Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame: Bob Thompson

Don Cantrell

A number of athletes named Thompson at Newport Harbor High achieved

fair applause in the early years, 1930-55, but there was only one who

drew sterling recognition and that was Bob Thompson, Class of ‘49, in

varsity football. He was named to the All-CIF grid squad, second team at

end in 1948.

Thompson was a versatile athlete who could also play basketball and

participate in commendable fashion in track and field. He had potential

in the pole vault.

Regardless, his major talent came in football even as a 16-year-old

sophomore. His size could have measured up for the middleweights, but he

chose to battle for the varsity as a sophomore in the fall of ’46.

He was only about 5-foot-10 at that time and he had to compete with a

few players who stood at 6-0 and 6-3.

It was a considerable challenge in ‘46, but he finally moved by 6-3

Bob Killifer for one of the end positions under Coach Wendell Pickens. He

was not a hefty player, but he was one of the most exceptional blockers

on the field.

He was shifted to a tailback post in ’47 behind starter Jim Ashen and

never saw much action.

Pickens left to assume the athletic director’s post at Orange Coast

College in ’48 and Al Irwin took charge of the Harbor High gridders that

same season.

Irwin’s first key move was to shift Thompson back to end, which was a

smart move.

In his first year under Irwin, Thompson drew a wealth of praise from

the first game against St. Anthony and its coach, Jacque Grenier, the ’48

CIF co-champs with Santa Barbara.

After Newport almost defeated the Saints before losing, 14-12, in the

closing minutes, the Saints voted him and his fullback mate, Bob Berry,

to their all-opponent team.

Despite Newport’s young age and slight size, Grenier later said, “We

were lucky to win at Newport.” The Tars were ahead most of the way.

Another dazzling night for Thompson found him spearing 12 of 14 passes

against Huntington Beach. That was considered a record in the early days.

One sportswriter was astonished one night in flipping through a series

of Newport football photos on offense and noted that Thompson was the key

blocker in most all the photographs.

Many of his mates felt strongly that Thompson could have advanced to

Orange Coast College and demonstrated familiar athletic skills for the

Pirates.

However, his wife gave birth to their first son in December of 1948

and Thompson was compelled to seek a job and raise his family.

Bob Thompson, an honored member of the Daily Pilot’s Sports Hall of

Fame, celebrating the millennium.