Don Cantrell column: Tars’ old field general

Don Cantrell

Local sports coverage was often limited in the early days so old

fans never had complete pictures of their star athletes. Hence, it has

become interesting in modern times to gain colorful insights on the

pioneer harbor area aces like George Mickelwait, class of 1940.

He and end Frank Sheflin of the 1938-39 varsity grid teams were the

only Newport Harbor High athletes ever named to the All-Southern

California football team’s second unit. The CIF recognition program

didn’t come about until 1940.

Mickelwait, a versatile athlete, set an early day grid record that

stood for years. He caught four touchdown passes in one game at

quarterback against Orange in 1939 from tailback Junior “Hack” Wilson. It

was noted during the same period that no rival was ever able to complete

a pass over Mickelwait.

He later followed his Harbor High grid coach, Dick Spaulding, to

Fullerton Junior College and started at quarterback for the Hornets. Both

coaches, Ed Goddard and Spaulding, were impressed with the work of

Mickelwait.

“George was a very likable guy and a real field general in football,”

said Sparks McClellan, a Newport teammate of Mickelwait who followed him

to Fullerton.

McClellan said, “He was a very solid guy, even with tackling and

blocking. He also lettered in track and basketball.”

His sister, Peggy Van Horn, also noted that her brother was an

outstanding surfer and used to tackle the Newport waves with Robert

Gardner, who, in time, became a respected judge for years.

She believes her brother got a good start with the ocean when the

family lived near Diver’s Cove in Laguna Beach.

His older brother, Dale, advanced to Santa Ana Junior College and

played guard on the grid outfit before shifting to Fresno State on a

scholarship.

Van Horn presumes George was born in Idaho and came to Laguna when he

was 7. “He had a white mouse, a paper route, and made crystal set radios

with ear phones.”

She said, “My brothers were much different. Dale was a very serious

student while I think George sometimes majored in joking as a cutup.”

The family record shows that Dale came to establish a permanent home

in Costa Mesa years ago and remained there until his death in 1992.

There were numerous highlights in Mickelwait’s career, including a

period when he took on the harmonica and eventually found that leading to

organ lessons and acquiring a grand organ later in life.

Sadly, there were also grim happenings that came out of his

experiences as an infantryman in World War II.

His sister recalled, “He was shot in the back by a German at the

Battle of the Bulge and the bullet remained near his spine all his life.”

She said, “George’s feet were frozen in that battle. Consequently, he

later had to leave Fresno State because he couldn’t keep football shoes

on due to the swelling and poor circulation.”

She recalled that the Fresno coach, Bradshaw, wanted George to stay as

an assistant. But her brother finally said “If I couldn’t play, I

shouldn’t stay.”

Hence, Mickelwait went on to work for Newport-Mesa Unified School

District and, finally, became head of maintenance for all the schools.

During this time, his sister noted that one tragedy arose when he lost

his left eye to cancer.

She said, “He had other setbacks in life, but his love of music

sustained him.” He died in 1984.

One thing that pleased him years later was noting that his sister’s

son, Bob Ogle, had become a nationally known college tennis star and won

a scholarship to the University of Houston. He later, as president of the

Balboa Bay Club, played tennis with the first George Bush.

His sister recalled one emotionally upsetting day in 1937 when he was playing Bee football and broke his collarbone. His coach, Horace Parker,

brought him home with his arm wrapped in a sling.

With some amusement years later, McClellan chose to take the blame as

the Bee center and claimed he centered the ball to the wrong player,

which took Mickelwait out of position and led to a collision. “I always

hoped he forgave me,” McClellan said.

Van Horn said both her brothers served in WWII; Dale in the Naval air

force and George in the Army.