The Stellars won back to back Canadian Junior Basketball Championships in 1950 and 1951. In the process they compiled an outstanding record of 67 wins and only 4 losses. The team was moulded by coach Martin Terry and manager Mitch Baryluk, evolving from a group that played Sunday School Basketball at the old Stella Mission near Aberdeen School. Most of the team had graduated from St. John’s and Isaac Newton High Schools.

In 1949-50, the Stellars won the McGregor Armouries Junior League Title, beating the YMCA Cobys for the city crown, and disposed of Brandon Penguins 63-26 and 74-35 behind Ed Brisky’s 24-point shooting to capture the best-of-three for the Manitoba Championship. They proceeded down the Western playdown trail, winning eight out of nine games and sidelining the Fort William Bengals, Saskatoon Hilltops, Cardston Cougars and Vancouver YMCA. The one loss was a narrow 50-48 decision in game two of the Western final in Vancouver, but the Stellars won the best-of-three series 2-1.

The Canadian final was played against Windsor AKO at the University of Manitoba Field House and employing their highly effective “defensive stall”, the Stellars became Manitoba’s first ever National Junior Champions in basketball by winning the best-of-five series 3-1. Overall, the team’s 1949-50 record was 38-3, with one defeat in league play plus the playoff setbacks to Vancouver and Windsor. Three players graduated from junior ranks after that season. Coach Terry had to replace 6- foot-8-inch centre Borden Cirka, the prolific Brisky and Charlie Brower. Seven of the players returned, Brower became an assistant coach, and Terry found a superb successor to Cirka in Herbie Olafsson.

The road to the second Canadian crown was less imposing. The Stellars had 29 victories and lost only one in 1950-51, to Winnipeg Light Infantry in a league game. They won 10 straight playoff games, romping over the University of Manitoba, Brandon Comets, Calgary Freightways and beating Saint John Atlantics 65-58, 56-51 and 80-54 in the National Final in New Brunswick. Coach Terry was the centre point of the team’s character, motivation and sportsmanship. Terry gave a prime example on April 12, 1951, in the game that clinched the second Canadian title in Saint John. Through fouls and injuries, the Atlantics were reduced to four players, then three and then just two late in the game. To compensate, Terry reduced the Stellar players on the court accordingly, and the New Brunswick crowd gave his team a standing ovation at the finish.

The Stellars: 1949-50 Martin Terry-Coach, Mitch Baryluk-Manager, Mike Skwark- Captain, Mitch Baryluk Jr., Rich Bevan, Ed Brisky, Charlie Brower, Borden Cirka, Ab Glowicki, Paul Granovsky, Ted Kozak, Morley Rypp. 1950-51 Martin Terry-Coach, Charlie Brower-Asst. Coach, Mitch Baryluk-Manager, Mike Skwark-Captain, Mitch Baryluk Jr., Rich Bevan, Carl Franke, Ab Glowicki, Paul Granovsky, Jim Groat, Gord Johnson, Ted Kozak, Herbie Olafsson, Morley Rypp.