Tales from long ago era

DON CANTRELL

Although prep football was rousing fun with exciting action at times

in the 1930s, it would not feature the electrifying hours that would

vibrate with the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Most Southern California high schools were limited from

Bakersfield to San Diego and most enrollments were below 500 in the

‘30s.

The population boom would start rolling after World War II came to

a close in August, 1945.

Many of the state’s junior colleges would begin appearing and

developing in the years following the war, including Orange Coast

College, which opened in 1948.

Newport Harbor High, which opened in 1930, sparkled in ’35 with a

212-pound fullback named Al Irwin and enjoyed its first winning

season (4-3-1).

After entering the bigger Sunset League, Newport finished 6-2-1,

paced by two fine backs in Rollo McClellan and Glenn Thompson. They

blew a title bid, but did defeat the champion, Excelsior, 19-14.

Newport also lost some key games in 1939, but stirred up county

coaches and sports fans after its second-team All-Southern California

quarterback, George Mickelwait, caught four touchdown passes from

Junior Wilson, winning, 26-9.

Newport finally thundered to its first varsity title in 1942, led

by legendary fullback Hal Sheflin. On the glum side, Newport was

defeated in the CIF small-schools final by host Bonita, 39-6, after

Sheflin was injured near the end of the second quarter.

Newport astonished Orange County fans in ’46 by deadlocking Santa

Ana, the defending CIF champion, 13-13, at the Santa Ana Bowl while

its All-CIF tailback John Fouch was at the helm.

Fouch would reverse the scene in 1947, running wild to help the

Saints defeat the Tars, 32-6.

In 1949, the high-scoring Sailors, coached by Irwin, would lose

the championship game to Fullerton, 43-27, but blank Santa Ana, 14-0,

and top Anaheim, 37-20. The Tars were paced by fullback Bob Berry and

halfbacks Mel Smalley and Bob Watts. The team scored 323 points

during the 8-1 season.

A fabulous quarterback named Rolly Pulaski starred for three years

at Newport, but his greatest hour came against Fullerton in 1952,

when he made three long runs for touchdowns and passed for a fourth

score. A third-team All-CIF quarterback, he scored 102 points during

his varsity career at Newport.

Newport also looked impressive in 1955, led by Charley Berry,

Bob’s younger brother. Charley ran wild against Fullerton and booted

three extra points. He also won a scholarship to UCLA.

One exciting moment came to Huntington Beach High in 1946, when

the Oilers captured the Sunset League title, led by fullback Bob Huhn

and quarterback Harlo LeBard.

A thrilling ’46 season came to Laguna Beach High when the Artists

(now Breakers), paced by tailback Vern Dugger, won the CIF

small-schools championship. They were coached by Red Guyer.

Rivalries were limited in scale during the 1930s for preps, but it

would pick up with the subsequent emergence of Costa Mesa and Corona

del Mar, then Estancia.

One huge prep explosion arrived in the mid-1950s, when an exciting

breakaway runner named Mickey Flynn sparked Anaheim to league titles

and sterling CIF performances. He was later voted into the Orange

County Hall of Fame.

Ray Rosso who directed Chaffey College to a Junior Rose Bowl

victory in the mid-1940s, guided the 1951 OCC Pirates to an Eastern

Conference title with a 7-3 record. His 8-2 Pirates of 1949 turned

down two bowl bids due to numerous injuries.

Irwin’s 1956 OCC club not only won the conference trophy, but drew

a Potato Bowl bid from Bakersfield to play Stockton. The Bucs lost by

one touchdown, but were cheered by the hometown crowd. Irwin, due to

ill health, drew away from college football after one season.

The most electrifying clash came with the new 1957 coach, Steve

Musseau, who carried a winning record from Mater Dei High.

Near season’s end, Musseau was astonished to find his OCC unit

confronting Santa Ana College, ranked No. 1 in junior college

football at the time and right in line for an invitation to the

Junior Rose Bowl.

Coast, paced by the rugged likes of linemen Jim Newkirk and Jim

Bento, froze Santa Ana with an arcing defense, and easily stunned the

Dons, 13-7, before a packed house at OCC. But OCC didn’t get the

Junior Rose Bowl bid, which, instead, went to Cerritos.