AS I SEE IT
WITH

HARRY PEPPER
There is a possibility that

this column should have been
written at a more appropriate
time, but the way things have a
habit or catching up with me,
I doubt that there will ever be
a better time in the future.
At the outset or the season ...
'·
-·
the young Braves sailed merriand stands 5 - 9 1/2, and has
ly along, winning game after
had all his Minor Hockey exgame, seemingly shrugging off
perience in the town of his
the opposition, no matter who
birth, and was on the same
they were ; and everyone said,
Midget team as Mike last year.
"That's a "-etty good team
The fourth member of the
Rossland bas this season" . In
Warriors to hail from the Twin
fact, the team was so good the
Rivers area is a big boy , standfans started to look forward to
ing 5'11" and weighing 180 lbs .
their home games .
Bill Henne is the son or Bill
The success or the Warriors
and Margaret Henne or Kinwas in no small measure attrinaird . His dad played considbutable to the efforts or four
erable softball in the Trail
young fellows from Castlegar
area some years back .
who joined the team at the outset
Bill played all his Minor
of the 71 - 72 season.
Hockey in Castlegar and like
The leader of this quartet
Mike and Don , was a member
was a kid who had proved him of last year's Midget team .
self a pretty good hand at tendBorn in Trail , Bill ' s eduing goal for the Castlegar entry
cation has all been taken in
in the years previous to this
Castlegar where he is at preone . His name is Lorne Kina sent a Grade 12 student who
kin, and for my money he is
hopes to further his studies at
still the classiest goal-tender
Selkirk College .
in the local Junior " B" League.
Bill has recently been on a
In previous years , young Kinaline with Jim Stuart and Doug
kin has faced loads of rubber
Jones and has fitted in very
while operating behind a mediwell. He likes playing for Rossocre defense. This year , his
land and expects to be back next
defence has been better, but by
season if things work out for
no means the best , and he has
him .
done a fine job. The Warriors
As I mentioned at the beginare extremely fortunate to have
ning of~this column these four
him on their side . This stocky
boys have fitted well into the
blond youngster could be a real
overall Warrior picture, and I,
factor in the upcoming playoffs .
for one , thank 'them for a job
Mike Popoff is a 16-year-old
well done .
youngster with a 5 foot 10 inch ,
175 pound stature who I believe
bas yet to show his full potential as a player for this year's
edition or the Junior Warriors .
This boy played all his Minor
Hockey in Castlegar and wound
up as a member or the Mike
Lauriente - coached Castlegar
Midget team which lost in the
1970 - 71 final to the powerful
Nelson squad.

:J·

I

---

Mike tried out with the Brandon Wheat Kings last fall and
hopes to catch on in Junior
"A" in the future with the
Brandon organization.
His parents are Mr . and
Mrs . Mike Popoff of the Twin
Rivers town of Castlegar.
Don Savinkoff came to Rossland not entirely unheralded .
His brother , Bill , had refereed in the West Kootenay Junior
League with distinction , and
Don has been one of the brighter lights on this year's Warrior
decorations .
Playing on a line with Mike
Evans and Ken Bertoia for most
of the season thus far , Don has
fitted in well , playing a driving,
crowd-pleasing style . This
youngster , a Grade 12 student
in the vocational field at Castlegar High School hopes to try
out for Junio " A" along with
Mike at Brandon in another
year.
The son of Mr . and Mrs .
Andy Savinkoff of Castlegar,
he is 17 years old, weighs 165

2--