The Archives: Squinting at The Union

A view of downtown below from the ninth floor

of the San Diego Central Library, where the stacks

for the old San Diego Union and San Diego

Evening Tribune are located.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

In the Friday, September 1, 1922 edition of the San Diego Union, City Schools announced that ninth-graders in Pacific Beach (as well as the rest of the La Jolla attendance area) would attend the "La Jolla junior high school" (which would become Muirlands).

In an initial foray (June 11) into the stacks of the old morning Union (and evening Tribune, which I didn't get to) for Sept. 1-2-3, 1922--the beginnings of La Jolla High School--City Schools' announcement (more likely a reminder or clarification) in the low-resolution microfilm of the original editions was surrounded by:

--Baseball news that Ty Cobb went hitless for the Philadelphia A's in the second game of a doubleheader against the Yankees. The Yankees split the doubleheader.

--An ad for Rudolph Valentino's new silent movie, with a well-known musician playing live "at the Organ".

--Front-page headlines of a police raid on a alleged liquor still in the Imperial Valley, in which the supposed bootlegger/rancher was shot dead "instantly" after he refused not to threaten deputies with his gun. This was early in Prohibition.

I've never actually read newspaper accounts of such goings-on from the actual pages of the newspapers themselves, other than reproductions of the original newspapers in history class. This was truly the "golden age" of newspapers, with a morning and an evening paper in San Diego, as well as intensive coverage on everything from people's love lives to a local pastor returning from vacation.

LJ baseball: Frank at Petco

Viking baseball coach Gary Frank (center)

after receiving a Coach of the Week award

at Petco Park Mon., June 10.

Bob Allen (left) and AD Aaron Quesnell

(right) stand alongside Frank.

By Ed Piper

Gary Frank, after his 21st year as head coach of the Viking baseball team, received a Coach of the Week award at Petco Park Mon., June 10, before the Padres' win over the A's.

Frank received word way back on April 10 that he had been named Coach of the Week, accompanied by a check for $1,500 to the LJHS baseball program. He was also informed that he would be presented the award, along with seven other area coaches who were named Coaches of the Week for other weeks of the 2024 high school season, on the field at Petco Park.

Justin Machado of LCC was named the Coach of the Year at the pregame ceremony. His program received a check for $10,000 to go with the award.

Athletic trainers

By Ed Piper

Over the last several months, I have come to know and talk a little with an "AT spotter"--I didn't even know what that was until I came upon it during a Google search on the computer the other day--who retired recently after working for SDSU and the Chargers, both in San Diego and after their move to Los Angeles.

An AT spotter sits high in the stands during football games, away from the action, and observes the game to look for any signs that a player may have incurred a concussion or other injury.

The NFL, bless their hearts, began to employ AT spotters (the initials standing for athletic trainer) back in the teens (2011) after head injuries piled up and a player (quarterback Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns) was reinserted despite having a concussion--something the sideline trainers didn't notice because they were busy tending to other athletes' injuries.

One thing I wanted to ask my new associate was about the sincerity of the NFL (and college football powers, as well) in ensuring that players are taken care of when they sustain a head injury. So I asked him.

"The NFL is very serious about all of this," he said. We were referring, of course, to the increasing number of diagnosed cases of concussions, other head injuries, and the big bugaboo--CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The last is the black "tar" that is found to take over parts of the brain after repeated hits.

Junior Seau probably had CTE badly, as he went through mood swings and depression after his retirement as a Hall of Fame linebacker for USC and the Chargers. He obviously wanted his brain to be preserved and used, maybe, to help other players, through research into whatever was ailing him.

What I read after Seau's suicide several years ago was that in his family's culture, in Polynesian ways, it isn't considered acceptable to have a deceased person's body cut up in an autopsy--unless, as in Junior's case, it could lead to benefitting others through the results of the autopsy.

That's why we think he shot himself in the chest after years of "down" times, struggles, trying to surf and relax and use other means to overcome his mood problems--to preserve his brain, rather than dying by blowing his brains out.

Back to my A.T. spotter friend, he filled this official role for years. He had to maintain his Athletic Trainer certification to serve in the capacity the NFL employed him. He, obviously, is a big football fan, having overheard him talk to others who know him better.

From the Archives: 'Smitty' the bomb

By Ed Piper

I met Rick Smith yesterday.

A guy with a Rams logo on his cap was standing at my granddaughter's promotion, when fifth-graders were grabbing a bottle of water and a chocolate chip cookie, served by the moms, after the morning ceremony at a local school.

I went up to him, and said, "Rams. L.A. or St. Louis? I grew up in L.A. Rams territory. My wife was born in St. Louis."

The gentleman, about a foot shorter than me (as many people are), began to say something about Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams. I turned to my wife and asked her, "Who was the Christian guy on the St. Louis Rams?" She said, "Kurt...", not sure of his last name.

So I introduced myself. "Rick Smith," he said. "Rick Smith--I read your stuff," I said. "Partleton Sports."

The former Union-Tribune sportswriter, in retirement, explained how he had gone to Lincoln High as a high school student.

In a matter of moments, I had notes written on my left hand, thumb, backhand, and onto my palm, about the La Jolla High athletes he remembered: Jim Prather, 1948 football star; Charley Buchanan, 1964 county baseball player of the year; and others.

I quickly got his email address at Partleton (named after his father's "real" last name, the website dedicated to him) before I left.

Rick said, "And you are, again?" "Ed Piper."

I'll be looking him up for further Viking highlights through the ages, especially if he has information on pre-1950's players in different sports. He's a county goldmine of information about area high school sports history.

One tip Rick had for going further in investigating games way-back-when is going to the downtown library in San Diego and viewing local newspaper sports articles in the library's research area. "You can send an image to your phone," he said. That would make all the difference in doing research.

LJ b water polo: Vinny Vega's trajectory to D1

Vinny Vega's signing announcement

on UC Irvine's website.

By Ed Piper

The trajectory of Viking goalie Vincent Vega the last few years has been toward NCAA Division 1 competition. It is no accident. It also has required a measure of sacrifice by Vinny's family for him to pursue his playing career.

First, Vinny showed promise.

Then, his family relocated from downtown San Diego to the La Jolla High attendance area, renting out their home in downtown, for him to play for LJHS.

Vinny, whose sister is the starter for Coach Amy Jennings' Vikings girl water polo team, played for Coach Tom Atwell on the La Jolla United club team offseason. That led naturally into wanting to play for Atwell at La Jolla High.

Vinny was named First Team All-Western League in Fall 2023, and Second Team All-Western League in 2022 as a junior, as her finished high school furthering that earlier promise and preparing for competition in college.

This past season, he was named First Team All-CIF San Diego Section in goal.

He and his family checked out some Division 1 college programs. He could have opted for the University of Arizona, but he chose UC Irvine.

"He got along well with the group at UC Irvine, and it seemed like a more cohesive group," his father remarked recently.

Meanwhile, over the winter of 2023-2024, after the Fall 2024 school season at La Jolla, the senior took part in workouts for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Youth Academy team. He was selected as one of the small number of goalies who would play for the U.S. team.

His practice and participation in the past year required travel to and from sites elsewhere to prepare.

From the Archives: Charley Buchanan '63-'64 county bball Player of the Year

Charley Buchanan (25, right), county

Player of the Year in 1964, strips this ball

away from an opponent during the

Vikings' 30-0 championship season.

(1964 Yearbook)

By Ed Piper

Drawing off Rick Eveleth's ('64) wealth of knowledge, I tracked down a photo of Charley Buchanan, the 1963-1964 basketball Player of the Year in the county, who led the Vikings to 30 straight wins in the yearbook collection of the Alumni Office on campus.

According to the '64 yearbook, La Jolla's varsity won "widespread acclaim as the best team ever in San Diego County History (cq)."

And Rick. a multi-sport star in Vikingland, wasn't just tooting his own horn in our early morning phone conversation. The entire squad, featuring Buchanan and Eveleth, played to perfection, sweeping the Mustang Tournament, the Optimists Tournament, as well as the league championship.

A reminder is that back in those days, CIF did not have the 8 or 10 divisions that it does now. You had to play all the big boys to get to or stay at the top.

LJ FB: Spring game recap

QB Huddy Smith (1), wearing a gray

jersey, was dealing to both the

White and Black teams in the

annual Spring Game

Thurs., May 30.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

After some one-on-one tussles between linemen--the blocker (offensive lineman) trying to keep the attacking defender (defensive lineman) from reaching and touching the buoy--to give the big boys the spotlight for a moment, La Jolla's passing offense kicked into gear at about 5:53 p.m. for a one-hour 7-on-7 tussle Thurs., May 30, in the annual Spring Game before a smattering of parents and onlookers.

Quarterback heir-apparent Hudson "Huddy" Smith was one star of the show, before PPR's camera, because he served as QB for both the Black and White teams. Huddy is a rising junior. He started slowly, then put together some rapid-fire series with both sets of receivers.

Another star, snagging some dramatic leaping or diving catches, was rising sophomore Andre "Dre" McLees-Walker. He saw some playing time last fall as a freshman. It looks like he will get a lot more as a sophomore, in view of his performance Thursday.

The Black team scored first, concluding their march from midfield in Edwards Stadium at 6:06 by this reporter's watch. Nico Bardaro, another rising sophomore, had a nice catch just before the TD. His dad enjoyed that, taking photos from the sideline.

The exciting thing looking forward to the fall season is the sheer number of potential receivers QB Huddy will get to choose among. Head coach Tyler Roach is building quite a stable: returners/rising seniors Kai Fukuda and multi-purpose back Hank Hansen; rising juniors Carson Diehl and Renner Smith; as well as McLees-Walker.

White scored on their first possession, a completion over the middle to Renner. This followed completions to Fukuda, Renner, Fukuda again, before an incomplete and sack. 7-7.

On Black's only other possession of the first half, Huddy fired to McLees-Walker, suffered a sack (too much time), a second complete to Dre. Dre made a diving catch on a long bomb to the left side of the end zone for a Black 14-7 lead.

Unfortunately for the White team, Black got the ball to start the second half. Huddy scored twice and the score jumped to a 28-14 lead for the Black team.

On Black's first TD of the second half, Diehl fetched a scoring pass. That made a 21-7 advantage, before White scored on Fukuda-Fukuda-Fukuda for the TD.

Aiden "Carolina" McGill took a Smith pass for a score for Black, trailing 35-21 midway through the second half. Then Hank Hansen came on late to grab a TD for Black, still down 35-28. Then a bomb to Hansen got the Black team to 35.

The final: White won, 42-35.