In 1959, the East Sacramento Little League constructed a baseball field at the intersection of 60th Street and M Street.  It was a beautiful field with forest green fences, built-in dugouts and a lush green outfield.  We all signed up for little league baseball that year.  But, after the baseball season ended, we discovered another great use for the field:  tackle football without pads.  Up until then, we had no grass field to play on, so we usually just played touch football in the street on Janey Way.  This field offered a whole new option for us.
At first we just played among ourselves, usually in four on four games.  However, subsequently we began to play games against other neighborhood gangs:  the O Street boys, the T Street gang and a group of kids from around East Portal Park.  The games were typically friendly rivalries and no one suffered anything more than a cut, bruise, or bloody nose, despite the lack of padding.
I recall one game, however, that turned out to be pretty rough.
One day, a group of us showed up at the field to toss the ball around and maybe play a little game.  We found another group of boys on the field.  No one recognized these boys.  A couple of them were large Neanderthal looking characters calling themselves “big hand” and “big foot.”  I think they were brothers.  They looked pretty ominous.
Eventually, one of the boys came over to challenge us to a game.  Naturally, we had to accept the challenge.
The two groups agreed to a game of four 10-minute quarters; one of the spectators agreed to time the game. Out to the field, sans pads, we went.  They got the ball, and scored first, pretty easily. We followed with a score of our own.  But, the first half ended in a 7 to 7 tie.
At half time, we worked up a strategy for tacking the big guys—gang tackling.  It worked.  They scored the first touchdown of the second half, but we followed with a score of our own making it a 14 to 14 tie.  Then we kept them from scoring again
We got the ball back with about 5 minutes left in the game.  I handed the ball to Al Wilson on first down for a 10-yard gain.  Then, I threw the ball to Lou Viani for a 20-yard gain. On third down, I ran a quarterback draw play up the middle.  When I hit the 10-yard line, one of their players grabbed me.  I kept running.  At the 5-yard line another defender latched on to me.  Finally at the one, the big guy hit the pile and knocked us all into the end zone.  We took a lead, which we never relinquished.
They got the ball back in the end, but failed to score. 
After the game, the strangers gathered on the side of the field, picked up their gear and left with heads hung down. We all stood in the center of the field and congratulated ourselves on a great victory. To celebrate our victory, we walked over the A and W drive-in on 65th Street and Elvas Avenue for a celebratory root beer.
The strangers never came back to our field again.  We must have made a lasting impression on them.  Now our days of tackle football without pads are just another bone-crushing Janey Way memory.

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers played in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.  It was their sixth Super Bowl appearance and the first since the mid-1990s, but I remember cheering for the old-time 49ers back in the 1950s on Janey Way.
Back then the National Football League (NFL) was in its infancy featuring only 12 teams:  the 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions in the Western Division, and the Chicago Cardinals, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburg Steelers, the Baltimore Colts, and the Washington Redskins in the Eastern Division.  Then, the teams played a 12-game season to determine which two teams would play in the NFL championship.
In those days, football was just football, not a big time Hollywood production like the modern Super Bowl.  They played the games on outdoor, dirt and grass fields with names like Kezar Stadium, Soldier Field and the Los Angeles Coliseum.  They had no hour-long pre-game extravaganzas, just a brief introduction prior to each game.  Then, the players did not seem so flashy, just big bruisers with dirty uniforms smacking each other around the field of play.
The players seemed a bit more colorful too.  I remember 49er players with names like Y. A. (Yelberton Abraham) Tittle, joltin’ Joe Perry, Leo (the lion) Nomellini and R. C Owens.  We huddled around our 24 inch, black and white console television each Sunday to watch one local team play:  no national games back then.  The NFL blacked out home games within a 90-mile radius back then, so our local CBS channel 10 did not broadcast those games here is Sacramento.
Dad had solution to that problem though.  On home game weekends, he climbed up on the roof and turned the antenna north toward Chico.  Channel 12, the CBS affiliate there, stood outside the 90-mile radius, so they could broadcast the games.  I remember it now.  Dad would stand on the top of the roof saying, “do we have it now”.  Eventually, we yelled up, “that’s it dad, keep it there.”  Then down he came to watch the game with us.  Even with a faded black and white image, the games were still exiting. The 49ers never won the championship back then, but they always came close.  That kept us coming back for more.
I remember their quarterback; Y. A. Tittle had a play he used when the team needed to score late in the game.  He would drop back and loft a high pass to the end zone where 6’6” wide receiver, R. C. Owens stood.  Owens then out-jumped the smaller defenders to haul in the touchdown pass to win the game.  When that happened we poured out into the street to play touch football, emulating our heroes.
Football seemed a lot simpler back then, before the players earned such staggering amounts of money.  Then, they played mostly for love of the game.  Now my time of rooting for the old time San Francisco 49ers is just another nostalgic Janey Way Memory.

Four C.K. McClatchy Jr. Lion football players have been nominated to participate in the 2012 Youth Shrine Bowl at Hughes Stadium on Nov. 17 at noon.

Sam Carter, Alex Castaneda, Kalani Kanae, and Gabe Vlaanderen-Hernandez  were nominated based on their skills and experience in the Jr. Lions program, as well as their off-the-field leadership.  Considered role models amongst their peers, and great athletes, students, and citizens by the Jr. Lions President and Midget Head Coach, playing in the Youth Shrine Bowl is an honor.

Each youth football and cheer team in the region nominates players and cheerleaders to participate in the Shrine Bowl, which is a fundraiser for the Sacramento Youth Football program, the Bahia, and Ben Ali Shrine Temples.  The event is a community service project for each football player and cheerleader, who is working to raise awareness for the work the Shriners Hospital does for children across the country.

The winning team of this year’s Youth Shrine Bowl will have an opportunity to go to Orlando, Florida in December to play the winner of the Orlando Region Shrine Bowl.  All cheerleaders will be able to go to Orlando to cheer, as well.

The CKM Jr. Lions organization, friends, family, and the community of Land Park wish to congratulate Sam, Alex, Kalani, and Gabe.  Anyone interested in obtaining tickets to the game may do so by contacting Kathi Kanae at 847-7032. Ticket cost is $12.

Rio Americano senior Guillermo Salazar is a gifted athlete with dreams of playing college baseball on scholarship. And while baseball is his first love, Salazar is also talented enough to play varsity football and basketball for the Raiders.
With Rio at the time already four games deep into the football season, Salazar asked head football coach Christian Mahaffey for permission to miss the Raiders’ Oct. 13 home game against league opponent Whitney in order to attend a baseball showcase in front of college scouts in Peoria, Ariz.
Mahaffey gave Salazar a choice – either play in the Oct. 13 game or quit the team. Salazar chose the latter. As far as both sides were concerned, this was the end of the matter. Salazar, a wide receiver/defensive end was set to turn in his pads and prepare for the baseball showcase.
That’s when 11 of Salazar’s teammates stepped up and quit the team in solidarity with their comrade. When news of this spread through the school, Rio Principal Brian Ginter intervened. Ginter decided that instead of releasing the 12 players from the team, he intended to reinstate them and make them serve a one-game suspension for insubordination.
Mahaffey, who had been on the football coaching staff at Rio for 17 years and head coach for the last four, did not agree with the decision. So much so that after a meeting between parents and administrators, Mahaffey was fired as head coach along with long-time assistant coaches Jason Wallace and Kendell Hutchings.
While initially some believed that Mahaffey forbade his players from playing other sports, he actually encouraged them to play other sports. He felt baseball, a spring sport, should not interfere with football, a fall sport, in the middle of its season.
“I think Guillermo is a fantastic kid and I hope to watch him play baseball at Sac State in the future,” Mahaffey said in an email. “(But) Brian Ginter was wrong and he taught our kids a horrible lesson. That I am sure of.”
Mahaffey likened the reinstatement to the students bullying their way back onto the team. Ginter said that his decision was based on the fact that “there are no written guidelines for the kids” that forbid them from participating in off-season sports activities.
Despite the dismissal, both Ginter and Mahaffey said there is no animosity between them.
“It was unfortunate how it unfolded,” said Rio’s Athletic Director Karen Hanks. “We’re moving forward.” The particulars of a meeting between parents, coaches and administrators are being kept private, according to Hanks.
After the decision to let Mahaffey and his two assistants go, Ginter said the school started to receive emails from interested parties concerning the now vacant head coach position. The emails totaled a dozen or so in all, according to Ginter, but it was one from the son of long-time area football coach Max Miller that really got his attention.
Miller, whose grandson John is a member of the current Rio varsity team, agreed to coach the Raiders for the remainder of the season. Most recently Miller led the Folsom Bulldogs to a state championship in 2010.
“It didn’t turn out exactly as I wanted it to, but I’m really happy to be back,” said Salazar.
Despite being short 12 players on Oct. 5, Rio came out and obliterated league foe Cordova by a score of 30-6 in the league opener. Rio currently stands at 3-3 on the year with a 1-0 record in league play. They face Whitney on Oct. 13, where they will once again be without Salazar, who will be in Arizona for the weekend showing off his skills for college baseball scouts.
With a depleted team against Cordova, Salazar believes that the Raiders showed that they are a team to be reckoned with. “They showed that our team can be great even with low numbers. Our junior athletes are really good and they stepped up.”
“This was the only team in the United States of America who had only two days to prepare for a football game,” coach Miller said. “On offense we only ran four different plays and our fullback ran for three touchdowns,” he said.
The victory over Cordova was big for the depleted Raiders, but Whitney poses a different set of problems. The Wildcats sit with a record of 5-1 and are coming off a 63-14 win over league opponent Mira Loma. Whitney has outscored opponents 238-48 in its six games.
Miller was the head football coach and athletic director at Rio from 1972-80. He called those eight years “some of the best of my life.”

benn@valcomnews.com

Sacramento City College reopened its renovated Hughes Stadium on Friday, Sept. 7 with a dedication ceremony attended by members of the sports community, student athletes, alumni, past and present athletics faculty, and local dignitaries. Guests were invited to tour the facilities and, later in the afternoon, the iconic stadium hosted its inaugural games – women’s soccer and football.
According to a press release, the 20,311-seat stadium is now fully ADA compliant and features new additions, including FieldTurf synthetic playing surface, lined for NCAA football and soccer; Beynon surfaces for a nine-lane track; Musco lighting system; full-digital video scoreboard and stadium sound system; press box, including announcer, scorekeeper and coaching rooms with capacity for up to 40 media representatives. Renovations to existing areas included the concessions, restrooms, four locker rooms and a separate officials’ locker room and training area.
Construction on the $13 million project started in March 2011. The improvements were funded through Bond Measure M, approved by voters in November 2008 to fund projects throughout the Los Rios Community College District, according to the release.
“What an exciting event,” said Chancellor of California Community Colleges Jack Scott at the ribbon cutting ceremony.  “I walked out on that field and it’s spectacular. You have every right to be proud of it,” he said.
“It hasn’t been an easy time those last three years because of the drying up of state resources. But the community colleges have responded heroically and certainly you’ve done it at SCC,” Scott continued.
Soccer player Danni Hirshler said it’s “so wonderful to not have to travel off campus to play home games and we welcome more students and the community to come watch us. With the stadium, our pride has been boosted and we can’t wait for other teams to come here.”
Mitch Campbell, Athletic Director and Dean, Kinesiology, Health and Athletics at SCC, said barely a day goes by when he doesn’t communicate with somebody who has a personal connection with Hughes Stadium.
Though Hughes Stadium’s history is well chronicled, Campbell said, the future is extremely bright.
“From our own football, track, soccer to the professional football that has been played here, the college championships and the Olympic trials, the world records — it’s truly an iconic building in Sacramento and it is one that is reborn for many years to come. I am truly excited for the future,” he said.
Joe Debbs, Board Oversight Committee member grew up near Hughes Stadium, ran track there and recalled hopping the fence after hearing the PA system blaring across neighborhood boundaries.
“It was loud. Whenever they were going to have something, they would test it. We’d put on our jeans and tennis shoes and we’d come over and we’d hop the fence and we went to every event they had. The 49ers even played here,” he said.
Hughes Stadium, originally named Sacramento Stadium, was the largest community college stadium in the country when it opened in 1928, according to the press release. The nation’s first radio broadcast of a junior college football game was from Hughes Stadium in the early 1930s.
The stadium also hosted Olympic Trials, car races, major charity events and concerts headlined by star performers, including Linda Ronstadt, the Doobie Brothers, Joan Baez and Pink Floyd, according to the release.
Jon Sharpe, Interim Chancellor of Los Rios Community College District, said Hughes Stadium became one of six projects district-wide that were fast-tracked and moved up on schedule and that it created 170 well-paid jobs when we needed it most.
Sharpe said the district has been working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring some prestigious events “home to where they belong.”
“While many will talk to the glory of Hughes, there are those who say, the best is yet to come,” he said.

The SCC Foundation is looking for Hughes Stadium sponsors. For more information call 558-2197.

As the 1950’s began, many changes would take place in both the United States and Sacramento.  “I Like Ike” would be a popular slogan and new terms like rock ‘n’ roll, television, suburbs, and drive-in movies would appear.
In McClatchy Lion country, Vic’s on Riverside would sell single scoop cones for a nickel and doubles for a dime.  Milk shakes were 21 cents and the Kiddie Matinee at the Tower Theater every Saturday was 14 cents.
Cruising Moon’s Drive-in on Freeport Blvd was a favorite Friday night pastime, and my favorite spot for Sunday dinner was Sam’s Ranch Wagon at 19th and Broadway where you could get “all you can eat prime rib” for less than $3.
The sports scene was also changing.  New high schools would spring up over the decade and El Camino, Norte Del Rio, and later Hiram Johnson and Highlands would challenge McClatchy’s sports dominance of the 1940’s.
Even though McClatchy didn’t always have great teams and championships, they had some truly outstanding athletes. Twenty-three of the 50 athletes and coaches to be inducted into the first class (1937-1962) at the McClatchy Sports Hall of Fame dinner were from the 1950s.
The dinner will take place as part of McClatchy’s 75th Anniversary celebration on Sept. 20 at the Riverside Elks Club.  For information go to:   restoretheroar.org.
Baseball was the only team that consistently still won championships, winning at least seven during the decade.  (See Land Park News June 28, 2012 “Greatest Teams Ever.”)  Cliff Perry and later Del Bandy would lead the Lions to over 170 wins in 10 years.
Two of the greats of the decade were Gene Cronin* and Frank Geremia.*  Cronin arrived at McClatchy from Ione as a raw-boned sophomore and was an All-City guard in 1951 at 170 pounds.
Cronin* went on to play at College of Pacific (now UOP) and in his first college game helped the Tigers beat Stanford.  He was drafted in the 7th round by the Detroit Lions and helped them win the NFL championship in his second season.
Frank Geremia* was the fourth Geremia brother to play at McClatchy and probably the best.  He was an outstanding football player getting a scholarship to Notre Dame.  He was an All-City basketball player dominating the post with his bulk, and he set the school record in the shot put at 55’ 1/4”.
Dave Thomas* would letter in football, basketball, baseball, and track.  Herb Jackson* would lead the Lions as a halfback and sprinter.  Dick Traversi* was the city’s leading scorer in basketball, and would star in baseball, and track and Gus Gianulias* would win nine varsity letters in three years.
The 1953 baseball team would go 24-4 and win the section championship behind pitcher Ralph Rose* (10-1 with a .457 batting average) Gianulias, Bill Whiteneck*, and Bill Werry.*   Mike Toomey would strike out 20 players in one game.
The 1954 class was probably one of the best of the decade.  The football team went 8-2 and tied Lodi for the championship.  They were led by Geremia and Gianulias* who hit Warren Knight with a 28-yard touchdown pass to beat the Dragons on Turkey Day 7-0.
Werry* was probably one of the very best catchers to ever play in Sacramento, making All-City three straight years and led the area in homeruns his junior year.  Werry would sign with the Dodgers and play in the minor leagues before returning to Sacramento to work for the State.
The 1953-54 basketball team proved to be Chauncy Wilson’s last great team, going 19-2 tying Lodi for the championship.  Ray Davis, the 52-53 leading scorer, graduated at mid-term, but Geremia*, Doug Pierce, and Ed Linn would earn All-City honors and team with Allen Wimberly* and Gianulias* to lead the Lions.
Probably the best all-around athlete of the decade was Wimberly.*  He was a star passer and runner in football who ran 50 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak on Turkey Day .
He led the city in scoring his senior year in basketball but couldn’t overcome a dominant Grant team.  He was an All-City baseball player and a star in track in the sprints, hurdles and long jump.  He also held YMCA records in swimming.  He tragically died at a young age.
The 1957-58 class would also dominate the Sacramento sports scene as the Sac -Joaquin conference would disband and the Metro League would begin.  The Lions would have one of their best football teams of the decade led by running backs Roger Swearingen* and Lou Blakely and linemen Doug Graham*, Mel Garrison, and Walter Horton.  They would beat Sac on Turkey Day 18-0 to win the title.
The 1958 baseball Lions* (one of five Hall of Fame teams chosen) won 18 straight before losing the last game of the season to Sacramento 1-0.  Led by hitters Jack Marchaend*,  Dee Lewis*, Swearingen*, and Bill Bican, the Lions would dominate the new Metro League and win the title.
Lewis* would hit .387 and go on to play three years at UC Berkeley before graduating as a civil engineer.  Swearingen*, a bone jarring fullback in football, would hit .358 and drive in 27 runs for the baseball team.
He along with Whiteneck* would return to McClatchy as football and baseball coaches.   Whiteneck would lead the Lions in baseball in the 1960’s and Swearingen would follow George Bican* as football coach from 1967 to 1980.
Jack Mauger* would leave McClatchy to coach track at Sacramento City College and by the end of the decade, Scottie Bingham would rebuild McClatchy’s once great track dynasty.
Les Waters* would lead the 1956 track Lions being unbeatable in the 880 and the mile.  Russ Statum*, Ray Lincoln, Rick Dumm, Sam Nance and Byron Stone would dominate the sprints, and the Davidson twins would lead the Lions to two straight cross-country championships in 1958 and 1959 and a section track championship in 1960.
Dennis would run a 4:13 mile and place 6th in the State Meet in track while Dan ran a 1:58 half-mile.
The 1958-59 cross-country teams* were one of the five Hall of Fame teams chosen.  For two years they were unbeatable in distance races.
Led by Dan and Dennis Davidson*, Jim Keehner, John Didion, Bob Strahle, Al  Brodvsky, and Bill Lambert, they dominated in both cross-country and track.
The 1960’s would begin with two outstanding football teams.  The “Big Red Machine” would roll again led by Gary Kerns*, Rich Pesavento*, Steve Radich*, Bill Profitt*, and Tom Relles* who would make All-City.
In 1962 Ed Sullivan* would make the Superior California All-Star Basketball Team.  He would go on to attend the Air Force Academy and was MVP in 1966.   Kerns* would attend Stanford and later become an outstanding college football official.
Profitt*, a two-time All-City lineman, would go on to play at Sac City College and UOP.  He would become a teacher and football coach at Downey High School in LA.
In talking with people from the early 1960’s, many wanted to know if “Rich Pesavento made the Hall of Fame.”  We asked, why?  Val Lewis, who would be one of seven All-City players from the 1959 championship baseball team, commented, “The hardest I ever got hit playing football was in practice one day by Pesavento.”
Relles*, who was chosen by the Sacramento Bee as “one of the top 100 Sacramento area high school football players” would go on to star at Sacramento City College and UC Berkeley.  He would also play rugby for Cal in Europe and Australia.
In choosing the first 50 inductees, the committee considered over 100 athletes and coaches from the first 25 years.  We know we have left some deserving athletes out, but they will be added in future years.   There were no All-City teams before 1947, and Sacramento Union archives were difficult to obtain.
Next year we will add athletes from 1963 to 1983 to the Hall of Fame and pick up any we feel were missed this year.  Go to   restoretheroar.org   for information about McClatchy athletics and a HALL OF FAME NOMINATION FORM.

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles about McClatchy athletes and teams chosen for its new sports Hall of Fame.
The 50 athletes/coaches and teams from 1938 to 1962 will be inducted as part of the 75 year McClatchy celebration on Sept. 20 at the Riverside Elks Lodge.
For information about the athletes and how to get tickets, go to restoretheroar.org.

At noon on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1947, 24,000 frenzied football fans squeezed into Hughes Stadium to see the unbeaten McClatchy Lions and the Sacramento Dragons battle for the Sac-Joaquin League championship.
As a wide-eyed 8-year-old, this was my first football game and would become a Thanksgiving tradition for my family that would last until the 1970s, when the Turkey Day game ended.
Turkey Day 1947 would be the greatest sporting event in Sacramento history with more than half the city attending. After the school opened in 1937, the up-start McClatchy Lions began to chip into Sacramento High School’s athletic dominance by the mid-1940s.
One-half of the city was “Lion Red” while the other half was “Dragon Purple.”
North of Broadway, you were a Dragon; south of Broadway in the suburbs of Sacramento, you were a Lion.
In 1939, McClatchy first beat Sacramento 13-6 behind all-city running back Fred Wristen.* The only tie was in 1940, and Bob Geremia was the star of the 1942 game for the Lions.
1943 brought the Lions a close win 13-12 and the undefeated 1944 McClatchy* team slaughtered the Dragons 44-0 and 25-0. McClatchy had won the last five years, two in 1944 and 45 because there were no night games during World War II, and local teams played each other twice.

The 1947 team
In 1947, Sacramento was coached by George Relles and led by quarter-back Jack Higdon and running backs Henry Barsanti, Vic Frediani and Ed Day.
Burt Delevan and Peter Mering anchored the line. The closest game was against Grant where the team trailed 7-0 at half. The second half was led by Day, Frediani and Mering, and Sacramento ended up winning 19-7.
The Lions, coached by George Bican,* were led by the “high-stepping twins,” John Pappa* (14 touchdowns) and Del Rasmussen* (nine touchdowns).
Rasmussen had run for almost 700 yards and averaged 13.4 yards per carry. Pappa had more than 400 yards and fullback Chuck Marino had almost 300 yards.
Tony Geremia* was an outstanding passer and kicked extra points. Ends Curtis Rowland* and John Matulich were his favorite receivers.
The McClatchy line was led by all-city tackle/linebacker Leon King*, guards Sturmer White and Bill Burns*, all-city center Vern Sampson* and tackle Clarence “Tiger” Orr.
Grant Deary, Bob Farmer* and Bob Norris came in on a strong McClatchy defense that had four shut-outs during the year.
The Lions averaged 33 points per game on offense.
The winning streak
McClatchy started its winning ways on Oct. 4, with a 36-0 win over Christian Brothers with Geremia throwing touchdowns to Pappa and Marino.
The following Friday in the rain at Hughes Stadiums, the Lions beat Woodland 26-0 with Rasmussen running for 121 yards and Pappa 77 yards. At Grant the following week, Geremia threw for more than 200 yards and the “twins” each scored once for a 45-13 victory.
Bican pulled out his bag of tricks and put Leon King at fullback for a touchdown and extra point.
Meanwhile, Sacramento was rolling along beating CBS 27-0, Turlock 12-0, Stockton 12-0, Modesto 25-7, Lodi 13-6, Woodland 21-13 and Grant 19-7.
Defense was the heart of the team, and everyone expected the Lions to give a tough match when they met the Dragons on Thanksgiving Day.
Leading up to the big game, McClatchy visited the Lodi Flames, and before 5,000 fans, Pappa (94 yards and 3 touchdowns), and Rasmussen (68 yards and 2 touchdowns) ran wild for a 39-0 victory.
Rowland blocked a punt and Farmer intercepted a pass to preserve the shutout. The following week against Modesto, with Pappa having a bad heel and Rasmussen the flu, Marino was the workhorse with 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Rasmussen still had 89 yards, Rowland a TD and Deary an interception at linebacker.
Nov. 27 was here at last.

Turkey Day game
The city was in a frenzy.
The local radio station KFBK had a huge pep rally on the air at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday with Tony Koester, the Sacramento Solons announcer, as the MC. On Thanksgiving morning, people began lining up for tickets four hours early at 8 a.m.
The headline of the Sacramento Bee on Friday, Nov. 28, read: “Lions roar to 35-14 victory over Dragons before record 24,000.”
The article read: “A storming fireball C. K. McClatchy High School eleven collaborated with the greatest crowd in the annals of Sacramento sports yesterday to bust the record books wide open in the most dynamic and colorful Thanksgiving Day football game ever produced within the confines of Hughes Memorial Stadium.
While more than 24,000 gridiron enthusiasts crammed into every cranny of the arena for the first time in its history, overflowing into the aisles, hanging precariously on the rims, and spilling out on to the track surrounding the playing turf, THE RAZZLE DAZZLE LIONS cannonaded their way to the Sac-Joaquin section championship with a glittering 35-14 conquest of the Sacramento Dragons.”**
The Lions struck early and often building up a 21-0 halftime lead. Del Rasmussen* carried only nine times for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Sacramento Bee article continued: “The fair haired boy…was dashing Del Rasmussen, a swivel hipped, squirming, prancing ball packer of all-conference magnitude who broke the Dragons’ backs with two long touchdown scampers. Fronting the way for him and sidekick John Papa was a dominant offensive line led by the 220 pound Leon King…who was tremendously effective at tackle and linebacker. Geremia had an outstanding game, with fourth and goal at the three, he crossed up Sacramento with an end-around to Curtis Rowland for a touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead.”**
McClatchy scored twice more in the third quarter with Marino scoring a touchdown in his fourth straight game against the Dragons.
Sacramento blocked a punt and scored to start the fourth quarter. Again in the fourth quarter, a missed handoff resulted in a fumble at the Dragon 22.
“Henry Barsanti caught the ball in mid air and set sail for the goal line. Pappa, however, picked himself up off the turf and, after spotting Barsanti 15 yards, amazingly overhauled him on the Lion nine. Fumbleistis set in on the second play, and Rasmussen recovered to thwart any hope of a Dragon rally.”**
When the game ended, it took Bican and Principal S. A. Pepper 20 minutes to break through the many well-wishers to celebrate the Lions’ first section title in football. When they arrived at the locker room, the team went crazy.
“The Lions coach waited for the cheering to subside. Bican tried to speak but was choked up with emotion before he finally said, ‘My 45 boys all looked good.’ My boys all blocked in excellent fashion and we were ready for this one.’”**

Great athletes
The 1948 graduating class had many outstanding athletes. Section championships were won in football and track, a tie with Sacramento for the baseball championship, and the basketball team led by Rasmussen, Dick Balfour and Matulich won the northern section, but lost to Stockton for the Sac Joaquin title.
Roger Osenbaugh* and Jim Westlake would go on to play professional baseball with the Solons.
Balfour would win the section pole vault and Pappa would win the section 100 and 220 for the third straight year.
Pappa would go on to UC Berkeley and score two touchdowns in the 1951 “Big Game” and play in two Rose Bowls.
Rasmussen would become a star running back at Santa Clara, and King would be a starter at Stanford and play in the 1952 Rose Bowl.
However, 65 years later, I think I remember Rasmussen dashing for long gains, Pappa chasing Barsanti over 60 yards to catch him on the nine, crushing hits by King and Sampson, and Geremia throwing darts to Rowland, Rasmussen, Matulich, and Pappa for big gains.
24,000 people in Hughes Stadium for one exciting, colorful, afternoon – I definitely remember that.

*Denotes Hall of Fame inductees
**Sacramento Bee quotes from sports writer Murray Olderman and Tom Kane

jim@valcomnews.com

While sitting inside his Sacramento home last week, Gene Cronin was all smiles as he leaned back in a chair and spoke about one of his favorite topics – football.
After all, it was this sport that allowed him to experience some of his greatest joys in life.
Unlike many youth who dream about playing in the National Football League, Gene excelled as a pass rusher in football to such a level that he eventually became an NFL player and remained in the league for eight seasons.
Gene, who is well known in the Pocket and Land Park, is in a unique class when it comes to the history of a certain NFL football franchise.

A famous victory
On Dec. 29, 1957, the Detroit Lions won the NFL championship with a 59-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns before a crowd of 55,263 people at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
“They haven’t won a championship since,” said Gene, who was one of only 35 players on that championship team.
After five seasons playing as the Portsmouth Spartans, the team, which joined the NFL in 1930, moved from Portsmouth, Ohio to Detroit in 1934 and became the Detroit Lions.
Twenty-four seasons later, the Lions had won four NFL championships, including the 1957 championship.
During his recent interview with this publication, Gene briefly left the room and then returned to present one of his most prized possessions – his 1957 NFL championship ring.
At the time that Gene and his teammates received their large, shiny, gold championship rings, they had no idea exactly how precious that championship would eventually become to the city of Detroit and the many people associated with the team, from its ownership and players to its many fans.
The Lions’ NFL championship drought has since surpassed the half-century mark.
So long ago was the Detroit Lions’ last championship that it predates the establishment of the Super Bowl.

Not the worst record
Fortunately for the Lions and their fans, this championship futility does not rank last.
No other NFL franchise has had more years pass between NFL championship victories than the Arizona Cardinals.
While playing in Chicago as the Chicago Cardinals (today’s Arizona Cardinals), the team won its last NFL championship in 1947.

Growing up
In telling about his background leading up to his years as an NFL player, Gene said that he was born in Spalding, Nebraska on Nov. 20, 1933, but moved to California with his family when he was 6 years old.
Gene added that his family’s history in Nebraska began with his grandfather, Timothy Cronin, an immigrant from Ireland.
“When they had the land grants, Tim and (his wife) Kate came to Nebraska and got 600 acres,” Gene said. “Timothy Cronin, my grandfather, was a doer and he gave 200 acres to each of his sons. He had three sons and two daughters. (The sons, one of whom was Gene’s father, Earl) were good farmers, but the Depression came and all of them lost their farms.”
After losing their farm, the Earl Cronin family moved to Ione, Calif., where Gene attended public schools through his freshman year at Ione High School.
The Cronins then moved to a home just east of the Pocket area and Gene enrolled at McClatchy High School.
Moving from Ione to the capital city was quite a contrast for Gene.

The capital city
As a boy with a great interest in football, he was surprised to see so many kids trying out for McClatchy’s football teams.
“Football practice had started (at McClatchy), but school hadn’t started yet, so about the second and third day of practice I stood there and watched football practice,” Gene said. “They had the varsity, junior varsity, B Team, C Team. I never saw so many people in my life playing football. I had just come from a school with a total enrollment of about 50 and there were about 100 and something (boys) out for football (at McClatchy).”
Although Gene noted that he was a “pretty good athlete” at that time, since he only weighed 155 pounds, he wasn’t sure he could make the team.
Nonetheless, Gene approached Coach George Bican after a practice and told him that he would like to try out for football.
Soon after approaching Bican, Gene was loaned a leather helmet and what Gene referred to as the “last of the last” pieces of equipment.
During his senior year at McClatchy, Gene also played as a guard on the school’s varsity basketball team.
Although Gene played fairly well on the basketball court, his greatest achievements undoubtedly came as a football player.

College ball
Gene, who graduated from McClatchy in 1952, attended the College of the Pacific (today’s University of the Pacific) on a football scholarship.
“The first college football game I ever saw, I was playing in it,” Gene said. “When I went down to Pacific, we played Stanford at Stanford and beat them. I still remember when I was out in Stanford Stadium looking around at the big, old stadium. And Stanford had a good football team.”
While Gene was playing for COP, the team also beat such teams as Oregon State College (today’s Oregon State University), Washington State College (now Washington State University), Texas Technical College (today’s Texas Tech University) and the University of Cincinnati, which was coached by the legendary Sid Gilman (1911-2003), who is the only coach to have been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Although Gene eventually became one of eight players from his Pacific team to reach the NFL, he said that he never believed that he would ever be selected to play professional football.
“In my senior year in college, all the (NFL) teams – (the then-Los Angeles/now St. Louis) Rams, New York Giants, (Chicago) Bears, everybody – would send you questionnaires to fill out,” Gene recalled. “I never filled one out. I just threw them away. I only weighed 197 pounds in my senior year in college and I knew I wasn’t big enough to play in the NFL.”

A football all-star
Fortunately, for his future in football, Gene was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
Gene played very well in this all-star game and drew the attention of a Detroit Lions scout, who was sitting in the stands. As a result, Gene was drafted by the Lions in 1956.
“I don’t know if I could have made any other (NFL) team, but I could do something that Detroit needed,” Gene said. “I could rush the passer.”
And while playing in the NFL, Gene chased some of the game’s most all-time notable quarterbacks, including Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Y.A. Tittle, John Brodie and Norm Van Brocklin.

Playing in the NFL
Gene, who entered the NFL at 6 feet, 2 inches tall and 218 pounds and later increased his playing weight to 240, also competed against the Cleveland Brown’s Jim Brown, whom he described as “the best running back who ever played in the NFL.”
In 1960, Gene became one of the first players on the Dallas Cowboys inaugural year roster.
And a year later, he joined the Washington Redskins, which proved to be his final team as a player, as his playing career ended due to injury in 1963.
Gene rejoined the NFL in 1965, when he became the first person hired by the then-new Atlanta Falcons.
Initially, Gene served as the director of player personnel. He then worked his way up to assistant general manager before resigning from the team in November 1968.
Gene, who has a wife named Angie, one son and one daughter and is a longtime Elks Lodge No. 6 member, said that he is forever grateful for the opportunities he had in football.
“My football days at McClatchy, College of the Pacific and the NFL, I loved every minute of it,” Gene said. “I’m grateful for my time in football and the associations I’ve made with people through (this sport). I’ve been a lucky Irishman all my life.”

Lance@valcomnews.com

When McClatchy opened its doors in September 1937, Sacramento was truly a small town.
Sutterville Road was the southern end of Sacramento, the Land Park Zoo had opened 10 years earlier in 1927, Sacramento Junior College had just moved from Sacramento High to its new site on Freeport Boulevard and the Sacramento Metro Airport sat among the fields of rural Sacramento.
In 1937, Land Park began to take shape, and the Land Park Plunge on Riverside was the place to swim. Holy Spirit Church wasn’t built until 1940.
It would be 10 years before Hollywood Park and Vic’s Ice Cream would open, and 30 years before Greenhaven was begun.
The Solons played at Edmonds Field where Target is today, and a three-bedroom home on Teneighth Way would cost the new owner $11,000.
As the second public high school in Sacramento, McClatchy was built for $800,000 in 1937 as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration.
The style was classicized modern and was named after the editor of the Sacramento Bee, C. K. McClatchy. The first prinicipal was Sam Pepper, a great sports fan, who truly bled “McClatchy red” for 25 years.
Notable graduates include Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Congressmen Bob Matsui and Xavier Becerra and judges Ron Tochterman, Morrison England, Art Scotland, and Tani Cantil-Sakauye as well as author Joan Didion.
McClatchy sports
As a new high school, it took about three years before the sports teams could compete with the powerful Sacramento High School Dragons who had dominated the valley for the previous 30 years.
But by the end of 1949, McClatchy High School and its great athletes would replace the Dragons as one of the truly great athletic high schools in California.
Thirteen Hall of Fame athletes and two coaches led the surge with baseball and track being the two strongest, while football and basketball peaked at the end of the decade.
Four outstanding coaches led the Lions: George Bican* (football), Chauncey Wilson (basketball) Cliff Perry (baseball), and Jack Mauger* (track).
Some of the early great athletes included Larry Manuian (Sacramento Smokies fame), Bob Libee, Ted Latona, Bob and Gene Geremia, Ted Forbes, Ernie Maskovitch, Burt Bonomi, Jack Burgess, Nick and George Stathos and golfer Billy Ogden, Jr.
Norm Greenslate*, a major league prospect in baseball, would head off to fight in World War II after being named all-city in 1941-42.
George Vernatchi, former long-time principal at Rio Linda High School was the first pitcher to beat Sac High 8-3 in 1942.
He talks about sitting in the library the day after the game, when the librarian, a notorious Dragon fan, came up to him and in an accusing tone, said, “Are you George Vernatchi? Mr. Pepper wants to see you immediately!”
All the way down to the office, Vernatchi kept thinking, what did I do now? When he got there, Pepper shook his hand, and said, “Congratulations, George. You are the first pitcher to ever beat the Dragons. Great job!”
The following year Vernatchi would pitch McClatchy’s first no hitter and lead the Lions to the championship game where he lost in 12 innings to Christian Brothers 1-0.

Early 40s football
Perhaps the greatest athlete of the early 40s was Fred Wristen, who excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track.
He scored a touchdown in McClatchy’s first victory over Sacramento by a score of 13-6 in 1939. Wristen went on to star in football at Nevada Reno and was all-conference.
George Bican arrived at McClatchy in 1943 as football coach and led the Lions to their first undefeated season in 1944.
The Lions were led by running back Roy Sules*. Ed Sprague, Darwin Farnsworth, Wes Busch, Don Aldrich, Charles Anderson and Ernie Johnson were other outstanding players.
In 1945, McClatchy again went undefeated in the north before losing to Modesto for the title. 1946 would be another strong year building to 1947 when McClatchy beat an undefeated Sacramento team on Thanksgiving Day 35-14 for the title.
Led by Del Rasmussen*, John Pappa*, Curtis Rowland, Leon King, Tony Geremia*, Vern Sampson*, Tiger Orr and Bill Burns*, the 1947 football team is considered one of McClatchy’s greatest teams ever.

McClatchy baseball
When Cliff Perry arrived as baseball coach in 1946, McClatchy would begin a 10-year period of excellence topped off with 80 wins over four seasons, 1950-53.
In 1947, the Lions won 18 of 24, and the 1948 team led by Roger Osenbaugh*, Jim Westlake and Ray Nieto, beat Sac High 3-2 for the title.
Osenbaugh, the valedictorian, would go on to play at Stanford in 1951-52 and then with Westlake on the Sacramento Solons.
The decade ended when the 1949 baseball team led by Tony Stathos, Bud Farley, George Timme and Earl Rose had to share the Sac-Joaquin section title with the Dragons.

McClatchy basketball
Basketball in the 1940’s was dominated by the defensive style of coach Chauncey Wilson.
In 1942, the team beat arch rivals Sacramento 21-16. Pete Peletta* would lead the area in scoring in 1945 as the champion Lions went 16-1.
The Lions were on their way to another great season in 1946 ending the first half with their sixth straight win over the Dragons 44-32.
However, top scorer Peletta graduated at mid-term and McClatchy ended up in second place.
Peletta would go on to coach at University of San Francisco and take the Dons to four consecutive NCAA appearances.
The 1948-49 teams were also hurt by midterm graduation, but the scoring and rebounding of Al Ricci* led the Lions over Sac.
Track and field
Track exploded during the 1940s under coach Jack Mauger, who started at McClatchy in 1937 when it opened.
He held the world record for left-handed pole vaulters for 26 years. The Lions started their remarkable run of victory years in 1943 with a conference title and second place at the Davis Picnic.
From 1943 thru 1949, the Lions were undefeated in dual meet competition and won the Sac Joaquin section title every year. During that period, they won the Lodi and Modesto Relays, the West Coast Relays in Fresno and the Davis Picnic.
Dick Balfour, whose 13-foot pole vault made him the best in California, and John Pappa* in the sprints, led the 1947 and 1948 teams to section titles and victories at the Modesto Relays.
The seven-year dual meet win streak was stopped in 1949 when the Lions lost a meet to El Cerrito.
Outstanding track athletes included Lou Montfort, Jerry Perich and Ed Casey in the pole vault, Bob Innis in the 110 hurdles, Ed Sprague in the 100m, Ray Schultz in the long jump, Ron Keskeys in the 200m, Nick Doudnik and Glenn Kingsley in the shot put, and Ray Biaggi Rudy Manriquez and Al Baeta in the distances.
John Pappa*, who went on to an outstanding coaching career, was unbeatable in the sprints.
“Jack Mauger was and remains truly the Dean of Track and Field in Sacramento,” said Al Baeta, former runner and one of the great track coaches in the Sacramento area. “Not only did he have success at the varsity level but with B and C teams as well. Statistically, he is the winningest coach of all time in Sacramento.”
The 1940s became the foundation for the 1950s and many more league championships in all four major sports.
The top 50 athletes and five teams from 1938 to 1962 will be recognized as part of McClatchy’s 75th anniversary celebration held on September 20 at the Riverside Elks Club.
All McClatchy graduates are invited to attend and be part of the tall tales about their excellence as students/athletes at McClatchy.
For information go to restoretheroar.org.
*Hall of Fame Inductees

loscoombs2@aol.com

This summer, Jesuit High School’s Head Coach Dan Carmazzi will join the faculty at Christian Brothers High School as co-athletic director, faculty member and assistant football coach.

He has extensive experience in the coaching arena. For more than three decades, Carmazzi was a member of the Social Studies and Physical Education departments at Jesuit High School, as well as that high school’s head football coach.

“Dan has dedicated most of his professional life to Jesuit, and we are grateful for his service to our Jesuit High School community and his efforts with our student-athletes,” said Jesuit High School principal Brianna Latko.

A 1971 graduate of Christian Brothers High School, Carmazzi started his coaching career at his alma mater before going to Jesuit as an assistant football coach in 1977. He assumed the duties of head football coach in 1981, and went on to earn an overall record of 230-102-3.

Carmazzi was selected as the CIF State Model Coach of the Year in 2004 and helped develop three NFL quarterbacks: Ken O’Brien, Gio Carmazzi and J.T. O’Sullivan. During his tenure, the Marauders reached the City Championship five times and won two CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championships and nine league titles. Carmazzi also excelled as a teacher in the classroom.

“We wish Dan well as he returns to his alma mater to finish his career,” said Chris Fahey, director of athletics at Jesuit High School. “It was our expectation that Dan would return as our head football coach next year, so his decision came as a surprise. But we understand Coach Carmazzi’s reasons for seeking new challenges and we respect the decision he has made.”

“We are pleased to have Dan join the CB community. He brings a wealth of coaching knowledge and teaching experience with him,” said Christian Brothers President Lorcan Barnes. “We look forward to continuing to build our athletic program in the years ahead. Bringing Dan on board is an investment in excellence that will serve our students well for years to come.”

“I would like to thank Lorcan Barnes and Mary Hesser for extending to me the opportunity to return to Christian Brothers,” Carmazzi said. “I will always have tremendous respect for, and be grateful to, the Jesuit High School community for educating my sons and giving me the opportunity to teach and coach these past 35 years. But, a part of me has always wanted to return to Christian Brothers. Christian Brothers provided me with an excellent education and athletic experience under the guidance of such outstanding teacher coaches as  Dick Sperbeck, Ron Limeberger, Jack Witry, Dave Hoskins, Mel Fontes, John Zupan and Ralph Villanueva. This is a good time for me personally to make this transition and affords me the opportunity to give back to the school.”

Carmazzi will join Jill Bennett, CB’s athletic director for the past nine years.

“I am really looking forward to returning to CB blue and working with Jill Bennett to lead the athletic program,” Carmazzi said. “I’m excited and optimistic about the future direction of Falcon athletics.”