Harold Sheflin: gone but not forgotten

Don Cantrell

The light sprinkles of ashes drawn from the remains of Harbor

High’s legendary fullback Harold Sheflin subsequently found a place on

Davidson Field where the late All-CIF hero launched his gridiron start in

the fall of 1939.

This recent break in the news may well warm and inspire many past fans

and friends of Sheflin since many felt he never received a thrust of

honors before or after he passed away several years ago.

Former Costa Mesa and Irvine police officer Roger Neth struggled numerous

times to have Sheflin introduced into the Orange County Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, other notables failed to produce support.

Neth and his brother, Bill, a one-time Los Angeles Times distributor,

were teammates of Sheflin and 22 others on the championship Newport team

of 1942, one coached by the late Wendell Pickens.

After Sheflin’s remains were cremated some years ago, two dozen or more

old friends were invited aboard a large boat that would carry the

gathering out to sea so they could spread his ashes across the waters,

which they did.

Few, if anyone, were aware that a couple of former Sheflin mates drew a

small amount aside for them to touch Davidson Field later. Essentially,

it was a confidential matter.

Sheflin’s name entered the national limelight when one-time Bonita High

ace Glenn Davis, after playing at West Point in the mid-40s, shocked the

grid world in telling Time Magazine that the greatest player he ever

faced in football was “Harold Sheflin of Newport Harbor High High

School.”

The 215-pound fullback had collided with the fleet-footed Davis when

Newport faced Bonita in the ’42 CIF small schools championship final.

Newport, with Davis held in check, led at halftime with Sheflin’s

touchdown, 6-0.

Sheflin’s ankle injury just before the half turned the game inside out.

Davis could no longer be stopped and he led Bonita to a 39-6 victory.

Davis advanced to West Point to win the Heisman Trophy and ample

All-American honors. Davis later played for the Los Angeles Rams before

being hired by the Los Angles Times in public relations.

Both the University of Southern California and College of the Pacific

were still interested in Sheflin prior to World War II.

Unfortunately, the sad words coming back disclosed that his lung injury

from naval action had cost him one lung out of a gas attack that also

blew him overboard in the Pacific.

Coach Bill Cook of Santa Ana JC came to play Sheflin at fullback, but

limited his time due to the lung problem. Generally, he was playing

behind another Newport standout named Ralph Freitag. They both became

good friends.

After Freitag had played at San Diego State, he found the Chicago Bears

trying to lure him to Chicago. Freitag eventually nixed the Bears’ offer.

Sheflin was incredible player at Newport, even as a frosh tackle in ’39

under the late Coach Dick Spaulding. In that one season, Sheflin blocked

nine punts. Few lineman could keep him our of their backfield.

It is fair to note that he was the first to be named all-league for all

four years. He was a third-string All-CIF fullback in 1941 and first team in ’42. The late Wendell Pickens shifted Sheflin to fullback when he

arrived in Newport in 1940.

Sheflin also balanced out his life with occasional humor, even as a high

school student.

Former Newport Beach Mayor Ruthelyn Plummer, Class of ‘43, still recalls

a time in one class with him where he took advantage of one teacher’s

brief absence by crawling out a window to enter the patio and gather an

armful of oranges.

It may well have drawn laughs from many, but not the teacher who returned

in time to spot the incident.

Once Sheflin prompted Newport’s ’47 All-Sunset League guard Bill Clark to

join him for a beer at the Palm Tavern in Santa Ana.

Clark, by then, was still not 21, but agreed uneasily and followed

Sheflin through the door. Clark then, accidentally, collided with a palm

tree and knocked it over. Sheflin turned, laughed and said, “Where are

you going, dummy?”

This corner once asked ’51 guard Dick Veneman his impression of Sheflin.

His response was that he admired the football play, but not his role as a

Newport motorcycle officer. Why? “He gave me a ticket once,” said

Veneman.