SIDELINES: Barnett knew diddly

Don Cantrell

George (Bud) Barnett helped fill up the Newport Harbor High sports

trophy case in the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s in four sports.

But, he might have never wound up in Costa Mesa, then Newport Beach,

unless the Great Depression had not forced his parents and grandparents

out of Stockton.

Job opportunities up north were hard to come by, but one day in 1928,

his grandfather, Dr. H.Q. Willis, gathered the family together and

disclosed there was no doctor in a place called Costa Mesa. Hence, they

packed and left.

Barnett’s father was an oil field worker and was optimistic upon

learning that there were active oil fields in Huntington Beach.

After the move to Newport Beach, Barnett became enchanted with the

local grammar school since it had tennis courts, which became one of his

favorite sports.

The oceanfront school then had two tennis courts, but, interestingly

enough, the courts were subsequently abandoned and the area was converted

to basketball courts.

He enrolled in Harbor High in 1937 and “dreamed of four years of

tennis.” His wish was granted. He became a four-year letterman and one of

the finest players in Southern California.

He added another high mark as a junior. It was unique for the local

area. He chose to take a badminton challenge and advanced to the finish,

becoming the No. 1 singles player in the CIF Southern Section.

He had never thought of basketball until Coach Ralph Reed came around

one day and asked a bunch of tall guys if they would like to play on a

special basketball team at night. They would be called the “Casabas.”

Basically, this same unit moved on to score high honors from one level to

another in the Sunset League.

In his junior year, Barnett paced Newport to the Bee title in 1940

with a remarkable 19-0 record. It marked the first time Harbor had ever

won a Bee cage title.

As a senior, Barnett, who consistently hit in double figures, helped

take the Sailors to their first-ever varsity basketball league

championship. The 1940-41 Tars finished with a 21-2 record.

This was one sterling mark for both basketball and football. Other

members of the team via football included Bill Ritter, Harold Sheflin,

the 1942 All-CIF fullback; Manuel Muniz, the second-team All-CIF tackle

and Lorrie Langmade, second-team All-CIF blocking back in 1943. Other

team members included Floyd Tait, Donnie Smith, Tak Ezaki, Bill Grundy,

B. Haig, R. Barnes and B. Bryant, manager.

The only varsity league titles prior to 1942 came in track, in 1932

for the Orange League and then 1938, a title in the Sunset League, paced

by all-league fullback Rollo McClellan.

A varsity football crown arrived in 1942, but a baseball championship

didn’t click until 1948. There has been no baseball titles won since

then.

Reed eventually drew Barnett into track and field and became very

pleased with his other talents. Barnett was into sprints, long jump and

high jump. He often ran 10.3 in the 100-yard dash, but was once clocked

unofficially at 10.2.

Reed tried to prod him into hurdling, but Barnett refused.

“I balked,” Barnett said. “I hated the hurdles.”

Still, he was fond of Reed.

“Reed was one of a kind,” Barnett said. “It was amazing what he did

with the program there, including the track decathlon for Harbor High

male students. I don’t know that I would have turned out for track if it

hadn’t been for the decathlon program. That’s how he discovered the

talents of many.”

Barnett also appreciated football and baseball Coach Dick Spaulding.

“Spaulding was always on my back to play baseball,” Barnett said.

“But, I declined since I loved tennis.”

Barnett had another gift: photography. In fact, Barnett was the

photographer for the 1940-41 Sailor yearbook as a senior.

He was amused by one happening. Two faculty members did not want their

picture taken.

“They preferred their graduation pictures,” he explained.

He recalled that the late Costa Mesa mayor, A.L. Pinkley, produced

great times for the 1941 champion cage team at his drug store on Newport

Boulevard.

“(Pinkley) gave us a standing deal,” Barnett said. “When we won, we

got a free malt.”

Pinkley probably served up at least 240 free malts that season at his

landmark drugstore.