1944 El Toro Flying Marines football team

The 1944 El Toro Flying Marines football team represented the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station during the 1944 college football season. The station was located in Orange County, California, near the town of El Toro (later renamed Lake Forest). The team compiled an 8–1 record and was ranked No. 16 in the final AP Poll. Lt. Col. Dick Hanley was the team's head coach.[1] Cliff Battles and Jim Tuttle were assistant coaches.

1944 El Toro Flying Marines football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 16
Record8–1
Head coach
Home stadiumSanta Ana Municipal Bowl
Seasons
← 1943
1945 →
1944 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Randolph Field     11 0 0
No. 5 Bainbridge     10 0 0
No. 18 Fort Pierce     9 0 0
No. 13 Norman NAS     6 0 0
No. 6 Iowa Pre-Flight     10 1 0
No. 16 El Toro Marines     8 1 0
Hondo AAF     7 1 0
Bunker Hill NAS     6 1 0
Lincoln AAF     6 1 0
Blackland AAF     7 1 1
Keesler Field     8 1 2
No. 17 Great Lakes Navy     9 2 1
No. 10 March Field     7 2 2
Third Air Force     8 3 0
North Carolina Pre-Flight     6 2 1
Atlantic City NAS     5 2 0
Camp Peary     5 2 0
Tonopah AAF     5 2 0
Daniel Field     7 3 0
No. 20 Second Air Force     10 4 1
San Francisco Coast Guard     4 2 1
Ellington Field     6 3 2
Amarillo AAF     5 3 0
Alameda Coast Guard     4 2 2
Coronado Amphibious     2 1 1
Olathe NAS     4 2 2
Selman Field     4 2 2
Galveston AAF     5 3 2
Fleet City     6 4 1
Jacksonville NAS     4 3 0
San Diego NTS     4 3 1
Camp Beale     5 4 0
Lubbock AAF     5 4 0
Fort Warren     5 4 1
Fort Monroe     5 5 0
Klamath Falls Marines     2 2 1
Maxwell Field     5 5 0
Minter Field     3 3 0
No. 19 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     4 4 0
Fourth Infantry     3 4 2
Georgia Pre-Flight     4 5 0
Third Infantry     4 5 0
Bergstrom Field     3 4 0
Ottumwa NAS     3 4 0
Camp Lee     3 5 0
Cherry Point Marines     3 6 0
Chatham Field     2 8 1
Sampton NTS     2 7 0
Miami NTC     2 8 0
Bryan AAF     1 7 0
Fairfield-Suisun AAB     1 7 0
Richmond AAB     0 10 1
Camp Ellis     0 5 0
South Plains AAF     0 8 0
Rankings from AP Poll

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, El Toro ranked 23rd among the nation's college and service teams and first out of six United States Marine Corps teams with a rating of 100.0.[2][3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16at Fleet CityW 13–76,000[4]
September 30Fairfield-Suisun AAB
W 56–0[5]
October 7Beaumont General Hospital
  • Municipal Bowl
  • Santa Ana, CA
W 52–0[6]
October 15at San Diego NTSSan Diego, CAW 6–0[7]
October 22at No. 14 March Field
L 14–2016,000[8]
October 28Fleet City
  • Municipal Bowl
  • Santa Ana, CA
W 14–08,000[9]
November 11at Coronado Amphibious Training BaseNo. 17
W 51–7[10]
November 18at Fort BlissNo. 15El Paso, TXW 42–0[11]
November 25vs. San Francisco Coast GuardNo. 16Santa Barbara, CAW 60–0[12]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

edit
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked т = Tied with team above or below
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP17151618т16

References

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  1. ^ "Hanley's Marines To Unleash Power". The Fresno Bee. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 10, 1944). "Big Ten Circuit Repeats As King of College Leagues". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City Utah. p. 8B. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  3. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1944). "Army, Randolph Field One-Two in Final Litkenhouse Ratings". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ "Marines Edge Sailors, 13-7". Los Angeles Times. September 17, 1944. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Flying Marines Spank Army Eleven, 56 to 0". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1944. p. II-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "California Marines Best Beaumont Team". The Paris (TX) News. October 8, 1944. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Marines Edge San Diego Navy By Touchdown". The San Bernardino County Sun. October 16, 1944. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "March Field Whips Marines In Hard Game; 16,000 See Fliers Check El Toro Rally, Win 20-14". The San Bernardino County Sun. October 23, 1944. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Fleet City Gobs Drop 14-0 Tussle To El Toro Marines". Nevada State Journal. October 29, 1944. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "El Toro Marines Trounce Coronado". The Fresno Bee. November 11, 1944. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "El Toro Maines Swamp Foes, 42-0". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1944. p. II-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "El Toro Clouts Pilots, 60-0". Los Angeles Times. November 26, 1944. p. II-6 – via Newspapers.com.