1946 Compton Tartars football team

The 1946 Compton Tartars football team was an American football team that represented Compton College as a member of the Metropolitan Conference during the 1946 junior college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Tay Brown, the team compiled a 10–1 record (6–1 against conference opponents), won the Metropolitan Conference championship, defeated Kilgore in the Little Rose Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 284 to 94.[1]

1946 Compton Tartars football
Metropolitan champion
Little Rose Bowl champion
ConferenceMetropolitan Conference
Record10–1 (6–1 Metropolitan)
Head coach
Home stadiumRamsaur Stadium
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Metropolitan Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Compton $ 6 1 0 10 1 0
Santa Monica 5 1 1 6 2 1
Long Beach 5 2 0 9 2 0
Los Angeles City 4 2 1 6 3 1
Bakersfield 4 3 0 7 3 1
Ventura 1 5 1 4 5 1
Glendale (CA) 1 5 1 2 7 1
Pasadena 0 7 0 0 9 1
  • $ – Conference champion

The team ranked sixth nationally among small college teams in total offense with an average of 331.1 yards per game.[2] The offense was led by fullback John Finney and quarterback Bev Wallace. Finney averaged 6.3 yards per carry and was named "Player of the Year" by the All-Southern California board of football.[3][4] In the Little Rose Bowl game, Wallace completed 11 of 16 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns.[5] Wallace later played three seasons for the San Francisco 49ers.

Compton took five of eleven spots on the 1946 All-Metropolitan Conference football team. The honorees were Bev Wallace and John Finney at back; Robert Boyd and Gene Nordyke at end; and Fred (Floyd) Hopper at guard.[6]

Coach Tay Brown led Compton to four Little Rose Bowl games, compiled a 140–33–9 record at the school, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.[7]

The team played its home games at Ramsaur Stadium in Compton, California.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 29San Diego Navy*
W 39–7[8]
October 4at VenturaVentura, CAW 13–0[9]
October 11Idaho Southern Branch*
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
W 38–010,000[10][11][12]
October 18Long Beach
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
W 20–18[13][14]
October 25Santa Monica
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
W 26–012,000[15]
November 1at BakersfieldBakersfield, CAW 40–25[16]
November 8at Utah Branch Agricultural College*Cedar City, UTW 26–17
November 18Glendale (CA)
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
W 19–010,000[17]
November 22Pasadena
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
W 38–7[18]
November 27Los Angeles City
  • Ramsaur Stadium
  • Compton, CA
L 6–1912,000[19]
December 7vs. Kilgore*W 19–051,000[20][5]
  • *Non-conference game

[21]

References edit

  1. ^ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 171.
  2. ^ The Official NCAA Football Guide, p. 87.
  3. ^ The Official NCAA Football Guide, p. 88.
  4. ^ "Compton's Finney Honored; Mustang Stars Gain Place". Pasadena Independent. December 6, 1946. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "West Wins First Little Rose Bowl Game: 51,000 See Compton Beat Kilgore by 19-0 Score; Junior College Classic Proves Huge Success; Wallace Stars (part 1)". Pasadena Star-News. December 8, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Aguirre on All-Southern California 11". The Bakersfield Californian. December 5, 1946. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Tay Brown". National Football Foundation. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "Compton Wallops Bluejackets, 39-7". News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. September 30, 1946. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Bill Britton (October 5, 1946). "Compton Spoils Pirates' Conference Opener 13 to 0: Tartars Erase Memory of '41 Loss in Brutal Game". Ventura County Star-Free Press. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Compton Cops 3rd Grid Triumph, 38-0". Los Angeles Evening Citizen. Hollywood, Los Angeles. October 12, 1946. p. 14. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Bengals Beaten". Post Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. AP. October 13, 1946. p. 10. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Compton College Nips Idaho Southern, 38-0". Visalia Times-Delta. Visalia, California. AP. October 12, 1946. p. 4. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "City College '11' Plays at Compton Tonight! Seating Is Boosted to 13,000 for Important Struggle". The Independent. Long Beach, California. October 18, 1946. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Compton Edges Vikings 20-18". The Ventura County Star-Free Press. United Press. October 19, 1946. p. 7.
  15. ^ "Tartars Outscore Santa Monica, 26-0". Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1946. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Tartars Come Back to Whip Renegades". Los Angeles Times. November 2, 1946. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Tartars Roll On as Fog Rolls In". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1946. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Hank Ives (November 23, 1946). "Tartars Roll Over Pasadena, 38-7: Locals Trail 13-0 at Half". Pasadena Star-News. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "L.A. Snaps Compton Win Streak, 19-6". News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. November 28, 1946. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ John de la Vega (December 8, 1946). "Compton's Passes Defeat Kilgore, 19 to 0: Wallace Tosses for 3 Tallies". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-5, II-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "West Wins First Little Rose Bowl Game: 51,000 See Compton Beat Kilgore by 19-0 Score; Junior College Classic Proves Huge Success; Wallace Stars (part 2)". Pasadena Star-News. December 8, 1946. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.