A TEAM TO REMEMBER "Hall of Fame and Scholarship Awards"

SIERRA FOOTHILL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1963 – FRONT ROW (left to right): Art Ramirez, Jacob Rasul
, Dale Bourland, Ken Slagle, Von Johnson, Wally Palm,  Ron Sparacino, Dave Wasilenko, Pat Scott, Bob Hampty.
 SECOND ROW: Buddy George, Jim Adams, Joe DelPero,  Martin McNurney, Ron Yoshimara, Vernon Moffitt, 
Mike Thayer, Mark Adams, Gene Schleisman, Pat Mallory,  Jack Sadler. THIRD ROW: Head Coach Ernie Matlock,
 Russell Goodman, Frank Willis, Dwayne Stafford,  Brien Lewis, Richard Slocum, Russell George, Jim Mullett,
 Ron Redmond, Coach George Zerkovich, Coach George Souza. BACK ROW: Hienie Ohrt, Bill Rechtfertig,
 Paul Cress, Roger Thacker, Walt Curtiss, Cliff Simmons, Terry Bullard, Jim Richards, Bill Brown,  Harvey Ollar, Dennis Haines.

by John Rice

Remember the 60’s?? A monumental time with The Beatles, the Beachboys, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Turtles, Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones!! And the guys had boogie haircuts and beatle boots, the girls DA’s and mini-skirts, and there was also Haight Ashbury!! At the other end of the spectrum the assassinations of President John Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War, the Kent State riots and more!!

Locally we had recovered, for the most part, from the ’55 flood and then there was this football team from Yuba City High School that would leave quite an impression on many of us. And this March 21st at St. Isidore’s Multipurpose Room, they will be recognized by the Northern California Sports Association as only the 2nd team in 45 years to be inducted into the “Hall of Fame”.

That 1963 YCUHS Football Team gave us a lot of memories that is referred to as the “Greatest Season in History” at the high school. Made up of seniors of the class of 1964, and juniors of the class of 1965, they put up numbers that haven’t been matched since. First of all, during their four years of football they never lost a league game. Even more phenomenal, in their freshman year they only allowed 6 points all year and that came at the end of the final game when a receiver ran past a defensive back who had slipped in the mud attempting to tackle him. That year they outscored their opponents 143-6. The team showed up the Monday after that last game, to fulfill a goal the coach had set to do 25 push-ups for every point they allowed that season. In full pads all players pumped out 150 push-ups. A member of the team, Ron Redmond, recalls that Coach Dick Estes “established a discipline and dedication level that continued during their four years there”. During their junior varsity season they did not allow a point scored against them during the entire league season and outscored opponents 77-0. It probably hasn’t happened since then that a high school team gave up only 6 points in two years of league play, while outscoring other teams 220-6.

The team was so good the stands were “filled to the max” with fans that couldn’t wait for the game to begin. It was Ernie Matlock’s first official year as the coach of that varsity team and what a year it was. The assistant coaches were George Souza and the late George Zerkovich and they were as tough as football coaches come in developing a very focused football team. Coach Matlock says that “all of the players loved to play football and had a real passion for working together as a strong unit”. The highlight of the year was the drubbing of unbeaten Marysville 21-0 in their final Big-Little Game as a team. The win made Yuba City the number one team in the valley. Coach Souza says “it was one of the best groups of guys he had coached, and they were great ballplayers and super students, and have ended up being exemplary citizens in the community”.

A senior core that never lost a Sierra Foothill League game was the nucleus of the team, though some very important juniors contributed mightily. The senior backfield of quarterback Bill Brown, halfbacks Cliff Simmons and Terry Bullard, and fullback Jim Richards led the team offensively, but juniors Harvey Ollar(fullback) and Paul Cress (quarterback) and senior halfback Walter Curtiss played equal time throughout the season. Harvey Ollar was the rushing leader and the Honkers wound up with an even 300 yards total offensive per game. Seniors Jacob Rasul, Jim Adams, Russ Goodman, David Wasilenko, Mike Thayer, Ken Slagle, Von Johnson, Bill Rechtfertig, Mark Adams, Jim Mullett, Jack Sadler and Ron Redmond, along with juniors Joe Del Pero, Dale Bourland, Ron Yoshimura, Vernon Moffitt, Gene Schleisman, Dwayne Stafford, Pat Scott, Hienie Ohrt, and Roger Thacker, made up an offensive unit that loved to score, and a defensive unit that was as stingy as it gets.

That 9-1 senior season was only blemished by a 21-14 loss to nemesis Chico High School. Three fumbles late in the game allowed Chico to score. During the year the Honkers beat two top Sacramento teams(Bishop Armstrong 33-6 and La Sierra 27-7) and easily won all of their games in league play with a final 21-0 victory over Marysville in the Big-Little Game.
Selected to the SFL All-League team were Honkers Cliff Simmons, David Wasilenko, Jake Rasul, Russell George, and Harvey Ollar. “League and Team MVP” honors went to Cliff Simmons, while David Wasilenko received the “Outstanding Lineman” Award. Cliff Simmons was also one of the very few from this valley to ever be chosen to play in the prestigious 1964 Shriner’s Game in Los Angeles. Chosen to play in the Sacramento Optimist Game that year were teammates Cliff Simmons, David Wasilenko, and Russell George.

Many of these players were recruited to play at University levels led by Russ Goodman going to Stanford (caught passes from Jim Plunkett) during the John Ralston, Bill Walsh, Mike White, and Dick Vermeil days. Sacramento State recruited Bill Brown, Jim Richards, and David Wasilenko under the late Ray Clemons as coach. Others went to Chico State, San Francisco State (Jim Adams), Yuba College, and Idaho. During their junior year, most of these teammates played with Ron Porter who went on to the University of Idaho, then eventually a long NFL career highlighted by playing in two Super Bowls(Baltimore Colts in ‘69 and Minnesota Vikings in ‘72).

Along with this team being inducted, a local well-known coach at Sutter High School, Scott Turner, Kirk Freitas (Chico State Track & Field), Ray Sehorn, Ken Barnes, Mark Reischling, Bob Rush, Joe Belcastro, and Cecil “The Diesel” Stephens will be honored that evening. Local high-school seniors will receive $15,000 in scholarships during the dinner event. A “Corporate Games” element with local companies competing, and supporting the scholarships, will add to the entertainment during the dinner segment.

The “Hall of Fame & Scholarship Awards” dinner will be held on Saturday, March 21st at St. Isidore’s Multipurpose Room at 200 Clark Avenue in Yuba City. For ticket information, please contact Joel Guthrie (530)743-2089 or John Rice (916)296-1501.