OCC celebrating 50th anniversary of original championship team

Don Cantrell

A well-deserved tribute is due for Orange Coast College and a

dedicated staff in the drive and planning for a 50th reunion that will

honor the first OCC championship football team from 1951, coached by Ray

Rosso.

One of the major events will include an afternoon football game for

the Pirates’ players of ’51 (Saturday, at Coast’s game with visiting

Santa Ana) and the second major treat will be a social get-together and

special food treat, after the grid contest.

Jeanette Mahoney, one of the key staff members, has been handling the

responsibility of tracking down a long list of former OCC gridders from

‘51.

At one count, she was up to 46 names until discovering that it would

subsequently note a handful of those who have passed on in recent years.

It was definitely up to 32 at last count and she expected some others to

appear.

She’s still looking for Dick Bennett, Dale Buckman, Dick Burns, Mike

Kohn, Sid Manning, Jack Meeks, Simon Munez, Ned Parsons, John Schleman,

Fulton Smith, Millard Souza and Don Williams.

Two one-time stars, former Newport Harbor High halfback Harlow

Richardson, who died of a recent heart attack in Colorado, and star

tackle Jim Keeline, a graduate of El Monte High who died in an accident

some years ago, will be sadly missed.

A few others will be unable to visit due to some difficult physical

ailments.

A one-time Junior Rose Bowl coach, Rosso told former tackle Ed Mayer

that he had hopes of making contact with the Black brothers, Charley and

Johnny, in Palm Springs where they had attended high school in 1950.

Charlie was a great defensive back while his brother was a spectacular

runner.

Most of the players on the team hailed from Harbor High, Huntington

Beach, Downey and Orange.

Other Harbor High graduates of note from the Al Irwin era in 1949 and

‘50 include high-scoring Tar halfback Mel Smalley, tackle Bob Woodhouse,

who became a name prep coach years later in San Diego County; Jack Meeks,

a rangy end; a one-time Sunset League halfback named Bob Watts; tackle Ed

Mayer, who earned the coveted Rod Gould trophy in ‘51; and Richardson, a

star halfback in ’48.

Two top names from Orange featured halfback Ned Parsons and center Gil

Stearn, while Syd Manning, a rugged end, and guard Dale Buckley hailed

from Downey.

One of the top holdovers from a prior season was Fred Owens, a tough

guard and one who had served some challenging times in the Marine Corps.

He finished as team captain on the ’51 team. Hal Smith was an outstanding

fullback and deemed most vaulable in ’51.

One report indicated that Owens, who advanced to become a 30-year

administrator at Golden West College, helped spark the drive for a ’51

football reunion. Although he was born and reared in the state of

Washington, he came to Southern California after Marine duty and never

left. He still lives in Costa Mesa.

Owens drew wide popularity in his OCC days, sometimes sporting an

Irish derby and a bright Irish green scarf. “I always favored his spirit

and good humor,” said teammate Mayer.

After Rosso’s two outstanding years coaching at Chaffey College,

following World War II, he was approached by new college president Basil

Peterson from OCC and offered the football coaching job.

Although Chaffey had good material and a sound program, Rosso and his

family were drawn to the seashore by Orange Coast.

In fact, he and his family spent most every weekend traveling to

Newport Beach from Ontario.

Mayer said Rosso may now be 85 years old. “But he still gets around

with ample energy,” Mayer said. “He still gets out to Orange Coast to

visit the campus and greet old friends.”

The ’51 season marked Rosso’s fourth year at OCC.

He had great success with the ’49 team, which recorded an 8-2-0 record

and earned a bowl bid.

The team finally chose to nix the invitation since it had come across

too many injuries in the long season, according to Rosso and quarterback

Harlo LeBard.

Coast’s game with Santa Ana on Saturday starts at 1 p.m. with a

reception planned in the lobby of Basil Peterson Gymnasium following the

game for the team members, coaches, support staff and their families.