BRANDON – Butch Gayton knows the power of nostalgia.
 
Gayton has five years of his own memories to reflect on as he returns to Brandon for the upcoming Bobcat reunion, but his unique family ties add another layer of importance to attend the highly anticipated event this fall.
 
Butch's grandfather Warren and uncle Joe played with the Brandon College Caps in the mid 1920s. Basketball was a relatively new sport at the time after being invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891.
 
"They were living on the prairies and they were attracted to an area that wanted to produce better athletes," said Butch Gayton. "I knew my grandfather was an exceptional athlete and basketball player."
 
A remarkable three-year run by the College Caps culminated with the team capturing the Manitoba championship in 1925-26. They also toured western Canada where they earned victories over Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw.
 
The prestigious national Dominion championship in Montreal was on the team's radar, but the Caps were not able to attend the event because they had missed too much class time on the western swing, according to articles from the Brandon Sun and The Quill.
 
"The stories I have read were written with glowing terms about the team, so they were something special."
 
Over 50 years would pass before Butch Gayton arrived on campus after being recruited by coach Jerry Hemmings. 
 

"I did not know about all the family history until Jerry started chatting to me about becoming a Bobcat. When going to BU became one of the options to play my mom and dad showed me pictures from the Brandon College days with the granddad and uncle. There is a lot of family pride there and continuing on a legacy of basketball players."
 
The Richmond, B.C. native played from 1980-1985 and his teammates included all-Canadians John Carson and Jude Kelly.
 
The Bobcats consistently captured the Great Plains Athletic Conference title during that time and travelled to the United States to compete against NCAA Division 1 schools.
 
"The stands were loaded against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I remember taking a free throw and I looked up and I couldn't see the rim, it was so red in behind the glass backboards. Each one of those trips is embedded in our memories."
 
Gayton and the BU men's team reached the 1983-84 national championship final where they finished runner-up to the Victoria Vikes.
 
Meanwhile, one of his main personal accomplishments was being recognized as the Bobcats' MVP at their Christmas holiday tournament in 1982-83.
 
"I had an out of body experience and I will take it at that. It all came together for me in that tournament."
 
Injuries kept Gayton from performing at full health for the remainder of his BU career and knee surgery forced him to eventually hang up his sneakers.
 
He returned home to British Columbia following his Bobcat days and became a teacher. He recently retired following 33 years as an educator, which included coaching multiple sports and winning 12 provincial titles.
 
"I had to get my fix somehow and coaching was it. It was a wonderful experience."
 
The next great experience for Gayton is the College Cap/Bobcat basketball reunion from October 11-14, during Homecoming 2018.
 
"I have only been back to Brandon once since I left so I am looking forward to it. Reflecting back on those days, it was a special environment to be a part of. The Bobcats produced so many quality people that gave back once their playing days were completed and I am proud to be one of them."