In the beginning ... it was Rosso

Don Cantrell

Enlightening conversations are anticipated as the days move toward

the 50th anniversary of Orange Coast College’s first championship

football team in 1951.

Some may feel it is time to churn up some of the vital history that

arose in the three years before the ’51 grid season arrived.

More than 28 ’51 gridders are expected for Nov. 10 at LeBard Stadium

on the Orange Coast campus, which is pleasing to old fans who may plan to

appear for an afternoon (against Fullerton) that will entertain all

visitors.

It is a fitting hour to salute OCC’s first grid chief, Ray Rosso, who

directed the Bucs from 1948-55. He also coached numerous other Pirate

sports after ‘55, including golf and sailing.

Rosso, born in Turin, Italy, came to northern California with his

family, settling in Lafayette. He was drawn to football from his early

days and earned grid honors as an all-city guard at University High in

Oakland, 1934 and ’35.

Another sterling period arose from him in 1937 and ’39. His Cal Bear

team went to the Rose Bowl in ’37 and he was named to the All-Coast squad

at guard in ’39.

As a World War II fighter pilot in Hawaii, he was once placed on an

assignment list aboard the carrier U.S.S. Lexington. Had that order ever

materialized, he would have wound up in the South Pacific along with a

flight deck officer named Al Irwin. In time, Irwin would coach at Harbor

High, OCC and UC Irvine.

There was no grid stadium in the big section of the old Santa Ana Army

Air Corps base when Orange Coast was founded. The school had to schedule

games at both Harbor High and Huntington Beach High in the early years.

The stadium was built in the mid-50s and named after the late OCC trustee

Harry LeBard, whose son, Harlo, played on the 1948-49 Pirate teams at

quarterback.

It was a struggle in the beginning for uniforms and equipment. Much of

it was second-hand. The maroon and gray jerseys were purchased from the

defunct Los Angeles Dons. In time, even the OCC colors would change. They

were changed to red and black in the mid-50s and again in the recent past

to orange and blue.

Although Rosso’s recruiting was wide spread in the early years, he

still relied heavily on players from the local schools, Harbor High and

Huntington Beach.

In fact, two Harbor High graduates set scoring records in the first

win against Riverside. Fullback Brian Hanzal of Newport Harbor scored the

first touchdown, while his prep teammate, center Boyd Horrell, kicked the

first extra point.

Rosso took advantage of two old military barracks left by the Army Air

Corps on the future OCC campus to invite out-of-town prospects to play at

OCC. The monthly rent was $10 per student and one room would cover two

grid prospects.

It was a boost for recruiting.

Rosso once said, “I’m sure that the talent always comes first. Without

it, you can’t win - recruiting is a very selective thing. You live and

die with that.”

Rosso always favored playing as many players as he could during any

season. He felt football was rewarding if it helped the players with

their lifestyle and future.

It is challenging for him to try and recall players from yesteryear

since there are so many of them, but he does recall Cliff Livingston, a

Montebello High graduate, who, in time, became a linebacker for the New

York Giants. His brother, Howie, who once played with Newport Harbor High

grad Rollo McClellan at Fullerton Junior College, eventually advanced to

play professional football.

In the early 60s, a promotion from a number of area Lions Club members

led to the retirement of Cliff’s jersey at Orange Coast.

One of Rosso’s favorite players in ’48 was a rugged guard named Rod

Gould, a Newport grad. Gould had plans to seek a coaching career, but he

lost his life a year later when his car crashed into a logging truck up

north. He was headed for St. Mary’s College to consider a football

scholarship. Two OCC players from Downey perished with him.

The ’48 team finished with a 3-5-1 record, while the ’49 team finished

with an 8-2-0 mark and earned a bowl bid.

Unfortunately, the bid was turned down due to a long injury list from

a trying season.

His first assistants were line coach Johnny Owens and Wendell Pickens,

the athletic director.

Rosso bowed away from the grid in 1955 and was followed by Irwin of

Harbor High.