Don Cantrell: Shades of Oregon

Don Cantrell

Fond memories of Oregon from 50 years ago return with news banners

waving over the two major college football teams in the state this year.

The Oregon State Beavers won the “Civil War” contest against Oregon at

Corvallis.

It is fair to say that one colorful touch of Oregon arrived for a

brief visit recently, featuring Craig and Paula Phoenix of Shady Cove,

Ore. Phoenix, a ’37 Harbor High graduate, was a county tennis star during

prep days. He also played football and basketball.

His recent visit came with the 60th reunion for a number of classes

through the 30s and early 40s, including director Sparks McClelland of

Newport.

Although two of the four legendary Sheflins, Harold and Bob, of Harbor

High football, have passed on, two of the brothers, Bill and Frank, have

settled in southern Oregon.

Bill did advance to Santa Ana Junior College for football while Frank

transferred to Fullerton College for two years of football in the early

40s. Bill ended his career in the mid-40s. Bill ended his career in the

mid-40s after his World War II hitch in the Navy.

This corner enjoyed the grid season of ’50 at Willamette University in

Salem, Ore. playing on three teams, frosh, junior varsity and varsity.

He favored Willamette since the coach and president were kind and

friendly. It was also favored because three former Harbor High varsity

gridders -- Buzz Chambers, Bill Peyton and Earl Killefer -- had enrolled

in the fall of 1947.

The Willamette coach, Chester Stackhouse, was an innovative gentleman

and often had his wife, daughter and son, join him for an evening walking

down Salem streets.

At points, he would mix them up and prompt them to walk through plays

he had invented.

Some years later, we discovered his photo and a story in a major

sports magazine highlighting his creative side.

The primary angle on the feature dealt with his efforts to advance his

three-man line concept at a small university.

The idea didn’t draw much attention initially, but it did subsequently

with small colleges and, in time, the pros.

He recruited and encouraged players of all sizes to play ball at

Willamette. The one that astonished most of us on the ’50 varsity was a

young player named Ralph Onsuka from Hawaii. He was swift and extremely

tricky in the open field. Trouble is, he was only 5-foot. It bothered

some of us since we felt like giant rivals would crush him easily.

Stackhouse had thought about that and designed quick-opening plays for

Onsuka, all on the sidelines, where he could catch a fast pass, then

sprint out of bounds if he sensed impact coming from big defensive

players. He never got hurt. He was smart.

In one of the major games against powerful Lewis and Clark College,

the team exerted a major effort to stop an ace runner named Reuben

Banisch.

Defensive back Bill Jewel played long and hard, but the coach finally

called him to the bench for a needed rest. He was pleased that he had

consistently stopped Baisch. However, once he was on the bench, Baisch

broke loose and headed for the end zone. Jewel couldn’t handle the shock

and immediately streaked off the bench to nab the break-away runner at

midfield.

The son of a minister, Jewel quickly realized the error of his ways

and quickly apologized. The referee quickly put his arms in motion

signaling a touchdown, which, no doubt, prevented the Lewis and Clark

crowd from storming the field in anger.

Another event that created quite a commotion was an evening when the

Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity gathered to sing in the back of the old

sorority house. A gridder planned to climb up to the second-story balcony

so he could “pin” his girlfriend, which is similar to an engagement. And

the male group would open with a grand period of singing.

Unfortunately, repairs were needed up and down the entire lattice

work. Hence, it wasn’t long before it ripped and sent him flying down

into a yard of bushes. He was uninjured, but the scenario led to his

fraternity friends trying desperately not to laugh.

One bright local scene was open to a few of us early in the fall at

Klamath Falls in southern Oregon. We learned that former Harbor High end

Dwayne Wells was at Corvallis attending Oregon State University and

welcomed to join him for an auto ride south, where Orange Coast College

was slated to play Klamath Falls College. This was a special trip since

it meant we could visit old Newport mates on the OCC team like fullback

Bob Berry, halfback Harlow Richardson, tackle Ed Mayer and center Keith

Burch.

And it ended like a Hollywood finish when Bucs tailback Howard Del

Miller broke loose from the spread and rambled for a winning score.