in four games. The 1973–74 season would prove to be the defining moment of the Spitfires stint in Tier II Junior A. Headed by new head coach and general manager Wayne Maxner, the Spitfires won the Southern Ontario Junior A regular season title with a record of 39 wins, 15 losses, and 8 ties. Their record would put them four points ahead of the second place Welland Sabres and automatically give them a berth into the league playoff semi-finals. Scott Miller would win the SOJHL scoring title with 73 goals and 125 points over the course of the season. The Spitfires semi-final opponent was their cross-river rival Detroit Jr. Red Wings. The Red Wings had finished the season in fifth out of eight teams (31-25-6). The semi-final opened up at the Windsor Arena with a 7–1 win for the Spitfires. They were at the Detroit Olympia for game two, another romp for Windsor as they won 8–0. Back in Windsor, the Spitfires won game three 9–2. At the Olympia for game four, the Red Wings attempted to stage some resistance, but the Spitfires were too much, winning 7–5. The four-game sweep of the Red Wings allowed Windsor to rest up for the winner of the Chatham Maroons and Welland Sabres, a series just starting. On March 16, 1974, the Spitfires engaged long time foe Chatham Maroons at the Windsor Arena in the first game of the SOJHL Final. The Maroons fell in that first game 6–1, but rebounded the next night in Chatham with a 5–2 victory of their own. On March 18, goalie Dennis Thorpe's 40 save performance and third period game winner by Gary Armstrong gave the Spitfires a 2–1 home victory and a lead in the series. The Spitfires took game four in Chatham with a 6–4 win. The next night, March 21, the Spitfires defeated the Maroons in Windsor 4–3 to clinch the SOJHL playoff championship. Gary Armstrong would score yet another winning goal in the series. Before a crowd of 5,117 fans, team captain Hugh Mitchell hoisted the Jack Oakes Memorial Trophy to celebrate their playoff victory. The Spitfires were now in the hunt for the 1974 Centennial Cup, the National Championship of Tier II Junior A hockey. The first team in their way, in the Dudley Hewitt Cup Eastern Canada playdowns was the Wexford Raiders of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. Also