A bird, a plane; the Pirates

During the tumult and the shouting of junior college football a

half-century ago, it was not uncommon to find JC grid teams flying

hundreds of miles to engage in nonconference games.

And Orange Coast college, which opened in 1948, was quick to join

the flying crowd, since it sparked ample excitement across recruiting

circles.

And recruiting was a key to success in the early days of JC

football, especially in California.

One of the most unusual OCC flight experiences during its

championship season of 1951 found the college president, Basil

Peterson, harking the bus to the Long Beach airport for a chartered

flight to then-Boise Junior College in Idaho.

The entire squad, plus coaches, Peterson, Dean of Men Fred Huber

and team physician Bernard Mason would board for the trip.

Peterson had presumably logged the flight aboard a one-time Army

transport type with what OCC football coach Ray Rosso, as Navy WWII

fighter pilot, remembered as one with the worst fatality record he

could recall.

In fact, it was once nicknamed “The Flying Coffin.” Rosso also

assumed “that I was the only uneasy passenger on board.”

However, that was the only shaky moment and then things flowed

into smooth adventure all the way to Idaho and on the return home,

except that also changed after a “great game the next day before a

sellout [crowd],” Rosso said.

That’s when Rosso and the team learned that Peterson, a devout

Mormon, had approved a shift in plans that would take the flight to

Salt Lake City first for an unexpected visit in “Mormon Country.”

The team would be greeted at the airport by coeds from the

University of Utah.

With a smile, Rosso said, “The guys were excited.”

He added, “Well, as planned, we were met at the plane and each

player was escorted by a coed for a tour of the Mormon church,

tabernacle, et. al, as well as the university campus, followed by

lunch.”

Rosso said, “What was amazing were the reactiuons in each player.

They had a great time on the tour.” He paused, then said, “And then,

I fully realized that this was a beautifully planned recruiting

stop.”

The coach added, “As we got back to our plane area, there were a

lot of goodbyes along with promises to ‘be in touch.’ In fact,

Charley Black was ready to sign up now.”

Rosso said, “As I reflect, I know that Dr. Peterson, being the

staunch Mormon that he was, planned it to be of benefit for both the

players and the church. And I must say it was beautifully done.”

He added, “What a package, pretty coeds and a great tour of a

meaningful history as well as a religious center.”

Rosso said, “Now that’s recruiting.”

*

A special get-together worked out recently for one-time Harbor

High grid chief Al Irwin, who has turned 85, and Mel Smalley, one of

his top offensive stars in 1949-50. In fact, Smalley scored 104

points in ’49 on a team that chalked up an 8-1 record.

Irwin’s wife, Lois, had planned on joining a reunion with her

sorority sisters from College of the Pacific days in the late ‘30s

and invited Smalley to drive down from Lodi and visit with husband

Al.

Lois said, “Mel is always good about working Al into his schedule

up north.”

Incidentally, Smalley was also a rugged defensive halfback for

Rosso on the championship ’51 grid team at Orange Coast.

After two years at OCC, Smalley chose to follow Irwin’s path to

College of the Pacfic in the mid-1950s.

*

One interesting note from yesteryear involves Dave Rosso, son of

the coach, who once captained a varsity basketball team at Newport

for Coach Emil Neeme in the ‘50s.

He had an offer to attend UC Riverside, but chose to enroll at UC

Berkeley.

During his Newport days, Neeme was also an outstanding

middleweight grid coach and a top assistant to Irwin. No doubt, he

was pleased this year to see his alma mater, Butler University in

Indiana, go to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament.