Download complete file with overview and stats: 1929

1929
Coaches:
Morrison, varsity football, basketball and baseball
Firebaugh, lightweight football, basketball and head of track
Stevens, tennis

FOOTBALL
Practice games:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Hayward 0-6
Palo Alto 7-7

League games:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
King City 33-0
Monterey 25-14
Hollister 0-13
Salinas 0-6
Pacific Grove 13-0
Watsonville 13-0
League 4-2, SC took third place.
Overall record 4-3-1

Starters for the varsity football team:
Ends: Marshall Wheeler, Ralph Dofflemyre, Nutter
Tackles: Metcalf, Thieller and, at the beginning of the season, sophomore Simoni, who later moved to half back
Guards: Howard Binkley and Messick
Center: Bob Moore
Quarterback: Joe Lantagne took over from Captain Bud Beasley, who injured his knee and is out for the year
Halfbacks: Bob Stevens, Mann and Simoni
Fullback: Andrew Antonetti
The twenty man squad had 2 sophomores, 7 juniors and 11 seniors.

From the Trident, “Attend the big pep rally and bonfire Friday night to get ready for the big game against Watsonville.”

Varsity quarterback, Bud Beasley, was this years team captain. Unfortunately, Beasley was not able to finish the season due to an injured knee. His injury kept him from playing basketball as well. Beasley had played on three previous championship lightweight football teams and served as the team captain in his junior year. In his first two years at SCHS, Beasley played on the lightweight basketball team, going to the NCS finals as a freshmen. As a junior, he played on the varsity basketball team. Additionally, Beasley was an excellent pitcher and first baseman during his four years at SCHS.
Moreover, Bud Beasley was awarded the coveted gold block SC. He was the second member of his family to be honored with this award. From the Trident, “Bud is a real athletic player, who plays the game clean and square. Tops in sportsmanship and leadership.”

Varsity player Andrew Antonetti was All CCAL in football.
From the Trident, “Old RUSH-EM-TONY Antonetti got the extra yards carrying the football and sank foul shots to put the old hoop game on ice.”

LIGHTWEIGHT FOOTBALL
SCHS was the undefeated champion for the fifth year in a row.
Scores:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
King City 19-0
Monterey 23-7
Hollister 26-0
Salinas 7-0
Watsonville 12-6
League record 5-0.

Starters for the CCAL championship lightweight team and finalist in NCS were:
Ends, Rittenhouse and David Beaver
Tackles, Matley and Philips
Guards, Budworth, Scribner and Les Pearson
Center, George Pearson; quarterback and captain Louie Facelli
Halfbacks, Eugene Wolfe and Kenny Clark
Fullback, Ohse.

The 1920’s were a zenith for lightweight football at SCHS.
Louie Facelli was SC high schools lightweight quarterback for two years, extending the schools champion winning streak from 3 to 5 years in a row. Other schools in the league wanted to discontinue lightweight football due to Santa Cruz’s dominance in both football and basketball, but SCHS principal, Mr. Elmer was able to stop the attempt. The football team continued their winning streak for one more year. In 1931 SCHS’s champion streak was finally broken and other schools won the league title for the next two years. In 1933 SC took the title one more time, but after this win it took another 20 years for SC to win the championship title again.

Both football coaches were pilots and had their own planes which they kept at the landing field in Capitola. For this years first league game in King City, coach Morrison flew two of the players, Marshall Wheeler and Simoni to the game. After the games, coach Firebaugh flew two of the players, Louie Facelli and Eddie Ohse back home.

Ralph Morrison coached all the varsity sports except track. All of Morrison’s teams were either champions or one place out.
Howard Firebaugh coached the varsity track team along with all the lightweight sports.

At the end of the 1929 school year, coach Firebaugh resigned to go into flying full time. A few years later coach Morrison did the same.

All CCAL Lightweights player:
Rittenhouse
Scribner
Eugene Wolfe

BASKETBALL
SCHS was part of a Tri-Championship with Pacific Grove and Monterey
Practice games:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Palo Alto 14-26
Los Gatos 24-28
San Jose 20-27
Practice record 0-3

League games:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Gonzales 37-11
Pacific Grove 16-11
King City 34-19
Monterey 11-24
Watsonville 27-17
Salinas 20-15
League record 5-1
Three way tie for league champions between Santa Cruz, Pacific Grove, and Monterey.
In playoff games to determine which team would go to the NCS, Santa Cruz lost to Pacific Grove 11-15
SC Overall record 5-5.

After losing their three practice games the varsity basketball team had a come back and ended the season as part of a Tri-championship with Pacific Grove and Monterey. Pacific Grove beat Monterey and then beat SC 11-15 for the right to play San Jose in NCS. San Jose is part of the PAL (Peninsula Athletic League, which reaches from San Jose to South San Francisco.)

Starters for SC were:
center, Hank Leibbrandt
forwards, Joe Langtange, John Hurst and Horner
guards, Bob Stevens, Fred Whaley, and Howard Binkley
All the players are seniors, except Leibbrandt.

Joe Lantange started out playing on the midget basketball team for two years, before moving up to lightweights last year and finally to first team varsity. Which shows what kind of heart Joe has.

Bob Stevens was awarded All CCAL in varsity basketball

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Co-Champions with Pacific Grove as well as finalists at NCS
League scores:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Gonzales 37-11
Pacific Grove 16-11
King City 34-19
Monterey 11-24
Watsonville 27-17
Salinas 20-15
league record 5-1, tying Pacific Grove for the championship.

To determine which championship team would go to NCS, the Cardlets beat Pacific Grove 15-11. In the NCS games the Cardlets beat Sequoia 23-21 but lost to Napa 17-22 in the finals. SC players Gerald Gelatt and Wayne Osborne led the team in scoring during the finals with 8 points a piece.

Starters:
captain and center, Wayne Osburne was also the top rebounder and scorer
forwards, Gerald Gelatt, Caldwell, and David Beaver, who was a tall rebounder and ball hawk
guards, George and Les Pearson, Bob Hughes
Reserves, Alger Fast and Huddleson also played well in the final game.

BASEBALL
practice games:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Watsonville 3-4
UC Frosh 7-5
SC lost to Los Gatos
San Jose 5-1
Practice record 2-2

League:
(listed as the team Santa Cruz High played then the score, SC-rival)
Gonzales 7-8
Hollister 4-6
Monterey 5-4
Watsonville 6-11
Salinas 8-0
League 2-3 for fourth place
Season 4-5.

There were only two players that returned from the previous years team: captain and catcher, Howard Benkley and infielder, Joe Langtange. Fortunately, there was a good group of freshmen players to help them out: Sousa, Wayne Osborne, Johnson, John Hurst, and Eugene Wolfe. Other players were David Beaver, Marshall Wheeler and Somon, a sophomore and good athlete who trots down from Felton to play sports at SC.

The team played well in most of the games, but ended up 4-5 for the season. They also played local teams Davenport Cementers, Aptos Terrors, Soquel Giants and the Boulder Creek Mountaineers during the week in practice games, but these were not counted in the team record.

TRACK

CCAL
CCAL Champions
Top CCAL teams scores:
Santa Cruz 39
Hollister 38
At the CCAL meet:
Les Voorhees won the mile and 880.
Dayton Horner won the high jump and placed third in broad jump.

Captain Fred Whaley finished first in the 220 and in the broad jump. Whaley also took third in the 100 and ran on the relay team. As a lightweight in his junior year, Whaley won the 100, 220, broad jump (20’ 7”) and was a member of relay team.

Ralph Dufflemyre placed in the discus and shot put.
Don Ebert placed in low hurdles.
Robert Cordes placed in the mile.
Bob Moore placed in the high hurdles, discus and shot put.
Herb Binkley placed in the 440

At a meet with UC frosh Les Voorhees won the mile in 5:35.

NCS
SC took fifth place at NCS
(this information about the NCS finish was found in a write up in the 1932 Trident which listed the accomplishments of Les Voorhees, who was a key player at NCS. Unfortunately, the write up didn’t mention where anyone placed)

TENNIS
SC took the Championship for the thirteenth year in a row under coach H. L. Stevens. Interestingly, Stevens does not sit on the sidelines during practice, but plays against the team, correcting mistakes and making suggestions as they play.

The present format for deciding a league champion is to have the four top teams play a two game bracket. The winners of these games play in the second round for the championship. Each school has two singles players and one doubles team.

This year SCHS won all its matches. Elliot Owens was the number one singles player and his brother, Billy Owens, a freshman, was the number two player. Leland Stevens and Dayton Horner made up the doubles team.

The cross country team won its second championship in a row. Although it is not considered a league sport at this time, the Monterey Bay region has five teams with 3 runners each.
SCHS finishers:
First place, Robert Corda
Sixth place, Flower
Seventh place Dickson
SC had a total of 14 points
Pacific Grove was the runner up.

Information about individuals
Stubby Kiff, a sports writer for the Trident, competes and performs in the Seaside Swimming Carnival at the beach Casino.

Captain Fred Whaley finished first in the 220 and in the broad jump. Whaley also took third in the 100 and ran on the relay team. As a lightweight in his junior year, Whaley won the 100, 220, broad jump (20’ 7”) and was a member of relay team. Whaley was also a starting guard on the championship varsity basketball team.

At the CCAL meet, Les Voorhees won the mile and 880. Voorhees also won the mile in 5:35 at a meet with UC frosh. After graduating Voorhees was a top runner for Cal.

Elliot Owens was the number one tennis singles player and the number one tennis player in the league.

Ralph Dufflemyre placed in the discus and shot put at the CCAL meet. Dufflemyre was also a starting end on the second place football team.

FORMER PLAYERS
Jack Manildi of the class of 1924 is the captain, the best safety in the league, and the quarterback at Pomona College of the Southern Cal Conference.

Former SCHS student, UOP grad, and standout football, basketball and track man, Clarence Royce, was hired to coach at Oakdale High. After being hired for the position Royce began scheduling games against SCHS. In an earlier newspaper report it was said that, “Royce of UOP is the fastest man on the team and best passer.”

Valine is a key substitute on the highly ranked Santa Clara football team.