ca. 1939. Pacific Lutheran College football coach Clifford O. Olson. After the completion of the football season, Tacoma honored Olson by unanimously voting him Sportsman of the Year. The 1939 team finished with admirable record of 7 victories and 1 loss. They were co-champions of the new Washington Intercollegiate Conference and the Associated Press poll named them the Northwest's outstanding small college team. (1940 PLC yearbook "Saga")

Olson, Clifford; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1930-1940; Football--Parkland--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Five Poulsbo High School players catch five footballs thrown simultaneously in practice in 1939. Goal post and buildings in the distance. The Poulsbo Vikings were the North Kitsap District Class B Champions and had been undefeated since early in 1937. However, they lost the 1939 state Championship to the smaller and quicker Fife Trojans, 7-0. Photograph ordered by Harold Shaw.

Poulsbo Hight School (Poulsbo); Football players--Poulsbo;

Group portrait of Puyallup High School Vikings and coach Al Dahlberg in Viking Field in November of 1939. For the 3rd time in 5 years, the 1939 Vikings won the Puget Sound Conference Title. The strength of the team rested mainly in the line, where four players, nicknamed the "Four Mules," wreaked havoc on the other teams. Coach Dahlberg appears to be pointing out to the rest of the regulars how the four mules operate. Pictured are, front row, left to right: Ralph Calligan, Ray Elliott, Ray Adams, Jack Kelley, Jack Durga, Fred Strankmann and Chet Rees. Back row, left to right: Lind Simonsen, Francis Marcoe, Ned Jordan, Walt Parks, Buck Buchanan, Eddie Myers (team captain and quarterback), Coach Dahlberg, Wayne Snider, Gail Bruce, Bob Cochran and Walter Burr. The team finished the season with 8 wins, 1 tie and 1 loss. Coach Dahlberg and his two brothers, Jiggs and Harry, were all high school coaches. (T. Times 11/21/1939, pg. 13)

Puyallup High School (Puyallup); Football players--Puyallup; Dahlberg, Al;

ca. 1939. Football Jamboree. Group of eight football players draw numbers from hats held by man standing behind a microphone in this night time scene. Ordered by Harold Shaw.

Football players--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Gig Harbor High School 1939 football team. Front row, left to right, George Gilreath, John Swenson, John Peterson, Donald Ribbe, Coach Husby, Elmer Skahan, Roland Spadoni, Melvin Johnson, Jack Finnigan and Donald Reed. Second row, l to r, Christian Wally (manager), Bill Wight, Marvin McCartney, Bert Perry, bill Parrish, Robert Ryan, Donald Sehmel, James Russo, Jack Wagner, Bill Hayes, Douglas Stremme, Glen Perkins and Edgar Best. Third row, l to r, Frank Foutch, Francis Hahn, Ray Edwards, John Bowman, Warren Watson, Harry Reed, Charles Parkman, Preston Challender, Howard Reed, Roland Adolphson and Richard Brown. The team, coached by Einar Husby, had a respectable season, finishing with 3 wins, 2 ties and 1 loss to the stronger Vashon Pirates. (T. Times 11/2/1939, pg. 26)

Football players--Gig Harbor; Gig Harbor High School (Gig Harbor);

ca. 1939. College of Puget Sound head football coach in 1939, Leo Frank. The Loggers had a disappointing season in 1939, finishing with 1 win and 3 losses. (1940 CPS yearbook "Tamanawas.")

Frank, Leo; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Football banquet given Stadium athletes by Active Club circa 1939. Large group of men and teens around tables looking to the right while possibly watching a film. Two large arched windows and potted tree in background. (T. Times, Sports)

Banquets--Tacoma--1930-1940; Athletes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Active Club (Tacoma);

ca. 1939. College of Puget Sound assistant football coach, Lou Grant. Grant also served as the head coach of the varsity basketball squad. The 1939 CPS football team finished near the bottom of the barrel of their division, but the basketball team finished at the top. (1940 CPS yearbook "The Tamanawas.")

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Grant, Lou; Coaches (Athletics)--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Group portrait of Fife High School football team, the Trojans. Coach Bill Vinson at far right rear. Player number 10 is Frank Spear, cited by the Tacoma Times as a player of the week. Half of the team is made up of Japanese-American players. Fife was having a very successful year, winning 9 straight games on their way to becoming the Pierce County B League Champions. They continued on to defeat the favored Poulsbo Vikings 7-0 to become the State Champions. Although the Trojan linemen were much outweighed, in one case by over 40 pounds; they were faster and more agile than their opponents. (T. Times 11/16/1939, pg. 19; 11/18/1939, pg. 13)

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

ca. 1939. Group portrait of Fife High School football team, the Trojans. Coach Bill Vinson at far right rear. Player number 10 identified as Frank Spear. Approximately half of the team is made up of Japanese Americans. The 1939 Trojans were the State Class B Football Champions. They were also the state's highest scoring team; finishing the season with 328 points and a ten game unbeaten streak. (T.Times 11/16/39, pg. 19; 11/18/39, pg. 13)

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

ca. 1939. Coach and three Orting High School football players standing near brick school building.

Orting High School (Orting); Football players--Orting;

Coach Al Dahlberg and young boy with three Puyallup High School football players. The 1939 Puyallup Vikings were the Puget Sound League Champions.

Puyallup High School (Puyallup); Football players--Puyallup; Dahlberg, Al;

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;