Imperial Valley press., 1939-01-01
Grid Team
Showings Land
Coaches Rankinq
BY BURDETTE KINNE

Coach Edward COVlngton
and Coach Robert Arm
strong were rated the out
standing figures in valley
sports in 1888 in an examination
of the records on this, the last day
of one of Imperial county's great
est years-athletically speaking.
Coach Robert Armstrong received
his rating through his accomplish
ment in raising the Junior college
football team from the depths of
obScurity to the rank of Imperial
Valleys strongest grid squad.
Covington led Calexico high
school to a valley championship
in football and a tie for the south
ern California title in 1888. Cal
eXico also chalked up champion
ship in tennis.
Spread-Eagles Field
Basketball started the years
sports activity in Imperial Valley
and enjoyed its greatest season. Ell
Centro high basketeers spread
eagled the field by winning every
game in league competition and by
placing four men on the all-Valley
team. Frank OsWalt, Christy Plem-
ons, Glen Poole and Jack Kirk
patrick won honor team places.
Coach Larry Hanson mentored the
squad.
Brawley high school waa second
CaleXico third.
Ell Centro Junior college basket
bail team won majority of its
games and swept both ends of the
annual tWo-game series will
Brawley junior college. Grassland
and Blakely were the mainstays
for the Arabs. 1t was Coach Roland
Taylors last athletic team at Gen.
tral.
Holtville upset all predictions in
the annual valley track and field
meet when the Viking cinder stars
ended a 16-year domination by Ell
Centro high. Gene Woodland led
Coach Walkers charges to the
title with III points. Ell Centro
was second, Brawley third.
CaleXico Again
CaleXico high school won its
third straight tennis championship
in boys competition and Ell Centro
took a second successive girls ten
mis- title.
Coach Robert Erskine's Brawley
Wildcat baseball team upset the
dope bucket in 1888 with a sur
prising victory over Calexico high
school. Nick Ellis was the shining
light in BraWley's championship
victory.
Ell Centro finished third in the
baseball league.
In the first annual valley golf
tournament, Jack Jones led FL
Centre junior college to a cham
pionship. BraWley jaycees were
second Brawley high, third, FL
Centre high fourth, Holtville high
fifth and Calexico sixth.
Bulldogs Dominate
Calexico high schools Bulldog
football team, after their usually
poor exhibition game ShoWingS,
smashed all opposition in valley
league play. With Ted Sandez, Al
bert Mendoza and A. Amador lead
ing the parade Calexico defeated
Ell Centro by AT and 1870 scores
walloped Brawley by 60 and 1870
margins and knocked over Holt
Vile. 1915 and 1876.
The Bulldogs then tied La Jolla
for the southern California cham
pionship, 6-6. Ted Sander ran SO
yards to gain a tie for the Bull
dogs.
Ell Centro junior college present.
ed its greatest football team in
history. The Arabs walloped Braw-
ley junior college in two games,
defeated Compton and tied Phoe-
nix. Crash Dickerson, Ingle, Bal
lou, Gillette and Smith were among
the outstanding players.
In looking forward to 1899
coaches predicted a basketball title
for Ell Centro, a track title for
BraWley, Ell Centro or Holtville, a
tennis championship for Calexico
Baseball supremacy will return to
Calexico, coaches said, and foot
ball is liable to end in a four-Way