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1943
Intramural or City League only in all sports. World War II in progress

FOOTBALL There were no interscholastic sports in 1943. Unfortunately for Dick Fassio and many others, they lost out on the opportunities to have even more success in sports their senior year. Fifty boys turned out for football. They were weighed, measured, age taken and previous years of experience considered. Then the boys were divided into four equal as possible teams. Four captains were chosen to be the team leader. They were Pinky” Pedemonte, Dick Fassio, Charles Yockey and Bob Rittenhouse. Pedemonte was a second string heavyweight back last year and broke into several games including the Watsonville tussle in which he was somewhat of a star. Yokey was a lightweight lineman. He is game and tough and likes football so much, he practiced on the high school field this summer. Fassio goes from basketball, in which he is one of the best, to a more bruising grid sport. Rittenhouse, who shows signs of developing into a top punter was on the heavyweight team last year. The names for the team are Golden Bears, Indians, Hornets and Packers.

The first team all stars, which no doubt would have been the players to start if SCHS were playing other schools. Ends, Durkin and Bergstrom; tackles Krupp and Pinkham; guards Ledyard and Yockey; center, Vernon; quarterback, Rittenhouse; backs, Macaulay, Fassio and Pedemonte.

Second team: ends, Byington and A. Medina; tackles Hackbarth and Smith; guards, Lidderdale and Dysle; center, B. Medina; quarterback, Curtis; backs, Thompson, J. Reis and McGregor.

Fassio was the individual star of the high school’s intramural league football program. He out gained every player in the league by more than 100 yards, while captaining the Golden Bears. It was the first year Fassio had ever played football, but by the end of the season he was the best football player in school.

Ending league standings: Indians and Packers 2-1, Bears and Hornets 1-2.

A heavyweight and lightweight All League team was picked with lightweights being those around 140 and the heavies tipping in around 170. Heavies: ends, John Larrecq and Gerald Bergstrom; tackles, Ben Krupp and Chet Pinkham: guards, Stu Mount and David Ledyard; center, Bill Vernon; backs, Wes Curtis, Dick Fassio, Pinky Pedemonte and Bob Rittenhouse. Lightweights: ends, John Durkin and Art Medina; tackles, Eddie Smith and Eddie Dysle; guards, Chuck Yockey and Dom Azzaro; center, Bill Medina; backs. John Reis, Mal Macaulay, Dick Hackbarth and Sonny McGregor.

The season ended with a game against the Alumni. Headline: Alumni Whips All Stars 14-6 Before Full House. Macaulay Goes 77 yards For Lone SC Touchdown. The alumni scored first on a 21 yard run by Valine, one of the top former players at SCHS. The biggest play for the All Stars in the first half was a pass from Macaulay to Pedemonte picking up 23 yards. They picked up another first down, but then a 15 yard penalty and 18 yard loss on a pass attempt forced a punt. On the opening play of the second half, the All Stars brought the crowd to their feet on a sleeper play. Pedemonte took the kickoff on the 23 and raced to his left reversing the ball to Macaulay, who sprinted 77 yards untouched for the All Stars only score. One other big play of the second half was Macaulay’s 23 yard pass to Fassio.

BASKETBALL
In basketball SCHS played in the City league against local adults and military personnel stationed in the area. SCHS sent two teams to play twice a week in the City league and practiced three days. The first game ended up with a 43-25 loss to the Coast Guard. To start the game SCHS took a 6-0 lead on baskets by Julio Ghidinelli, Fassio and Macaulay. At half time the score was tied 11-11. The Guardsmen started the second half strong and took a 21-11 lead after three minutes. They continued to dominate the second half. The Guardsmen were too tall and ran off fast breaks for sucker shots under the basket. The sailors did a good job on Fassio holding him to 10 points.

Fassio and Macaulay are tied for the league scoring crown with 41 points part way through the season.

Harris Togs beat High School 25-23. Scoring for SCHS: forwards, Julio Ghidinelli 3, Malcom Macaulay 6; center, Dick Fassio 9; guards, Chet Pinkham 2, Bill Lidderdale 1. Subs; Kaney 2, John Fulmer, Wayne Lear and Bob Fassio 0.

Captain Dick Fassio closed his high school athletic career leading his Cardinals to a 39-24 win over the Boulder Creek cagers. Fassio scored 20 points, while his counter part for the mountain community, Lloyd Waters, another prolific scorer just back from Washington State, was held to six points by the magnificent job of guarding by Fassio. Julio Ghidinelli and Mal Macaulay were next in scoring with five apiece.

Headline: Dick Fassio plays final cage game. High school star to be in the army at Monterey Presidio Monday. One of the city’s greatest athletes, 19 this past December, curly headed Dick Fassio will be making his final appearance for the Cardinals tonight. An all around athlete, Fassio first won prominence here on the basketball court as a sophomore, when he broke onto the first string, breaking through a monopoly of seniors.

Led by captain, Dick Fassio and Mac Macaulay, SCHS upset Whites Cardinals 42-34 in the feature game, which was the most exiting game the local fans have seen all season. Fassio was magnificent in one of his last games for SCHS. Fassio played the most brilliant individual game in City league so far. Scoring 18 points himself. Fassio set up practically all of the high schools scores. He dominated the backboards, both offensively and defensively. He held the opponents ace scorer to two field goals. Fassio will probably be inducted into the army next week, but he gave the local fans their last glimpse of him as one of the best basketball players ever to come out of Santa Cruz.

After being behind 9-12 in the first quarter, the high schools Fassio, Macaulay and Kaney made some scores to tie it 18-18 at half. In the terrific third quarter, it was a back and forth game (will leave out the opponents names) Macaulay made a set shot. Then Fassio scored with a honey. Fassio again with a tip all the while the opponents were matching each basket plus and were ahead 24-29 at the end of the quarter. Back came Fassio, playing with four second string cagers. Fassio scored three baskets and a free throw to put his team ahead 31-29. Then little Mal Macaulay went wild, scoring three baskets in a row. Julio Ghidinelli made a free throw and Macaulay stole the ball to cinch the game 40-34. Julio Ghidinelli and Macaulay played nice games at forward for the high school.

Since the basketball season started six weeks ago, Fassio has sparked the high school cagers in their city league play. His first sport, basketball has always been his best. Fassio has an uncanny eye, plays top defensive ball, controls the play on both offensive and defensive backboards and rarely ever making a bad pass or a bad play.

Coaches throughout the CCAL and in the City league rank Fassio as on of the best basketball players ever to hit a basket in the Monterey Bay area, along with former stars like Bob DeWitt, Bill Foote, Andy Maranta, Ray Carpenter, Manuel Netto of Santa Cruz, Resetar of Watsonville, Pickens and Layer of Salinas and Latnos of Monterey.

There was a reason why Dick Fassio was inducted into the army at the Monterey Presidio. The Presidio has the strongest army team in Northern California. At the present time they are 12-1. Fassio will be teamed up with Chuck Hanger, University of California star, recently drafted at forward. Tony Franusich, former USF center, who is averaging 19 points a game and guards Al Fox, former All American with the Los Angeles Cliftons and Chapman an All State junior college player at Marin JC last year or Mitch Hoffman.

FORMER PLAYERS
Ottilio Dogliotti has his picture sitting in his plane on the front page of the Trident. Ottilio is a former heavyweight football player and weight man on the track team. He is graduating soon from the Air Force Advanced Flying School.