Football team playing on a rainy field. Referee is jumping over a fallen player. A small crowd of spectators is watching in the background.

Asian American Fife High School football player

Asian American Fife High School football player

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;

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;

Bellarmine Midget Football players, 1938 city wide champions. Twenty-five boys and coach Leo Eckstein pictured on the field. The Bells beat the Lincoln High School Railsplitters 14 to 7 in the Championship. Midget football was for boys classified as 132 pounds and under. The last city wide midget championship was played in 1940. (T. Times 11/22/1938, pg. 11) (filed with Argentum)

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

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;

Members of Lincoln High School's pep band and choir form the word "LINCOLN" on the field in Stadium Bowl, facing the bleachers below the Ferry Museum building, at the annual Stadium vs. Lincoln 1937 Thanksgiving Day football game. A holiday crowd of 12,000 viewed the annual contest which saw Stadium crush Lincoln 34-0. Stadium took both the city and cross-state titles that year. (T. Times 11/26/1937, pg. 1-article).

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Athletic fields--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Marching bands;

On November 11, 1935, 8000 hardy fans braved the rain to pack the Stadium Bowl for the second annual Armistice Day gridiron battle between Northwest Navy and Army teams. The spectators protected themselves from the elements with umbrellas, while the pictured sailors were covered with slickers. Stadium High School loomed in the background over the stadium. The playing field for the game was a muddy mass of slime due to the cold rain that fell most of the day. The charity match was preceded by a military pageant, celebrating the end 17 years prior of the first World War. The game itself was a thriller where a forward pass in the closing minutes of the game gave Navy a 6-2 victory over Army. (T. Times 11/11/1935, pg. 1; T. Times 11/12/1935, pg. 1 & 11; Bremerton Sun 11/11/1935, pg. 1- all articles story only)

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Holidays--Tacoma--1930-1940; Sailors--Bremerton--1930-1940;

1937 Stadium vs. Lincoln Thanksgiving Day football game in Stadium Bowl. Team members line the field. The stadium's concrete bleachers are filled with with the record turnout of 12,000 spectators. The game pitted the undefeated Stadium Tigers against the almost equally flawless Lincoln Abes. Stadium triumphed in a 34-0 shutout, the largest point spread since the Turkey Day Classic was inaugurated in 1923. (T. Times 11/26/1937, pg. 1- story only)

Football--Tacoma; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

Stadium vs. Lincoln Thanksgiving Day football game in Stadium Bowl, November 25, 1937. Stadium High School marching band and drill team perform. (T. Times 11/26/1937, pg. 1).

Football--Tacoma; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Events--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Marching bands;

Armistice Day Army & Navy football game and pageant at the Stadium Bowl. Tacoma Mayor George Smitley stands between Rear Admiral T.T. Craven and Brig. General C.H. Conrad, Jr. The event was planned in celebration of the anniversary of Armistice Day; the date 17 years prior when most of the world laid down their arms following World War I. The Armistice Day celebration featured a patriotic pageant presented around a colorful Northwest Army vs. Navy football game. Over 8,000 people turned out to see the game, despite rainy conditions and a field that looked like a sea of mud. The ceremony opened with taps in honor of the war dead, followed by a crack drill unit of 500 featured soldiers, sailors and marines accompanied by the 10th Field Artillery Band. The ceremony ended with a 21 gun salute. Navy triumphed over Army in the football game, 6 to 2. The army team arrived from Fort Lewis by motorized transport; but the Navy arrived from Bremerton on the ferry Kalakala with a cannon mounted on her deck for the 21 gun salute. Photograph ordered by the Bremerton Sun. (T. Times 11/11/1935, pg. 1; Bremerton Sun 11/11/1935, pg. 1-story) TPL-10397

Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940; Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Craven, T.T.; Admirals--Tacoma;

Ready to rumble is #3 of Bremerton High School's Wildcats, also known as Louis Hellard. Louis is both the captain of the Wildcats and plays the end position. (T. Times 10/5/1935, pg. 11; Bremerton Sun 09-20-1935, pg. 1)

Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bremerton High School (Bremerton)--1930-1940; Hellard, Louis;

Jiggs Dahlberg (back row, far left) coached the 1935 Puyallup Vikings to an undefeated season. Although the team had few veterans, and no "stand-out" players, they proved that team work and fight could carry the day. They won nine of their ten regularly scheduled games that season; their game against Kent ended in a 7-7 tie. The man in the back row, far right is the assistant coach, Al Dahlberg. An alternate image appeared in the Tacoma Times with the names of all the players listed. (T. Times 11/29/1935 p.15)

Football players--Puyallup; Group portraits; Uniforms--football;

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;

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;

College of Puget Sound 1942 football squad and coach Leo Frank (T. Times)

Football--Tacoma; Football players--Tacoma; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--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;

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;

PLC football players, Metcalf, Times. The scrimmage line during football practice at Pacific Lutheran College in September of 1947. Marv Tommervik was head football coach in 1947.

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

PLC football players, Metcalf, Times. Three players run interference for their ball-carrying teammate at Pacific Lutheran College in September of 1947. Harold Schrupp, #55, played end. Ted Kauth, #58, was a quarterback. Duane Rose, #56, played halfback. The player between Schrupp and Kauth was not identified. No helmets were worn during this drill. TPL-9964

Football players--Parkland; Pacific Lutheran College (Parkland)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Parkland--1940-1950; Football--Parkland--1940-1950; Schrupp, Harold; Kauth, Ted; Rose, Duane;

This close up of halfback Otto Fink, in his battered leather helmet, was taken just before the September 1947 Grid-Go-Round football game sponsored by the Tacoma Athletic Commission. Otto Fink, a letterman at Bellarmine, had been on both the all-Northwest Catholic team and the all-City team in 1946. As a returning senior, he helped the Bellarmine Lions defeat Lincoln to win first place in the Grid-Go-Round. Stadium took 3rd place over Clover Park (T.Times, 9/19/1947, p.12; TNT, 9/12/1947, p.20) Tacoma Athletic Commission, Ed Honeywell

Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grid-Go-Round (Tacoma); Tacoma Athletic Commission (Tacoma); Fink, Otto;

Bellarmine High School Football team won the 1947 State championship. The Bellarmine Lions season was over but the returning students were looking forward to next year's team. View of the football team, this photo was taken for the "Cage," Bellarmine's yearbook.

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

College of Puget Sound football game. The Loggers are training at the College of Puget Sound. The Loggers return to the grid-iron wars after a four year layoff during World War II.

Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; World War, 1939-1945--Social Aspects--Tacoma;

Lincoln High School beat Stadium High School, 13 to 7, in the big Thanksgiving Day football game classic at Stadium Bowl. Lincoln High School's football team won two titles in the 1948 season--Cross State Champions and City League Champions. View of the players in action at the big game at Stadium Bowl; students, families and friends of Tacoma's two rival high schools pack the bleachers to cheer for their favorite team at this annual event. (T. Times, 11/26/48, p. 1).

Football--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sports spectators--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

In 1948, Tacoma had two public high schools; and for many years on every Thanksgiving Day the cross town rivals Stadium and Lincoln met for an epic football battle. The gridiron battle was intersected by a halftime show featuring competitive spectacular performances by girl marching units and the schools' marching bands. Pictured, left to right, were Stadium High School's majorettes: Betty Johnston, Pat Mason, Rosemary Martenson, Joan Mason, Dolores Dessen and five year old Suzanne Ramstad. The girls were wearing their uniforms, boots and plumed hats. This year Lincoln High School won the game 13-7; there was no record of who won the half time show. (T. Times, 11/26/48, p. 1). TPL-9315

Football--Tacoma; Athletic fields--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma; Drum majorettes--Tacoma; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Lincoln High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

College of Puget Sound. Head Coach John Heinrick (second row, far right) is taking his entire squad of 1948 football players to San Jose for their pre-season game against the San Jose Spartans. This was the last game prior to the start of the Evergreen Conference season. The highly favored San Jose came from behind to beat the Loggers 20-7. They will be catching their train from Union Depot. (T.Times, 10/1/1948, p.10) TPL-8484

College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Universities & colleges--Tacoma; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Heinrick, John; Railroad travel--Tacoma--1940-1950; Football players--Tacoma--1940-1950; Railroad stations--Tacoma; Union Station (Tacoma);

New grandstand at Fife High School, Fife Hi, Mr. Vioson. The new stands at Fife Memorial field were dedicated September 23, 1948, by a football game between the Fife Trojans and the Clover Park Warriors. The stands would seat 1,000 persons and represented the spirit of the Fife district. (T.Times, 9/23/1948, p.15)

Football--Fife--1940-1950; Grandstands--Fife--1940-1950; Fife High School (Fife); Public schools--Fife;