Fremont High School - Flame Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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Baseball Tough luck was the theme of the Tiger horsehiders during the past season. Losing their first four OAL tilts in the extra innings, the Hal Berven coached Bengals fell from the championship pedestal, which they were defending, to end up in the second division. Although the hitting was fair and the fielding the same, the Tigers could not get back to the level of the former champs. jordan Pitta, fastball pitcher, kept up with the competition as he struck out half the men he faced. His battery mate, Ted Boynton, kept the players swinging as he had Pitta fire the hide through the grove. Dick Bauer held down the first corner sack. He was shifted from shortstop in the early part of the season and proved himself to be one of the best first basemen in the league. Little Tony Rivas, one of the three returning lettcrmen, kept thc pivot sack clear and was a big help to the team. Ed Coulter at shortstop and Rod McPeak at third made up the rest of the infield. Coulter was one of the best hitters on the squad and was known for his powerful throws from the deep infield. In leftfield letterman Elwood Wyle started most of the games and was a powerful clutch hitter. Leroy Phillips kept centerhcld well fortified and was rated as one of the hitters of the squad. Finishing up the outfield was Ray Ironsides, who started most of the games but had to battle with Marv Haban in order to keep the position. Sharing mound duties with Pitta was Mel Davis, another speed ball artist. Although overshadowed by Pitta throughout the season, Davis pitched some good ball for the Tigers. Others working for the Bervenites were: Mil Haban, battlcr with McPenk for the third base spot, Jim Crew, a pitcher and outfielder, Walt Rodriques, second string catcher, Ronnie Tomsic, second sacker, Mickey Moyes, a pitcher, and Harold Slater, a pitcher. With Coaches Hal Bervcn and Roland Christie running the show, Fremont's baseball Bees had a very successful season. Such outstanding players as Rich Breen, Fred Champion, Sam DeMello, Robert Dobyne, John Dowlen, Fritz Dueming, Harvey Hallenbeck, George Jager, Fred Mann, Ronnie Nanini, Clyde Nelson, Vince Pedro, Bob Pratt, Fred Skinner, Ronny Towse and John Lenoci kept thc Bees riding high. . e- .,

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Basketball x Boasting a squad of no returning lettermen, the 1948-1949 basketball team, coached by Bill Rock- well, came through with flying colors to cop second place in the OAL. Although the Tigers did not fare as well this year as they did last, they still received two starting positions on the all-city casaba team. Forward Frank Evangelho, a transfer from Half Moon Bay, grabbed one of the positions plus the sec- ond highest seoring position in the League. Ron Tom- sie, able guard who came up from the B's, was the other all-city man from Fremont. Starting off with a bang, the Tigers polished off Poly with a 45-31 shellacking, then walked into a stone wall losing to Hayward, the Stanford Frosh, and Lowell in succession before winning over Aca- lanes. Then Alameda came over and edged the Tigers 30-20. OAL League play was fast and furious, with the Tigers and Mack battling it out for first place, Fremont knocked off the weary Wildcats, 43-32, but were blasted by the Knights of Castlemont in the followup. The Bengals dumped the San Leandro Pi- rates into the cellar in the third game and then ven- tured over to Tech to trounce a favored Bulldog team by the score of 42-31. Fremont couldn't keep up with the McClymonds' Wfarriors in their first contest, as the Indians ran away with a 35-29 vic- tory. With hopes still high for a title, the Bengals rolled over Oakland, Castlemont, and San Leandro to start off the second round only to be stopped by the Tech Bulldogs, ending all chances of an OAL champion- ship. All hopes broken, the quintet went into battle against the Warriors of Mack for the last contest of the season and again were beaten. Rounding out Coach Rockwell's squad were Dick Porter, lanky forward and pivot spot mang Gil Perry, guard and player voted most valuable to the squadg Glen Ashcraft and Ken Duffy, able guard and for- wardg Jim Johnson, forwardg John Martini, centerg Greg Tafs, forwardg John McCuaig, a center who broke his foot early in the season, and Bob Holloway, guard and forward. x i- . . .K so Q

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Track Forced to rebuild almost their entire squad, Coaches Paul Berger and Roland Christie did a commendable job keeping the team near the top throughout the sea- son. John Manson, up and coming hurdler, and Don Johnson, dashman, were the highlights of the team as they consistently kept the squad in the league race with their magnificent running. Doug Huntze, 440-yard dash man, kept his name in lights as he continually tore up the track with his long stride, while George Von Arx, shot-putter, and Bob Moreland and Bill O'Hart, pole vaulters, took many valuable points for the Tigers. Throughout the season the relay foursome gave the Bengals a punch that was seldom stopped. Composed of Sam Bombiani, Doug Huntze, john Nastari, and Don Johnson, the squad was one of the fastest and the best in the OAL. Bob McRice was the top man in the 880, while Lloyd Freitas and Jim Fowler came close behind Huntze in the 440 to give Fremont a one, two, three punch which was hard to surmount.