Loren Scott Shumer

I was a sophomore on the 1962 CIF championship team.  I could not suit out for the games since I had Varsity exponents as a 14 year old (you had to be 15 to be able to be in uniform for a varsity football game).  After being on the scout team offense the entire season, during wamups of Monday's practice for the West Covina game (our semi-final opponent), Coach announced to the team "Shumer's finally going to be in uniform for our game!"

Two of funniest memories occurred when I was a sophomore.  Ron Jackson, the starting strong side guard, had a habit of being tardy to a particular class.  The teacher reached out to Ray and that day, while we were going through our warm ups for practice, Coach informed Ron (and everyone else) that Ron could/should ("could" for Ron and "should" for the rest of us) never be late to that class again.

About 2 weeks later on a Monday, Ray again addressed Ron in front of the team during warm ups and said that the same teacher had talked to him about Ron's latest tardy; Ray informed him it would cost 500 yards of bear crawls for being tardy.  Ron immediately stood up and said it wasn't true, practically begging Coach to believe him.  Ray's wisdom prevailed; Ron would have to do those bear crawls under the supervision of the team manager.  They had to be finished by the end of Wednesday's practice.  HOWEVER, if he hadn't been tardy, then those 500 yards of bear crawls would be put into "the bank" and Ron could withdrawal the requisite number of bear crawls for when the campus wasn't clean enough after lunch -- for every grade under an A the price was 100 yards, B = 100 yards, C = 200 yards, etc.

1 week later Ray addressed Ron and the team for an update.  The teacher HAD been wrong and Ron now had 500 yards of bear crawls in the bank.  Ron broke out with the biggest smile he could show.  When he "withdrew" his bear crawls, he stood leaning on a goal post, grinning.

The second memory was on the Veteran Day's practice that same year and which started at 10:00 am (school holiday).   As we should remember even today: if you were late to practice it would cost you 100 yards of bear crawls for each minute.  Now also remember, we practiced on the grass field past the tennis courts right by the auditorium; also most of the shoe's cleats were metal tipped then.  Warm ups were over and practice had started. 

The offensive backs' individual practice area was by that short wall right and the tennis courts.  About halfway during our segment, we started to hear that distinctive sound of a person wearing football cleats running (to be honest, sort of running but getting slower each minute) on cement toward us.  As that person got closer, all we heard was the person muttering,  "Oh god, oh god!" over and over again.  We backs stopped what we were doing, turning left to see the clock on the auditorium: 10:18.  There was little doubt the player was still a far way off.  We backs all looked around -- all backs present and accounted for!  Either a lineman or a receiver.  By the huffing and puffing we heard, it had to be a lineman and a lineman who was not in good shape.  Even Coach Swift was going to let this drama play out.

10:19: the sound of the cleats on the cement was getting louder but no one in sight yet.  HOWEVER, Ray was deeply involved in his offensive individuals far at the other end of the field by the student parking area.  With all the usual grunting that came from the linemen, perhaps Ray could not hear the player's imminent arrival.  We saw the player when he was adjacent to the tennis court closest to Diamond Ave.  The clock was still at 10:19; but time was of the essence.  Every second counted!  When the player got to the practice field, he leapt over the small wall, hit the grass, and rolled over.  It was Bobby Vaughn!  The clock was now at 10:20.

Moment of truth time: we looked to Ray...still coaching the players.  Less than a second later, Ray looked up and yelled to an exhausted Bob, "20 minutes late, 2000 yards of bear crawls.  You can do them during practice with a manager counting them."  Bob finished them by that Wednesday and was able to suit up for that Friday's game.  There was not a doubt in the world for each player on the team —  never be late for a practice.

For the next two years, Bob became player of legends:  I don't know about the rest of the sophomores who were on that 1962 team, but for the next 2 years I recounted  to the running/defensive backs who were first year players to the varsity about Bob's fate and always ended with the admonition: DON'T EVER BE LATE FOR PRACTICE!

Another little memory.  I was a walk on quarterback coach at Villa Park High School in 2012 under Dusan Ancich whose father was:        

Marijon Ancich was a former California high school football coach, known as the "John Wooden of high school coaches" and often called the Dean of high school coaches, he is the second-winningest high school football coach in California history with a record of 360-134-4, behind Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle High School with 399 wins.

When I finally met him, I introduced myself and said that I was coached by Ray Solari.  Marijon perked up noticeably.  I asked him if he knew of him.  Ancich said when he first started coaching, though coaches word-of-mouth that Ray was well respected and that he had attended coaching seminars where Ray would speak.  Ancich was completely flabbergasted when I told him that up through my junior year that there was only Ray and a back coach on the varsity staff.  Marijon was silent for a minute, just staring into space: "Just Ray and 1 other coach?"  Yes, I replied.  He dropped his head, obviously thinking about how he could have run a program like Ray's.  I also told him that Ray's  first 2 of 4 CIF championships were Mater Dei in 1959 and Bishop Amat if 1962.  A few more seconds of silence, then shaking his head, saying, "How could he have done that?"  I simply said, "We were in awe of him."

In the 2nd half, San Marino ran a play action pass with a receiver going straight down the middle of the field.  One of Coach Swift's rule for the defensive backs was to stay in the middle of your zone and as deep as the deepest receiver in your zone and the zone next to you.  As the play developed, I saw that receiver and to my horror Charlie Clapp, the safety, had bit on the play action and was no where to be seen.  As I finally got to the receiver he had a step on me.  I was processing all of the information.  If he caught the pass, which he would have, and I tackled him, it would have been for about 45 - 50 yards and the ball would have been placed inside our 30 yard line or possibly a touch down.  I put on a last second burst and just leveled him.  Pass interference -- 15 yards and a first down; 3 downs later, they had to punt.  When I came off the field for the punt return -- the punt return, PAT/Field Goal, and kick off & return teams were when I got my breather -- he came up to me, smiled, and said, "Good job."  He really did get satisfaction out of a player making a head's up play.

Dick Coury, Mater Dei’s 1959 head football coach (Mater Dei lost to SPHS in the 1959 CIF championship game) paid Ray the ultimate compliment to an opposing football coach: “Coach Solari beat us with his players...AND if he had my players and I his, he would have won again (paraphrased) .”

I was a sophomore on the 1962 CIF championship team.  I could not suit out for the games since I had Varsity exponents as a 14 year old (you had to be 15 to be able to be in uniform for a varsity football game).  After being on the scout team offense the entire season, during wamups of Monday's practice for the West Covina game (our semi-final opponent), Coach announced to the team, "Shumer's finally going to be in uniform for our game!"

Two of funniest memories occurred when I was a sophomore.  Ron Jackson, the starting strong side guard, had a habit of being tardy to a particular class.  The teacher reached out to Ray and that day, while we were going through our warm ups for practice, Coach informed Ron (and everyone else) that Ron could/should ("could" for Ron and "should" for the rest of us) never be late to that class again.

About 2 weeks later on a Monday, Ray again addressed Ron in front of the team during warm ups and said that the same teacher had talked to him about Ron's latest tardy; Ray informed him it would cost 500 yards of bear crawls for being tardy.  Ron immediately stood up and said it wasn't true, practically begging Coach to believe him.  Ray's wisdom prevailed; Ron would have to do those bear crawls under the supervision of the team manager.  They had to be finished by the end of Wednesday's practice.  HOWEVER, if he hadn't been tardy, then those 500 yards of bear crawls would be put into "the bank" and Ron could withdrawal the requisite number of bear crawls for when the campus wasn't clean enough after lunch -- for every grade under an A the price was 100 yards, B = 100 yards, C = 200 yards, etc.

1 week later Ray addressed Ron and the team for an update.  The teacher HAD been wrong and Ron now had 500 yards of bear crawls in the bank.  Ron broke out with the biggest smile he could show.  When he "withdrew" his bear crawls, he stood leaning on a goal post, grinning.

The second memory was on the Veteran Day's practice that same year and which started at 10:00 am (school holiday).   As we should remember even today: if you were late to practice it would cost you 100 yards of bear crawls for each minute.  Now also remember, we practiced on the grass field, east of the tennis courts next to the auditorium (to get to our practice field, upon leaving the team locker room located under the stadium’s grand stands, (1) a player had to go northeast across the field; (2) run past the gymnasium; (3) go across Diamond Ave; (4) go past the tennis courts; and, (5) hop over a short wall); also most of the shoe's cleats were metal tipped then.  Warm ups were over; practice had started. 

The offensive backs' individual practice area was by that short wall right adjacent to the tennis courts.  About halfway during our segment, we started to hear that distinctive sound of a person wearing football cleats running (to be honest, sort of running but getting slower each minute) on cement toward us.  As that person got closer, all we heard was the person muttering,  "Oh god, oh god!" over and over again.  We backs stopped what we were doing, turning left to see the clock on the auditorium: 10:18.  There was little doubt the player was still a far way off.  We backs all looked around -- all backs present and accounted for!  Either a lineman or a receiver.  By the huffing and puffing we heard, it had to be a lineman and a lineman who was not in good shape.  Even Coach Swift was going to let this drama play out.

10:19: the sound of the cleats on the cement was getting louder but no one in sight yet.  HOWEVER, Ray was deeply involved in his offensive individuals far at the other end of the field by the student parking area.  With all the usual grunting that came from the linemen, perhaps Ray could not hear the player's imminent arrival.  We saw the player when he was adjacent to the tennis court closest to Diamond Ave.  The clock was still at 10:19; but time was of the essence.  Every second counted!  When the player got to the practice field, he leapt over the small wall, hit the grass, and rolled over.  It was Bobby Vaughn!  The clock was now at 10:20.

Moment of truth time: we looked to Ray...still coaching the players.  Less than a second later, Ray looked up and yelled to an exhausted Bob, "20 minutes late, 2000 yards of bear crawls.  You can do them during practice with a manager counting them."  Bob finished them by that Wednesday and was able to suit up for that Friday's game.  There was not a doubt in the world for each player on the team —  never be late for a practice.

For the next two years, Bob became the player of legends:  I don't know about the rest of the sophomores who were on that 1962 team, but for the next 2 years I recounted  to the running/defensive backs who were first year players to the varsity about Bob's fate and always ended with the admonition: DON'T EVER BE LATE FOR PRACTICE!

Another little memory.  I was a walk on quarterback coach at Villa Park High School in 2012 under Dusan Ancich whose father was:        

Marijon Ancich was a former California high school football coach, known as the "John Wooden of high school coaches" and often called the Dean of high school coaches, he is the second-winningest high school football coach in California history with a record of 360-134-4, behind Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle High School with 399 wins. (Wikipedia)

When I finally met him, I introduced myself and said that I was coached by Ray Solari.  Marijon perked up noticeably.  I asked him if he knew of him.  Ancich said when he first started coaching, though coaches' word-of-mouth that Ray was well respected and that he had attended coaching seminars where Ray would speak.  Ancich was completely flabbergasted when I told him that up through my junior year that there was only Ray and a back coach on the varsity staff.  Marijon was silent for a minute, just staring into space: "Just Ray and 1 other coach?"  Yes, I replied.  He dropped his head, obviously thinking about how he could have run a program at St. Paul like Ray's.  I also told him that Ray's  first 2 of 4 CIF championships were Mater Dei in 1959 and Bishop Amat if 1962.  A few more seconds of silence, then shaking his head, asking, "How could he have done that?"  I simply said, "We were in awe of him."

In the 2nd half, San Marino ran a play action pass with a receiver going straight down the middle of the field.  One of Coach Swift's rule for the defensive backs was to stay in the middle of your zone and as deep as the deepest receiver in your zone and the zone next to you.  As the play developed, I saw that receiver and to my horror Charlie Clapp, the safety, had bit on the play action and was nowhere to be seen.  As I finally got to the receiver he had a step on me.  I was processing all of the information.  If he caught the pass, which he would have, and I tackled him, it would have been for about 45 - 50 yards and the ball would have been placed inside our 30 yard line or possibly a touch down.  I put on a last second burst and just leveled him.  Pass interference -- 15 yards and a first down; 3 downs later, they had to punt.  When I came off the field for the punt return -- the punt return, PAT/Field Goal, and kick off & return teams were when I got my breather -- Ray came up to me, smiled, and said, "Good job."  He really did get satisfaction out of a player making a head's up play.

Dick Coury, Mater Dei’s 1959 head football coach (Mater Dei lost to SPHS in the 1959 CIF championship game) paid Ray the ultimate compliment to an opposing football coach: “Coach Solari beat us with his players...AND if he had my players and I his, Ray would have won again (paraphrased) .”

I was a sophomore on the 1962 CIF championship team.  I could not suit out for the games since I had Varsity exponents as a 14 year old (you had to be 15 to be able to be in uniform for a varsity football game).  After being on the scout team offense the entire season, during warm ups of Monday's practice for the West Covina game (our semi-final opponent), Coach announced to the team, "Schumer's finally going to be in uniform for our game!"

Two of funniest memories occurred when I was a sophomore.  Ron Jackson, the starting strong side guard, had a habit of being tardy to a particular class.  The teacher reached out to Ray and that day, while we were going through our warm ups for practice, Coach informed Ron (and everyone else) that Ron could/should ("could" for Ron and "should" for the rest of us) never be late to that class again.

About 2 weeks later on a Monday, Ray again addressed Ron in front of the team during warm ups and said that the same teacher had talked to him about Ron's latest tardy; Ray informed him it would cost 500 yards of bear crawls for being tardy.  Ron immediately stood up and said it wasn't true, practically begging Coach to believe him.  Ray's wisdom prevailed; Ron would have to do those bear crawls under the supervision of the team manager.  They had to be finished by the end of Wednesday's practice.  If he hadn't been tardy, then those 500 yards of bear crawls would be put into "the bank" and Ron could withdrawal the requisite number of bear crawls for when the campus wasn't clean enough after lunch -- for every grade under an A the price was 100 yards, B = 100 yards, C = 200 yards, etc.

1 week later Ray addressed Ron and the team for an update.  The teacher HAD been wrong and Ron now had 500 yards of bear crawls in the bank.  Ron broke out with the biggest smile he could show.  When he "withdrew" his bear crawls, he stood leaning on a goal post, grinning.

The second memory was on the Veteran Day's practice that same year and which started at 10:00 am (school holiday).   As we should remember even today: if you were late to practice it would cost you 100 yards of bear crawls for each minute.  Now also remember, we practiced on the grass field, east of the tennis courts next to the auditorium (to get to our practice field, upon leaving the team locker room located under the stadium’s home grand stands, (1) a player had to go northeast across the field; (2) run past the gymnasium; (3) go across Diamond Ave; (4) go past the tennis courts; and, (5) hop over a short wall); also most of the shoe's cleats were metal tipped then.  Warm ups were over; practice had started. 

The offensive backs' individual practice area was by that short wall adjacent to the tennis courts.  About halfway during our segment, we started to hear that distinctive sound of a person wearing football cleats running (to be honest, sort of running but getting slower each minute) on cement toward us.  As that person got closer, all we heard was the person muttering,  "Oh god, oh god!" over and over again.  We backs stopped what we were doing, turning left to see the clock on the auditorium: 10:18.  There was little doubt the player was still some distance from us.  We backs all looked around -- all backs present and accounted for!  He was either a lineman or a receiver.  By the huffing and puffing we heard, it had to be a lineman, a lineman who was not in good shape.  Even Coach Swift was going to let this drama play out.

10:19: the sound of the cleats on the cement was getting louder but no one in sight yet.  HOWEVER, Ray was deeply involved in his offensive individuals far at the other end of the field by the student parking area.  With all the usual grunting that came from the linemen, perhaps Ray could not hear the player's imminent arrival.  We saw the player when he was adjacent to the tennis court closest to Diamond Ave.  The clock was still at 10:19; but time was of the essence.  Every second counted!  When the player got to the practice field, he leapt over the small wall, hit the grass, and rolled over.  It was Bobby Vaughn!  The clock was now at 10:20.

Moment of truth time: we looked to Ray...still coaching the players.  Less than a second later, Ray looked up and yelled to an exhausted Bob, "20 minutes late, 2000 yards of bear crawls.  You can do them during practice with a manager counting them."  Bob finished them by that Wednesday and was able to suit up for that Friday's game.  There was not a doubt in the world for each player on the team —  never be late for a practice.

For the next two years, Bob became the player of legends:  I don't know about the rest of the sophomores who were on that 1962 team, but for the next 2 years I recounted  to the running/defensive backs who were first year players to the varsity about Bob's fate and always ended with the admonition: DON'T EVER BE LATE FOR PRACTICE!

Another little memory.  I was a walk on quarterback coach at Villa Park High School in 2012 under Dusan Ancich whose father was:        

Marijon Ancich was a former California high school football coach, known as the "John Wooden of high school coaches" and often called the Dean of high school coaches, he is the second-winningest high school football coach in California history with a record of 360-134-4, behind Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle High School with 399 wins. (Wikipedia)

When I finally met him, I introduced myself and said that I was coached by Ray Solari.  Marijon perked up noticeably.  I asked him if he knew of him.  Ancich said when he first started coaching, though coaches' word-of-mouth that Ray was well respected and that he had attended coaching seminars where Ray would speak.  Ancich was completely flabbergasted when I told him that up through my junior year (1963) that there was only Ray and a back coach on the varsity staff.  Marijon was silent for a minute, just staring into space: "Just Ray and 1 other coach?"  Yes, I replied.  He dropped his head, obviously thinking about how he could have run a program at St. Paul like Ray's South Pasadena squad.  I also told him that Ray's first 2 of 4 CIF championships were Mater Dei in 1959 and Bishop Amat in 1962...AND that he won his 4 CIF championships in an 11 year time span.  A few more seconds of silence, then shaking his head, asking, "How could he have done that?"  I simply said, "We were in awe of him."

In the 2nd half, San Marino ran a play action pass with a receiver going straight down the middle of the field.  One of Coach Swift's rule for the defensive backs was to stay in the middle of your zone and as deep as the deepest receiver in your zone and the zone next to you.  As the play developed, I saw that receiver and to my horror Charlie Clapp, the safety, had bit on the play action and was nowhere to be seen.  As I finally got to the receiver he had a step on me.  I was processing all of the information.  If he caught the pass, which he would have, and I tackled him, it would have been for about 45 - 50 yards and the ball would have been placed inside our 30 yard line or possibly a touch down.  I put on a last second burst and just leveled him.  Pass interference -- 15 yards and a first down; 3 downs later, they had to punt.  When I came off the field for the punt return -- the punt return, PAT/Field Goal, and kick off & return teams were when I got my breather -- Ray came up to me, smiled, and said, "Good job."  He really did get satisfaction out of a player making a head's up play.

Dick Coury, Mater Dei’s 1959 head football coach (Mater Dei lost to SPHS in the 1959 CIF championship game) paid Ray the ultimate compliment to an opposing football coach: “Coach Solari beat us with his players...AND if he had my players and I his, Ray would have won again (paraphrased) .”

One final note: During my junior year, 1963, John White, starting halfback on offense and starting cornerback on defense, was the Commissioner (student body officer) who was responsible along with his committee of grading the campus after lunch and giving a grade, but John had the final word.  It's also important to know that Thursday's and Friday's grade's penalties would be paid off at the following Monday's practice.  It could be really daunting if, for example, Thursday's grade was a "C" and Friday's grade was a "B" --- 300 yards of bear craws!  John knew any grade that would result in bear crawls for the team AND him.  Thus, John felt some additional pressure on his final decision.  Ray had supervision of the lunch area and had a free period afterwards.

To make a long story short, the grading of the campus was somewhat lax.  Ray only tolerated this nonsense for only so long.  It didn't take Ray too long to put an end to this fiasco. So Ray announced to the team at a Monday's practice that since he had the time after lunch that HE would, in the future start grading the campus.  His grade would supercede any other grade.  We all inwardly groaned with the thought of Ray's grading criteria.

I was a sophomore on the 1962 CIF championship team.  I could not suit out for the games since I had Varsity exponents as a 14 year old (you had to be 15 to be able to be in uniform for a varsity football game).  After being on the scout team offense the entire season, during warm ups of Monday's practice for the West Covina game (our semi-final opponent), Coach announced to the team, "Shumer's finally going to be in uniform for our game!"

Two of funniest memories occurred when I was a sophomore.  Ron Jackson, the starting strong side guard, had a habit of being tardy to a particular class.  The teacher reached out to Ray and that day, while we were going through our warm ups for practice, Coach informed Ron (and everyone else) that Ron could/should ("could" for Ron and "should" for the rest of us) never be late to that class again.

About 2 weeks later on a Monday, Ray again addressed Ron in front of the team during warm ups and said that the same teacher had talked to him about Ron's latest tardy; Ray informed him it would cost 500 yards of bear crawls for being tardy.  Ron immediately stood up and said it wasn't true, practically begging Coach to believe him.  Ray's wisdom prevailed; Ron would have to do those bear crawls under the supervision of the team manager.  They had to be finished by the end of Wednesday's practice.  If he hadn't been tardy, then those 500 yards of bear crawls would be put into "the bank" and Ron could withdrawal the requisite number of bear crawls for when the campus wasn't clean enough after lunch -- for every grade under an A the price was 100 yards, B = 100 yards, C = 200 yards, etc.

1 week later Ray addressed Ron and the team for an update.  The teacher HAD been wrong and Ron now had 500 yards of bear crawls in the bank.  Ron broke out with the biggest smile he could show.  When he "withdrew" his bear crawls, he stood leaning on a goal post, grinning.

The second memory was on the Veteran Day's practice that same year and which started at 10:00 am (school holiday).   As we should remember even today: if you were late to practice it would cost you 100 yards of bear crawls for each minute.  Now also remember, we practiced on the grass field, east of the tennis courts next to the auditorium (to get to our practice field, upon leaving the team locker room located under the stadium’s home grand stands, (1) a player had to go northeast across the field; (2) run past the gymnasium; (3) go across Diamond Ave; (4) go past the tennis courts; and, (5) hop over a short wall); also most of the shoe's cleats were metal tipped then.  Warm ups were over; practice had started. 

The offensive backs' individual practice area was by that short wall adjacent to the tennis courts.  About halfway during our segment, we started to hear that distinctive sound of a person wearing football cleats running (to be honest, sort of running but getting slower each minute) on cement toward us.  As that person got closer, all we heard was the person muttering,  "Oh god, oh god!" over and over again.  We backs stopped what we were doing, turning left to see the clock on the auditorium: 10:18.  There was little doubt the player was still some distance from us.  We backs all looked around -- all backs present and accounted for!  He was either a lineman or a receiver.  By the huffing and puffing we heard, it had to be a lineman, a lineman who was not in good shape.  Even Coach Swift was going to let this drama play out.

10:19: the sound of the cleats on the cement was getting louder but no one in sight yet.  HOWEVER, Ray was deeply involved in his offensive individuals far at the other end of the field by the student parking area.  With all the usual grunting that came from the linemen, perhaps Ray could not hear the player's imminent arrival.  We saw the player when he was adjacent to the tennis court closest to Diamond Ave.  The clock was still at 10:19; but time was of the essence.  Every second counted!  When the player got to the practice field, he leapt over the small wall, hit the grass, and rolled over.  It was Bobby Vaughn!  The clock was now at 10:20.

Moment of truth time: we looked to Ray...still coaching the players.  Less than a second later, Ray looked up and yelled to an exhausted Bob, "20 minutes late, 2000 yards of bear crawls.  You can do them during practice with a manager counting them."  Bob finished them by that Wednesday and was able to suit up for that Friday's game.  There was not a doubt in the world for each player on the team —  never be late for a practice.

For the next two years, Bob became the player of legends:  I don't know about the rest of the sophomores who were on that 1962 team, but for the next 2 years I recounted  to the running/defensive backs who were first year players to the varsity about Bob's fate and always ended with the admonition: DON'T EVER BE LATE FOR PRACTICE!

Another little memory.  I was a walk on quarterback coach at Villa Park High School in 2012 under Dusan Ancich whose father was:        

Marijon Ancich was a former California high school football coach, known as the "John Wooden of high school coaches" and often called the Dean of high school coaches, he is the second-winningest high school football coach in California history with a record of 360-134-4, behind Bob Ladouceur of De La Salle High School with 399 wins. (Wikipedia)

When I finally met him, I introduced myself and said that I was coached by Ray Solari.  Marijon perked up noticeably.  I asked him if he knew of him.  Ancich said when he first started coaching, though coaches' word-of-mouth that Ray was well respected and that he had attended coaching seminars where Ray would speak.  Ancich was completely flabbergasted when I told him that up through my junior year (1963) that there was only Ray and a back coach on the varsity staff.  Marijon was silent for a minute, just staring into space: "Just Ray and 1 other coach?"  Yes, I replied.  He dropped his head, obviously thinking about how he could have run a program at St. Paul like Ray's South Pasadena squad.  I also told him that Ray's first 2 of 4 CIF championships were Mater Dei in 1959 and Bishop Amat in 1962...AND that he won his 4 CIF championships in an 11 year time span.  A few more seconds of silence, then shaking his head, asking, "How could he have done that?"  I simply said, "We were in awe of him."

In the 2nd half, San Marino ran a play action pass with a receiver going straight down the middle of the field.  One of Coach Swift's rule for the defensive backs was to stay in the middle of your zone and as deep as the deepest receiver in your zone and the zone next to you.  As the play developed, I saw that receiver and to my horror Charlie Clapp, the safety, had bit on the play action and was nowhere to be seen.  As I finally got to the receiver he had a step on me.  I was processing all of the information.  If he caught the pass, which he would have, and I tackled him, it would have been for about 45 - 50 yards and the ball would have been placed inside our 30 yard line or possibly a touch down.  I put on a last second burst and just leveled him.  Pass interference -- 15 yards and a first down; 3 downs later, they had to punt.  When I came off the field for the punt return -- the punt return, PAT/Field Goal, and kick off & return teams were when I got my breather -- Ray came up to me, smiled, and said, "Good job."  He really did get satisfaction out of a player making a head's up play.

Dick Coury, Mater Dei’s 1959 head football coach (Mater Dei lost to SPHS in the 1959 CIF championship game) paid Ray the ultimate compliment to an opposing football coach: “Coach Solari beat us with his players...AND if he had my players and I his, Ray would have won again (paraphrased) .”

During my junior year, 1963, John White, starting halfback on offense and starting cornerback on defense, was the Commissioner (student body officer) who was responsible along with his committee of grading the campus after lunch and giving a grade, but John had the final word.  It's also important to know that Thursday's and Friday's grade's penalties would be paid off at the following Monday's practice.  It could be really daunting if, for example, Thursday's grade was a "C" and Friday's grade was a "B" --- 300 yards of bear craws!  John knew any grade that would result in bear crawls for the team AND him.  Thus, John felt some additional pressure on his final decision.  Ray had supervision of the lunch area and had a free period afterwards.

To make a long story short, the grading of the campus was somewhat lax.  Ray only tolerated this nonsense for only so long.  It didn't take Ray too long to put an end to this fiasco. So Ray announced to the team at a Monday's practice that since he had the time after lunch that HE would, in the future start grading the campus.  His grade would supercede any other grade.  We all inwardly groaned with the thought of Ray's grading criteria.

My junior year we were set to play Beverly Hills High School at their stadium.  That week was when the Santa Ana winds struck with a vengeance, temperatures high 90s to low 100s.  Practice took a toll on all of us, but it was a necessity since their stadium did not have lights; the game was scheduled for 3:15; we soldiered on.  Now in those days water breaks, unlike today, simply were never ever considered.  I think the team would voluntarily run extra wind sprints if we could get some water.  That Wednesday after practice would coach give us a break?  Absolutely not!  The Big 3 would end our practice as usual.  By Friday we were ready to play.  Then came the Boys League Assembly.  All was going well until the end.  Then Coach Solari stepped up to the microphone.  I immediately thought “Coach Solari never ever speaks at this assembly; nothing good could come out of this.”  I was right.

He was very succinct.  Beverly Hills had canceled the game due to the heat; it was to be a “cool” 
98 degrees that afternoon, but they didn’t want their athletes playing in that heat.  We heard later BHHS had proposed playing 8 minute quarters, but Coach refused.  Then the other shoe dropped.  As best as I can remember, he made the following announcement: “Since next week we’ll be playing Temple City practice will start today at 3:30 in full pads.”  You could have heard a pin drop in the gym.  Practice did start at 3:30; it was not any shorter than any other practice.  Coach just looked upon it as being able to get an additional practice getting ready to play Temple City.  He did not, though, have us run wind sprints at the end of practice.

It is so sad to hear about Rod. When I thought about Tom, I thought of Rod and vice versa. They were inseperable in life and also now in Rod's passing they are together again.

Our class is getting smaller, each and every year. I think of Rod as being emblematic of our class. He could have been one who fell in the cracks and shadows, BUT he wasn't. I doubt very much that there weren't too many in our class who didn't know, didn't encounter, nor did they not interact with him.  On the outside there wasn't anything special about him -- but he was Rod, a very special person. I would find it hard to believe that anyone had a bad/harsh word about him.

Kathleen has suffered two losses in less than a half year. I wish her only the very best and hope that she weathers the emotional storms that have beset upon her. My heart goes out to her.

Rod and Tom: rest in peace.