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The St. Johns team began in the early "19-teens" as a lightweight squad
of under-140-pounders competing in Portland's Columbia Park neighborhood.
Some players would grow into Multnomah Winged-M stars, but by the
1920's-30's, was making a name for itself as the most dominant team in
Portland, even surpassing Multnomah in fame and taking on some of their
old rivals in West Seattle and Aberdeen for regional honors.
1914 Players: Hudson (C), Miller (G), Curry (T), MacLeod (E), Wilhart
(G), Yost (T), Wickham (E), Dooley (QB), Otterson (HB), Horton (HB),
Murphy (FB)
35 men tried out in 1915 causing the club to form both heavy and light
teams.
1915 Players: Carl Munson (C), "Rowdy" Curry (T), Faye Duley (E), Eugene
Murphy (G), Johnny Murphy (QB), Cornelius Murphy (FB), Ted Murphy,
Hudson (G), J. Brown (E), Lynn Fuller (G), "Hunk" Waiste (G), C. Curry
(T), Pep Yost (T), Leo Crowe (E), Maurice (E), "Hink" Hall (HB),
Otterson (HB), Watts (HB)
The Murphy Brothers were stellar athletes, Johnny elected captain of the
Columbia University football team for 1916, Eugene leads the soccer
team, while Cornelius captained the 1915-1916 CU basketball team.
Ted captained the Columbia Park football team for 1915.
Eugene Murphy intercepted a pass during the scrimmage with Syracuse
University, a tune up for their game against Oregon State, and raced
55-yards for a touchdown. Syracuse went on to defeat Oregon State
28-0 finishing 9-1-2 on the season, the only loss a 3-0 setback to
Princeton.
Johnny Murphy would be a Navy standout during WWI in 1918.
1915 All Stars: Lynn Fuller (G), "Pep" Yost (T), Johnny Murphy (E),
Eugene Murphy (QB), Cornelius Murphy (G-2nd), "Hunky" Waiste (T-2nd),
Leo Crowe (E-2nd), Ted Murphy (FB-2nd)
1921 Players Included:
LE - G. "Girt" Lind
LT - W. Winkle
LG - F. Grow
C - R. Shaw
RG - Jordon
RT - Williams
RE - P. "Scoot" Lind
QB - Ray "Battle" Bigelow
LHB - H. "Huck" Hiatt
RHB - T. "Slick" Whalen
FB - H. Schroeder
HB - "Guff" Bellamy
T - J. Vrooman
G - Walton
Smock
Bugbee
Blades
Eugene Hiatt (Line) - MAAC
1923 Portland League All-Stars: Anderson (T), H. Lind (E), Franks (HB),
Marshall Shaw (C-2nd), Bellamy (G-2nd), Smith (T-2nd),
1924 Portland League All-Stars: Marshall Shaw (C), Bellamy (G), H. Lind
(E), Ray Bigelow (QB), Lind (HB), Stephens (HB)
1926 Players: Cal Robertson (E), Groh (T), O'Brien (G), Bean (C), Smith
(G), Smythe (T), Bender (E), Schroeder (QB), Surber (HB), R. Poff (HB),
F. Robertson (FB), Lane, Fallin, Rakes, Franks, Medley, C. Poff
1927 Players: Ferguson (E), McLellan (T), Smith (G), Bean (C), Medley
(G), Jessup (T), Stearns (E), Lind (QB), Warnick (HB), Harris (HB),
Twist (FB), Franks (HB), Rakes (E), White (T), Bellamy (G), Bender (E),
Cal Robertson (QB), Surber (HB)
1927 All Star Selections: Bean (C), Smith (T), Jessup (T), Bellamy (G),
Rakes (E), Bender (E), Cal Robertson (QB), Surber (HB)
Lyle Maskell became a star end and kicker for Washington State College
and kicked the only FG in a game that secured the Pacific Coast
Conference title for the Cougars.
With the 1928 season, the Portland League removed the weight limit
restrictions allowing more experienced collegiate player to join the
teams.
1928 Players included:
M. Warnick (HB), Lynn Jones (FB),
Martin (HB), George Mimnaugh (QB), Anderson (E), Kent (DL/OT), Medley
(DL/G), Red O'Donnell (HB), Jessup (E), Kaplan (G), Gulick (C), V. Jones
(G), Pubois (T), Smith (G), Cochrane (T), Bender (E), Emerson (HB),
Stevens (FB), Cal Robertson (E), Moss (HB), Adams (G), Georgeson (C), Dean
(C)
1929 Players: Lynn Jones (FB), Chapelle (HB), George Cook (HB)
Coach Byron Anderson would switch to coaching the Portland Firemen in
1930 engineering an upset against his old team and a share of the league
title.
1930
Howard "Rowdy" Kerr (HB) scored the winning TD against Albina for the
1930 Title.
1930 Players: Cal Robertson (E), Foster (T), Vinton Medley (G/T), "Fat"
Lott (C), Karch (G), Cochran (T), A. Harris (E), Cliff Georgeson (QB),
Ted Harris (HB), Howard Kerr (HB), Fred Truskey (FB), Cecil Sherwood
(FB), Ray Ogilvie (HB), Winkler (E), White (T), Hertel (G), Roscoe Luce
(T), George Burnell (LB), Eddie Brown (QB/LB), Spud Surber (LB), Biff
Jorgenson (HB/K), Poole (T),
"Fat" Lott once owned the high school record for extra point
conversions.
1932 Players included George "Speed" Burnell, Karch (C), Ledley (G),
Beard, Mitchell (FB), Edwards, Truskey (FB/QB), A. Harris (E), Eddy (T),
Smith (G), Vinton (G), White (G/T), Probst (E), Red Kirkpatrick (HB), T.
Harris (HB), Lynn Jones (FB), Drynan (HB), Lloyd Hein (FB), Roscoe Luce
(T), Cliff Georgeson (QB), Gillis (E), Hertel (T), Hagan (G)
The 1933 team finished the first half of the season in 2nd place behind
Piedmont after opening the season with 3 consecutive losses including
the key league opener to Piedmont. The second half of the season,
the Bachelors roared through undefeated to set up a final match with
Piedmont winning 7-0 to claim their 10th title on an 8-game league
winning steak.
Lloyd Hein, a former Washington State fullback, and Lynn Jones, former
Oregon back played for the Portland Firemen team of 1930 before joining
the Bachelors. Jones had been on the Bachelors squad prior to 1930
and was recruited over by Coach Anderson. Hein, played against St
Johns as a member of the Kitsap AC Bears on Oct 19 along with his
brother Mel.
The Bachelors embarked on a fully-independent schedule in 1934 after
winning their 10th title in 1933. The Portland League opted
for a "touch-tackle" format that did not suit St. Johns who opted for
the "pure" tackle version of football.
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