There was a basketball championship on the line Sunday afternoon at South Colchester Academy in Brookfield.
The Saint John Mavericks defeated the PEI Mustangs to win the Maritime Women’s Wheelchair Basketball League championship.
It was during the game that Keith Finck reached an amazing career milestone, officiating his 4,000th career basketball game.
“It was nice to reach the milestone refereeing wheelchair basketball,” Finck, 71, of Truro, said. “There has been a great camaraderie with these athletes over the years. I was a little excited when I went out to toss up the ball to start the game. As the game went on I did realize it was a special game. I kind of thought, wow, these legs have made it up and down the floor for 49 years.”
Following the game and the presentation of medals, Finck was pleasantly surprised as an announcement came over the public address system, recognizing his officiating 4,000 games.
“The next thing I knew, one of the mothers from the P.E.I. team was standing beside me with a celebration cake, it had lit candles and 4,000 frosted on top of the cake. It was a very emotional thing – as I thanked everyone I took notice that the card they gave me was signed by many players and fans. Sarah Giles from the PEI team made the presentation, I was really appreciative.”
Also noticeably pleasing to Finck was seeing Truro Mayor Bill Mills in attendance at the game.
“It was certainly thoughtful of Mayor Mills to take the time to attend the game,” Finck said. “I really appreciated seeing him.”
The mayor and town council plan to present Finck with a special certificate next week.
It was during the 1968-69 basketball season that Finck refereed his first game; it was a junior high school game played in Truro.
“I had played high school basketball at Central Colchester High School in Onslow under Johnny “Chucker” Matheson. I decided I’d like to get into refereeing. I look back and remember a great mentor, Lloyd Sutherland, he encouraged me, he helped me along as did his wife Eleanor, who like Lloyd, refereed basketball.”
What followed would see Finck referee both Nova Scotia boys and girls junior high school and high school basketball, championship games at all levels, minor ball with Basketball Nova Scotia and women’s university basketball. It’s hard to imagine, someone running up and down a
gymnasium floor for so many years and actually reaching the 4,000-game mark.
And, another milestone is approaching in 2018 – it will be Finck’s 50th season officiating basketball. His background is truly remarkable and deserving of being revisited.
In 1980, he refereed the Canadian College Athletic Association championship, 1981 saw him officiate the CCAA nationals in Burnaby, B.C., in 2008 and 2009 he officiated women’s
wheelchair nationals in Regina and Montreal.
In 2014, the Truro Sport Heritage Society very fittingly inducted Finck into their Colchester County Sports Hall of Fame.
In wondering, what’s really left for this spry, highly thought-of referee to accomplish? We must say, what an amazing record Keith, well done!
* * * *
You could call 2017-18 a dream season for Chase Carter of Camden.
In his second season playing for the Steve Crowell-coached Dartmouth Steele Subaru Midgets, Carter led all Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League defencemen in playoff scoring with 2 goals and 11 assists for 13 points, in 14 games.
Carter and his Subaru teammates played in the recent Atlantic Midget AAA championship at the East Hants Sportspex, when play wrapped up, it looked like the young defencemen’s season was over.
Not so. A telephone call from the Edmundston Blizzard and Carter was off to the Fred Page
Cup in Ottawa this week with the Maritime Hockey League champions.
He was excited but more or less thinking he was along as insurance in case of injury.
“This will be a great thing even if I just go and take it all in,” Carter, 18, said.
Wednesday, when Edmundston lost their opening game 4-1 to Ottawa Junior Senators, Carter was not in the lineup. On Thursday – the Blizzard faced College Francais De Longueil in an afternoon game and Carter was listed to play. What a moment for the exciting, young Colchester County prospect – moving up in ranks and getting to play in the Eastern Canadian junior A championship.
Lyle Carter’s sports column appears Saturdays in the Truro Daily News. If you have a story idea, contact him at 902 673-2857.
