Sidelines: Nothing like 1951

Don Cantrell

With his release as a Navy fighter pilot in World War II, Ray Rosso

was drawn to his first head coaching job at Chaffey College, where he

took the school to two grid championships and one Junior Rose Bowl

victory over an Oklahoma team in 1947.

That was enough to spark a subsequent visit his way from the president

of a new college named Orange Coast. The president, Dr. Basil Peterson,

was hopeful the school’s first grid chief could lead it to a football

title in the near future after it opened doors in 1948.

Although Chaffey officials bargained to hold Rosso, he favored the

coastal environment since that is where he and his family traveled almost

every weekend to the seashore, despite the distance.

Rosso’s first team won its first two OCC contests and later added a

third triumph, but the team struggled the balance of the season.

The second year of the ’49 class, showed considerable promise, but

still didn’t have enough champion figures. The team did finish with an

8-2 record and drew a bowl bid, but the team, counting up too many

injuries, voted it down. The ’50 season seemed shy of championship

gridders, so that faded as Rosso turned thoughts toward the fourth

season.

However, when the ’51 season arrived, he was certain the odds were in

OCC’s favor since it had drawn numerous outstanding athletes from Harbor

High, Huntington Beach, Orange and the desert. He would stay with a

regular T-formation.

Four of the Harbor High players had been All-Sunset League material,

including end Maurice Langdale, halfback Mel Smalley, tackle Bob

Woodhouse and halfback Bob Watts.

Other former Tars included tackle Ed Mayer, tackle Jack Clark and Jack

Meeks, halfback Harlow Richardson, tackle Roger Pfister, center Keith

Burch and guard Ron Engle.

The Pirates, still wearing maroon and gray jerseys from the defunct

Los Angeles Dons, played all home games at Huntington Beach High in ’51.

Coast lost three games to Oregon Tech, Boise, Idaho, and Harbor JC. It

defeated a top northern team, Santa Rosa, on the road. It won six Eastern

Conference games after San Bernardino forfeited its win after being

tagged with two ineligible players from out of state. San Berdoo had

“won” the game at Huntington Beach, 14-6. It had to forfeit four

conference games.

Tackle Bob Woodhouse and halfback Jess Smith were named to the first

all-conference offensive team while end Syd Manning, guard Fred Owens and

linebacker Charley Black were posted on the first all-conference

defensive team. Fullback Hal Smith and halfback Johnny Black were voted

to the all-conference second team.

End of the season honors went to Ed Mayer, accepting the Rod Gould

Memorial Award for most time played. Owens was named most valuable player

and he and Hal Smith were named co-captains.

Jess and Hal Smith, Ned Parsons and Howard Del Miller were top

runners, but the most exceptional runner was Johnny Black of Palm

Springs. He rushed once for more than 260 yards in one game.

Two of the best defensive backs were Mel Smalley, ’51 graduate of

Harbor High and Charley Black of Palm Springs.

In closing, Coach Rosso said, “I consider the ’51 team can justifiably

be ranked among the top three of all OCC football teams for these

reasons:

1. Team success was based on player’s abilities and skills to play

both offense and defense. There was no platoon football. In this respect,

players had to necessarily be in better physical condition to play the

required continuous minutes without rest breaks. The ’51 team started

fall practice at ‘fast forward’ and set the needed base of conditioning

by proving they were ready to go.

2. Team morale was high, team competition was evident early on. This

competitive atmosphere formed early awareness that the team could go all

the way and the team potential to win became a ‘given’ thing.”

Rosso’s summary: “This was a well-conditioned team, tough enough to be

up for every game. It was a memorable season, beginning with an opening

win over Santa Rosa (Northern California champion in 1950) and deserved

winning the conference championship.”

In conclusion, Rosso said, “Realizing that was 50 years ago and most

are now in their 60s, I hope each one can look back and be very proud --

they earned it!”

His assistants were John Owens, Houston Harper and Roy Ward.

Members of the ’51 championship Orange Coast College football team,

coached by Ray Rosso, graduate of the University of California at

Berkeley.

Howard Del Miller, Ashley Houghton, Jess Smith, Dick Burns, Don

Wagoner, Benny Arredondo, Jim Hagey, Charles Black, Lincoln Clark, Melvin

Ferdig, Gilbert Stern, Duke Sanders, Millard Souza, Fred Owens, Guy

Coats, Ned Parsons, Bob Woodhouse, Bob Watts, John Black, Harlow

Richardson, Paul Chafe, Maurice Langdale, Howard Wagner, Mel Smalley,

Jerry Bodine, Dick Francis, Don Paxton, Ron Engle, Simon Munoz, Rod

Kredell, Syd Manning, Don Barnett, Gilbert Marsh, Ed Mayer, Glenn

Woodard, Mike Kohn, Roger Pfister, Dale Buckman, Jack Meeks, John

McHargue, Hal Smith, Ron Quigley, Jack Clark and Jim Keeline.

The 1951 Record

13 Santa Rosa 7 0 Oregon Tech 14

20 Fullerton 7

34 Mt. San Antonio 14

1 San Bernardino Valley 0

19 Riverside 14 14 Chaffey 0

21 Santa Ana 15

19 Boise 35

6 LA Harbor 14