No, it's not the Rockettes, it's Coach John Heinrick and his 1939 Stadium High School football team during a practice session. Coach Heinrick, in his fourth year of coaching, was riding the crest of two undefeated seasons with the Tigers. 1939 was not a record year however, as the Blue and Gold suffered its first defeat in 23 games. Having put the pressure of continuing the undefeated tradition behind them, they fought back to win the city crown for the 6th consecutive year. The Tacoma Times lauded their courage and stamina in the face of defeat and voted the entire team onto their high school football honor roll. Team members, left to right, are Vern Miller, Rod Giske, Roy Murphy, Jack Wilson, Austin Fengler, Wes Hudson, Marion Klarich, Dick Beckman, Chuck Horjes, Bill Gustafson and Fred Angus. (T. Times 10/30/1939, pg. 11) TPL-9195

Heinrick, John; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Wes Hudson, co-captain of the 1939 Stadium High School varsity football team, in action. Wes was beginning his third year as a regular on the Tiger team at the time of this September, 1939, photograph. He played quarterback and handled the punting. According to the Tacoma Times, prior to the start of his senior year, he had never played on a losing team and he had never carried the ball. He was strictly a blocker, clearing the way for the other back field men, and highly regarded as such by coach John Heinrick. His undefeated record would change in the 1939 season as the team lost the Cross-State League trophy to Everett, coached by former College of Puget Sound coach Roy Sandberg, but defended their city crown for the sixth consecutive year. He also carried the ball successfully in the latter part of the season. Wes Hudson was also a standout in varsity basketball and track. He was inducted into the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. (T. Times 9/16/1939 pg. 7; 1939 & 1940 Stadium yearbook, the "Tahoma") TPL-8707

Stadium High School (Tacoma)--Sports; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Hudson, Wes;

Unidentified player #62 of the Stadium High School varsity football team. During the season, #62 was worn by player Dick Hiltbrunn.

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940;

Unidentified player #70 of the Stadium High School varsity football team. During the season, the #70 jersey was worn by left tackle Bill Gustafson. The Tigers, undefeated the previous two years, would suffer some setbacks but still manage to retain their city title.

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940;

Unidentified player #66 of the Stadium High School varsity football team. During the season, #66 was worn by Stadium's crack ball toter Marion (Johnny) Klarich. Playing left tackle, Klarich was one of the stars of the team. At the end of the season, he was also placed on the first-string All Cross-State eleven.

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma)--1930-1940;

Fullback for the 1939 Bellarmine football team, Ray O'Leary is frozen in a classic football pose.

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports; O'Leary, Ray;

Wearing a #24 practice jersey and caught in the act of running is Dick Hutt of the Bellarmine Bells. Hutt played Right Guard for the prep school's 1939 football team.

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports; Hutt, Dick;

Bob Weaver, #64 for the 1939 Bellarmine Bells, about to catch the football in mid-stride in this photograph dated September 12, 1939.

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Weaver, Bob; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports;

Bellarmine High School Football Squad, four players in practice jerseys with leather helmets posed with their coach. Pictured from left to right are Bob O'Connell (center), Bob Weaver, returning letterman and powerhouse of the backfield (left Half), Coach Leo Eckstein, Harry Lunetti (Right Half) and By Tardiff (Quarterback.) These players are the experienced mainstays for the 1939 Bell Eleven. (T. Times 9/14/1939, pg. 17)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports; O'Connell, Bob; Weaver, Bob; Eckstein, Leo; Lunetti, Harry; Tardiff, By;

State Champion Fife High School Trojans tumble to the ground in a heap in this November 1939 portrait. The victorious Trojans won the State Class B Football Championship with a 7-0 victory over the favored Poulsbo Vikings. At the top of the pyramid is Pete Mello. Directly below are Pete Cereghino, Frank Spear and Milton Iida. 3rd Row: Seiichi Yamada, Bob Vinson and Frank Evancich. 4th Row: Kenji Yaguchi, Masaru Tamura, Yohei Sagami and Joe Trucco. Bottom row: Howard Bryan, Willie Haminishi, Tom Pruett and Ben Holdner. The Trojans, under the direction of Coach Bill Vinson, had a 10 game unbeaten season, and were the state's highest scoring team, scoring 328 points to their opponents' 19. Although much of the team was small and outweighed by their opponents, they were fast and agile. (T. Times 11/16/1939, pg. 19; 11/18/1939, pg. 13)

Fife High School (Fife); Spear, Frank; Football players--Fife;

The concrete bleachers at Stadium Bowl are empty of people but untidy with scattered litter, probably programs or newspapers, after the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Stadium and Lincoln High School in 1939. The State Historical Museum building is in the background.

Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Bleachers--Tacoma; Refuse--Tacoma; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington State Historical Building (Tacoma);

Two Stadium High School yell leaders and twelve Lincoln High School majorettes pose below the Stadium Bowl's football-shaped scoreboard. Despite being on the losing end of the Thanksgiving Day game between Stadium and Lincoln, the Lincoln students sport brave smiles. The game was held on Thursday, November 23, 1939. A crowd of 12,000 to 15,000 spectators watched as the Stadium Bengals beat the Abes for the sixth year in a row. Stadium would retain the city crown although it did not win the Cross-State League trophy. Standing between the two unidentified Stadium cheerleaders is Josephine Ludwig of Lincoln. The other Lincoln students are, L-R, Myrtle Gordon, Betty Yenne, Ann Scopoli, Bernice Berhartsen, Doris Long, Virginia Griffin, Helen Sandquist, Beverly Steele, Lois Ammon, Dorothy Warter and Evelyn Lannigan. (T. Times 11-24-1939 p.11)

Drum majorettes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Cheerleading--Tacoma--1930-1940; Scoreboards-- Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Football--Tacoma--1930-1940

Four determined players on the Bellermine Bells football team practiced a "quarterback sneak" in September of 1940. The players are identified as (l to r, front row) #61 Jim McNertney, #62 George Oswald, #63 Ray O'Leary and #60 Bing Fournier, quarterback. The 1940 Bells, coached by Hank Haug, were plagued by injuries and had lost many of their 1939 star players to graduation. They managed to pull off a 6-6 tie against the heavily favored Puyallup in their first game of the season. (T. Times 9/25/1940, pg. 18)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Private schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Students--Tacoma; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports; O'Leary, Ray; McNertney, Jim; Oswald, George; Fournier, Bing;

Action shot of the Clover Park football team. Photograph taken on November 19, 1940.

Football--Lakewood--1940-1950; Football players--Lakewood--1940-1950; Clover Park High School (Lakewood);

Coach Ralph Lackey went over play instructions with Clover Park Warriors Jimmy Allphin (standing left), DeVere Bailey (standing right), (crouching, l to r) Mark Pitman, Walter Mienzen and Steve Tish, to help prepare them for the 1941 Pierce County League title game against the Fife Trojans held on Friday November 7, 1941. Going into the game, each team had won six straight league games. The Warriors defeated the Trojans 7-0, winning their first major sports championship. The only touchdown in the game was scored by 208-pound fullback, Steve Tish. (T.Times 11/6/1941 p.17)

Clover Park High School (Lakewood); Football players--Lakewood--1940-1950; Lackey, Ralph; Allphin, Jimmy; Bailey, DeVere; Pitman, Mark; Mienzen, Walter; Tish, Steve; Football--Lakewood--1940-1950; Students--Lakewood--1940-1950;

Army football game at Clover Park High School. A large crowd has gathered at Walter J. Thompson Field on November 4, 1941. (T. Times)

Football--Lakewood--1940-1950; Clover Park High School (Lakewood); Sports spectators--Lakewood;

Army football game at Clover Park High School. Large crowd watching game at Walter J. Thompson Field. (T. Times)

Sports - Ball Games - Football Facilities - Sports Facilities Military Personnel

Tacoma's Washington State College (now W.S.U.) alumni association borrowed two cougars from the Washington state game farm near Steilacoom and paraded them through the streets of Tacoma in December of 1941 to drum up excitement for the big W.S.C. - Texas A&M football game held on Saturday afternoon, December 6th. The big "cats" were housed in a cage mounted on a gaudily-painted truck. The "Evergreen Bowl" game, Tacoma's first brush with big time college football, was attended by 30,000 screaming fans who watched the Southwest Conference Champ Aggies defeat the Cougars 7-0. (T. Times 12/4/1941, pg. 13-alt. photo)

Pumas; Mascots; Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Washington State College (Pullman)--Associated objects;

On December 6, 1941, the "Evergreen Bowl" football game, held in Tacoma at the Stadium Bowl, pitted the Washington State College Cougars against the Southwest Conference Champion Texas A & M Aggies. The WSC alumni association borrowed two cougars from the Washington state game farm near Steilacoom and paraded the streets of Tacoma with their mascots. The big "cats" were housed in a cage mounted on a gaudily-painted truck. A crowd estimated at 30,000 packed the Bowl for the afternoon game to see the Cougars put up a spirited fight before falling 7-0. WCS had a chance to transfer the game to the Cotton Bowl but did not let Tacoma down, giving the city a taste of big-time collegiate football. (T. Times 12/4/1941, pg. 13-alt. photo; T.Times 12-8-41, p. 15-article on game)

Pumas; Mascots; Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Washington State College (Pullman)--Associated objects;

Two Stadium High School football players in Stadium Bowl. The player on the left is Bob Gibson, "all around backfield man" and sometimes quarterback. The player on the right has been identified as Jack MacDonald, Class of 1943. Bob Gibson, "Hoot" according to the 1943 yearbook, majored in science, Latin and English. He played baseball and football and was active in band. (T. Times) (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gibson, Bob; MacDonald, Jack; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In September of 1942, Lincoln High School football coach Eddie Schwarz had a large turn out for the eleven positions on his varsity team. A former grid star himself at Lincoln and the College of Puget Sound, Schwarz had formerly served as coach at Stadium before being transferred to Lincoln in 1935. He retired at the end of the 1940 season but was called back into service at Lincoln in 1942 after his successor Dan Lazare was drafted. The team opened their season at the annual "King's X" game against their perennial rival Stadium High School. The game was held September 18th at the Stadium Bowl where Lincoln battled the Tigers to a scoreless tie and opened their season without a loss for the first time since 1931. They completed the season by winning their first city title since 1933. (T.Times 9/16/1942, pg. 14)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Schwarz, Ed;

This photograph of a quartet of Stadium Seniors ran in the Tacoma Times the day before Stadium's pivotal Cross State League game on November 11, 1942 against the Everett Seagulls. Left to right are Cecil Stone, Co-captain Joe Boyle, Chuck Fain and Co-captain Paul Jacobsen. Coach Heinrick said only of his team "We're set" and he proved to be a prophet. Stadium defeated the favored Gulls 7-0, handing Everett their first Cross State League play loss since 1938. (T. Times 11/10/1942, pg. 4)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Ron Aubry (left) and Robert Collins were teammates on the Stadium High School football team in 1942. They were photographed at Stadium Bowl in September of 1942. Both boys were members of the Stadium Class of 1944. (Additional identification provided by a reader) TPL-10450

Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Aubry, Ron; Collins, Robert; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In September of 1942, five members of the Lincoln Abes varsity eleven pose in the the unfinished Lincoln Bowl prior to their opening prep grid game against Stadium High School. After the game on September 18th, the team was all smiles. They battled the Tigers to a scoreless tie, their first non loss in the annual game since 1931. Pictured are, standing left to right, Ed Bemis, LeRoy Turnbull and an unidentified player. Kneeling, Ingwald Thompson and Gordon Brunswick. The team finished the season by winning the City Championship for the first time in nine years. (T. Times 9/21/1942, pg. 11-article)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Turnbull, LeRoy; Bemis, Ed; Thompson, Ingwald; Brunswick, Gordon;

Stadium High School football coach Johnny Heinrick had 60 boys turn out to fill 11 varsity positions in September of 1942. Coach Heinrick was optimistic, despite having lost all but 4 of his 1941 letterman to graduation and enlistment. His players in general would be a year younger and 7-8 pounds lighter than the previous year.The team would face their arch rival, the Lincoln Abes, in the September 18, 1942 "King's X" game, held this year at 3:30p.m. in the afternoon due to mandatory dim outs. (T. Times 9/16/1942, pg. 14)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heinrick, John;

Pacific Lutheran College football team, players and coaches. Unidentified coach is believed to be Philip G. Strombo, who succeeded Cliff Olsen as the new director of athletics at PLC in the fall of 1942. Strombo, at 41, was a former North Dakota University player and had coached in North Dakota and Oregon.

Football players--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Football--Parkland--1940-1950;

Pacific Lutheran College football team. The team and their coach, Baron Barofsky, were pursuing their 4th straight Washington State Intercollegiate (WINKO) title. (T. Times)

Football players--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Football--Parkland--1940-1950;

Unidentified player on the Pacific Lutheran Football team.

Football players--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Football--Parkland--1940-1950;

Pacific Lutheran football team, players and coaches. Unidentified coach is believed to be football coach Baron Barofsky.

Football players--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Football--Parkland--1940-1950;

Bellarmine High School 1942 Football Squad. Thirty-one players, manager and coach Gordon Toner on field, school building in background. The first grid game was against the newly confident Lincoln High School on September 25, 1942. The Belles were defeated by the Abes 14-0. Pictured are, front row, left to right: Al Buhr, Jerry Knelleken, Louis Renner, LaVerne Mantineau, Jerry Barry, Joe Ferry, Harvey Collins, Tom Comantos and Pete Stefonie. Middle row- Jack Kelly, Frank Taylor, Ray Sullivan, Al Gallwas, Phil Brown, Bud Barnes, Ken Ruffo, Jim Burkehouse, Jack Hermson and Larry Donohue. Back row- John Kelly, Dick Carbone, Ed Oswald, Gene Mack, Cliff Schiesz, Jim O'Brien, Dean Biggs, Claude Knecht, Larry Rask, Dick Simpson, Jim Farrell, Al Fairhurst, Gordon Toner (Coach.)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Private schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Students--Tacoma; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports;