK ."
This next paragraph is reserved for the future triumphs and stories that have yet to be both celebrated or written....
