CMC75 Moments: 1979 Football Edges Whittier for SCIAC Title
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1979 Football: CMS 30, Whittier 28
The SCIAC football championship in 1979 came down to the second to last weekend, when the top two teams faced each other as the Stags hosted Whittier. CMS, which built up from a 1-7 season in 1977 behind a high-powered passing attack led by quarterback Bob Farra (who led the nation in passing in 1978 with 2770 yards, a CMS record which still stands), put itself in position to play for the title with a narrow 23-19 win over Redlands the week before. CMS stopped the Bulldogs on a tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter with the score 21-19, and added a safety to knock the six-time defending champion Bulldogs out of contention with their second league loss.
That win left the Stags 3-0 in league play with a chance to clinch at least a share of the title with a win over fellow unbeaten Whittier. However, Farra injured his shoulder in the Redlands win and was lost for the season, putting freshman Curt Hagfeldt in the starting role with a title on the line.
Whittier jumped out to a 21-14 lead after a high-scoring first quarter, but the Stags settled in, tying it right before the half on a two-yard run from Russ Skibsted. Larry Cohn kicked a go-ahead field goal in the third and Hagfeldt found Mark Stafford from eight yards out to make it a 30-21 CMS lead in the fourth. Whittier returned a fumble for a touchdown to pull within 30-28, its first points since the explosive opening quarter, but the Stags were able to hold on as Hagfeldt finished with 247 yards passing to lead the Stags to their second-ever SCIAC title (and first since 1970), just two years after finishing 1-7.
Ten players earned first-team All-SCIAC honors for the 1979 Stags, including Farra, along with Don Chester, Dick Smallwood, Tim Baker, Augie Nieto and Bill Reed on offense, while Eric Jenican, Dave Flatten, Dan Reed and Steve Schiro earned it from the defensive side. Matt Kawamura was a second-team selection, while Brabston Crouch, Jon Stott, Ed Anderson, Charles Klinge, and David Bercovici were honorable mention.
Don Chester:
From my now very foggy recollection, CMC football was on the brink of extinction after the 1977 season. We only won one game, and there was pretty strong talk about either ending the program, or merging with Pomona-Pitzer. Steve (Schiro) and Dave (Flatten) said "hell no" to both those options and took it upon themselves to "recruit" some actual football players, starting with Bob, as well as Danny Reed, Eric Jenican, Dick Smallwood, Jeff Veeder, Marc Stafford, Art Alvarez, Tim Gavotto and Chris Rio (who we actually got a room for during the room lottery, rooming with Scott MacFarlane, though he ended up not meeting acceptance criteria, so you knew they were recruiting the right kind of players). All are players that likely wouldn't have looked at CMC before, and thanks to Steve and Dave, they all did and came.
Their efforts resulted in the two years where I'd claim Coach Zinda invented the West Coast offense (not Bill Walsh)! Thanks to Bob's talent (throwing, not running: best arm on the West Coast, skinniest stick legs) the team went from the traditional running game and throwing 5-8 times a game (Woody Hayes' three things happen when passing, and two are bad) to throwing 40-50 times per game. Our games went from taking 2.5-3 hours to 4 hours. The week before the Whittier game we played Oxy in driving rain storm and still threw 40 times, moving up and down the field and running up the score on them. It was a great two years playing at the top of the league, and I believe that really helped Coach Zinda raise the level of the program during the 80's and setting the tradition of top-tier playing through the 90's and into the 2000's.
As for that game specifically, it was hard. Curt was a freshman, and while talented and no fault of his, he wasn't Bob, who was in a league of his own, not just in our league, but in the country (he led Div. III in passing). So while the defense was usually not really noticed in our earlier games just because of how the offense played, they were also the best in the league, and saved our butts the Whittier game (an offensive fumble made the game way closer than it should have been). I recall they stopped a potential game winning drive as time ran out, so we were hanging on without Bob (of course my viewpoint, I was used to running all over the field catching his passes).
And then later that evening we got tragic news. Steve's dad Tony had a fatal heart attack. Somehow the word came to me and I had to locate Steve at the party we were at up at Scripps and tell him. Mr. Schiro was great man, and was the head of a great family, I spent a lot of time over at their house eating some of the greatest, BIGGEST, meals I've still ever had to this day. Their family made life at CMC a lot easier, Mr. and Mrs. Schiro made their home everyone's home.
Matt (Kawamura) would come in and replace me at QB sophomore year whenever I needed to take a few plays off to clear the cobwebs out of my head from getting hit harder than I've ever been hit in my life each game. That is why I especially thank Steve and Dave bringing in all those players, especially Bob, which changed my last two years at CMC. As it usually is in life, it's the friendships and relationships that are the most cherished when you finally get down to realizing what's important.
Bob Farra:
Here are my two most vivid memories of that championship season.
One: We fly to Las Vegas early in the season, all excited for the travel to the big lights of Sin City. Somehow we end up in Albuquerque, are escorted to a bus, drive two some hours to god knows where, and end up in Las Vegas, New Mexico! Pre game warmups include a mariachi band. Yeah, this is the big time for sure! But we Stags buckle our chin straps and put our schoolbooks back on the bus and go to work.
Two: La Verne and Shirley game at their place. Bald Bob having a grizzly bad day. Thank god for Billy Reed (18 carries, 202 yards, 2 touchdowns) and the boys up front for their efforts. We run the ball down the field with a few errant ducks thrown in between and get down to near the goal line. Play comes in from way high above calling for Billy to hammer it in. Everyone knew that was the plan. Even Shirley knew it. Ball gets faked to Billy and Charlie Klinge catches a three-yard floating quail TD that even your grandma could throw. Now here's the good part, a life time lesson learned: Coach Z gave Bald Bob a look and verbal lashing that every dad and coach would have been proud of. Taught me a lesson. Give credit where credit's due: thank you Coach for that lesson learned. Apologies forever to Billy and the boys who led the way.
I don't remember many games and plays. I never forget the times spent and shared. A brotherhood like no other.
Steve Schiro:
The championship game in our mind was the week before vs. Redlands on Stag Field. That is the game Bobby went down with a shoulder dislocation. We finished that game strong, great win. The Whittier game was really our next opponent on the schedule at Stag Field. Without Bobby, we didn't know how we would show up. We felt confident because Curt Hagfeldt played well vs. Redlands after Bob went down with an injury. I don't remember much about the specifics of the game. I do remember Curt played well, very efficient. The only other memory I recall is Whittier's running back #26 was very quick and talented. He was a really good football player, about 5'7", 185 pounds and quick as heck. I still see pictures in my head of seeing him in the hole, and because he was lightning quick and can make you miss, gang tackling "meet at the ball" was our focus.
Other than comments above, I only remember the following:
- After the game, I was physically tired.
- I remember meeting my parents and our cousins the Sinatras (Opal and Vince Sinatra) after the game on the field, who were in attendance. The Sinatras were long time Whittier alumni. Their son, Frank (an MD and Board Chair of the Keck Hospital at USC), was also the Chair for Whittier University Board of Regents. After the game they went to my parents' house for dinner and a family visit.
- I remember (recalling it was Don Chester and David Bercovici) who found me at an after-game party. They informed me to go home, as my Dad was going to the hospital.
- The Sinatras left my parents' house around 9 p.m. My dad had a van that often had to be clutch-started manual transmission. My Dad decided to push his van up the driveway to get a down slope to pop the clutch and get the engine started. After he did that, he came in the house, and didn't feel well. Mom called 911, Dad had a heart attack and then died three days later.
- Crazy night and crazy week. The week leading up to the Pomona game, we had my Dad's services and then a game to play vs. Pomona. My Dad would say life goes on, go pursue your dreams, play in the game. All of my family and relatives were in attendance at Pomona Field. It was a dark night with low grey clouds. We thought we would be going to D3 playoffs (needed to be invited) with a win. The story had a different ending.
With that said, the loss to Pomona was hard. La Verne beat Whittier that same evening which was almost as big upset of Pomona beating us. I remember being one of that last players to leave the locker room. There were less than 10 of us left in the locker room at that time. My most vivid memory was Coach Zinda (the Zindas were family friends, as we grew up in the same town of Upland and our families attended the same church) informing us that La Verne upset Whittier. We ended up being outright SCIAC Champions and not co-champions. To me it was a message from my Dad (an angel now). Divine intervention for me. The message: "All will be ok. Get over yourself. Be grateful for what you have. It's the relationships, experiences and memories (good/bad) that really matter."
1979 CMS Football Roster
Head Coach: John Zinda
Assistant Coaches: Jerry Howell, Chris Parkson, Esper Keiser, Chip Hammond, Len Crowley, Stu Roper
Art Alvarez (CMC)
Ed Anderson (CMC)
Jim Anderson (CMC)
Rolf Anderson (HMC)
Steve Antisdale (CMC)
Tim Baker (CMC)
Mike Barton (CMC)
Mike Becker (CMC)
David Bercovici (HMC)
Michael Brenk (CMC)
Jeff Brothers (CMC)
Jan Buddingh (CMC)
Brian Bullock (CMC)
Don Chester (CMC)
Bruce Clark (CMC)
Larry Cohn (CMC)
Ryder Cook (CMC)
Brabston Crouch (CMC)
Keith Davison (CMC)
David Eby (CMC)
Bob Farra (CMC)
Dave Flatten (CMC)
Tim Gavotto (CMC)
Curt Hagfeldt (CMC)
Doug Hathaway (HMC)
Jim Haynie (CMC)
Blake Isaacson (CMC)
Dennis Janssen (CMC)
Mike James (CMC)
Eric Jenican (CMC)
Matt Kawamura (CMC)
Charles Klinge (CMC)
Tom Knowlton (CMC)
Ward Lennon (CMC)
John Lerew (CMC)
Matthew Lopez (CMC)
Joe McDonnell (CMC)
Rob Mobley (CMC)
Gavan Munter (CMC)
Augie Nieto (CMC)
Andy O'Conner (HMC)
Stephen O'Conner (HMC)
James Orr (CMC)
Pete Oswald (HMC)
Dan Reed (CMC)
William Reed (CMC)
Chris Robinson (CMC)
Doug Rubino (CMC)
Steve Schiro (CMC)
Russ Skibsted (CMC)
Mike Sly (CMC)
Dick Smallwood (CMC)
Marc Stafford (CMC)
Jon Storr (CMC)
Mike Strnod (HMC)
Bret Vonder Reith (CMC)
Mark Watanabe (CMC)
Arch Zellick (CMC)