The 1940 Santa Ana Dons football team was an American football team that represented Santa Ana College as a member of the Eastern Conference during the 1940 college football season. In their 14th year under head coach Bill Cook, the Dons compiled a perfect 11–0 record (5–0 in conference games), won the Eastern Conference championship, held 10 of their opponents to seven or fewer points, and outscored all opponents by a total of 317 to 41.[1][2] The Los Angeles Times referred to the team as "one of the greatest junior college teams ever developed in the Southland."[3]
| 1940 Santa Ana Dons football | |
|---|---|
Junior college national champion Eastern Conference champion | |
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Record | 11–0 (5–0 Eastern) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Santa Ana Municipal Bowl |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Santa Ana $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fullerton | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chaffey | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ? | – | ? | – | ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riverside | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ? | – | ? | – | ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Bernardino | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pomona Junior College | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ? | – | ? | – | ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Santa Ana was rated as the No. 1 junior college football team in the country in the final rankings issued in December 1940 by the All-American Gridiron Index. Santa Ana received 509 points, edging Louisiana State University's Northeast Center Junior College and Kilgore College which received 499 and 492 points, respectively.[4] The Louisiana school challenged Santa Ana to a post-season game; Santa Ana officials favored the game, but the Southern California Conference refused to lift its rule banning post-season games.[5]
Ten Santa Ana players received first-team honors on one or more of the 1940 Eastern Conference all-conference teams selected by The San Bernardino Sun (SBS), the Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF), and the sports editors of the six school newspapers (SE). Santa Ana's first-team honorees were: fullback Bob Bryant (SBS/HAF/SE); back Earl Parsons (SBS); quarterback/halfback Hal Lilley (HAF/SE); blocker Frank Minisi (HAF); ends Dick Gunther (SBS) and Bob Shildmeyer (HAF/SE); tackles Paul Sedar (SBS/HAF/SE) and Jim Crowther (SBS/SE); guard Bill Noble (SBS/HAF); and center Lester McKnight (SBS/HAF).[3][6][7]
The team played its home games at the Santa Ana Municipal Bowl in Santa Ana, California.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21 | Loyola (CA) freshmen* |
| W 13–0 | [1] | |||
| September 27 | Santa Monica* |
| W 32–0 | [8] | |||
| October 4 | Pasadena* |
| W 13–6 | 7,500–10,000 | [9] | ||
| October 11 | at San Mateo* | W 20–0 | [10] | ||||
| October 18 | Chaffey |
| W 26–0 | [11] | |||
| October 30[n 1] | at Riverside |
| W 27–3 | [12] | |||
| November 2 | Oceanside* |
| W 39–13 | [1] | |||
| November 8 | Pomona Junior College |
| W 59–6 | 5,500 | [13][14] | ||
| November 15 | San Bernardino |
| W 40–0 | [15] | |||
| November 21 | at Fullerton | Fullerton, CA | W 14–7 | [16] | |||
| November 29 | Santa Rosa* |
| W 34–6 | 6,000 | [17][18] | ||
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Notes
edit- ^ The game was originally scheduled for Friday, October 25. The original date was a rainout and was rescheduled for the following Wednesday, October 30.
References
edit- ^ a b c "1940 Santa Ana College (CA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved May 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Santa Ana Jaysee Tops Eastern Loop". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 23, 1940. p. 8, part 1. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ a b "Santa Ana Places Seven on Eastern Jaysee Team". The Los Angeles Times. December 23, 1940. p. II-11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Poll Ranks Bear cub Gridders 18th: Mighty Santa Ana Dons Picked as Top J.C. Team in America". The Press Democrat. Associated Press. December 4, 1940. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rule Prevents J. C. Playoffs: No National Title Tilt For Santa Ana Dons". The Pasadena Post. December 10, 1940. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Taylor All-Conference Choice; Santa Ana Dominates Team: Dons Place Seven Players on J.C. Eleven". The San Bernardino Sun. December 21, 1940. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Five Dons on All-Star Grid Team". The Los Angeles Times. December 9, 1940. p. II-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dons Show Punch in 32-0 Triumph: Santa Monica Is Outclassed". Santa Ana Register. September 28, 1940. pp. 6, 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dons' Deadly Blocking Beats Pasadena: Hull, Lilley Pace 13-6 Win". Santa Ana Register. October 5, 1940. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cliff Nelson (October 12, 1940). "Bulldogs Take a Trimmin': Santa Ana Grabs 20-0 Triumph; Dons Smear Bullogs as Bad Breaks Turned Into Santa Ana Scores". The Times and Daily News Leader. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Don Powerhouse Subdues Chaffey, 26-0: Lilley, Margucci, Bryant, Chase Tally". Santa Ana Register. October 19, 1940. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dons Trail At Half But Win, 27-3: Crowther's Blocked Punt Turns Tide And Bryant 'Lowers Boom'". Santa Ana Register. October 31, 1940. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dave Meiklejohn (November 9, 1940). "Pomona J.C. Bows To Dons 58-6". The Progress-Bulletin. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chaffey Wins From Hornets". Anaheim Bulletin. November 9, 1940. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ray Nish (November 16, 1940). "Santa Ana Pounds Indian Eleven, 40-0: Dons Turn on Power Attack for Triumph; San Bernardino Suffers Worst Licking of Season; Makes Two Scoring Threats". The San Bernardino Daily Sun. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Santa Ana Dons Drive to Loop Crown". The Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1940. p. II-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Emerson Street (November 30, 1940). "Outclassed Bear Cubs Thumped by Santa Ana, 34 to 6: Peterson Puts Over Lone J.C. Tally from One". The Press Democrat. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dons Wind Up With Victory: Santa Ana Smothers One of North's Best Teams to Tune of 34-6". Anaheim Bulletin. November 30, 1940. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com].
