One night I was officiating a high school boys basketball game between Vanden and Vallejo with partner Bill Frisby. Frisby was a bit surly and the kind of guy you would want on your side in a bar fight. (Names have been changed to protect the guilty.)

Before the game, as referee, he announced that he didn’t want me to make any calls in front of him (to make him look bad). That meant that within the first two minutes, I helped him with a foul that he missed right in front of him.

The first half was uggggggly. We probably called well over 30 fouls, as there was a lot of testosterone in the building that night. We had called intentional fouls and technical fouls and Bill was struggling. When the half ended he stormed into the locker room, took his whistle that he carried in his hand (most officials have their whistle on a lanyard attached to their shirt) and fired it on to the coach’s desk He then spent the next five minutes yelling and ranting about how bad the game was using every curse word I had ever heard.

Finally when he was done, I said, “Relax Bill, everybody is in foul trouble, even some of the cheerleaders, a vice principal and the band director. The coaches will clamp down at half and we will have a great second half. “ Bill mumbled some more about how bad the game was and we went out to do the second half.

As referee, Bill put the ball into play at half court and on the game went. It might have been the best 4 minutes and 22 seconds ever played in the history of high school basketball and Bill was nails making “no calls” on many blocked shots. Finally the ball rolled out of bounds in front of me, and I blew the first whistle of the 3rd quarter with 3:38 left.

Bill came ambling toward me as fast as he could move with a funny look on his face and said “Coombs, Coombs, have you got a spare whistle? I left mine in the locker room at half time.” I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants. I blew my whistle and signaled a time out. The coaches both were confused and came up to me wanting to know why I had granted a time out. When I told them that Bill had to go to the locker room to get his whistle, one coach said, “Have him leave it there; that was the best I have ever seen him officiate.”

My name is Jim Coombs and I have been a basketball official for 45 years. I have probably refereed over 4,200 basketball games. I have officiated boys and girls high school, men’s and women’s college, recreational, Asian league, summer leagues, athletic club, and semi-pro games in the Sacramento and Northern California area.

I always said when it was no fun or when I got yelled at too much, I would quit. I did this only one time. One Saturday afternoon I was working a summer league game with “wannabe” semi professionals and some members of the Sacramento Kings.

It was 110 degrees in the gym and one team had only five players while the other team had 10. I said this should be a blow-out, thinking that the team with 10 would win easily. Not true! The team with five never missed a shot and won 150 to 100. For 40 minutes, in 110-degree heat, I had to listen to ten lousy, frustrated, bad basketball players tell me how bad I was. When the game was over, I said to my partner, “do you want my last five games this summer?” He was only too happy to take them, and I was only too happy to give them up.

As a high school coach in 1967, I had hoped to move to the new high school as head varsity coach after coaching the junior varsity at C. K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento. My teams had two second places and two championships in four years, and I was ready to move up. Instead the job was given to the Superintendent’s secretary’s husband, a junior high school PE teacher who had never coached basketball before.

Frustrated, I thought, I never missed a call from the bench as coach; maybe I will become an official. Once I started I was hooked and 4,200 games later at 74 I am still going strong. I move a lot slower now, and some nights it really hurts to run for three hours in three games at the athletic club, but I love almost every minute I am between the lines.

I thought I had seen almost everything one could see on a basketball court in 4,200 games, but on March 6, I had two players (in their 20’s and 30’s) on the same team get into a fight with each other-cursing and shoving each other just five minutes into the game. As head arbiter, I told them they could not be on the court at the same time the rest of the game.

In the next game with less than two minutes to go and behind by 18 points one team began fouling to stop the clock. When I didn’t call a couple of swipes at players, they became angry with me. I said, “You scored only 47 points in 39 minutes, you are not going to score 15 in 1 minute and 10 seconds.” After some more discussion and a question about my manhood, I stopped the game. Another fun night on the basketball court.

When I got home, I thought, maybe I should write my memoirs. I have had some really strange and funny things happen to me over 45 years with my black and white striped shirt on. Here we go.

The varsity baseball team, coached by Cliff Perry, began the season one of the favorites in the league. With many experienced lettermen and new talent from the “J.V.: team to beat. Outstanding players were Bill Werry (catcher), Mike Toomey (pitcher), Bill Whiteneck (third base), and Gus Gianulias (first base). Upper left - Coach Perry. Front row 1 - Bill Werry, George Lyons, Mel Grable, Bill Whiteneck, Gus Gianulias, Larry Black. Row 2 - Kenneth Voet, Doug Pierce, Fritz Lund, Mike Toomey, Robert Rose, Cliff Harlow, Mgr. Row 3 - Kenneth Thomas, Donald Rose, Larry Kelly, Carlos Fernandes, Harold Woods, Alfred Smith, Mgr. Lower Right - Neil Dunton. / Photo courtesy Jim Coombs

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

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