BURSTMike Scheller has built Vernon’s Clarence Fulton Secondary School’s football program into one of the most respected in the province over the past couple of decades.
The roots of the program come from lessons instilled in Scheller by a former minor football coach and teacher at what was then known as Fulton Junior Secondary School, a man named Jim Furlong, who died Jan. 8 in Calgary at the age of 85.
Furlong spent 13 seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders before retiring and moving to the North Okanagan to begin a lengthy teaching career.
Scheller played in Vernon Minor Football for three years with Furlong, who was Scheller’s offensive coordinator for two years with the Junior Bantam squad, and one year in midget football in the mid-1980s. There were no high school programs in the North Okanagan at the time.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for coach Furlong,” said Scheller. “I learned a ton of things from him. I was able to learn offensive play structure and play calling from him.
“I remember him being a tough coach, who taught us discipline. He was organized and efficient. He was one coach who made me want to coach football in the future.
“I really enjoyed playing for him, and we had a lot of team success under him, along with coaches Stu Lawrence and Harry Ansell.”
Furlong grew up in Lethbridge, where he excelled at sports, particularly football.
He attended the University of Tulsa before playing as a defensive linebacker with the Stampeders. He played in three Grey Cup games, losing in the 1968 and 1970 title contests to the Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Alouettes, respectively, before finally winning a ring in 1971 with a 14-11 win over the Toronto Argonauts in the rain at Vancouver’s Empire Stadium.
In that 1971 game, Vernon’s Roger Scales – who would also teach post-career and coach at Fulton Secondary School – scored the Argos’ only touchdown. He was an offensive lineman playing special teams when the Argos recovered a fumble on a third-quarter punt, and the ball was lateraled to Scales, who rumbled 33 yards for the touchdown.
Furlong retired from the CFL and moved to Lumby to begin his teaching career at Charles Bloom Secondary in 1974. There, he met fellow rookie teacher Andy Gilbert, who was regaled with stories from Furlong’s football career.
“He was a great story teller,” said Gilbert, retired and living in Vernon. “His greatest thrill of his rookie year in the CFL was tackling the great (Hall of Fame legend) Jackie Parker.
“He said something that was less thrilling was the number of times he met the great Saskatchewan Roughriders’ running back George Reed head-on.”
Gilbert and Furlong developed a strong friendship through the many hours spent together distance running and cross-country skiing.
“Jim always liked to push the endurance envelope when we went for runs,” said Gilbert, remembering a jog where the pair ran down Highway 97 south to the Predator Ridge turnoff, then back into town along Commonage Road.
“Along with Bob and Ross Shannon, we also ran the power line on the east side of Kal Lake from Cosens Bay to Oyama – twice. Jim was also the first person I saw to try cross-country skate skiing. Of course, he talked me into trying that method, and by the time he left Vernon, we were both skate skiing at Sovereign (Lake).”
After leaving Vernon, Furlong taught and coached football in the Airdrie school district in Alberta before finishing his teaching career in Claresholm, Alta.
In Furlong’s online obituary, it reads, “Jim married Dianne Pilling (Dec. 29, 1964), and together they raised sons, Sean and Craig. After retiring from professional football, Jim dedicated himself to education, as a school teacher, where he positively impacted countless students over the years. He also loved coaching his sons in Vernon Minor Football to several championships.
“His career and life took him to many places. The family lived in Vernon, spent three memorable years in Germany, and eventually settled back in Calgary, where Jim finished his teaching career.
“Outside of work, Jim was happiest outdoors. He loved hiking, kayaking, and golfing, and he held a special place in his heart for Waterton Lakes National Park, AB, a destination that brought him peace and joy. Jim treasured time with family, especially his five grandsons. He rarely missed a chance to watch them play hockey and took immense pride in each of them.”