The Statesman Jouranl announced on Aug 26, 1931 that the Oregon Mohawks independent team would be formed to represent the capital city, with players from the area university and college grid teams according to organizer Sterling L. Swegle.  Howard Maple was announced to be the coach after he appeared in eight games with the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1930 and coached basketball, football and baseball at Willamette University until World War II when he enlisted in the US Army as a 38-year old.  Maple made his major league baseball debut on May 19th, 1932 with the Washington Senators.  Howard Maple was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Oregon State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Questions began to be asked if Swegle had ever actually spoken to Maple about coaching the Mohawks.
 
It was announced on Sep 9th that the Mohawks would join the Oregon-Washington League with Vancouver, Kelso, Union Pacific, Oregon City and St. John's Bachelors.  The team was attempting to purchase equipment through a fundraising dance Sep 11th.

Oregon State's Rowdy Kerr would definitely not play after breaking his leg in a shotgun firing incident in late September and it was then learned that shenanigans were afoot.  Unbeknownst to the Salem-area, Sterling Swegle had run-ins involving obtaining money on false pretenses dating back to 1927 in Oregon City who had made a name for himself as a manager and pitcher with the Oregon City Grey Socks of the Willamette Valley Inter-City baseball league.
 
None of the players listed had been contacted to play, neither had a reported sponsor Zeke Girod who was a well known baseball man.  The Statesman Journal could never track down Mr. Swegel who had promoted the team from the beginning for comment after the Mohawks failed to organize.  Swegle, accused in 1932 of liquor violations, would again show up in 1934 promoting "ghost teams" and claiming high school players signed only to be rebuked by the players themselves, specifically Don Coons and Jimmy Nicholson.  Coons would go on to play at Oregon State College, Nicholson would go to the University of Oregon.

Swegle had also made claims of being secretary of the "Washington-Oregon All-Star Committee".  Sterling Swegle would relocate to California and continue to have issues with the law when he was on trial for perjury in 1936 and was federally indicted in January of 1946 while operating a Walnut Creek restaurant, accused of receiving stolen goods.

Rowdy Kerr would lead the Oswego Lakemen in 1932 after starring at halfback for the Oregon State Beavers.

DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE?  CONTACT US! (email)