RYAN MELANSON
Fleet Club takes 9-0 win at 51st Mini Grey Cup
By Ryan Melanson,
Trident Staff
After a two-year hiatus, one of CFB Halifax’s most popular annual events returned on November 18, with the Fleet Club Slackers taking on the Wardroom Officers in the 51st annual Mini Grey Cup flag football game on Porteous Field.
It was a low-scoring and hard-fought game that saw the Fleet Club repeat as Mini Grey Cup champions with a final score of 9-0.
The scoring all took place in the first half, with the Wardroom first conceding a safety to give the Slackers a 2-0 lead, before S2 Alexander Budd returned a punt for a touchdown, followed by the one-point conversion, to make it 9-0. From there, much of the credit for keeping the Wardroom scoreless went to S1 Andrew Oake, whose big defensive plays led him to receive the game MVP trophy for the Fleet Club.
Moment of silence
This was the first edition of the Mini Grey Cup in decades that saw the Fleet Club Slackers compete without the help of Sean Parker, who played key roles on the team as a player and coach from 1996 right through to the 50th game in 2019.
Now retired from his job at FMF Cape Scott and having passed Slackers coaching duties on to the next generation, Parker still took the field before kickoff to lead the crowd in a moment of silence to honour a group of Mini Grey Cup stalwarts who died over the past year.
Mike Coggins was a 22-year Navy veteran and an integral part of the Slackers’ success through the late 90s and early 2000s, Parker said. Coggins passed away in April of 2022 at age 53.
Dave Howe was a 35-year DND employee who teamed up with Clinton Adams, and later Joey Tynes, to form the Slackers coaching team beginning in the late 80s. Howe led the team through a number of Mini Grey Cup and Army-Navy victories, and brought a deep understanding and love of football that was passed on to countless players, Parker said. Howe also passed this past April, at the age of 64.
Rob Jeannot served in the RCN from 1985 to 2007 before moving to a civilian role at FMF Cape Scott. Jeannot was involved with the Slackers as a player or coach for 27 victories over 30 annual games, and was Parker’s coaching partner for years as the team’s offensive coordinator. His number 12 jersey was hung at the Fleet Club in 2019 to recognize his contributions to the Mini Grey Cup and base sports. Jeannot passed away in November of 2021 at the age of 56.
“These were men who impacted not only my life, but the legacy of the Mini Grey Cup spanning nearly 40 years,” Parker said.
“I’m here at Porteous Field to be a spectator for the first time, but more importantly, I’m here to honour them – my teammate, my coach and my friend.”
