The Hardrocks began their six-game campaign with a 13-6 defeat by the Kirkland Lake Alouettes, according to the report. Further losses to North Bay and Sturgeon Falls followed, while tackle Bob McGawley was also reportedly sidelined by a torn knee ligament.
Those setbacks placed immediate pressure on new coach Bill Leach. He had reportedly moved from Kitchener to take charge as players departed for Sturgeon Falls, leaving Sudbury to rebuild while the season was already under way.
The Hardrocks were not without a core of proven players. Don Punch, Hugh Kedey, Rich Szkaley and Don Bretzlaff were among the experienced offensive contributors named in the report, with newcomer Oscar Clouthier also involved.
Bunny Edwards, Ron Desloges, Bob Ballantyne and Bob Bainbridge featured on the line. That retained experience helped Sudbury remain competitive despite the injuries and turnover.
The report says the Bombers later defeated the Hardrocks 27-8, with Dave Morris scoring three touchdowns. Yet Sudbury still advanced to the final before losing to Sturgeon Falls - a notable recovery from the early defeats and Leore’s reported injury.
The 1963 run matters because it captures a club navigating disruption without abandoning its season. The Hardrocks were playing home fixtures at the Mine Mill Camp Grounds near Richard Lake rather than Queen’s Athletic Field, adding to the sense of a team operating through change.
The next chapter would bring further identity shifts: the competition was reportedly renamed the Northern Football Conference in 1967, while the Hardrocks later became the Spartans. For Sudbury football, the 1963 final remains the storyline to revisit when measuring how adversity shaped the club’s future.