Los Banos Rotary Club History
Gallagher Speaks At Football Dinner

Dick Gallagher, head football coach at the University of San Clara, was the featured speaker at the 1950 Football Dinner given Wednesday evening by the Los Banos Rotary Club for the Tiger squad.

Gallagher said there were four main benefits a boy could derive from football. If a boy does not get these from football, he'd better not play, the Santa Clara coach said. The points he listed to be learned were: to be a perfectionist; to have good discipline (he commented that the Tigers' excellent table manners indicated they had gained this point); to make friends; and to be a competitor in life as well as in sports.

In further advice to the team, Gallagher said, "Don't let anyone high pressure you into attending any college. Make up your own mind of the basis of a visit to the school's campus, the courses offered, and the personality of the coach. You're the one who will have to live there four years, so make up your own mind."

In commenting on the Santa Clara football team, Gallagher said, "We've learned how to lose. If you ever have to go through a season like we did, you'll get a lot out of it."

Other speakers on the program were Vic Stephen, president of the Santa Clara Alumni Assn., and Harry M. Hayward, sports writer on the San Francisco Examiner.

Stephen said, "We're building character at Santa Clara. Education comes first and athletics second."

When Master of Ceremonies D. Oliver Germino introduced Hayward, the introduction was acknowledged with the comment. "Thank you, Chief Germino." Throughout the evening, Germino had been assessing various Lions and Rotary members fines for the "tear can." Hayward fined Germino $5 for advertising his profession.

Hayward told of the difference between Los Banos and his home town high school in Burlingame. He said that some of the parents of football players there noticed that their sons' football equipment was under par and that a booster club called BURL was formed. This resulted, he said, in new uniforms, equipment and lights at their football field. Thus equipped, he said, the Burlingame team this year lost its first seven games. After deflating the institution of all-star teams, Hayward spoke on "What's Wrong With Football Today." He said that television, the "platoon system," and too much emphasis on offense were the chief things wrong with football today. "Santa Clara is the only independent coast team to come out in the black ink this year," he said, "and this was mainly due to a fine crowd at the Rice game in Houston." He blamed television for the lack of attendance at football games.
In commenting on the platoon system, Hayward said that despite the claims of some coaches that it gave more boys a chance to play, only 28 to 30 boys got to play consistently on platoon system teams. "This," he said "is no more men than were used by teams under the single substitution system." The big thing wrong with the platoon system, Hayward said, is that it confuses the casual spectator, who is unable to remember the names of the many players or keep up with the substitutions.

Mayor John Erreca, Coach Carlyle Loftin and Principals L. J. Spindt and R. M. Miano all spoke briefly at the dinner.

In introducing Loftin, Germino told the Tiger squad: "Coach Loftin has done a tremendous job of coaching here at Los Banos. When you go before college coaches they'll know that you have been well grounded in the fundamentals of the game. When you ran out onto the field this year you looked like a real football team, and we were proud of you."

Loftin remarked on the fine comeback the boys made after losing to Escalon.
Spindt said that he was prouder of this 1950 team than of some of the Tiger championship teams. He said that this feeling was due to the manner in which the boys reacted to their one loss. Spindt thanked Dr. Geo. B. Pimentel for his aid at games this year.

Captain-elect Roger Post and Co-captain-elect James Pernetti were introduced.

The following graduating seniors on the squad were presented with silver miniature footballs from the Rotary Club: Captain Bill Buffuna, Co-captain Phil Latronica, Dave Castellucci, Albert Daguerre, Donald Dambrosio (now in the U.S. Navy), Joe Gomes, Tom Halliburton, Arland Pafford, Italo Laveglia, Richard Rodoni, Ralph Rago, Art Smalley, Walter Souza and Paul Tucci.
Music for the occasion was provided by the high school pep band under the direction of Don Williams and the glee club under Mrs. Abel P. Machado.

December 8, 1950

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