1943 Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators football team

The 1943 Del Monte Pre-Flight Seahawks football team represented the United States Navy's Del Monte Pre-Flight School during the 1943 college football season. The school was located at the Hotel Del Monte in Del Monte, California (annexed in 1948 into Monterey, California), The team compiled a 7–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 252 to 65, and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP Poll.[1]

1943 Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 8
Record7–1
Head coach
Home stadiumKezar Stadium
Seasons
← 1942
1944 →
1943 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 17 Bainbridge     7 0 0
Bunker Hill NAS     6 0 0
Greensboro     4 0 0
Memphis NATTC     2 0 0
No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight     9 1 0
No. 10 March Field     9 1 0
No. 8 Del Monte Pre-Flight     7 1 0
Randolph Field     9 1 1
Georgia Pre-Flight     5 1 0
No. 6 Great Lakes Navy     10 2 0
Lubbock AAF     5 1 0
Ottumwa NAS     5 1 0
Camp Davis     8 2 0
Sampson NTS     7 2 0
San Diego NTS     7 2 0
Keesler Field     3 1 0
Wright Field     1 0 1
Camp Lejeune     6 2 1
Fort Riley     6 2 1
Kearns Field     5 2 0
Fort Knox     4 2 0
Cherry Point Marines     4 2 1
Alameda Coast Guard     4 2 1
Fort Douglas     4 2 1
300th Infantry     5 3 0
176th Infantry     4 3 0
Blackland AAF     4 3 0
Fort Sheridan     4 3 0
Fort Warren     4 3 0
Norman NAS     4 3 0
Charleston Coast Guard     5 4 0
Salt Lake AAB     4 3 2
124th Infantry     2 2 0
Camp Kilmer     2 2 0
Camp Lee     5 5 0
Logan Navy     2 2 0
Spokane Air Service     2 2 0
Camp Edwards     4 5 0
Curtis Bay Coast Guard     4 5 0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     3 4 1
Jacksonville NATTC     3 4 0
Richmond AAB     4 6 1
Atlantic City NAS     2 3 0
North Carolina Pre-Flight     2 4 1
Patterson Field     2 4 1
Bowman Field     2 4 0
Kirtland Field     1 2 0
Lakehurst NAS     2 4 0
Camp Grant     2 6 2
Lowry Field     1 3 0
Fort Monroe     3 7 0
Daniel Field     2 7 0
Camp Gordon     1 4 0
South Plains AAF     1 4 0
Greenville AAB     1 5 0
Ward Island Marines     1 5 0
Bryan AAF     1 6 0
Pocatello AAB     0 3 0
Norfolk Fleet Marines     0 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Bill Kern, who had been the head coach at Carnegie Tech and West Virginia prior to the war, was the team's head coach. The team included a number of athletes who were then serving in the Navy. Notable players include: Paul Christman, an All-American quarterback at Missouri; Parker Hall, an All-American back out of Ole Miss who played in the NFL from 1939 to 1942; Len Eshmont, a back who played in the NFL in 1941; Ed Cifers, an end who played in the NFL from 1941 to 1942; Bowden Wyatt, an end out of Tennessee; and Jim McDonald, a back who played in the NFL from 1938 to 1939.[2]

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Del Monte Pre-Flight ranked 20th among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 96.8.[3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 26Alameda Coast GuardW 34–710,000[4]
October 3Saint Mary's
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 33–725,000[5]
October 10Pleasanton Naval Distribution CenterNo. 15 Del Monte, CAW 34–66,000[6]
October 16at No. 10 Pacific (CA)No. 11
L 7–1610,000[7]
October 24at San FranciscoNo. 15
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 34–010,000[8]
November 6at UCLANo. 14W 26–715,000[9]
November 21at St. Mary's Pre-FlightNo. 14
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 37–1445,000[10]
November 27at CaliforniaNo. 10W 47–810,000–12,000[11]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[12]

Rankings

edit
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP1511 (6)1517141314108 (9)

References

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  1. ^ "1943 Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  2. ^ "Bill Kern Has Powerful Team at Del Monte". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 29, 1943. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1943). "Litkenhouse Selects U. S. Grid Leaders". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. 18. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ "Del Monte in 34-7 Victory Over Lions". Oakland Tribune. September 27, 1943. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Bob Blake (October 4, 1943). "Del Monte Officers Trounce Game St. Mary's, 33-7". Oakland Tribune. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Del Monte in 34 to 6 Rout". Oakland Tribune. October 11, 1943. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Pacific 16, Del Monte 7: Podesto & Co. Stop Touted Officer Play". Oakland Tribune. October 17, 1943. pp. 17–18 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Dons Victims of Del Monte". San Mateo Times. October 25, 1943. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Al Wolf (November 7, 1943). "Bruins Bow, 26-7: Del Monte Offices Run Wild". Los Angeles Times. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Bob Blake (November 22, 1943). "Bears Next For Del Monte". Oakland Tribune. pp. 22–23 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Lee Dunbar (November 28, 1943). "Del Monte Pre-Flight Beats Bears 47-8: Officers Make 5 Touchdowns". Oakland Tribune. pp. 15–16 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Daye, John (2014). Encyclopedia of Armed Forces Football. Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-1-937943-21-9.