1945 El Toro Flying Marines football team

The 1945 El Toro Flying Marines football team represented the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station during the 1945 college football season. The station was located in Orange County, California, near the town of El Toro (later renamed Lake Forest). Led by second-year head coach, Dick Hanley, the Flying Marines compiled an 8–2 record. El Toro was ranked fifth among the nation's college and service teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings, behind Army, Navy, Alabama, and Fleet City.[1]

1945 El Toro Flying Marines football
ConferenceIndependent
Record8–2
Head coach
CaptainGeorge Franck
Home stadiumSanta Ana Municipal Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
← 1944
1946 →
1945 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Army Air Forces League
Third Air Force + 4 1 1 7 2 1
AAF Training Command + 4 1 1 8 3 1
Fourth Air Force 3 2 1 6 3 1
First Air Force 2 2 2 3 2 3
Air Transport Command 2 3 1 6 3 2
Personnel Distribution Command 2 4 0 6 5 0
Second Air Force 1 5 0 3 7 0
Independents
Hutchinson NAS     8 0 0
Fleet City     11 0 1
Corpus Christi NAS     7 1 0
North Camp Hood     7 1 0
Selman Field     7 1 0
Jacksonville NAS     9 2 0
El Toro Marines     8 2 0
Camp Beale     6 1 2
Little Creek     7 2 0
Amarillo AAF     3 1 0
Farragut NTS     6 2 0
South Camp Hood     5 2 0
Santa Barbara Marines     7 3 1
Fort McClellan     4 2 0
San Diego NTS     4 2 0
Eastern Flying Training Command     6 3 1
Atlantic City NAS     4 2 1
Minter Field     4 2 1
Camp Lee     7 4 0
Camp Peary     5 3 0
Olathe NAS     3 2 0
Great Lakes Navy     6 4 1
Hondo AAF     6 4 1
Bainbridge     5 4 0
Fort Benning     5 4 1
Albany Navy     3 3 1
Williams Field     4 4 0
Stockton AAF     4 5 2
Camp Detrick     3 4 0
Kearney AAF     3 4 0
Fort Warren     5 7 0
Bergstrom Field     3 5 1
Barksdale Field     4 7 0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     2 4 1
Keesler Field     3 6 1
Camp Blanding     1 2 0
Great Bend AAF     2 4 0
Luke Field     1 2 0
Miami NAS     1 2 0
Fort Pierce     4 9 0
Gulfport AAF     2 5 0
Ellington Field     1 4 1
Miami NTC     1 3 0
Oceana NAS     1 3 0
Fort Riley     1 4 0
Lake Charles AAF     1 4 0
Pensacola NAS     2 7 1
Cherry Point Marines     1 8 0
Dalhart AAF     0 3 0
Homestead AAB     0 3 0
Fort Monroe     0 7 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

George Franck was the team captain. Fullback Frank Balazs and halfbacks Mortimer Landsberg and Hugh Gallarneau were members of the team early in the season before they were discharged from military service.[2] Other players on the team included Elroy Hirsch, Paul Governali, Willie Wilkin, Whitey Lee of Carnegie Tech, Bob Dove, Harley McCollum, Ernie Lewis, and Dick Handley.[3][4]

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 9Hollywood Rangers
W 13–1212,000[5]
September 22Los Angeles Bulldogs
  • Santa Ana Municipal Bowl
  • Santa Ana, CA
W 68–0[6]
September 29at Fleet CityL 7–2125,000[7]
October 6Camp Pendleton
  • Santa Ana Municipal Bowl
  • Santa Ana, CA
W 61–025,000[8]
October 14at Second Air ForceW 20–910,000[9]
October 28AAF Training CommandW 7–030,000[10]
November 1at UCLALos Angeles, CAW 27–19 (scrimmage)[11]
November 11at San Diego NTSSan Diego, CAW 20–05,000[12]
November 18at Saint Mary's Pre-Flight
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 7–035,000[13]
November 25vs. Fort WarrenW 40–723,000[14][15]
December 92:30 p.m.Fleet City
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
L 25–4859,143[16][17]

[18]

References

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  1. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 19, 1945). "Litkenhouse Rates College, Service Teams of Nation". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  2. ^ "Three Toro Backs "Lost' on Points". Nevada State Journal. Reno, Nevada. United Press. September 16, 1945. p. S2. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  3. ^ "El Toro Will Open Grid Season". Monrovia Daily News-Post. Monrovia, California. Associated Press. September 8, 1945. p. 3. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ "Skymasters Escape Injury, Point To El Toro Battle". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. October 23, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "El Toro Marines Edge Hollywood Rangers, 13-12". The San Bernardino Daily Sun. San Bernardino, California. United Press. September 10, 1945. p. 3. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  6. ^ "El Toro Marines Swamp Bulldogs". Nevada State Journal. Reno, Nevada. United Press. September 23, 1945. p. S1. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  7. ^ "Fleet City Powers to 21-7 Win Over El Toro". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Associated Press. September 30, 1945. p. 6, part II. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  8. ^ "El Toro Wins 61-0 From Pendleton". The Whittier News. Whittier, California. United Press. October 8, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  9. ^ Heroux, Harold (October 15, 1945). "Hirsch Leads El Toro to 20-9 Win over 2nd AF". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. International News Service. p. 17. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  10. ^ McMullen, Lorin (October 29, 1945). "El Toro Beats Skymasters, 7-0, on Last-Minute Pass". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. 9. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  11. ^ "Marines Beat UCLA". The Seattle Star. Seattle, Washington. United Press. November 2, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  12. ^ "El Toro Marine Eleven Blanks San Diego, 20-0". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Associated Press. November 12, 1945. p. 6, part II. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  13. ^ "Marines Defeat Pre-Flight, 7-0". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. November 19, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  14. ^ "El Toro Marines Play Ft. Warren". Nevada State Journal. Reno, Nevada. United Press. November 25, 1945. p. S2. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  15. ^ "El Toro Marines Shellac Fort Warren Broncs, 40-7". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, UT. United Press. November 26, 1945. p. 13. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  16. ^ "El Toro Fears Buddy Young". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 4, 1945. p. 8, part II. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  17. ^ Pack, Warren (December 10, 1945). "Young Start As Fleet City Drubs El Toro". Daily News. Los Angeles, California. p. 9. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  18. ^ "Final Log For Nation's Top Football Teams". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 2, 1945. p. 14, part I. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .