1942 Corpus Christi Naval Air Station Comets football team

The 1942 Corpus Christi Naval Air Station Comets football team represented the United States Navy's Naval Air Station Corpus Christi during the 1942 college football season. The team compiled a 4–3–1 record and was ranked No. 10 among the service teams in a poll of 91 sports writers conducted by the Associated Press.[1] Corpus Christi played four games against college teams from the Southwest Conference, including conference champion Texas, and four games against other service teams.

1942 Corpus Christi Naval Air Station Comets football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 10 (APS)
Record4–3–1
Head coach
Seasons
← 1941
1943 →
1942 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 11 Second Air Force     11 0 1
No. 9 Manhattan Beach Coast Guard     6 0 1
No. 17 March Field     11 2 0
No. 3 Georgia Pre-Flight     7 1 1
No. 4 North Carolina Pre-Flight     8 2 1
No. 6 Jacksonville NAS     9 3 0
No. 1 Great Lakes Navy     8 3 1
No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight     7 3 1
No. 15 Fort Riley     6 3 0
No. 14 Fort Monmouth     5 2 2
No. 5 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     6 3 1
No. T–20 Fort Douglas     5 3 0
No. 10 Corpus Christi NAS     4 3 1
No. 16 Camp Davis     4 3 2
Albuquerque AAB     5 4 0
No. 13 Lakehurst NAS     4 4 1
Santa Ana AAB     4 4 0
Will Rogers AB     4 4 0
No. 7 Camp Grant     4 5 0
No. 8 Pensacola NAS     3 5 1
No. T–18 Fort Totten     3 5 1
Camp Pickett     1 6 0
No. 12 Fort Knox     2 6 0
Alameda Coast Guard     1 7 1
No. T–18 Spence Field     0 4 0
No. T–20 Daniel Field     0 6 0
Rankings from AP Service Poll

Marty Karow was the head coach. Notable players included: halfback George Franck, who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame; end Billy Dewell, who played for the Chicago Cardinals before the war; and end Ed Frutig, who played for Michigan and the Green Bay Packers before the war.[2] Frutig was selected as the right end on the 1942 All-Navy All-America football team.[3]

"Ike" Kepford, who later shot down 17 enemy aircraft to become the Navy's leading flying ace, scored both of the Comets' touchdowns against Texas A&M, one on an interception return and the other on a pass reception.[4]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19at TexasL 0–40[5]
September 26at RiceL 7–189,000[6]
October 10Texas A&MCorpus Christi, TXW 18–7[4]
October 17Ellington FieldCorpus Christi, TXW 75–0[7]
October 24at SMUDallas, TXL 6–21[8]
October 31 Pensacola NASCorpus Christi, TXW 18–6[9]
November 7Randolph FieldCorpus Christi, TXW 40–0[10]
November 14at Pensacola NASPensacola, FLT 7–75,000[11]

[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Great Lakes Is Leading Service Team Of Nation". Ashville Citizen-Times. December 6, 1942. p. D2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Corpus Christi Eleven Seen As Possible Champ". Valley Morning Star. September 15, 1942. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Grantland Rice (December 27, 1942). "All-Navy All-America". Beatrice Daily Sun. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Once-Proud Texas Aggies Humbled By Corpus Christi Comets 18 to 7". Valley Evening Monitor. October 11, 1942. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Longhorns Defeat Naval Air Station". Taylor (TX) Daily Press. September 20, 1942. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Rice Polishes Off Gulf Fliers, 18-7". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. September 27, 1942. p. Peach 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Corpus Comets Drub Ellington Field 75-0". Paris (TX) News. October 18, 1942. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Navy Fliers Lost To S.M.U., 21 to 6". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 25, 1942. p. 2S – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Alert Comets Whittle Down Pensacola 18-6". Valley Morning Star. November 1, 1942. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Corpus Fliers Have Easy Time, 40-0, With Randolph Field Club". Marshall (TX) News Messenger. November 8, 1942. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Naval Teams Battle to Tie". The Abilene Reporter-News. November 15, 1942. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Daye, John (2014). Encyclopedia of Armed Forces Football. Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-937943-21-9.