About

The Blog

The blog objective is to provide a record of every San Diego County high school football season from the late 1800’s through today, as many as possible given the scarcity of the information in some seasons. Each year will include a blog post narrative summary of season highlights, influential events, coaches and league officials.

A season scoring summary page accompanies each blog post. This page has game outcomes, game location, individual school information, and league affiliations and records for every team that competed that year. Some information, especially for the myriad of small San Diego County private schools, never made it into the San Diego newspapers or other publications. The Union-Tribune database has been the source of most but not all scores since 1965.

Former players, coaches, sportswriters and fans who follow San Diego high school sports are invited to contribute with comments on errors and omissions. Future seasons will be narrated and scores added as we move along.

The Author

Rick Smith

I was a young sportswriter covering the city high schools for the Evening Tribune in the 1960s, but my preparation for this assignment began years before. As far back as high school I had shown a nerdy interest in what happened before I came on the prep scene. I’d make trips to the Central Library newspaper room and view microfilm of old issues of the Tribune and The San Diego Union and put together lists of scores.

All of this research came together when the Tribune published the “High School Football Record Book, From 1895 to 1965,” a 68-page compilation of San Diego County football scores and records made available to high schools and the general public. Forty-one schools, members of the CIF San Diego Section that was formed in 1960, were cited.

(There have been three other Tribune publications inspired by the football idea: Track and Field record books in 1965 and 1971 and the High School Basketball Record Book, “From 1945-69” by Tribune writer Bill Finley).

The 1965 football volume included a substantial contribution from the late William (Bud) Maloney, a colleague on the Union who had interests similar to mine. Maloney, a graduate of Hoover High and one of the founding members of the Hoover Hall of Fame, would visit the fifth floor “morgue” at the newspaper’s old Second Avenue address and view microfilm after concluding his 4 p.m.-1 a.m. shift on the Union sports desk.

My writing and reporting actually started in 1955 when Humberto Chacon, the sports editor of the Lincoln High Buzz, assigned me to cover the Hornets’ junior varsity football team. I had just enrolled in Mr. John DeBeck’s journalism class at the beginning of my junior year.

I later had professional positions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and St. Louis, but San Diego always was home, and I maintained an interest in San Diego’s outstanding high school sports scene.

After working in the NBA and NFL, and covering major sports events for the Tribune in a 50-year span, I retired a second time and came home for good in 2009. I now had time to address a lingering idea of more than 20 years: Reprising the 1965 football publication, this time not in print but in cyberspace.

It is an ongoing process. The San Diego Section of the CIF now numbers at least 90 schools fielding teams, including nine from the Imperial Valley. Holtville, Calipatria and Imperial joined in 1980, followed in 2000 by El Centro Central, El Centro Southwest, Blythe Palo Verde, Calexico, and Calexico Vincent Memorial.

A bow to noted historians and good friends William Swank and Don King for their initial support and research. Swank is the dean of all that relates to baseball history in San Diego and is an accomplished biographer and book writer. King is a board member of the San Diego High Alumni Association and author of “Caver Conquest“, the athletic history of San Diego High dating to the 1880s and arguably the most complete and definitive publication of its kind.

Finally, special thanks to my good friend and cyberspace mentor Henrik Jonson (see below) and to my wife, Susie, always patient, always supportive.

Rick Smith, January, 2012.

The Webmaster

It all started when I heard my ol’ friend Rick typed his Upper Deck football cards on an IBM Selectric and faxed them to Upper Deck. I vowed from then on to keep Rick in more current technology.

My personal journey started at age 9 as my sister Ann, 5, and I bid goodbye to Grandma Nora and boarded an SAS DC 3 flight to join our parents in “Amerika”. On arrival after a 16-hour trip from Gothenburg, Sweden to New York, mamma Anna and pappa Sven drove us to Chicago in their new ‘55 Chevy Bel-Air. After another Atlantic crisscross, and a brief stint in New York and New Jersey in the early ‘sixties, the entire family finally settled in Southern California in 1966.

The Tappan Zee ‘Flying Dutchmen’ in Rockland County, N.Y., was my high school team. I may have graduated #5 of 93 in the class of ’63, but I mostly picked up pine splinters for 3 years on the football team. Weighing in at ‘hefty’ 150 pounds, and low on the depth chart behind perennial All-County performers, I nevertheless gave it 100 per cent every day as an offensive and defensive end (#33 below).

Fall 1962 Tappan Zee Squad
#36 after a Tappan Zee home game in 1962
After a home game, free food!

Looking back it was one of the best times of my life, as it should be, looking only forward with all dreams and aspirations intact. The camaraderie, lasting friendships, ribbing about singing in the school chorus, towel snaps in the team shower, called ‘braintrust’ by non-college bound senior teammates for correcting their chemistry homework during homeroom, Atomic balm in the jockstrap, bus rides to away games, free hotdogs after home games, are all cherished memories. I know and understand why high school sports experiences are held in high esteem. I do.

Proudly holding my ’67 UCLA bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering I became a San Diego resident in 1970 employed at NCR, then a Scripps Ranch resident with Carol since 1972, now in Poway since 1987. I’ve continuously kept pace with electronics, then embedded software technology, and now with the ever-evolving tools and methods of ‘cloud’ based computing and the internet.

My long friendship with Rick gave me this opportunity to attempt mastery of website technology, creation and administration. To combine WordPress, HTML, PHP, SQL, and other web-tools for an informative website for San Diego football fans is for me a naturally evolved pursuit.

Henrik Jonson, January, 2012 (updated 2023)

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159 thoughts on “About

    1. Castle Park’s playoff win over El Cajon Valley was omitted, it should on there by tomorrow, according to my webmaster. Thanks for being on top of that. We’ve listed probably 40,000 scores back to 1891 but every once in a while someone with a sharp eye will find something. Thanks again. [Webmaster: corrected, thanks for the feedback]

    1. Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time. Del Norte got its comeuppance from Point Loma the next week. By the way, are you related to Duane Pusey, an outstanding pole vaulter at Grossmont in 1949? There also was San Diego High player in the early ’40s, Everett Pusey…or maybe it was Posey. Thanks again.

  1. Hi Rick,

    Thanks for mentioning my dad, Bud Maloney, and his contribution to San Diego prep sports above.

    You name him as William (Bud) Maloney. His legal name was Jack William Maloney. He never used either the Jack or the William. Would you do an update using his byline and how he was known, Bud Maloney?

    I’m sure Dad would have enjoyed your blog, organizing all the history and keeping up with the present. Right up his alley!

    Thank you,
    Jonella
    Patrick Henry ‘88

    1. Bud and I collaborated on a high school football record book published by the Tribune in 1965. I also mention him a few times in 1980s football and basketball narratives. I referred to him as Bud Maloney in the 1985-86 and ’86-87 basketball stories. I last saw your dad when he visited our archives in the St. Louis Rams office in the late 1990s. Bud was a respected colleague. He loved to reminisce about sports at Hoover High. Thanks for writing, Jonella.

  2. Hi Rick.

    Just a note to let you now how much I enjoy your posts and stories. Our time on the Lincoln High Buzz together in 56 and 57 is a truly fond memory. As were the many other high school memories we share.

    Stay well old friend.
    Cliff (Darrel)

    1. Thanks, Darrel. Very good to hear from you. We had some laffs, didn’t we? There was no more interesting bit of writing than was in “Cross Campus With Cliff.” Was that the name of your Neil Morgan-like column? All the best to you and Jean over there in burgeoning Yuma. I’ve stopped often at the McDonald’s on 16th Street and at Burgers and Brew on Second Street. I think it’s on Second Street. This was when I first retired and worked as a communicator at NFL games in Phoenix. Instead of flying I would drive and get home after a game about a hour-and-a-half later than if I had flown…returning a rent-a-car, checking in, etc.

  3. Do you know the two teams in the 1989 San Diego CIF Football championship game? Doing a book with Ted Leitner and Nick Canepa, told me they did that game together on radio… Granite Hills vs Morse. But I can’t find that game on Google. Do have know if that’s correct? Thank you sir!!

    1. As Steve Brand wrote, some people said “it was the best game they’d never seen.” Fog enveloped the field. Dave Roberts, by the way, completed 17 of 21 passes for the season.

      1. John, go to my website, partletonsports.com. Open the “Football Menu” and search scores, by year or by team. The 1989 score was El Camino 38, Lincoln 6.

  4. Hi Rick.
    This is Pete Jackson, Hilltop HS 1970. I’m enjoying these historical posts very much—so many familiar names and stories. I’m checking to see if you’re still active on this post and have a few stories I’d love to share. If possible, I would love to connect.

    1. I’ve been slowed in my research because the libraries and their availability of microfilm have been closed. I’m interesting in any stories you might have. Thanks for writing, Pete.

      1. Larry Hancock here from El Cajon 57-60. Glad to see you are doing well. My purpose, other than to renew an old friendship, is to share my thoughts on the recent Coronado/Orange Glen incident. We seem to be living in a time where respect and consideration do not exist. Nothing like what happened at Coronado ever happened when we played. The blame is to vast to place on one event. We have media glorifying athletes and their disrespectful demonstrations after making a play they are getting paid more money than they are really worth to make. We have High School and College kids emulating them.
        If we are to eliminate the problem we have to start punishing the perpetrator. The true victim here are the School and City of Coronado. They will live with this for years to come.
        I say take away the Championship and place the school on athletic probation for 2 years. Further violation would lead to more harsh penalties.

  5. Mike Allen. You may be a victim of the Change from Southern Calif CIF to San Diego Section. I think San Diego was formed in 1960

    1. Are you the El Cajon Valley Braves’ Larry Hancock? I don’t know Mike Allen. The San Diego Section made its debut at the beginning of the 1960-61 school year. Thanks for writing.

  6. I went to Clairemont High 1961-63
    Wonder where to find out about the 62 football team that lost to Escondido in the County Championship game. Clairemont was led by Bill Casey QB and can’t find any reference to Bill or the great team we had in 62

    1. Hi, Warner, Thanks for writing. Go here, and scroll down to a photo of Bill Casey and a photo of the all-Western League team, plus references to the Chieftains’ season. The headline and majority of that season’s narrative is about game officials who didn’t show for a game between Escondido and Hilltop.

  7. I was curious where to find the All-league selection for football in the old Western League from 1965. We had two teammates that made it I think, Tom Rauth and Pete Nestigen, but I wanted to check. They were both tackles and I remember they both made the Breitbard team for the City vs. the County. I am also curious about which teammates who were juniors when I played at La Jolla for Coach Edwards made All-league and All-CIF the following year. Where is this stuff located?
    Jim

    1. Newspaper microfilm. You can use machines at the Downtown, El Cajon, and San Diego State libraries, except they all are closed now. Football all-league and all-CIF teams were in the Union or Evening Tribune usually around late November through the middle of December. I don’t know what’s going to happen at those libraries, whether they’ll still allow the public to research with microfilm. It’s been the only way I have been able do research for this blog. Let’s hope.

  8. Hello I’m [football] Coach AL at Kearny High School. Greg Tonjes stepped down as the Head Coach for personal reasons. Jeremy Stump is the new Head Coach. I enjoy this page very much as I graduated from Point Loma in 1992 and I can show my guys what we did! Awesome, keep up the good work in documenting San Diego’s football history.

  9. To Rick Smith
    Rick it’s John Labeta and I am trying to find the year the North County Conference was established. I am working with Herb Meyer on this as well. We are making a logo for the conference and would like to include the year in there.
    Hope all is well

    John

    1. John: I’m not sure when the North County Conference nomenclature was first used, but check some of the seasons on my blog. Search 1981: “Population=New Leagues-New Names”….Conferences were created after lots of releaguing. Also search 1967: “Powell Upholds”…CIF bosses created the “Metropolitan” and “County” conferences and in 1969 renamed them “City” and “County” conferences. You may have scroll down through the narratives to find what I mentioned. Tell Herb Meyer that according to my files he has 339 career wins, not 338. I hope this helps. I think the 1981 story may answer the question, although I didn’t mention the words North County Conference. All the best.

    2. ‘John, looking further I found a mention of “four conferences” in my 1976-77 basketball story…that narrative is all about Mitchell Lilly’s scoring. Again, no mention of “North County.”

  10. Hey Rick – Adria Coach Pete’s (Kearny, Lincoln, Saints) – Reaching out to ask if you remember when San Diego High School kids played a team from Russia. We were going over his coaching days and he is searching for an article or pictures.

    1. Are you speaking of Bill Peterson? And basketball? I don’t recall such a game. It would have been an exhibition of some type, played probably not during the school year. I spoke with Steve Brand, who covered the high schools for The San Diego Union from 1973 through today. He didn’t recall a game involving a Russian squad. If you have more specific information I might be able to help, but the libraries and their microfilms would have to be accessible. Wish I could answer this one.

      1. Hi – Yes I am speaking about Bill Peterson. I’ll ask my Dad and get back to you. Thanks for your prompt response.

    2. Rick, this is a geezer voice from the past in the Bay Area during your productive days and nights with the Golden State Warriors. Those were great times back in the mid-1970s as Rick Barry, Phil Smith, Jeff Mullins, Al Attles, et al, rose to the NBA’s heights and the ABA wound up merging with the older circuit. Your ultra-professional approach, combined with a wry sense of humor, smoothed any wrinkles in our San Mateo Times coverage of the team and the league. My email address in over-priced Burlingame is johnhorganmedia@gmail.com. Hope all is well. Love the San Diego prep blog. Very nice work. Best regards, John Horgan, older and far from wiser.

  11. Hi there! My mom and grandmother found a Coast League Track and Field medal from 1924 engraved to Eddie Moeller. I would love to find Mr Moeller and his family to return the medal. Can you help me?

    1. Hi, sorry that I haven’r got back to you sooner. I’m hoping the San Diego High alumni association can help locate a member of Eddie Moeller’s family. If that is not possible, perhaps you would consider dontaing the medal to the school, which has a long history in sports and academics. Where did you locate this almost-100-year-old item? Moeller was an outstanding athlete at San Diego high. He went on to play football at Oregon State and he held the school discus record for many years. San Diego High in 1924 was a member of a league that spanned from the California-Mexico border into Orange and Los Angeles counties. If possible, could you email me a picture? Any information on how and where you picked up the medal would be greatly appreciated.

  12. Hi Rick, I’ve been doing some research on Maureen Connelly, the successful tennis player from San Diego and was hoping you might have an answer. I’ve seen several articles that list her as a “Cathedral High School” graduate. Obviously she didn’t attend Cathedral Catholic, but USDHS opened in 1957 and she was born in 1934 so that couldn’t have been her high school either. I was wondering if you may know what high school she went to in San Diego. Thanks!

    1. Bodie, Cathedral High for girls was located on 3rd Avenue between Cedar and Date Streets, midway between downtown and Banker’s Hill. The wife of one of my best friends attended Cathedral. My friend is not sure when it closed but he thinks it was in mid-‘seventies. I think Maureen Connolly graduated in 1951 or ’52. You’re on top of these college commitments. Saw where you noted that a guy is going to Western Oregon. Thanks for writing.

    2. Bodie, I didn’t have a complete answer to your question about Maureen Connolly. Cathedral all-girls opened in 1943. The school merged with Uni in 1970 when Uni, then known as University of San Diego High, went co-ed. Thank you, Wikipedia.

  13. William “Bill” Carroll inquiry — I graduated from Kearny High in 1965, and some of the sports would have an honorary team picked from all the schools in the San Diego Section CIF, and it was referred to as “All CIF, First Team, Second Team, etc”. I have a vague memory that Spring 1964, a player from Kearny named William “Bill” Carroll was “All CIF First Team Baseball”. Bill was First Team Football, and First Team Basketball, and if my memory is correct that he was also First Team Baseball, then he would be a three sport First Team honoree. How can I establish what is true in this case?

    1. Danny
      If I recall correctly, I knew your brother “Don”(class of 1963). I , and worked briefly with his younger brother, Dan at “Windy’s Flowers in Chula Vista . If this is you, I’d be interested in hearing from you. I’ve been trying to locate my good friend Bill Carroll jr without success. I was heartened to see your account of Bill “junior’s” outstanding athletic career Bill was, and likely still, is an outstanding athlete.

      1. According to Google, Dan Fulkerson passed away in August, 2023. He was a standout lineman on coach Birt Slater’s outstanding Kearny teams of the mid-1960s.

  14. I’ve been slow to reply because I am not able to get to any of my resources, the microfilm machines at various local libraries. First, I remember you, a big tackle on a couple of Birt’s great teams. I’m also aware of Bill Carroll as a standout in basketball and football but I haven’t done much on baseball. I covered track during the spring for the Evening Tribune. I reached out to a couple Kearny alums for help and I’ll try to get an answer to your question. Thanks for writing. Dan.

    1. I am slow to learning how to use this “board”. I had to “double post” my question in order to get our of the message posting cycle. Thanks Rick for looking into this question about Bill Carroll.

      1. Dan: Until the libraries re-open I won’t be able to get to the microfilm and do some research. Just biding my time now.

  15. Alex Ford, Class of 1963, Hilltop High School. It seems to me that Hilltop High Lancers defeated the Escondido High School Cougars that year. That was some doing as Hilltop did not have a great team, but an interesting team with a number of excellent athletes who could get up for a game. As I recall there was controversy when Don Parish apparently went to the sideline but did not step off the gridiron. Joe Stetzer (later Chico State) hit Parish with a pass down the sideline (sleeper play?) for a big gainer. There was an official’s time-out to determine the legality of the play. Whatever the legality, no one could find it in the rule book and the play stood as did the HHS win. The Cougars were the class of S.D. C.I.F. winning the championship that year. HHS was involved in another strange football game at Chula Vista High who was highly favored on their own field in 1962-63 during their homecoming game. Chula Vista with C.I.F. placer in the 100 yard dash, Bill Massey jumped out to an 18-0 lead in the first half and HHS could do nothing right. Despite that the game ended in an 18-18 tie in a game where Bill Gammon somehow started to run wild against the C.V. defense. This was the ultimate “kissing your sister” game in Metro League History.
    By the way, I came to Hilltop as a kid who weighed 68 Lb. as a Soph; 77 Lbs. as a junior and 86 lbs. as a senior. I was a bit young for my class and try as hard as I could, finished last place in 3 attempts in varsity long distance races in track and field. As a junior my weight had me as a Class “C” competitor in the 1320. I was usually second or third man. As a Senior, I moved up to the “B” class. Never getting a start in a varsity event as a junior or senior, with four league meets remaining, Coach Anderson forced me in a run off against 7 or 8 runners who felt some washed up senior was retarding their race experience. I managed to whip all the challengers and so Coach Anderson let me retain my slot in the B 1320. My best time in non-league meets was 3:32. Against Escondido, I manged a 4th place and 3:30. I had been fighting a case of the flu for three weeks and it looked as if my senior season would be more of the same: 3nr place on my team behind Jim Longerbone and Michael Hinton. I couldn’t get into the mile as Hilltop had CIF and Mile Champion, Darrell Dunafon, Robert Bitterly and Richard Holmes, all high finishing varsity cross-country runners on our Metro League Championship team. Final meet of the year, Hilltop beat the C.V. Spartans in the dual meet in A, B and C divisions. As usual, I finished 3rd but in a respectable time of 3:25. Longerbone won in 3:21 and Hinton finished in 3:23. Both of those times broke Darrell Dunafon’s school record in the 1320 race. With classmates urging me to drop off the team because I would continue to embarrass the school with my bad performances, I showed up to C.V.H.S. track at the Metro League Prelims and managed a 3rd in my heat at 3:26 and qualified for the M/League Finals at Escondido. Both Longerbone and Hinton decided to move up to the mile, leaving me no room. Meantime, Holmes who had a shootout with Villasenor of C.V. in heat one had moved down from the mile. Bitterly did the same thing. So instead of being 3rd man behind B-competitors Longerbone and Hinton (Dr. John Link was also on that team and ran “C” 1320. After Dunafon won the mile and Longerbone and Hinton got 4th and 5th, the B 1320 was called. The best B runners in the League were there along with my two Varsity team mates, each of whom had won the Varsity mile during the dual meet season. I’d never broken 5:05 in the mile. At the gun the pack took off and sat in last place the entire lap with a large gap to the 7th man. It stayed this way until the home straight of lap two when I passed everyone on the track except Holmes. With 3/4 of a lap to go Homes took off with a very early sprint and soon I could barely see him most of the way down the back straight. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed that I was all alone in second and feeling all right. At that point I began to push myself to 9/10ths effort for the last 235 yards, going for a personal best time. As I stretched out my stride as long as possible, I saw Holmes starting to come back to me. Encouraged, I kicked it all the way in to the finish line and dove and took some of the tape. Holmes had reacted to me and had about three quick strides left in him. Holmes fell to the track exhausted and I ran way down the track with the tape flailing behind me. Five stop watches with the coaches in the stands had Holmes and I with the same time: 3:17.8. One judge had it a tie and the other had it for Holmes. Three years on the team with no medals and often last place finishes. That silver medal never looked so good to me. Longerbone who’d broken the school record two weeks earlier asked Hinton, “Did you here Duckworth’s time?” 3:17.8. 3rd went to Bob Bitterlie as HHS took 1, 2, 3 in the B-1320. I believe Link won the C-1320 and Dunafon won the mile, so we dominated what was then known as the distances. Escondido came through with some great performances and won the Class A championship on their home track. The newspapers in both the Chula Vista Star News and the San Diego Union came out with the results of A, B, and C. Very strange: 1) Holmes; 2) Duckworth of Hilltop tied with Ford of Hilltop; 3) Bitterly of Hilltop. Huh? My name was hyphenated and so when the paper saw that Duckworth-Ford was second, they assumed it was two different people. It did not occur to anyone that you cannot have a tie for 2nd and also then get third. Lastly, when I came into the gym on Monday morning for 6th period gym I looked up on the school record board and was flabbergasted to see Richard Holmes and Alex Duckworth-Ford with the new school record for the 1320. Three years of trying as hard as I could and every male entering the locker room for the last three weeks of the year would see my name and so would I. I took a picture of that part of the board with my camera. A year or two later, Holmes” younger brother ran 3:17.6, breaking the record. A few years later, I lost that silver medal that was attached to my key-ring, one Sunday afternoon while I was playing pick-up basketball at Eagle Rock High School. Lost the keys too. I had moved to the area to become a Deputy Probation Officer for the County of Los Angeles. I was never able to get a replacement medal for a number of reasons. Having qualified for the C.I.F. Preliminaries in Balboa Stadium, I finished 3rd in 3:19.7 to qualify for the C.I.F. Finals where I finished 7th.

    1. What a nice look back through your life. I always liked Kenny Anderson, the coach, and Bill Massey was a terrific sprinter at Chula Vista. Darrel Dunafon ran 4:19.6 in the state track trials at Berkeley in ’63 and was the second San Diego runner to break 4:20. El Cajon Valley’s Jack Hudson ran 4:16.7 in 1959. Link later ran a non-winnning 4:21.5 in 1964. All were good but I doubt any of them had more determination that you. Thanks for writing.

    2. Alex, Hilltop won that game with Escondido, 18-13. There were no officials at the start of the game. Search 1962 on my home page and there is an account of what happened.

  16. Rick, Fabulous site!!!!
    I am currently an assistant baseball coach at Patrick Henry HS. I have been searching for the schools baseball record book, MaxPreps is limited and only goes back to 2004, Do you know where I could find anything

    1. Coach Turgeon, friends ask me why I don’t do research on baseball. I’m loaded down with basketball at the moment. I think you’ll find that newspaper microfilm is your best shot. There would be lots of information in the Cal-Hi Sports state recordbook but I don’t think they’ve published the annual since 2005 or ’06. You could contact Mark Tennis at Cal-Hi Sports but I don’t know how far back his information is at hand. Thanks for writing.

  17. Good Afternoon, Rick!

    Hope you’ve recovered from your Thanksgiving feast by now. :-)

    I have an easy correction for a Kearny football score that was omitted from the 1994 season: Komets 31, Madison 7. It appears among Madison’s composite record on your website, if you need confirmation. Also, it would improve Kearny to 2 wins, 8 losses for that forgettable season. (Incidentally, it was the Komets’ most recent non-forfeit win over the Warhawks.)

    Happy Holidays!
    ~ Matt

    1. Keep them coming, Matt. I made the correction but it might take a few says to appear, as my webmaster is not available for most of this week. Thanks again. [Webmaster: fixed, thanks]

    2. Great website. I have a San Diego high school prep question. Legendary film star and martial artist Jim Kelly, (mainly 70s) with Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Three the Hard, … was a top athlete in junior hs and part of his San Diego high school career (moved back to Kentucky his senior year or so I believe) Do you know what high school he attended ? Thanks. No one seems to know. I was told SD Cavers ?

      1. Sorry for the delay. Relatives in for holidays. I’ve asked a couple friends but they are earlier San Diego high vintage and are not familiar with Jim. The school name, officially adopted in 1973 to accomodate girls athletics, was changed from Cavemen to Cavers. If this doesn’t help, let me know if you come up with any other clues.

      2. James Kelly attended O’Farrell Junior High ‘59-61. He was the best athlete in our class and excelled in football and track. He would have gone to Lincoln High, but I believe he moved to Kentucky before what would have been his first year at Lincoln. His girlfriend for a time at O’Farrell was Eugenia King, wife of Bernie Bickerstaff, former NBA coach and executive. I ran into James at a tennis tournament in Los Angeles about 25 years ago and he was one of the top players in his group in statewide competition.

  18. Rick, I see that you have a list of the coaches who have 100 wins, but do you have a ranking of how fast each coach made it to 100 wins? Thank you for the thorough research!

  19. Hello there for the 2018 season you have Serra losing to Kearny in the semi-finals by a score of 62-6. That score is incorrect. The final score was 49-20 in favor of Kearny.

    1. My bad. The correct score is in the Kearny listings. I’ll make the correction to Serra’s scores ASAP. Good luck next week, Coach. You’re making Q’s fans forget the Serra field hockey team.

  20. Just a heads up. You are missing the CIF playoff game from 1975 in which Castle Park defeated El Cajon Valley 36-0.

    1. Hi, thanks for writing and for that catch. I have the score in Castle Park’s column as 36-3 but neglected the El Cajon Valley column. I’ll check my files regarding the score when we return from our cruise. You can access all of the scores by going to the “Football” menu and dragging down to “Scores” or “Year, by teams or season.

    2. Hi, we’re back from the cruise and I checked. As printed in the newspaper, Castle Park won, 36-3. I’ll get the correct score in the Castle Park log for that season. Thanks for writing. [Webmaster: fixed]

  21. Mar Vista High School’s first year and first Yearbook was 1951. Yet your record shows a football season/schedule for 1950.

    I think this means your subsequent years are off by one year for some time.

    1. Henry, thanks for writing. Mar Vista did play football in 1950, for the school year 1950-51. The annual would have come out toward the end of the school year but the games were played the previous fall. If you go to the home page and Search 1950, there is a short story on the Mariners’ opening season, near the end of the narrative. Students attended school in buildings at Brown Field.

  22. Hi Rick

    I’m sorry for being tardy but wanted to wish you a belated happy birthday, and hope you live to be 100! Unfortunately, except for a week at home, I have been hospitalized at the VA, or in long-term-care/therapy — currently at Holly Heights Care Center in Denver — since Dec. 29, 2018. I had surgeries to remove my gall bladder, fix a collapsed lung and remove a large abscess from my liver; have managed Type II diabetes since 2004, but am most vexed, since 2012, by Parkinson’s, which is unpredictable and degenerative. I’ve included my website address, and you can go to my Amazon author page to check out the five books I’ve published so far, incl. still one left to finish in my BLUE HOMBRES trilogy on MLB umpires. I hope this finds you in good stead. — Stay Well, PHIL ROSS

  23. Rick – Have you ever considered a piece on true “scholar-athletes” in San Diego history. My brother Brian is a world-class professor of physics at UC San Diego. He was an outstanding football and baseball player at Chula Vista High School (class of 1958) but suffered injuries that curtailed his career. When he broke his arm in 1958 he was the leading scorer in the Metro League but didn’t complete the season. He later played football and baseball at Pomona College. A member of the first Hall of Fame at CV High School (along with Billy Casper), his excellence in science is extraordinary. It would be interesting to find other scholar-athletes who achieved so much beyond their high school careers. Brian just celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of his high school class. If you choose to interview him, he can be reached at UCSD or at his home in Del Mar. He is still my hero and I tried to be just like him in every way, although I became a professional psychologist. I was never good at math.

    1. Hi Terry! You probably wouldn’t remember me–I was class of 70 at Hilltop, but my sister Mary Ann was around your time at Hilltop, along with Dennis Biletnikoff. My brothers, John and Bob both ended up a Castle Park. I’m writing because, to this day, I remember mimicking your open finger grip on the bat while batting. I used it all during our 1967 CV South Pony League World Series championship and while playing at West Point for 4 years. It was one of those things I’ll always remember, and it took me back seeing your name in this post. I hope all is well.

  24. Thanks for the memories, and your stellar efforts to preserve San Diego’s illustrious and glorious High School sports history, in which I had the opportunity to participate in all too briefly. Would look forward to renewing our acquaintance. Thanks

  25. Still at it, I see, eh Rick. Thanks for preserving the memories of San Diego’s glorious High School sports history, in which I got to participate in a small and brief way. Would look forward to renewing our acquaintance.

    1. Hi, visit the home page, partletonsports.com and select Football/Scores/By Year. Every team and every score for every year is in there. with Coaches listed. For instance, in 1960, Escondido was the champion and Bob (Chick) Embrey was coach. The advent of divisional play with more than one champion in later years means you’ll have to spend some time, but the answers are there. Thanks for writing. [Webmaster: also check the Football/Coaches pages]

      1. Rick,
        I recall the 1960 game as a Cougar spectator. The Cougars arrived in buses at one end of the field and disembarked in a line thru band members playing the March of the Olympians. I recently attended Escondido High School’s 50th, and shared memories with quarterback Doug Bennett, who attended Whittier College and then coached FB at Punahou HS in Hawaii. Also Doug Agatep and senior class president Denny Snyder, and last year at the quarterly Cougar breakfast exchanged memories with Coach Embrey.

      2. Mr. Smith,
        There’s two games we need confirmation for at Cathedral Catholic High School. In the 1993 season, did we defeat Hoover by a score of 21-0 or 31-0? Your Cathedral records and Hoover records don’t match for this particular game if you could let us know which one is correct that would be great. The other is in 1961 when your records say we defeated Savanna of Anaheim 49-7. Can you somehow confirm this as another source (who’s not as credible as you historically) says 42-0? Thanks and we’d really appreciate it.

      3. Hi: Thanks for the heads-up. I double-checked my files. Uni beat Hoover, 31-0, in ’93 and defeated Anaheim Savannah (Trevor Hoffman’s alma-mater), 49-7, in 1961.

  26. Hope someone can help with with dates.
    I recall that when I was in Jr-Sr High School (class of ’58) there was a period when night football games were suspended in San Diego due to violence after games.
    Can anyone provide specific years?

    1. I remember, as a student at Lincoln, that night sports were suspended during the 1955-56 basketball season. City schools also stopped night football in 1966 and 1974 and experimented with Saturday day games in 1975. The City Schools’ football carnival was played during the day, beginning in 1959. Almost all games were played during the day until the latter stages of World War II. Hope this helps.

    1. Hi Rick, I just came across your website and wanted to say what an impressive job you have done with this archival material. Your work excites me both professionally as a historian but also personally, as Robert “Bull” Trometter’s granddaughter. Hope we can connect, I’d love to hear and see more!

      1. Helluva guy was your grandfather. Glib, folksy, to me the embodiment of a tough ex-Marine. Uni was nothing in football when he got there and he built a strong program and foundation for the schoool’s future success. Let me know if I can help in your aschival endeavors.

      2. Rick, former HEAD FOOTBALL coach for MCRD,”Bull” “Trommeter (while I was playing for the Camp Pendleton Marines team) is now a “Former Marine”, not Ex.
        By definition, an ex Marine has been dishonorably discharged. If any doubt, ask the son of his former assistant, “Cheesy” Neal, B.Gen. Michael Neal (Ret.)

      3. rick, I noticed in san diego baseball records regarding no-hitters there was one guy with 3 then a number of guys with two. I also threw 2 no-hitters in 1970 as a Kearny komet but didn’t notice my name don’t know if you can do anything but worth a try thank you a record of 10 wins 1 loss 0.63 era with two no hitters

      4. Mike, I have a copy of the CIF recordbook, 1960-90, and no, you’re not listed. i believe that Union-Tribune sportswriter Kirk Kenney did the research on CIF records for the CIF publications. I’m not sure but the CIF may no longer be updating their records in published form. I haven’t decided whether I will research spring sports, as I’m tied up with basketball at the moment. I suggest you contact John Labeta at the CIF San Diego Section office. He may be able to help you.

  27. Rick,
    Recently I was told by my head Art Filson (Mar Vista). I was told that I had made Honorable Mention on Mar Vista football team . My name is Ronald E. Bechtel and I graduated in 1961 so my best guess was 1960. Also my name was misspelled as Ronald E. Bechtall

    1. Was this honorable mention all-Metro League? Also, please mention to coach Filson that he is pictured with a couple Hoover teammates in my narrative on the 1944 season.

  28. Hi Rick, My name is Eugene Kaelin. I was Captain of Mar Vista’s Football team in 1968.
    Mar Vista tied with Chula Vista for first place. MV had 5 wins, one lost. CV had 5 wins one lost.
    Why I am writing is the MV webmaster said this was not correct. He referred us to you..

    He said SDiego Prep said this was not true. I remember because I was Captain. Can you please help?

    I checked your web site and could not find this yr.. Thank you!!!

    1. Eugene, go to partletonsports.com and choose Football/Scores/By Year and select the year you want to see all scores for that season. Are we talking about the right year? Chula Vista was 5-1 in league play and 7-2 overall, according to my records. My list has Mar Vista with a 2-4 league record and 3-6 overall. Let me know if you have further information and thanks for writing.

  29. looking for any info on the 1967 basketball runnerups mt miguel who won the cif championship in 68. I believe Kenny Greenman was one of (or) the best player. thanks, Jon Driffill

    1. John, give me a few days. I’ll be writing about the 1967-68 season and will do some 1966-67 research. Greenamn was pivotal to the Matadors during that run.

      1. Kenny Greenman averaged 20 points a game for the 32-0 Mount Miguel Matadors in 1967-68. He more or less took a back seat to Oscar Chavez and Mike Ela on the 25-6 1966-67 club but is a legendary figure on those two teams that were a combined 57-6. We all talk about the great Bill Walton Helix team of 1969-70. Would loved to have seen that matchup.

  30. Rick, can you explain the difference between the san Diego Hillers and the San Diego High Cavers. Were they two teams from the same high school? I never understood the difference. I remember the San Diegi Hi Cavers with Ezell Singleton, they were really good, but it always seemed that Long Beach Poly woule beat them. I graduated feom San Dieguito in 1962.

    1. There always has been just one school. The first name was “Hilltoppers”, presumably because the campus is on a hill rising above Park Boulevard and at that time overlooked the city. A student sports writer came up with the name “Cavemen”, in 1921, according to Don King, author of “Caver Conquest”. Headline writers over the years used names such as Hillers, Hillmen, Cave, Cavers. For a more comprehensive take on the Cavemen story go to our website’s home page and enter “1922” in the search box in the right column. There is an item titled “Resembling Early Man”. Legend had it that there were caves located in the school buildings. Not so, according to Don King’s research that included his having access to all yearbooks and annuals and the school newspaper, “The Russ.” The Ezell Singleton team of 1958 was 10-0 and the top seeded entry in the Southern California playoffs, but it was knocked out, 26-18, by Long Beach Poly. Such has been the Cavers’ history against Poly, which holds a 24-11-1 all-time record against San Diego High. Thanks for writing again, Anthony.

      1. Rick, thanks for your reply and the explanation you provided. That really clarified it for me. Lots of fond memories of high school sports in San Diego county. I was surprised when Poly beat San Diego High that year. I’m not sure but I thought that Poly team either had one of these running backs on that team Wiliie Brown or Dee Andrews. In 1958 San Dieguito had a pretty good football team that was led by running backs Jummy Mitchell and David Rightmer. They played Brea Linda in the playoffs. Brea Linda won 34_ 20. The difference was San Dieguito gave up touchdowns on a kickoff and punt return. Again thanks for all the high sschool sports information you provide.

      2. Dee Andrews, Willie Brown, Lonzo Irvin, and Willie Martin were the essential Poly runners. Andrews sustained a broken collarbone early in the ’58 game and Brown and Irvin ran wild. The game was not as close as the final score. Poly outgained San Diego on the ground, 395-90. I remember Jim Mitchell and David Rightmer and those Ernie Zeno-coached teams. Correct me if I’m wrong. but I think Mitchell was killed in Vietnam and that a San Dieguito basketball tournament was named after him.

      3. Rick, thanks for the detail on the San Diego/Poly game of 58. I was not aware that the game was not actually that close and that there was such large difference in the rushing yardage of that game. You are correct, Jim Mitchell was killed in Vietnam in 1965 and they did have a basketball ball tournament name after him at San Dieguito. Jim was not only a great all around athlete but also a great human being .

  31. And that team pic is amazing! Bob Scolaro was one of my Pop Warner coaches, Rich Blauvelt my freshman coach and Coach Hince my HS PE teacher. Also, TZ started a hall of fame about 6 yrs ago and has inducted Howie Pierson, George Coates and Jim Spearman. I’d like to share the 62 team pic on our TZ Alumni facebook page if that would be ok. If you’re a facebook user please join us at TZ Football Alumni.

    Best,
    Andy

  32. Henrik,

    My name is Andy DiDomenico, a Tappan Zee grad, and current head football coach at TZ. I stumbled across your website and love the passion you and Rick have for the game! Keep up the good work and, if you’re interested, shoot me an email. I’d love to hear more about your experiences at TZ and in Southern California.

    Best,
    Andy

  33. Holly, you’re breaking new ground for me. I wish Jack Mashin were still with us. I’m sure I could have been enlightened. Do you see any other football results than 1902?

  34. I JUST FOUND OUT…..
    According to the Knox Museum, “El Cajon Valley” may actually be “Cajon Valley (High) School,” and may have had a football team at the turn of the century.

    Later, on July 12, 1920, a unification election was held, Riverview High School and Cajon Valley were consolidated. They temporarily became Grossmont High School for the 1920-21 and 1921-22 school years.

  35. I haven’t looked at 1902 for awhile. Those very early scores were lifted from the 1965 book I did for the Evening Tribune. El Cajon Valley High opened in 1955, splitting from Grossmont, which opened in 1920. The 1902 squad had to be a town team. In fact there is some question as to whether San Diego High played Escondido High or a town team in what has been accepted as the first interscholastic game in the County in 1898. I’m going to change those early El Cajon Valley scores. For the moment I’ll just leave them as El Cajon. Thanks for writing.

  36. Rick….thank you very much. We were founded on March 29, 1913, at a track meet in Los Angeles. I have written quite a bit of history for the CIF-SS and you can find our holdings on cifss.org/History-Holdings.
    http://www.cifss.org/static_page.php?id=340
    Feel free to contact me anytime. Come up and visit and I will show you our holdings, etc. Dave Blunt was my fraternity brother at the University of Oregon and was so thrilled to see his photo along with his deceased brother. I am the past president of the CIF-SS, and now the voluntary historian in my retirement. San Diego was very dominant in our early years, especially in wrestling (Frank Crosby) and great football teams. Thanks for all that you do for San Diego Sports.

    John
    :)

  37. Rick….my name is John Dahlem and I am the volunteer historian at the CIF Southern Section and I am doing research on all of our CIF-SS Football champions and would like to find a photo of the great 1916 San Diego High School team…any idea where I could find it.

    Many thanks,

    John

    1. On the masthead of my blog is a photo of the 1916 San Diego High team. I can scan and email if you like. Can you tell me the date in 1914 that the CIF was formed and would you have any articles about that?

  38. I have a bob breitbart certificate from 1969 listing the 1st second and third team all-cif football teams. I thought the name sounded familiar looked it up and sure enough there is paul Lawton san marcos first team all-cif running back

    1. As a junior Lawton led the County in scoring with 24 touchdowns, 144 points. When San Marcos left the Palomar League and entered the bigger, tougher Avocado, Lawton still was among the County’s leading scorers with 20 touchdownms and a total of 130 points. Bob Woodhouse’s team earned respect quickly.

  39. Rick and Henrik, thank you! This site is terrific and the tremendous amount of work you have put into it is much appreciated. I first met Rick in 1963 at the B Street home of my friend Rob Ortman, whose father was the columnist for the San Diego Evening Tribune. At that time, Rick was the Trib’s prep writer hanging out at the Ortman’s house and I was just a friend of Rob’s who hung out there as well and the victim of much cajoling.

    As the newly named Editor-in-Chief of The Russ (San Diego High School’s student newspaper), Rob was insistent that I join the staff as his Sports Editor. Aside from a strong interest in sports and being a knowledgeable fan of SDHS (my brother had been a state champion wrestler there in the mid-50’s) sports who had been attending Caver football games since I was six, I had no qualifications. I was also a poor and lazy student who could not type, and did not learn to type for another 10 years.

    Under much duress, I took the job, and the experience had a lasting impact on my life. Until that point, fishing was the only thing that gave me confidence. Seeing my by-line in the Russ twice a month and on Saturday mornings in the San Diego Union (high schools sports editors called in the results of Friday night games in return for $6 and a by-line) gave me a bit more at a time when this 16 year-old kid needed it most.

    I followed up with a 35 year career managing the city’s reservoir system that required a good deal of writing and moonlighted as a free-lancer covering the outdoors for a variety of publications, including a decade as a stringer for The Tribune.

    From time to time over the 50 years since I first met Rick, his name came up a number of times, almost always with reverent appreciation for his encyclopedic knowledge and passion for prep sports.

    Thanks again guys!

    ps – Rick, traded emails with Rob last week and he is doing well in Hawaii.

    1. Jim: Thanks for the update. I’ve read of your accomplishments over the years through the reports from our mutual friend, Ed Zieralski. I remember those days at 2940 B Street (I think that was the address) and, like you, I got my start on the school paper at Lincoln and had some bylines on the Union’s Saturday prep page. Give my best to Rob–I have a lunch date later this month with Carol and Cy–and all the best to you.

      1. Rick, please pass my regards along to Carol and Cy when you see them. They were kind enough to host a dinner that got us all together a few years back. A fine meal followed by a fair amount of alcohol naturally led to the great drunk dialing idea of calling Professor Charles Snow at 2 a.m., Penn State time.

  40. Rick,I was researching SD politics and wandered into SD sports. Don’t know why, thinking of Lincoln basketball. I was at Saints(St Augustine) the night Tommy Shalles(?) dismantled Lincoln almost single handedly. I remember that scored 61 points in game that that year, is that still a record?
    I have many sports memories.As you may recall I loved basketball and still after many years watch NBA (why is it that Rick Barry could never convert anyone to underhand free throws ?) Do you still have a thing for Studebakers ? Aloha, Rick

    1. Roper, a.k.a. Blomendale, good to hear from you. Shaules had 38 points that night at St. Augustine as Lincoln lost, 74-50, but the Hornets upset the Saints later at Lincoln, winning 55-38, and holding Tom to 12 points. His high scoring game was 60 at Crawford in a 102-38 victory. I’m not sure that Rick Barry’s kids even shot free throws underhand. How’s Randy?

  41. Hi Rick

    I was heartened to see that you’re going strong with the blog on the topic you love most, SD prep sports, especially after being saddened a few years ago by the deaths of Dave Moon and Alan Malamud, having seen the latter and his bad rug or comb-over as the reporter in all those movies. Any time I see the Chargers on TV, I always think of you. Despite 30-plus years in the daily news and PR biz in CA, TX, NV and CO, I still hold some of my most cherished memories from the old SoCal prep sports days as among the best. I eventually “retired” in ’09 in Denver, giving me a chance to focus on my writing, although Parkinson’s has slowed me down. I am author of a new non-fiction book on Amazon.com and Kindle. (The following are Amazon key search words: mr phil ross). Below is a synopsis:

    “Once A Trojan Always A Trojan: A True Story” by Phil Ross follows the Forrest Gump-like life of Joe Obbema, a teammate of O.J. Simpson, Simpson’s fellow College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ron Yary, Tim Rossovich and several other first-round NFL draft choices on the 1967 USC consensus national championship football team, on which Obbema was the youngest player. The story stage spins from three key games during that run, through the triumphs and tragedies in Obbema’s life. Along the way are humorous, tragic and action-packed moments, including Obbema’s colorful and fight-dominated sideline as a bouncer while studying for his teaching certificate.Included are first-hand interviews with several former NFL head coaches and college teammates who have been Obbema’s lifelong friends, and those of the longtime “Voice of the Trojans,” Tom Kelly. The book is not merely a story about a successful football career that was shortened by injuries, but is designed to illustrate how it relates to life in general. (BTW, Rick, there are numerous anecdotal references and quotes regarding ex-Chargers and other ex-AFC West players and coaches, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy all the stuff about places like Manhattan of La Jolla and guys I interviewed for the book like Tim Rossovich, Jim Melillo and Coaches Dave Levy and Dick Coury, among others.)

    I’ll be more than happy to find a way to sign any personal copies bought by you, family members, friends or business acquaintances. — All the best, PHIL ROSS

    1. Regarding Joe Obbema, our line coach with the Chargers was Dave Levy, who asked that I give Joe a couple press box passes for a game in Jack Murphy Stadium in the early ‘eighties. I remember Joe and his friend well. Jimmy Melillo is an old friend. He went to Sweetwater High with my future wife, Susan Andrews. I’ll check out your book. Good to hear from you, Phil.

  42. Rick, Mr Stox, Great pick Great place, in the old days,closed last March. I’ve been told it’s a strip club, I mean, ERR, ERR, Ahh, Ahh a GENTLEMAN’S CLUB. Again A GREAT GREAT SITE !!!!!!.

    1. I had many lunches at Mr. Stox with our coach, Chuck Knox, when Rams were in Anaheim, usually joined by one of the local or L.A. sports media. Strip clubs probably don’t suffer as much as restaurants when the economy sours.

  43. Rick, what a Great Site–THANKS–. Need help with anything please let me know. If you ever get to Orange County–Dinner, Drinks, what ever is on ME!!!!!.OK. Glenn Forsythe running up the score was his M.O.–To the dismay of people, as evident in the next game with Mountain Empire—- 56-0- at the half. Mayer and Romine (Great Back Too) played the whole game. NO SUBS. He wanted 100, and told us on the sidelines. (95-0) I played for McCutcheon the next year –12-0–. He asked me about that score, I gave McCutcheon the answer in 1993, Forsythe was not a nice guy. McCutcheon said he would have punted on first down. MIKE SMITH 1958-1959—23-0 GO DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Mike, an interesting observation about Forsythe, who I knew only in a media-coach relationship, in which the media doesn’t always see the real person. Is Mr. Stox restaurant still serving steaks in Anaheim?

  44. Gary Mayer was- All Power Back–PURE STUD–As a reserve running back on that 1958 Team–I saw it all. After college I played for the Orange County Rhinos Pro-Football Team (1967) next to Mickey Flynn, 2 Time Most Valuable Football Player CIF Class AAA Big Schools (Anaheim High) 1955 and 1956–Gary was a better player– Gary scored 198 points in 1958, 26 Touchdowns and 42 Points after.The SAN MIGUEL GAME was 79-0, website has 73-0. Ramona stop San Miguel on forth down–time– for one play. Gary scored on a 89 yard run -with no time left !!!!!! Philip Warnes Team Manager as did Coach Halvarson keep great statistics.——————Mike Smith, 1958 Team 11-0, 1959 Team 12-0. GO DOGS !!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Mayer was an outstanding player, but Mickey Flynn, in high school, played on a much larger stage, so it’s hard to make a comparison. I’m going to re-visit the scoring stats for Ramona’s 1958 season through the files kept by Jerry Magee of The San Diego Union. We have Gary scoring 25 touchdowns and 43 extra points for a total of 193 in 1958. I believe that was the total reported when he was selected Southern California Small Schools player of the year. Glenn Forsythe had a great program there in the late ‘fifties and Bob McCutcheon followed with another championship in ’59. That’s a great note about Gary scoring on the last play of the San Miguel game, but what was he still doing in the game with the score so lopsided? You might want to look up the story on Gary that I did on the website after he passed away. Thanks for writing.

    1. Randy: Very sad to hear about your father’s passing. According to our records, Gary scored 193 points in 1958 on 25 touchdowns and 43 points after as the Bulldogs stormed through the season, scoring 514 points and posting an 11-0 record that included a Southern California Class A championship. I haven’t written about that season but I certainly will acknowledge some of the great things your father did. Thanks for writing and letting us know.

  45. Paul Lawton played for the Knights from 1967-69. The Scores tab is a great resource for the Team information, and I didn’t have any information relating to the time Bob Woodhouse was at SMHS. I am looking for somewhere to obtain the individual game statistics, so I can build those. If you think of anything, please let me know. I appreciate the work you’ve done on this website. Thanks!

    1. Individual stats are going to be tough. I was a prep writer for the old Evening Tribune in early ‘sixties. We’d run roundups in every Saturday prep edition but a player’s individual stats seldom came to light unless they were cited in the advance story on a big game, or if he made all-CIF, etc. You could get some individual stats out of those roundups but there was no guarantee there’d be a weekly mention of someone’s exploits. There’s also the tedious task of going through old game film if any exist. Friday (advances) and Saturday (results) prep sports pages of the Tribune and Union were thorough but not all inclusive. Good luck.

  46. Rick,
    I need some help with some records for San Marcos HS. I am in the process of trying to revive, and update, the records for our Knight Football program. John Maffei and Terry Monohan were very helpful, before NC Times closed, with game statistics and information back to 1978. Do you know where I could begin to find statistics from 1961, the first year of SMHS, thru 1977? In looking through the CIF record books, I see that Paul Lawton was one of the better players in our school’s history, but I don’t have game information. Any assistance, and/or guidance, will be appreciated.

    Thank you,
    Mike Sommers

    1. Mike: Find the Scores link on this website. That will lead you to a link that lists scores by team. You can find all of San Marcos’ scores dating to its opening season, 1961. I remember Paul Lawton. Can you tell me the years he played? Junior Morton was an outstanding player in the Knights’ early years. He scored 15 touchdowns and 100 points on Bob Woodhouse’s 7-2 team in 1963.

  47. Rick, I really enjoy this web site — especially all the historical scores … a real learning experience! I enjoyed your recent article about Glen Forsythe and the 1954 Ramona season. How about something on their 1958 squad?

    And speaking of 1958 — your Top Scorers section is missing Ramona’s Gary Mayer … 191 points. (By the way, I never lived in Ramona — just a distant fan.)

    1. Rob: I haven’t covered the 1958 season but will soon. Actually, I have Gary Mayer scoring 193 points in 11 games, 25 touchdowns and 43 PAT. Forsythe had a great run with the Bulldogs. They also did pretty good with Bob McCutcheon, but the 1958 team arguably was the best small schools team ever around here. The individual scorers pretty much cover only the years about which I’ve written. I’m working with my cyber expert to create a category of leading scorers by year. That way we’ll know that the overall list won’t be complete until we have all of the years. Mayer, at the time, ranked second all-time in the County to Oceanside’s C.R. Roberts, who scored 194 points in 9 games in 1953.Thanks for writing and reading.

    1. A good baseball story might be why Ted Williams went to Hoover and not San Diego. I’ll visit with someone who spoke to Williams and got the correct story.

  48. Hi Rick: Full props to you and your prep football history. School by school and year by year. I don’t know how you were able to compile all of it but it’s amazing. Also, it settles all bar bets. Especially with those shoulda, woulda, coulda types. You know the “I blew out my knee” kind of guys.
    There aren’t 8 million stories in your prep football yearbook, but close to it! Richard

    1. Thanks, Richard. I hope to dabble in track during the spring. Doing a little basketball now. It’s a continual work in progress,but I enjoy the pursuit. seems like i find something I have to correct every day. All the best.

    1. I don’t know if David has coached on the pro level. he was a coaching intern at our L.A. Rams training camp in 1993, when his dad was on Chuck Knox’s staff. I’m really impressed with what Shaw has done at Stanford. They kind of play a pro style game, heavy hitting running attack and big, tough off. linemen. The move from college to pro can be tricky. Jonh Madden went from San Diego State defensive coordinator to linebackers at Oakland and a year later he was the Raiders’ head coach. I would think David Shaw could move into the pros. Hey, Norv’s not gone yet.

  49. Graduated from Sweetwater 57. Found your wonderfull website thru Don Norcross.
    Many great memories starting with C.R. Roberts running over a outmaned SU HI team
    I have a great picture of my dads National city high school football offense of 1919.
    This photograph predates Sweetwater high school.

    1. Don: That was a pretty good era at Sweetwater Barney Newlee’s ’53 Red Devils, with Don and Dennis Magee forming a QB-Center combo, were the only team other than Chula Vista to beat Roberts and Oceanside. I’m Lincoln, ’57. I remember an outstanding sprinter on the track team, Bill Walters (was he killed in Viet Nam?) and a swift little redhead, Jim Stewart, plus footballers Keith Luhnow, Jimmy King, George McElvain, and others. The ’58 Red Devils went all the way to the CIF semifinals. Mike Fogelsong had a terrific nickname: The ‘Frisco Freight. Thanks for writing.

      1. Wow!! what a great memory or library you have. Tom Parker coached those very good
        Sweetater teams. Of those you mentioned
        only Jimmy King is still living. Jim went on to have a great career with the FBI.

      2. I played baseball at SU HI and remember playing against a good Lincoln team with Bob Mendoza ( A man among us boys ) and Bob Moss also a tough right hander named Brad Griffith if I remember correctly.

      3. You must also have some great memories of track
        meets between SD and Lincoln. Roscoe Cook, Bobby
        Staten, David Grayson were
        some of the best in the state
        at that time.

      4. A friend saw Grayson playing golf on the nine-hole course yesterday at Balboa Muni. Staten is alive and well, retired from Los Angeles probation department and living in L.A. Crenshaw area. Roscoe passed away in Alpharetta, Georgia, earlier this year. The 1957 CIF finals at Chaffey High in Ontario remains one of my all-time sports thrills. Staten came from behind in the final leg of the 880 relay and San Diego claimed the team title. Roscoe won the 100 in the disputed :09.4, then they made it a tie between Cook and Preston Griffin of Centennial. Mission Bay’s Jim Cerveny set a record in the 880-yard run and my guy, Luther Hayes of Lincoln, won the broad jump.

      5. I see Bob Mendoza often, when we visit Coach Harvey in El Cajon. Mendoza lives in Point Loma and I think he and his wife are involved in antiques. He must have coached at Morse for 25 years. Moss moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, about three years ago but gets back here a couple times a year. Brad was a very successful head football coach for 20 years or so at Mira Mesa, then coached girls’ softball, finally hanging it up this fall.

      6. Is Dennis Magee gone? Last I heard he was with his native Pala Indians. Don owned a Standard station at Sepulveda and Venice in Culver City and survived a terrible beating when his station was robbed. I don’t know how long he lived after that.

      7. I also was at Chaffey high school that awesome day. That was to me a day to remember forever. As for the Maghee brothers I think Don passed on but am not aware of Dennis’
        status.

  50. Excerpt courtesy of SDUT Don Norcross 2012/12/07 from
    http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/06/norcross-timeless-sd-prep-football-site/

    Former Evening Tribune sportswriter and Chargers PR man Rick Smith emailed to remind readers that Stanford head football coach David Shaw is the son of former Lincoln High product and longtime coach Willie Shaw.

    Willie Shaw, 68, coached for seven NFL franchises and five colleges, covering 33 seasons.

    Smith covered a 1961 Lincoln-St. Augustine game for the Evening Tribune when Willie Shaw rushed for 128 yards in a 13-6 upset of the Saints.

    Years later when Willie Shaw was an assistant for the St. Louis Rams and Smith was the clubs’ PR director, Smith made a copy of his story detailing Shaw’s prep feats and taped it to Shaw’s office door.

    “He was a little surprised,” Smith said. “The coaches saw it and razzed him.”

    Prep historian

    Smith’s Web site, partletonsports.com, is a must for the San Diego County football historian.

    Incredibly researched, the site includes the scores of almost every season for every local school, some dating back to 1895.

    The site also features Smith’s tales on everything from Grossmont High going 8-0-3 in 1927 under coach Ladimir (Jack) Cashin to Junior Seau to Vista’s 2-0 win over Torrey Pines this year. In a span of 758 games it was Vista’s second 2-0 safety-only win. The other came in 1958 against Palm Springs.

    Final add, Smith

    Why the handle partletonsports.com?

    Smith’s father’s last name was Partleton. He changed it after joining the Canadian Army and serving in World War I.

    Said Rick, “I asked him, Couldn’t you have been more inventive than Smith?”

  51. Rick:

    Great reacquaiting with you today. Great site! I was mistaken about the thrashing that Escondido gave my Foothillers in 1961…it was 1962, 0-12, at their house. It was cold and wet and we got smoked. Of course, it didn’t really matter because we would always lose to the Highlanders in any case.

    I look forward to visiting the site in the future. Thanks for all you do on behalf of San Diego sports history.

    Regards,

    Richard Rachel
    Grossmont, Class of ’62 (A mere 50 years ago)

  52. Rick, I have been doing the same thing for over 40 years. I have the same book published by the Union-Tribune in 1965. When I lived in San Diego (before 1986) I spent many hours at the library researching old newspapers. I found a lot of errors in the book, so I began to validate the scores looking through old newspapers. I never finished going through every year, but have done a number of them. Primarily when I found conflicting scores, I would try to look it up. Often the small schools (old Southern League) before the 60s got little press. Two schools are missing from the history. Mountain Empire was not part of the SDCIF in 1965. But prior to 1960 when San Diego schools competed in the Southern Section, they competed in the Southern League from 1950-59 and I believe even with the big schools in 1926 and 1931 from what I could tell. Also missing is Brown Military. They moved into Army-Navy’s old campus in 1937 and competed in the Southern League until 1957. After that they moved to Glendora. In my research I gotten some of their scores, but never a complete one because the newpaper did not have a page with high school summaries until the 1960s. I’d be glad to share anything additional I might have.

    1. Rick; Your old neighbor from Avenida Magnifica Scripps Ranch. Saw your name and website mentioned in Don Norcross’ blurb in the UT, thought I would say hello. I like your HS football history. Ted

      1. Ted: How are your two boys? It’s been awhile. Our house burned to the ground in ’03 but we rebuilt on the same site. All the best.

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@
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Away game
League game
>
>>,>>>,...
Overtime
2x,3x,... Overtime
I-V
A-AAA
O
Division I to V
Division A to AAA
Open Division
1T, 2T, ...
}, {
Final standing tie
Win, loss by 45 pt 'mercy' rule
*
**
***
^

^+
^^
1st round playoff
Quarterfinal playoff
Semifinal playoff
Championship
SoCal Championship
State Championship
8
8*
8**

8+
8-man team
Intraleague playoff
Southern Section playoff
8 vs 11-man team
~
-4
All boys, 2x enrollment
4 vs 3 grades, 9-12 vs 10-12
[
]
CA tiebreaker win,
loss
#, ##
!!
Forfeit win, loss
Game called, shortened or postponed
%Citrus-Desert Playoff

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@
=
Away game
League game
>
>>,>>>,...
Overtime
2x,3x,... Overtime
I-V
A-AAA
O
Division I to V
Division A to AAA
Open Division
1T, 2T, ...
}, {
Final standing tie
Win, loss by 45 pt 'mercy' rule
*
**
***
^

^+
^^
1st round playoff
Quarterfinal playoff
Semifinal playoff
Championship
SoCal Championship
State Championship
8
8*
8**

8+
8-man team
Intraleague playoff
Southern Section playoff
8 vs 11-man team
~
-4
All boys, 2x enrollment
4 vs 3 grades, 9-12 vs 10-12
[
]
CA tiebreaker win,
loss
#, ##
!!
Forfeit win, loss
Game called, shortened or postponed
%Citrus-Desert Playoff

This will close in 0 seconds

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