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OLYMPIA ATHLETICS
(1935-1936)


Olympia, Washington
Stevens Field



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Ray Sulkoski was voted by fans as the 1935 team MVP in balloting through The Daily Olympian newspaper and The Spar.  He was awarded a 15-jewel watch from Talcott Brothers.  Jess Brooks of the Tacoma Athletic Club joined the team for the game against the Italian Athletic Club, and was a 2-year member of the Olympia Senators baseball team.

Former pro wrestler (1931) Butch Meeker, took on the task of helping coach the Athletics for the 1936 season.  The 5'5" former Washington State Univesity QB who famously led the Cougars to their first ever win over the USC Trojans, repeated his football magic from 1925-1927 earning the title "fightingest little football player to ever don a Cougar uniform".  He was elected to the WSU Hall of Fame in 1978.  The WSU Cougar mascot "Butch" was named after Meeker.

"Happy" Hogan, halfback on the team, doubled as a pro wrestler, playing football on Sunday, then defeating Max Glover in a best of three falls in a one-hour limit match on Monday Oct 12, 1936.  In the first win on the year, the defense scored both touchdowns over Grays Harbor.  A bad snap was recovered by Yenter for the first score, and Wynne recovered a second fumble in the endzone.  Butch Meeker kicked both point after trys in the 14-7 win.  Nig Desordi finally got the Olympia offense in the endzone in game 2 versus Grays Harbor on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jim Cough in the closing minutes of the game.  The season finale went from exuberance to tragedy as the Athletics defeated Bremerton 12-0 for the third win of the season.  They later learned Destroyer player Phil Kloepfer was killed, marine R.W. Davis and Miss Florence Orcutt were injured in a car accident on a curve two miles outside of Bremerton on the way home from the game. 

Ed Olson, club secretary made an appeal to Olympia businessmen to lend the support necessary to put a team out for 1937 and coerce Joe Paglia into coaching.  "Diamond Joe" however would play for the Renton Rams while continuing to coach St. Martin's College team for the 1937 and 1938 seasons. Paglia would be the mastermind behind the 1940 Boeing Aero Mechanics defensive-offense that won the league 4-0-4 allowing no points and punting on second and third down to control field position.  Joe Paglia is a GNFA Hall of Famer.

Frank "Nig" Desordi got married at halftime of the 1937 Seattle Doghouse vs Grays Harbor Athletic Club game with his teammates acting as escorts.  Desordi and Mattson joined Grays Harbor when Olympia failed to get a team on the field.  Most of the other players retired from the game. 

 

 
    Schedules and Game Results  
1935 Players
Virgil Odum (T), Dick Crook (HB/E), Ken Shaw (T),
John Oldham (G)Ned Snelgrove (C), Ray Sulkofski (G),
 Ernest Rixe (T), Wayne Taylor (E), George "Buzz" Cooper (QB),
 Carl Reder (HB), John Fuller (HB), Joe Paglia (FB),
Bob Lloyd (G), BrooksJack Crams (HB), Jim Clough (HB),
Bob Fulton (HB), Vigars (HB), Harry Oest (FB),
Roy Davidson (FB), McCoy (E), Travis (E), Jim Levesque (E),
Commodore Burnett (E), Stacey Mattson (C), Ted Warwick (T),
Bud Slorey, Dan McCaughan, Archie Watson,
Russeau Thornbury, Herb Freeman, Gene Miller, Joe Givers

1936 Players
"Happy" Hogan (HB), "Long" Tom Taylor (E), "Butch" Meeker (HB),
Glen Farris (HB), Jim Clough (HB), Ned Snelgrove (C),
John Fuller (QB), "Bunny" Oldham (G), Joe Bernardski (HB),
"Buzz" Cooper (QB), Dickisnon (E), Ernest Rixe (T),
Leonard Matson (G), Bob Fulton (T), Glenn Ferris (E),
Red Messingham (QB), Virgil Odom (FB), Dick Crook (E),
 Ickes (T), Virstov (T), Ray Sulkoski (G), Archie Watson, Zellar,
Wynne (G), Yenter (T), Roy Davidson, E. Dickinson, C. Dickinson, Gibson, Husk,
Rutledge, Frank Nig Desordi (HB)



Hall of Fame

Joe Paglia - Greater Northwest Hall of Fame



1935
Northwest Football League
Record: 7-2-2
Coach Joe Paglia
Manager Merl Hawthorne
Asst Mgrs Bob Gilhus, Abie Bean, Art Rixe
Trainer: Billy England
* Northwest League Runners-Up *

1935 Awards
Ray Sulkofski - Team MVP

1936
Northwest Football League
Record: 3-7-1
Coach Fred Derrick
Asst Coach Sam Hansen, Butch Meeker
Manager Merl Hawthorne
Date Opponent Score
1935 Sep 22 Grays Harbor 0-0
1935 Sep 29 Enumclaw Silver Barons 0-7
1935 Oct 6 Bremerton Destroyers 14-0
1935 Oct 13 Yakima American Legion 7-0
1935 Oct 20 West Seattle Yellowjackets 3-2
1935 Oct 27 Enumclaw Silver Barons 3-0
1935 Nov 3 Grays Harbor 0-0
1935 Nov 10 Bremerton Destroyers 7-0
1935 Nov 17 West Seattle Yellowjackets 0-13
1935 Nov 24 Yakima American Legion W FFT
1935 Dec 1 Tacoma Athletic Club 13-6
1935 Dec 8 Italian Athletic Club 15-6
     
1936 Sep 20 Tacoma Alt Heidelbergs Red Devils 0-7
1936 Sep 27 Enumclaw Silver Barons 0-14
1936 Oct 4 Bremerton Destroyers 0-7
1936 Oct 11 West Seattle Yellowjackets 0-19
1936 Oct 16 Fort Lewis 0-13
1936 Oct 25 Grays Harbor Indians 14-7
1936 Nov 1 Enumclaw Silver Barons 0-0
1936 Nov 8 Tacoma Alt Heidelbergs Red Devils 0-13
1936 Nov 15 Grays Harbor Indians 6-0
1936 Nov 22 West Seattle Yellowjackets 0-20
1936 Nov 30 Bremerton Destroyers 12-0
     
     
     
 
     
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