Years of Operation: 1922 - 1941

Overall Record: 

First Game:

First Win:

Final Game: Nov 23, 1941 vs Seattle Aero Mechanics

League Affiliation:  

Independent (1922-1925; 1927-1933)

Northwest Football League (1926, 1934-1941)

Team Headquarters:

Owner: West Seattle Athletic Club

General Manager: Rodney Graham (1931) Archie Phelps (1935)  "Polly" Parrett (1938)

Coaches: Hal Shidler (1926); Bill Beck (HC 1930); Francis Walterskirchen (1931 HC); Thurle Thornton (Asst 1931); Bob "Matty" Mathews (1931-32) Fanny Hunting (1933-1937); Ralph Reed (1933); Ted Issacson (1937-interim) Leon Brigham (1938-1942) Frank Windust (Asst 1935) Ralph "Pop" Reed (Asst 1934-1935) Carl "Woody" Ullin (1940) "Diamond" Joe Paglia (1937)

Home Field(s): Hiawatha Field; James Madison, Auditorium Field, Coast League Park

Titles Won: 

1926 Northwest League Championship

1933 Northwest Championship

1934 Northwest League Championship

1934 Washington Independent Co-Championship

1935 Northwest League Championship

1936 Northwest League Championship

1938 Northwest League Championship

1941 Northwest League Championship

Honors:

John Tsoutsouvas, C - 1937 All-Coast Team

Thurle Thornton - 1950 Best Athlete of the Half Century (U of Wash: 1927-1929)

In 1922 the West Seattle Athletic Club added it's most lasting activity to the basketball and baseball offerings; football.  The Yellowjackets name was applied and stuck although they would be referred to as the "Indians" in a number of news reports, most likely as an homage to the supporters of the West Seattle high school team..

For the Annual Armistice Day game, the Yellowjackets went in undefeated and played a veterans group from Roslyn Post 29.  1923 Players included:

Scanlon - LE

Parr - LT

F. Charter - LG

Johnson - C

Harrison - C

King - RG

R. Corbatt - RT

Osterman - RE

Long - QB

Tate - HB

Byers - HB

Amer - FB

The 1926 season brought a surprise as the upstart Bremerton All-Stars dueled the 'Jackets to a 6-0 victory on a Frank Froulla touchdown, earning the Bremerton bunch an invitation into the Seattle Independent League.  Two losses to the New Mexico battleship squad and the servicemen from the Aberdeen American Legion, was not boding well for the season.  After splitting games with the battleship Arizona, the 'Jackets reeled off four straight wins to capture the Northwest Championship of the major Athletic Club circuit.

1930:

Chuck Carroll

Thurle Thornton

Johnny Stombaugh

Bill Gregor

Harry Speidel

Tiny Sellman

1931:

Coach Walterskirchen and Coach Thornton installed the Notre Dame style of football for the season and after the season opening slaughter of Bellingham, decided he would cut his roster down to 28 players. The matchup between The 'Jackets and Gonzaga was attended by an estimated 18,000 fans and Jim Thorpe put on a kicking exhibition at halftime.  Thurle Thornton rifled a 25-yd pass to Ralph Welch in the final minute to tie the game and Oscar Jones kicked the extra point to total 7 points on the day for the 13-12 win.

Added Al Holmes, 1930 captain of the Washington Huskies and "Gob" Wentworth also of UW to the line.  "Pest" Welch was voted by Gonzaga as one of the best players they faced in 1931.

1931 Players included:

QB Jerry Knott

HB B.M. Hoffman (Texas Rangers)

HB "Buck" Smith

FB Walt Stuns (1930 Seattle Community League Star)

OL Al Holmes (Univ Washington)

OL "Gob" Wentworth (Univ Washington)

E Warren "Pest" Welch

QB Thurle Thornton

E Ralph Welch

K Oscar Jones (Washington State)

Charlie Ralls (Gonzaga)

Ken Putnam

Bud McLelland

Al Dean

Del Muller

Norbert Schoenecker - C (Gonzaga)

1932 Players Include:

Max Krause - HB

Fanny Hunting - QB

Thurle Thornton - HB

Walt Stuns - FB

The Dec 10 game with the UW featured a frozen turf and the school boys outsmarted the clubmen by donning tennis shoes over cleats.  While WS skidded on the icy surface, UW sprinted to 10 TD's, all in the first half.  10,000 spectators watched the game.

1933 Players

Gordon Clark (USC)

LE Hank Bernier

LT Dick Camp

LG Ed Skotheim

C Jack Arnold

RG Luke Abernathy

RT Dan Hawley

RE Billy Wilson

QB Fanny Hunting

LH Tommy "Red" Tucker

RH/K Louie Linstead - League Leading scorer 58 pts

FB Walt Stuns 2nd leading scorer 46 pts

T Ulvestad

HB Clemens

T Coleman

E Hargraves

C Fyler

QB/HB Chuck Callin

HB?QB Cameron Callin

T Viney

G P. Skotheim

HB Thurle Thornton (played in his 126th football game after playing 31 for the University of Washington from 1927-1929, and another 35 in high school)

G Dirks

E Ferguson

HB Nelson

E Barber

C Sherman

1934 Lineup:

Thornton, Thurle (U of Wash)
R HB Wolcott, Bill (U of Wash)
L HB Gilbert, Tommy (West Seattle HS)
Callin, Cameron
Stuns, Walt
Fullback Nelson, Bert
R End Logg, Dick
Abernathy, Luke
L End Weiger
L Tackle Skotheim, B
L Guard Johnson, E
Center Arnold
R Guard Erlenmeyer
R Tackle Rauen
Q Back Callin, Ch
Skotheim, E
Lillies
Gray
Baldwin
Smith, Adney
Hayes
L End Ferguson, Jim
Sprague

1935 Lineup:

MGR Archie Phelps
HC/QB Fanny Hunting (Gonzaga)
HB Art Ahonen (Univ Washington)
HB Al Chizmendia (Rutgers)
FB “Spud” Murdock
QB Bill Nugent
Back Louie Linstead
Back Bill Wasmuth
Guard Frank Windust
L Tony Burke
L Phil Poth
Tackle Babe Skotheim
Tackle Luke Abernathy
Guard Phil Buchanan
End Hank Bernier
End Ron Kelly

1936 Lineup:

LE Logg

LT Taylor

LG Companion

C Tucci

RG Collins

RT Walter

RE Maxwell

QB Bond

LHB Ahonen

RHB Muczynski

FB Murdock

Art Ahonen, former UW backfield star led the league in scoring with 40 points.  His pass to Ralph Phelps was WS only score in a 7-7 at Tacoma.

A 75-yd punt return and lateral pass in the 4th quarter were the difference in defeating GH 12-7

He tossed 3 TD passes in a 42-0 destruction of Bremerton.

Oct 3, 1937:  Jimmy Cain, former UW Husky star took a 48-yard pass from Joe Orlosky scoring the winning TD over Bremerton.  Homer Tipton kicked the PAT.  Leon Brigham formerly of the Italian Athletic Club took over for Fanny Hunting midway through the season.

Center John "The Greek" Tsoutsouvas was voted to the All-Coast team in 1937.

In 1938 Thurle Thornton was tabbed as chairman of the Membership Drive Committee of the Athletic Club.

1938 key players:

Charlie Russell

Sammy Bruce - HB

Sid "Tugs" Riser

Homer Tipton - PK

Buck Weaver - QB

Sammy Bruce scored and Tipton kicked the PAT that gave WS a 7-0 win over Bremerton.  A partially blocked punt led to the winning 31-yard drive.  The 'Jackets staved off six exciting scoring threats.

1939 Highlights:

Sid Riser scored at the climax of a 71-yard passing drive in the closing minutes of a 13-6 loss to Renton.

1940 key players:

George "Pee Wee" Bujan

Joe Dubsky

Rink Bond

Bill Hill

"Big" Ted Lui

Leroy Schuh (End)

Hymie Harris (End)

Bob Creiger

Walt Mussell

Frank Garretson

Al Samuelson

Horsey Edwards

1941: Ingvard "Inky" Boe, star University of Oregon freshman football player declared ineligible by the Coast Conference Commissioner (Edwin Ahterton) signed on to play for the Yellowjackets.  Joining him would be former Ducks FB March Stenstrom and HB Len Isberg. In November Jimmy Mandas was elected athletic club president.

Quarterback Jay Graybeal set a League record returning a kick 96-yards for a touchdown in the 1941 Championship game versus the Aeros.

With the close of the 1941 season came the reorganization of football across the region.  The War Industries League was formed in 1942 and the Yellowjackets became the Seattle Shipbuilders thus ending the use of the Yellowjacket name.

In 1947 Thurle Thornton accepted a job as deputy sheriff in charge of inspecting inmates mail.  Thurle, gradually lost the use of his legs, paralysis at the time attributed to an injury suffered in his athletic career.  Thornton left football for professional wrestling and had an undefeated streak halted in February 1934.

Homer Tipton, later a police officer, would be grazed by a snipers bullet in 1968 during Seattle's SeaFair and the racial unrest that broke out.

1926 Schedule/Results (6-3):

Nov 1 - USS West Virginia

Nov 15 @ Everett Wildcats

Photos

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Key Sources:  West Seattle Herald (1933 - )