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St. Francis Xavier in 1901.
Circa 1901
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
St. Francis Xavier University

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St Francis Xavier (St. FX) is a university from Antigonish, Nova Scotia where they started playing in exhibition games during the 1953 season against other clubs in Nova Scotia. St. FX's first season playing collegiate football was also during the same season in which they were a part of the Nova Scotia Junior Canadian Football League (NSJCFL). Two significant happenings during the 1954 season, the first happening was that McMaster University from Ontario travelled to Antigonish to play an exhibition game against the X-Men, in which the X-Men loss 35-13. The second happening was that St. FX joined the Nova Scotia Canadian Football League (NSCFL).

St. FX's first championship appearance was during the 1958 season in which the X-Men played in their first ever Atlantic Bowl in Halifax. In the Atlantic Bowl, the X-Men played a hard fought game but were defeated by Fort Williams, who were an armed forces squad by the score of 10-0.

In the following season (1959), St. FX became the first Jewett Trophy winner when they were first in the AUAA that season. With that first place victory, the X-Men returned to the Atlantic Bowl in which they played Ontario Agricultural College (now known as the Guelph Gryphons). In this Atlantic Bowl championship, the X-Men went on to win their first ever championship as they defeated OAC 26-14. Since their was no Canadian Championship as yet, the X-Men were considered champions of Eastern Canada.

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In the 1960 season, St. FX decided to play in the Atlantic Football Conference (AFC). With this move into their new conference, St. FX was placed into the 'B' section of the conference joining Acadia and Saint Mary's University (SMU) just to name a few. With the formation of the AFC, St. FX won another Jewett Trophy for being the best team in the AFC. With the X-Men winning the Jewett Trophy, St. FX returned to their second Atlantic Bowl where they faced the Ottawa Gee Gees. During the game, St. FX won their second straight Atlantic Bowl when they defeated the Gee Gee's by the score of 21-6. The following season in 1961, St. FX won their third straight Jewett Trophy and went to their third straight Atlantic Bowl championship when the X-Men defeated McMaster 14-0. This was the first time in which a team was shut out in the Atlantic Bowl. The following season in 1962, St. FX was moved from the 'B' section into the 'A' section, when the 'B' section was now composed of junior teams. Also during the same season, St. FX went on to win their fourth straight Jewett Trophy for being the best team in Atlantic Canada, and returned to another Atlantic Bowl (this was their fourth straight Atlantic Bowl appearance). During this Atlantic Bowl game, the X-Men went on to play the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues. During this game, U of T defeated St. FX 20-14 and ended the streak and ended their Atlantic Bowl winning streak.

In 1963, St. FX won their fifth straight Jewett Trophy, and returned to their fifth straight Atlantic Bowl in which they had a rematch against U of T. In this game, the X-Men won this game and had their redemption as they defeated the Varsity Blues 15-9.

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Game Program for the 1963 Atlantic Bowl.
23 November 1963
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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The 1966 season was as some people considered the best season in X-Men history, as they won their sixth Jewett Trophy for being the best team in Atlantic Canada. With winning the Jewett Trophy, the X-Men got invited to participate in the second ever Canadian College Bowl in Toronto. The reason why they got invited to the national championship game is because they finished the season with a perfect 6-0 record, while the closest team record wise was McMaster who finished the season with a 5-1 record in the Ontario Intercollegiate Football Conference. In the championship game the X-Men was playing Waterloo Lutheran from the Ontario Intercollegiate Football Conference. In the championship game, St. FX defeated Waterloo Lutheran 40-14 and won their first ever national championship. With that win St. FX became the first team in Atlantic Canada to capture a national championship.

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Game program for the 1966 Canadian College Bowl.
19 November 1966
Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Roster for the 1966 Canadian College Bowl.
19 November 1966
Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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The following season (1967), St. FX won their last Jewett Trophy in the 1960s (seventh in school history), and went on to play in their sixth Atlantic Bowl where they played the McMaster Marauders. During the Atlantic Bowl, McMaster went on to defeat the X-Men 7-0. This was the last time in which St. FX would play in the Atlantic Bowl for a long time.

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Before the beginning of the 1974 season, St. FX decided to enter the Atlantic Universities Athletic Association (AUAA) with Acadia, Saint Mary's University, and Mount Allison in which they were a part of until the end of the 1998 season. The next sucessful season in St. FX history was in the 1978 season in which the X-Men played the Acadia Axemen in the Jewett Trophy championship. In this game, St. Fx defated the Axemen 12-9 and won their eighth Jewett Trophy. With that win in the championship game, St. FX went on to play Queen's Universty in the Atlantic Bowl, and during this championship game St. FX lost that game 31-10. This was the only championship St. FX won in the 1970s.

During the 1980s, the X-Men won two more championships. Their first champinship was in 1982 when they won another Jewett Trophy when the X-Men defeated the Mount Allison Mounties by the score 26-16. With that win, the X-Men played in the Atlantic Bowl in which they played UBC. During this game UBC went on to win the game 54-1. St. FX's next championship came the following season in 1983, where the X-Men was once again the best team in Atlantic Canada. This time, St. FX defeated Acadia 23-3. Instead of going to the Atlantic Bowl that season, both teams protested to the CIAU that the game should not be moved to Halifax, so in essence the Jewett championship game was also the Atlantic Bowl. St. FX did not go to the Vanier Cup this season.

St. FX most successful season was in the 1990s was during the 1996 season in which they won their last Jewett Trophy when they defated Mount Allison 30-22, and went to their last Atlantic Bowl championship where they played the Ottawa Gee Gee's. In the Atlantic Bowl that was played in Halifax, the X-Men won the game 13-5 and went on to play in their second ever Vanier Cup against the Saskatchewan Huskies. In this championship game, Saskatchewan went on to defeat St. FX 31-12. At the end of the 20th century, St. FX went on to win 16 championships, with 10 of those championships being Jewett Trophies for being Atlantic Canada champions.

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Go X Go! banner.
30 November 1996
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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The head coaches with the Vanier Cup.
Circa 1996
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Inside the huddle with St. Francis Xavier.
30 November 1996
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Game action from the 1996 Vanier Cup.
30 November 1996
Skydome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Game helmet worn in the 21st Century.
2000-2011