400,Hannah Labrie-Smith (6),Cathedral,:56.26,:55.41,Schantell Williams,Berkeley St. Mary’s,Melissa Mongiovi (10),West Hills,:57.18
800,Sarah Abrahamson (7),La Costa Canyon,2:15.60,2:12.84,Kendall Derry,Fair Oaks Bella Vista
300H,Hannah Labrie-Smith (4),Cathedral,:43.54,:42.84,Morganne Hill,Bakersfield Liberty
Shot Put,Lausauga Tausaga (4),Mount Miguel,44-3,49-10,Elena Bruckner,San Jose Valley Christian
[/easytable]
1924: Hilltoppers’ Star Saved in Swimming Pool
San Diego High avoided a tragic event when star sophomore fullback Bert Ritchey almost drowned before the Hilltoppers’ “bowl game” at Phoenix Union.
After a 12-hour ride on a special San Diego & Arizona railroad car and arriving Friday morning, the Cavemen worked out at Phoenix’s Riverside Park late Friday afternoon. That evening many in the squad took advantage of a nearby swimming pool.
Ritchey got into trouble but was not noticed until Werner Petersen saw his teammate lying at the bottom of the pool.
Petersen quickly dived, embraced Ritchey, and got his teammate to the surface, according to the report in The San Diego Union.
Ritchey was shaken but okay after a few minutes.
Coach John Perry declared the youngster out of the game, but Ritchey played about 10 minutes the next day, according to various reports, and scored a touchdown in the 14-13 victory.
Perry had scheduled the game late in the season as a reward for the team after the Hilltoppers had clinched the Coast League championship.
Following the Saturday afternoon contest, the Hilltoppers boarded a railroad car for another 12-hour trip back to San Diego, arriving Sunday morning.
RITCHEY’S NAME RESONATED
Big Ritchey, a 180-pounder, was born in Kansas and moved to San Diego at a young age in 1909, when his family lived downtown at the corner of Front and F streets. His was one of the earlier African-American families to settle here.
Sophomore Bert Ritchey was star for Hilltoppers.
Bert’s younger brother, Johnny, was the first black player in baseball’s Pacific Coast League when he joined the San Diego Padres in 1948.
Ted Ritchey, the star of San Diego High’s 1947 Southern California finalist, was a nephew of Bert, who also had athletic brothers Alfred and Earl.
SOUR ORANGES
According to The San Diego Union’s Alan McGrew, the Cavemen wasted five scoring opportunities in their 0-0 tie at Orange.
“The game might be a moral victory for Orange,” wrote McGrew. “Their ability to hold San Diego at times appeared uncanny.”
McGrew, who had been particularly critical of Perry in 1923, took a shot. “San Diego either lacked good plays or good judgment in their many attempts to score.”
Orange scored more than a moral victory in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The Panthers took a 17-0 lead and returned intercepted passes 35 and 60 yards for touchdowns in a 29-20 victory over the Hilltoppers.
Orange scored three touchdowns on intercepted passes, a safety, three PAT, and two field goals, one from the 40-yard line.
The Panthers’ first touchdown came on a 95-yard intercepted pass return by Wuelff.
According to historian Don King’s Caver Conquest, San Diego stunningly outgained Orange, 559 yards to 98, and held a 33-1 advantage in first downs.
Who was keeping the stats?
PERRY WANTS TO PEEL ORANGE
The yardage anomaly was reason enough for coach John Perry to seek a third game. He challenged Orange to a Christmas Day showdown in San Diego.
“I am confident that our team is better than Orange,” said Perry. “They did not score on their own plays but on our fumbles.”
The challenge was in play only if Orange did not win the Southern California championship. Orange wasn’t interested after playing five postseason contests and being eliminated in the semifinals
The Sweetwater Red Devils and coach Herb Hoskins earned a berth in the Southern California playoffs.
COMPLEX PLAYOFFS
One had to follow closely to understand the postseason.
Orange defeated Redlands, 39-0, in the first round.
Orange defeated San Diego in the second round.
San Diego had a first-round bye and Sweetwater had first-round and second-round byes (not an unusual procedure for that era since travel and who was available came into play).
Orange defeated Sweetwater, 14-0, the following week in the quarterfinals.
Glendale and Compton deadlocked, 0-0, in the semifinals and, by rule, played again the following week, Glendale winning, 7-0.
The Dynamiters then defeated Compton, 24-0, for the championship as star lineman Marion Morrison played his final game before moving on to USC and later was successful in the movies under the name of John Wayne.
CAVEMEN GRIND
Having first played Santa Ana in 1905, the Saints were the Hillltoppers’ oldest intersectional rival and this year’s game, a physical, 13-0 San Diego victory, showed how much coach John Perry team liked to run the ball.
Individual game statistics for high school games were rarely published, but someone kept a record in this game.
Bert Ritchey gained 76 yards in 25 carries and scored 1 touchdown. Phil Winnek had 50 yards in 12 attempts and scored once. In all, the Hilltoppers rushed 58 times for 171 yards.
MONEY TIGHT
San Diego B coach Gerald (Tex) Oliver greeted 60 candidates, all reportedly fewer than 140 pounds and averaging 132 (Sweetwater had 62 B prospects, with about 30 that weighed no more than 110) and Oliver was hard pressed to outfit all.
The San Diego board of education denied an appropriation for the Hilltoppers’ B squad, so Oliver planned benefits.
The “Infants,” as Oliver’s club was known, charged 15 cents for a game with La Jolla.
‘BEES’ VITAL
Usually fast and experienced, most B players had participated in junior high or interclass competition.
With eligibility based on “exponents”–height, weight, and age–B teams, similar to junior varsity squads, were an integral part of Southern California football programs for many years.
Many players would start with the B team but advance to the varsity and return to the B’s in the same season.
The San Diego varsity generally practiced at 2 p.m. in City Stadium, followed by the Bees at 4.
Pasadena appeared to have a 12th defender, the game umpire, as it attempted to stop San Diego fullback Bert Ritchey.
IT’S ABOUT THE GREEN
Sweetwater’s student executive committee voted for the Red Devils to give up a possible home-field advantage and play San Diego in the City Stadium.
The committee rubber-stamped the request of athletic manager Cheeney Moe and head coach Herb Hoskins, who wanted the gate receipts from a larger turnout in the stadium to go to improving the school’s football facilities.
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE?
Hoskins, whose teams were in the Southern California playoffs four out of five seasons in the 1920s, didn’t flinch when asked his team’s chances against San Diego in the season opener.
Writer Alan McGrew of The San Diego Union asserted that the Sweeties had lately “taken some of San Diego’s thunder”.
“We’ll win,” said Hoskins. “We never figure on losing when we enter a game. I am confident we’ll win.”
The Cavemen defeated the Red Devils, 33-0, as Bert Ritchey made his debut with four touchdowns.
COLLEGE BLOWUP’S FALLOUT
Stanford and California announced they were suspending relations with the University of Southern California at the end of the season.
Things had soured between the Pacific Coast powerhouses, with the Northern schools, original conference members since 1915, accusing the Trojans, who joined in 1922, of paying players and not enforcing admittedly vague conference academic standards.
USC promptly announced it was a canceling a home game that week with Stanford, saying that the Northern schools had challenged USC’s “honor”, had a “anti-Southern California feeling” and that the Trojans had always played by the rules.
The USC action affected that week’s San Diego-Long Beach Poly battle for the Coast League title.
Originally scheduled Saturday, Poly boss Harry Moore announced a switch to Friday, not wanting to go against USC-Stanford.
Kemp’s long punts were vital.
When USC bailed on Stanford, Moore switched again, back to Saturday, saying that his school would “lose too much money” and a probable big San Diego crowd by playing on Friday.
San Diego clinched a tie for the Coast League championship with a 6-3 victory over Poly in a taut defensive struggle. The Hilltoppers’ Rocky Kemp kept the Jackrabbits backing up with booming punts, one traveling 80 yards.
CAVEMENON CARPET
Northern schools in the Coast League also were angry with one of their brethren.
San Diego High vice principal Edgar Anderson was called to Los Angeles for a meeting in which the Hilltoppers were forced to defend themselves against possible expulsion.
Fullerton’s principal charged the Hilltoppers with “rough tactics” in San Diego’s 33-7 victory weeks before.
One Indians player “even had a black eye”, said the school administrator.
Fullerton coach Shorty Smith complained to officials at the end of the game that the Cavemen were “holding” and “coached to play dirty.”
THEY CAN’T HEAR WHISTLE
Pasadena also pointed out that San Diego was penalized twice for roughing.
The Union’s McGrew dismissed the charge by noting that the locals only “kept on playing after the whistle”, which apparently was okay with the writer.
The meaningless vote, which needed the CIF’s approval, was 3-2, with Pasadena backing Fullerton.
Whittier, Santa Ana and Long Beach Poly sided with their Border City rival.
INELIGIBLE?
Fullerton also claimed that Hilltopper Alden Johnson, son of the San Diego City Schools superintendent, was not on the eligibility list when the teams met.
San Diego stated that Johnson indeed was eligible but was on the “Seconds” squad and didn’t play.
Edgar Anderson then stuck it to Fullerton by producing an eligibility document sent by Fullerton during the previous track season.
The Orange County school’s list had only a scarce number of athletes cited, not nearly enough for a track meet. Instead of being on the Coast League’s official form, the information “was on a piece of scratch paper,” said the San Diego official.
CIF NOT HAPPY
The Hillers did not have clean hands.
“San Diego High was in hot water during this time period, because of not following CIF rules. There were delays in making reports (forwarding game receipts, etc) ,” said CIF Southern Section historian John Dahlem.
Similar complaints of travel were voiced many times over the years.
TROUBLE NEAR THE OCEAN
Army-Navy also drew the wrath of the Southern Section.
The Cadets’ starting backfield and three linemen were declared ineligible thirty minutes before kickoff against El Centro Central.
There probably were more substitutes than starters in this picture of San Diego High players before a game with Pasadena. Front row (from left), George Peterson, Harold Conklin, John Wickens, Cy West, Herman Eickmeyer, Bill Ramsey, Lawrence Peterson. Backfield (left to right), quarterback and captain Frank Ribble, halfback Phil Winnek, fullback Bert Ritchey, halfback John Donohue.
Thirty players in all were banished from football, according to coach Ed Tarr.
Alan McGrew wrote that “most of the ineligibility was caused by students transferring from other schools after being out a semester.”
McGrew was emotional.
The scribe declared that “the murder of Caesar was nothing compared to the ‘crime’ the Southern California Interscholastic Federation, boss of prep sports in this section, has committed.”
Minutes from a Southern Section executive committee meeting 10 days before did not shed much light, only that games played by Army-Navy “are not to count towards a championship in any way.”
The CIF was uneasy about the Pacific Beach military boarding school, whose perceived unfair housing advantage raised questions of residence and eligibility.
TARR REGROUPS
The Army-Navy coach announced that he would have to dismantle the “Seconds” team and that he was debating whether to field an “Ineligible” squad.
Tarr thought his ineligibles could meet the San Diego Lightning squad.
The Lightning also was comprised of ineligible players and was coached by Rupert Costo, a 200-pound Native American lineman who was expected to be a starter on the Hilltoppers’ varsity.
Costo had gotten the rubber key from school officials after he had exhausted his eligibility when it was discovered that Costo had attended “several other high schools.”
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Artist’s concept of the new San Diego sports emporium.
The new Coliseum Athletic Club was being constructed at 15th and E Streets. “Every possible modern convenience” was to be included in the 4,500-seat stucco and tile structure.
TASTY
Carlsbad celebrated its second annual “Avocado Days”. Some 2,000 guests enjoyed Avocado soup, Avocado sandwiches, and Avocado ice cream.
A dance concluded the event, at which a local Avocado honcho said the fruit had made the North Coast of San Diego County famous.
WILSON JUNIOR HIGH ON DECK
Low bid of $247,000 was submitted by contractor William C. Reed for construction of Woodrow Wilson Memorial Junior High at 37th Street and El Cajon Blvd., in East San Diego.
Wilson would open in 1926 and be the primary feeder for a high school that was to be built later in the decade. That school would be named after future President Herbert Hoover.
New construction was everywhere, including Normal Heights, where the Adams Avenue Garage rose at the corner of 36th Street.
PARK THE CARS HERE
The last quarter of Coronado’s 38-12 victory at Army-Navy was played with the aid of automobile lights.
Many scoring plays and penalties meant a longer game and late October’s dwindling sunlight contributed to the need for artificial illumination.
STEPPING STONE
Pay dues at Memorial or Roosevelt, the city’s two junior highs, which opened in 1922 and ’24, respectively, and be promoted to the high school.
Future San Diego coaches Dewey (Mike) Morrow and George Hobbs were on the Memorial staff.
FOOTBALL AT PARKER
Francis Parker in Mission Hills announced Sept. 4 it would field a high school football team this year, under the guidance of Lloyd Prante, former Nebraska player.
The school, which opened in Mission Hills in 1911, would move to Linda Vista in the late 1960s and begin playing football again in 1969.
LARGER LOOP
The County (Southern) League, inclusive of all schools other than San Diego High, entered its eighth season of operation with a double, round-robin schedule and welcomed newcomer La Jolla Junior-Senior High.
Other football-playing members were Grossmont, Sweetwater, Escondido, and Coronado. Point Loma would open and join the league in 1926.
FOOTHILLERS HEAD FOR HILLS
Twenty-one Grossmont players and coach Ladimir (Jack) Mashin engaged in a one-week camp at Pine Hills YMCA (later known as Camp Marston) in Julian.
“Most of the boys have been on ranches all summer with little time for recreation,” explained principal Carl Birdsall.
The group was accompanied by a chef. Goal posts were added to the athletic field, and a swimming pool was available.
TRUE GRID
Saunders was first-team all-Southern California.
San Diego had one player on the all-Southern California team, blocking back Russ Saunders…Glenn Rozelle, the uncle of future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, also was a first-team choice, from Compton…San Diego players didn’t practice on the first day of school, instead watching a slow-motion film on fundamentals, instructed by USC coach Gus Henderson and Notre Dame boss Knute Rockne…Grossmont defeated Brawley, 6-0, in the first ever game between San Diego and Imperial County clubs…the Pasadena Star newspaper ordered a phone line for the City Stadium press box so its correspondent could provide a running, play-by-play of the Bulldogs’ game against San Diego…San Diego and the Pomona College freshmen almost evenly split 25 punts and Pomona missed four field goals…”Blackboard” practice was a precursor to modern-day game film…coaches diagrammed plays on a chalkboard and tested the players…
2014-15: Torrey Pines Leads 6 San Diego Teams
Can coach John Olive’s tough-minded, resourceful Torrey Pines Falcons pull off another victory in Tuesday’s Southern California playoff Division I semifinals?
The No. 6-seed Falcons, trailing, 43-40, after three quarters, walked down host No. 3 Long Beach Poly, 54-49, in the quarterfinals Saturday night. The Falcons now visit 2 seed Chino Hills, averaging a turbo-charged 85.4 points and holding a 78-54 victory over Poly and an 82-63 win last week over Torrey Pines neighbor San Marcos.
The Huskies’ 16-14 record is the result of seven forfeit defeats early in the season, including a forfeit loss to Foothills Christian, which came up short in an Open Division game at Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda, the state’s third-ranked team.
Coach Brad Leaf’s Foothills Knights held a one-point lead with a little more than one minute remaining, surrendered a basket, and then, in possession, could not get the shot it needed with 10 seconds left.
St. Augustine was ushered out in the Open Division, 75-61, by Torrance Bishop Montgomery.
Of the original 18 teams from the San Diego Section, three boys’ teams and three girls’ squads still are in the hunt.
La Costa Canyon, No. 1 in Boys’ Division II, faces the 22-11 Lawndale Cardinals, who defeated Redlands East Valley, 75-50.
Lawndale recently surrendered a 28-point lead in the third third quarter and 22-point advantage in the fourth and bowed to Anaheim Canyon, 105-98, in two overtimes in the Southern Section finals.
Mt. Carmel must travel to Alhambra and take on No. 1-ranked Mark Keppel in Girls’ D-II. La Jolla Country Day and The Bishop’s, seeded 1 and 2 in D-V, could be headed to a championship showdown. Pairings:
BOYS
Div.
Seed
Team
Record
Seed
Team
Record
I
6
Torrey Pines
31-3
@2
Chino Hills
16-14*
II
1
La Costa Canyon
24-7
4
Lawndale
22-11
V
6
Army-Navy
26-6
@2
L.A. Price
22-7
*Includes 7 forfeits.
GIRLS
Div.
Seed
Team
Record
Seed
Team
Record
II
4
Mt. Carmel
30-3
@1
Alhambra Mark Keppel
24-7
V
1
La Jolla Country Day
15-12
4
L.A. Ribet
24-10
V
2
The Bishop’s
23-9
3
Garden Grove Orangewood
29-4
2014-15: Horizon Girls Get Stink Eye From CIF
Winning a league and section title no longer matters, according to the convoluted “power” ratings and Open divisions established by the state CIF and endorsed by the San Diego Section.
The Horizon girls’ basketball team was essentially told to drop dead by the CIF after the Panthers had won their league title and the San Diego Section Division I championship.
State regional playoffs begin tomorrow night. Horizon is out and La Jolla Country Day and The Bishop’s, teams beaten by Horizon for the Horizon League title, are the 1 and 2 seeds in D-V.
Teams can move down in the regional only if they were in Open Division in their section playoffs. St. Augustine stays in the Open by virtue of another seeding criteria.
No less an expert and booster of high school sports than Mark Tennis of Cal-Hi Sports weighed in.
“We’ve been doing this for 35 years, longer than the CIF has even had a state tournament, and the Horizon Christian girls basketball team having its season end through a series of CIF San Diego Section policies, CIF State regional criteria, and ridiculous power ratings is one of the worst cases of how not to run high school sports that we’ve ever seen.”
“It’s a tragedy,” added Steve Brand of UT-San Diego.
Boys D-I titlist Escondido also is out. Morse, which lost to the Cougars, 63-49, in the D-I championship, is in.
Go figure.
The ratings are the result of much statistical analysis. A labyrinth of information goes into a computer to help determine which teams compete in Roman numeral divisions and which teams are selected for Open divisions.
Sounds good, but it hasn’t worked.
St. Augustine, which won a state D-III title in 2012-13, was denied an opportunity to defend its title and was consigned to the Open Division in 2013-14.
The Saints were forced to go on the road and took a 67-39, first-round shellacking from Santa Ana Mater Dei.
Coach Mike Haupt’s squad again is in the Open Division and faces another tall hurdle. As the No. 8 seed, the Saints visit No. 1 Torrance Bishop Montgomery, the state’s second-ranked squad.
Foothills Christian, which won the San Diego Section D-II title, all of a sudden is in the Open Division, apparently because the Knights have an overall high state ranking (No. 20 by Cal-Hi Sports).
The No. 6 seed Knights also have a daunting challenge, visiting No. 3 seed Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda, the state’s third-ranked team.
Torrey Pines, the Open Division loser to St. Augustine, also is in the tournament, but now has a home game in D-I tomorrow night against Tustin Foothill.
Go figure II.
More and more teams are being invited to the state playoffs. The once-pristine regional is beginning to look like the bloated early rounds of the Section tournament.
Teams with losing records are creeping in.
Regional first-round pairings involving San Diego section teams:
BOYS
Div.
Seed
Team
Record
Seed
Team
Record
Open
8
St. Augustine
25-6
@1
Torrance Bishop Montgomery
29-1
6
Foothills Christian
23-7
@3
Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda
23-8
I
11
Tustin Foothill
28-3
@6
Torrey Pines
29-3
10
San Marcos
25-3
@7
Riverside J. W. North
24-3
II
16
Las Flores Tesoro
19-11
@1
La Costa Canyon
22-7
12
Mira Mesa
25-7
@5
Redlands East Valley
25-7
15
Kearny
23-8
@2
Anaheim Canyon
23-9
III
12
Valhalla
22-9
@5
La Habra Sonora
28-4
10
Corona del Mar
24-7
@7
El Cajon Valley
25-6
IV
11
Cerritos Valley Christian
22-9
@6
Mission Bay
21-4
15
Pacific Ridge
22-6
@2
Pasadena Maranatha
20-8
V
11
Hesperia Christian
23-9
@6
Army-Navy
24-6
GIRLS
Div.
Seed
Team
Record
Seed
Team
Record
Open
6
Mission Hills
26-5
@1
Long Beach Poly
25-3
I
12
Torrey Pines
22-9
@5
San Bernardino Cajon
26-3
15
Eastlake
20-8
@2
Vista Murrieta
22-7
II
12
La Costa Canyon
23-6
@5
Norco
22-9
13
Eagle Rock
19-10
@4
Mt. Carmel
28-3
14
Westview
21-7
@3
Mira Costa+
24-7
III
12
Kearny
22-6
@5
Corona
22-8
11
Rancho Bernardo
14-12
@6
Rancho Santa Margarita
18-14
IV
9
El Capitan
19-8
@8
Capistrano J. Serra
23-7
V
1
La Jolla Country Day
14-12
Bye
2
L.A. Price
14-16
@2
The Bishop’s
21-9
FINAL UT-SAN DIEGO BASKETBALL VOTE
Foothills Christian came on strong in the San Diego Section playoffs and finished atop the UT-SanUT-San Diego poll.
#
Team (1st place votes)
W-L
Points*
Previous
1
Foothills Christian (9)
23-7**
107
2
2
St. Augustine (2)
25-6
101
7
3
Torrey Pines
29-4
89
1
4
Escondido
23-7
64
8
5
La Costa Canyon
22-7
59
3
6
Army-Navy
24-6
47
5
7
San Marcos
25-3
44
4
8
Morse
25-7
28
9
9
El Camino
21-6
22
6
10
Mission Bay
20-4
17
10
*Awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. **Includes two forfeits.
Others receiving votes: El Cajon Valley (25-6), 5; Mira Mesa (25-7), 4; Francis Parker (19-8), 2.
Eleven San Diego County sportswriters and broadcasters and a CIF San Diego Section representative vote each week. The panel includes John Maffei and Kirk Kenney (UT-San Diego), Terry Monahan (UT-San Diego correspondent), Bill Dickens (eastcountysports.com), Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions), John Labeta (CIF San Diego Section), Bodie DeSilva (sandiegopreps.com), Aaron Burgin (fulltimeshoops.com), Rick Willis (KUSI Chl. 51), Rick Smith (partletonsports.com), Drew Willis (sdcoastalsports.com).
2014-15: Playoffs Now Get Serious
Ugly blowouts apparently in the rear view mirror, the San Diego Section basketball playoffs reach the semifinals round this week in the Open and Divisions I-V.
The so-called CIF power ratings, with their comprehensive reviews of statistics, scores, strength of schedule, etc., raised questions when Vista was accorded an Open Division berth, resulting in Francis Parker and Morse being assigned to Division I.
San Marcos’ strength of schedule was questioned when he it was granted a No. 3 seed in the Open.
St. Augustine, No. 6, defeated San Marcos, 60-45, and Torrey Pines, No. 1, walloped Vista, No. 8, 68-38.
IT’S WHO YOU PLAY
Torrey Pines was 4-1 in intersectional games and hosted the nationally acclaimed Under-Armour Tournament, which brings teams from throughout the United States.
Vista was 1-5 in out-of-the area competition and participated in a lower level tournament in Westminster.
San Marcos was 5-0 intersectionally and won undistinguished tournaments in Maui, Hawaii, and at Mt. Carmel.
St. Augustine was 4-3 out of the area and was in the lower level West Hills event but also competed in the Under Armour and Santa Margarita tournaments.
The Open semifinals have St. Augustine (23-6) at No. 2 La Costa Canyon (22-6) and No. 4 Army-Navy (24-5) at Torrey Pines (27-2).
Hopefully early-round games involving undeserving, losing teams and scores of 68-21, 92-29, 77-28, and 71-27 won’t be repeated and, in the future, more weight will be given to the quality of tournaments and intersectional competition.
1956: “Smiley” is San Diego High Legend
San Diego coach Duane Maley said it best: “He can run sideways faster than most backs can forward.”
Maley spoke of a favored player, 5-foot, 4-inch, 145-pound halfback Cleveland (Smiley) Jones, who literally carried the 1956 Cavemen.
Jones was the City Prep League player of the year despite missing almost all of two games and parts of others.
San Diego was 6-0 when Jones was healthy, 1-2 when he was sidelined.
OFF TO 3-0 START
In what was supposed to be a major rebuilding season after Jones and teammates won the 1955 Southern California championship and were declared national prep champions, the Cavers won their first three games in impression fashion.
Jones was hurt in the first quarter of the fourth, an upset, 20-12 loss to Hoover. He played sparingly the following week, a 54-13 win over Mission Bay, and missed much of the 35-21 loss to Downey in the first round of the playoffs.
OFFENSE, DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS
Jones, scoring second touchdown against Lincoln, went on to star at University of Oregon..
In between, Jones scored 96 points, with 12 touchdowns and kicked 24 points after. He also played defense, but was player of the year because of a 10.8-yard rushing average, 17-yard pass-receiving average, and a stunning 45-yard average on punt returns.
“Jones is a great broken field runner, the greatest I’ve ever coached,” said Maley, who was not given to hyperbole.
Of Jones’s many long runs, the most memorable came in the showdown with Lincoln, playoff berth and tie for the CPL title on the line.
Lincoln scored first to take a 7-0 lead on a short run by quarterback Russ Boehmke.
Jones juggled the ensuing kickoff and the ball bounced back to the one-yard line. The diminutive Caver almost lost his balance, but recovered, and ran 99 yards for a tying touchdown.
Lincoln’s Russ Boehmke (14) takes aim at Cleveland Jones as Boehmke escorts Curtis Tucker, who gained 42 yards on broken play in first half.
Jones scored one other touchdown as San Diego won a thrill-packed game, 26-19, earning a first-round playoff date with Downey at Long Beach Veterans’ Stadium, site of San Diego’s epic 1955 semifinal victory over Anaheim.
PLAYED DOWNEY CLOSE
Jones was hurt in the loss to Downey, the eventual, 13-13 tie co-champion with Anaheim.
The Cavers’ 14-point loss, with Jones out much of the game, compared well to the Vikings 41-point victory over Beverly Hills and 33-point win over Lancaster Antelope Valley in other playoff games.
Comparatively, Downey defeated Long Beach Wilson, 13-7. San Diego defeated the Bruins, 21-7, and had three touchdowns called back.
This wasn’t a championship Cavers team, but it might have been had Jones not been sidelined with some untimely injuries.
PLAYED ON AND ON
Jones was on a conference championship team at San Diego Junior College in 1957, was a two-year star at Oregon, a late roster cut of the NFL Dallas Cowboys, and then starred for the powerful San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot team.
Jones still was playing semipro football at age 38. Compared to 21st century NFL players, he most closely resembled Darren Sproles, who thrilled San Diego Chargers fans a couple generations later.
Jones went on to a long career as an officer in the Orange County Probation Department.
He was known as “Smiley” because his facial bones were such that his countenance is a perpetual pleasant expression or smile.
Cleveland brought a lot of smiles to those who watched him and played with him.
