Two new faces to be added to Sackville Sports Wall of Fame

SACKVILLE, NB - Tantramar will add two new portraits to its prestigious Sports Wall of Fame next month.

The latest inductees – two well-respected and dedicated leaders in the region – will be honoured during a ceremony June 11 at 6:30 pm in the Tantramar Regional High School auditorium. 

Scott O’Neal and Jack Drover will receive recognition under the ‘builder’ category, both having had an immeasurable impact on countless young athletes in southeast New Brunswick.

Gordon “Scott” O’Neal

For 15 seasons, Tantramar Titans football coach Scott O’Neal was more than just a fixture on the sidelines—he was the foundation of the program’s success. As the winningest coach in the school’s football history, O’Neal built a legacy defined not only by victories, but by the young athletes he helped shape along the way.

“Coach O’Neal built more than a successful football program; he built a culture of discipline, hard work and respect,” writes Shawna Hopkins in a letter of support for O’Neal’s nomination.

Hopkins, a mother of three former Titan footballers who were mentored under O’Neal, said his lessons extended far beyond the field.

“He taught them that success comes from perseverance, teamwork and integrity – values that my sons continue to carry in every aspect of their lives.”

O’Neal took on the role of Titans head coach in 2008 after many years as assistant coach and coordinator, bringing an abundance of football knowledge and experience from a highly-successful university career at Mount Allison University.

The Titans program thrived under his leadership.

“Scott’s commitment to hard work, meaningful practice, and strong team and player resiliency provided the foundation of the Titan program that went on one of the greatest runs in New Brunswick high school sports history, rattling off those five consecutive provincial championships between 2015 and 2019,” writes David Hicks and Gail LeBlanc in their nomination for O’Neal.

The team added a sixth championship under O’Neal’s reign in his final season in the fall of 2024.

“He will be remembered by the amazing success his teams had . . . but it is important to note the impacts that he had on these young athletes as they moved forward in their lives,” the nomination states.

O’Neal also coached Football NB’s U-16 and U-18 teams for eight summers, and even on the international stage in 2016 as part of the U-16 Football Canada team that traveled to the US.

Former Titan and current CFL Ottawa Redblacks player Lucas Cormier, in his letter of support for the nomination, said O’Neal has “laid the groundwork for what it means to play Titan football that will last for generations.”

Jack Drover

For the past five decades, Jack Drover has been a steady and inspiring presence in his community – on the field, in the arenas, behind the scenes and in the lives of hundreds of young athletes.

From a player to a coach, from a sports administrator to a volunteer, Drover has done it all. And the Tantramar community has been the beneficiary of his years of service and the lasting impact he has made on those around him.

In a letter of support for Drover’s nomination, Harvey Gilmour writes that Drover has had an unparalleled impact on the lives of both permanent and temporary Sackville residents.

“I can not imagine that there is an individual that could claim to have had such a personal impact on as many local people as Jack has had,” he states.

Drover first came to Sackville in 1974 after being offered a position at Mount Allison as head coach of both the men’s soccer and hockey teams. He served as the soccer coach until 1992 and as hockey coach until 1998. when the men’s team was axed during a restructuring of athletics at Mount A. He later went on to coach the women’s hockey team, a role he took on from 2002 until 2009.

“Through his role at Mount Allison, he recruited and helped to develop countless Sackville-area athletes in both hockey and soccer,” writes Drover’s son Steven in his nomination. “This impact is felt in the next generation through many former players who are now coaching or involved in sport – both in the area and around the world.”

Drover was hired in 1992 as Mount Allison University’s athletic director, a position he held until his retirement in 2009.

Over the years, he has served on various boards and committees, from minor sports organizations to Atlantic University Sports associations to executive of the Sackville Golf Club.

The depth of Drover’s commitment and the lasting impact of his contributions to sports at Mount Allison and the Sackville community have not gone unnoticed.

“If the Sackville Sports Wall of Fame seeks to recognize an individual who has provided long-term dedication and leadership, and an outstanding record of service to sport within the region, I can state with confidence that Jack Drover exemplifies these qualities and is richly deserving of this honour,” writes Vince Smyth, who also provided a letter of support for Drover’s nomination.

Sackville has been giving recognition to local athletes, teams and sports builders through its Sports Wall of Fame since 1989. Other inductees include such notable greats as Bob Edgett, George Chambers, Chester Cole, Wallie Sears, Wayne MacKay, Peter Hess, the 1952-53 Sackville Eagles, Gail LeBlanc, Bill Johnstone, David Burns, Bruce Harper, and many others.