“Trailing by 6 digits, the Cards got the ball when (David) Robinson recovered Dal Porta’s fumble on the Santa Paula 40. Freddie Vaughn stepped back and pitched a 40-yard pass to sticky-fingered Freddie Stewart, right end, and the latter actually fought his way through tackles for the remaining 20 yards (and a touchdown). It was a marvelous catch and a marvelous piece of running by Stewart, who just wouldn’t be hauled off his feet. The attempted conversion was missed and the Cards still trailed by one point but they were not through, not by a long shot.. . . Two plays failed and Vaughn dropped back for a field goal. Not a soul among the crowd were sitting, all were on there feet yelling hoarsely. (Roy) Wilson’s pass came back straight and true to (Vernon) Duncan, who planted the ball down for Freddie (Vaughn) to kick. The line held and the halfs blocked perfectly and the kick sailed high and handsome through the uprights.”Tom “Dude” Moore scored the last touchdown of the game as “he ploughed through tacklers from the 10-yard line on but went over for the final score”.“Spectacular plays were galore, Dude’s (Moore) opening jaunt: (Fred) Stewart’s catch and run for the Cards’ second score and (Fred) Vaughn’s field goal will probably remain in the Cardinal’s fans minds for many a day.“Every Cardinal in there Saturday was a hero. (Fred) Vaughn and (“Dude”) Moore were the spearheads but (Vernon) Duncan, (Gordon) Gill, (Rudy) Pena, (Nemer) Murr, and (David) Robinson did their part, especially in the second half when the Saint’s passing attack was stymied. (Roy) Wilson, (Rea) Armstrong, (Fred) Stewart, and (Vernon) Duncan played the entire game. Bob Pena went in for (John) “Whitey” Burleson who had played his heart out and was so dog-tired he could hardly move. Whitey still feels the effect of his recent tonsolitis (sic) trouble. (Carl) Hackworth was his usual tough self. He was spelled for a while by Stanley Harvey. Joe Herrera started at guard for (John) Inglis, who has a bad leg. Inglis played only for a few minutes in the first half. Clarence Kirk, a scrappy guard, turned in a swell game while he in.”“Santa Paula’s hopes for a Southern California championship were crushed when the powerful Cathedral High School team from Los Angeles won a hard-fought battle here (Jones Field) the following Friday, 6-0. This was more than a school game, for it was attended by students from every high school in the league and by hundreds of townsfolk. The merchants cooperated by closing their stores during game time, thus enabling all the local fans to attend.” (El Solano, 1935)
![]() |
1935 El Solano: “Dude Moore attempts to run around right end against the strong Oxnard eleven.” |
80 years of SPHS football being celebrated
August 11, 2004
Third in a series
Sports
By Joe Jauregui
Third in a seriesSanta Paula High School had several successful football season’s during the program’s first ten years. The Red and White were Ventura County Co-champions in 1925, 1928, and 1930, and, Ventura County Champions in 1929 with a 3-1 league record and in 1934 with a 5-0-1 league record. The league consisted of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura, and Oxnard. Each team played each other two times during the season.“The 1934 season is considered one of the most successful in Santa Paula High School Football history” (Campus on the Hill, Robert Raitt). The season produced several local standouts, including quarterback Tom “Dude” Moore, a four year letterman in football, basketball, baseball and track, who was one of the leading scorers on the team. Dude was also the Senior Class vice-president. Center Roy Wilson Jr., awarded the Chamber of Commerce trophy as the team’s outstanding player, was the anchor of the Cardinal line. Roy was also the Senior Class president. End Fred Stewart was known for his good hands and ability to avoid being tackled. According to Roy Wilson, “In those days there were no offensive or defensive teams, every player went both ways.”In 1934 the Cardinals had to travel to Santa Maria to play the Saints in the first round of the C.I.F. playoffs.Following are excepts from the Santa Paula Chronicle:GREAT FINISH GIVES CARDS 21-13 WIN Overcome Six-Point Lead of Santa Maria In Last Eight Minutes.“Scoring two touchdowns and a field goal in the last eight minutes of play, the Santa Paula Cardinals came from behind to defeat Santa Maria High, 21 to 13, Saturday afternoon in a southern C.I.F. playoff tilt in Santa Maria. Dude Moore’s runback to a touchdown of the opening kickoff from his 15-yard line gave the Santa Paulans a 6-point lead which was evened and wiped out shortly after by the Santa Marians, who broke forth a devastating pass attack in the first half.”(After reporting on the first half, the Chronicle reporter, GRID PHAN, continues to report on the second half of the game.)