Sidelines: Nothing says Christmas like the Yardleys

Don Cantrell

One of the most sparkling and colorful Christmas cards came our way

this past holiday season from George Yardley, a Newport Harbor High grad

from 1946 and an NBA Hall of Fame basketball star, and his family.

The 8x10 card featured all the Yardleys in four family units

displaying timely outfits in red, white and blue, while Yardley himself

was spruced up in a star spangled outfit and they all were holding

American flags for the photographer.

And the wide happy smiles represent the trademark of the Yardleys.

They could not have spelled freedom any brighter.

The smile that comes to this writer is drawn from fond memories of

George’s late mother, Dorothy, whose influence is sometimes showing in

such cheering events. She always made sure things were lively and fun,

which was constantly in evidence around the Balboa Bay Club where she

worked for years.

His mother, who was always charmed by “Auntie Mame” types, and his

father, the late George Sr., were always close to sports.

George Sr. was a superb athlete in his time for the famed Amos Alonzo

Stagg at the University of Chicago.

In fact, George Sr. became a warm friend to many of the Harbor High

athletes around his son after the family moved to Newport Beach from

Hollywood.

One former Harbor High basketball ace who never forgot him was All-CIF

player Bud Attridge, who led the Tars to a ’41 title. Attridge recalls

George Sr. prodding USC to extend a scholarship his way and “he also

helped me get into the Coast Guard.” He spent time in the Asian Theater

during World War II.

In addition, it is fair to note that Attridge came to have a strong

influence on young George on the high school courts. George Jr. still

recalls impressive pictures of Attridge.

Attridge was also a member of the ’41 varsity championship tennis team

at Harbor High and lettered all four years in tennis at Newport.

Interestingly enough, Yardley and his brother, Bob, also starred in

tennis at Harbor High during their time.

In fact, it may not impress tennis fans of today, but Yardley once

noted that in his major tennis bouts in later years, he never lost once

to the great champion Pancho Gonzalez. The sport did not pay lucrative

awards for winning big tournaments in those days.

We regret to say that Jim Pascoe, a classy football guard for Al Irwin

at Harbor High in 1950-51, suffered a heart attack recently, but he

underwent a multiple bypass operation and reports he is now in fine

condition in Las Vegas.

Glenn Thomas, former Harbor High gridder and one-time grid chief at

Magnolia High, recently said Pascoe, as he recalls, “was a stud,” at

Newport.

Pascoe drew attention even as a sophomore.

Thomas also had good news concerning former Loara High grid coach Herb

Hill, whom he once served as an assistant with the late Gib Dear. Both

Hill and Dear once served under Steve Musseau at Orange Coast College,

which won a title in ’57.

Although many one-time fans and admirers of Hill had lost track of

him, Thomas said he now lives San Jacinto and coached the grid there for

seven years before retiring.

The trio of Hill, Dear and Thomas was outstanding in past years at

Loara and made the Anaheim school a constant winner.

Thomas connected with future names of pro football stardom at

Occidental College in the ‘50s. He was one of the major rock-ribbed stars

along with quarterback Jack Kemp and end Jim Mora.

Another move came to light with the Christmas cards this past

Christmas season. One of Harbor High’s most versatile athletes from the

early ‘40s, Bud Barnett, is now living in Dewey, Ariz. which is just

southeast of Prescott.

Barnett helped lead Harbor High in ’41 to its first-ever varsity

basketball championship, repeated the vital push toward a varsity tennis

title and won a title for something that left the CIF sports hall years

ago -- badminton. He was No. 1.

He balked at baseball, football and swimming, but he did shine in

several track categories.