A bird, a plane; the Pirates
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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.
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