Calaveras Enterprise file photos
For those who were around and thriving, 1975 must have been a grand time.
There’s a solid chance somebody filled up a brand-new Ford F-150 truck with gas that was only 53 cents per gallon and paid $2 to watch “Jaws.”
The Ford F-150 wasn’t the only new item to hit the market, as the laser printer was invented 50 years ago. The Herman Goelitz Co. introduced the gourmet jelly bean with flavors including licorice, lemon, grape, root beer, cream soda, green apple, tangerine and very cherry.
If staying home was more your style, playing with mood rings, Pong, Six Million Dollar Man action figures, Playmobil, pet rocks or Trac-Ball could make an afternoon go by a little faster.
And 50 years ago, the top names for babies were Jennifer, Amy, Heather, Melissa, Angela, Michael, Jason, Christopher, James and David.
Now, let’s take a trip back to 1975 and explore the Calaveras County high school sports scene.
WINTER
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
BRET HARTE BOYS’ BASKETBALL
In early 1975, Bret Harte placed third in the fifth annual Linden Holiday Invitational Basketball Tournament. The Bullfrogs beat Ripon 52-40, lost to East Union 66-62 and beat Linden 63-59. At the Mother Lode League Tournament, Bret Harte lost to Calaveras 66-62 and fell to Summerville 49-48 in the final seconds. The Bullfrogs began Mother Lode League play with an 81-70 loss to Calaveras.
Bret Harte rebounded with a 60-50 come-from-behind win over Summerville despite being without Steve Berry, Earl Krommes and Larry Tanner. In a rematch with Calaveras, Bret Harte won 77-69. Les Rivers led the way with 21 points. The Bullfrogs improved their league record to 6-2 with a 60-53 win over Jackson. Berry scored a team-high 16 points in the victory. The Bullfrogs capped the season with a 72-61 win over Summerville, giving them an 8-2 league record. Rivers scored 27 points, followed by Dave Manners with 20. It was the final game for seniors Jim Warner, Krommes, John Smart, Marty DeAnda, Manners and Rivers. Rivers earned first-team all-Mother Lode League honors, while Berry was a second-team selection.
CALAVERAS BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Calaveras began 1975 in the Mother Lode League Tournament and lost to Jackson 64-59 before topping Bret Harte 66-62. Calaveras opened league play with an 81-70 win over Bret Harte. When the two teams met again, Calaveras lost 77-69. Barry Johnson led Calaveras with 16 points. The loss to Bret Harte turned out to be Calaveras’ only defeat of the season. Calaveras finished with a 9-1 record to claim the Mother Lode League championship.
In the Superior California Small School Tournament at Oakdale High School, Calaveras opened with a 68-63 win over Denair but lost in the following round to Benicia 83-69. Calaveras’ Kelly Duke was named the Mother Lode League’s Most Valuable Player. Greg McInturf, Johnson and Paul Feely were Calaveras’ first-team selections. Mike Flock was the Coach of the Year.
WRESTLING
Both Bret Harte and Calaveras had 4-0 records in Mother Lode League competition by mid-January 1975. Bret Harte captured its fourth win with a 52-9 victory over Summerville. With undefeated records on the line, the Bullfrogs beat Calaveras 61-3. Chuck Shifflett, Dan Dougherty, Harry Williams, Brad Sullivan, Kirk Andersen, Mike Peirano, Rick Kane and Hal Dillashaw all picked up victories. Calaveras’ lone win came from Jim Plank.
Bret Harte improved to 6-0 with a 53-11 win over Ione. Dillashaw picked up his 79th career varsity win and his 15th of the season. Sophomore Steve Sanders beat 1974 champion Paul Rasmusen 5-0 in the 129-pound match. The Bullfrogs remained undefeated with a 52-12 win over Amador. Bret Harte clinched a perfect dual record with a 69-0 shutout victory over Calaveras. It was Bret Harte’s second undefeated season in a row.
Bret Harte went on to win the Mother Lode League Tournament for the second year in a row. Individual league titles for the Bullfrogs went to Andersen, Dillashaw, Jack Anderson, Mike Borean, Dougherty, Williams and Sullivan. Calaveras did not have any individual champions. Dougherty later captured a seventh-place finish at the state championship in the 168-pound division.
SPRING
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
Bret Harte and Amador shared the Mother Lode League baseball title in 1975. It was Bret Harte’s first championship in 20 years. Bret Harte’s boys track and field team, which included returners Richard Inks and Don and Jim Warner, won the Mother Lode League championship for the second year in a row. At the Mother Lode League championship meet, Bret Harte, coached by Hal Clements, finished first, while Calaveras, coached by Inge Kooy, placed sixth.
The 1975 season also marked the first year of girls track and field in the league. Calaveras placed third at the league finals, while Bret Harte finished fourth. Calaveras’ Kristine Pratt and Bret Harte’s Inks were selected as Prep Track and Field Athletes of the Year for 1975 by the editors of Coach and Athlete magazine.
FALL
BRET HARTE FOOTBALL
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
The Bullfrogs came from behind to beat Mariposa 21-14 to begin the 1975 season. Mike Dias scored in the first quarter to give Bret Harte an early lead. After two Mariposa scores, the Bullfrogs tied the game with a quarterback sneak from Steve Berry, and Roy Davis scored the winning touchdown. Harry Williams blocked two punts. For the second week in a row, the Bullfrogs needed to come from behind to collect a win, this time 25-13 over Ripon. Berry scored on a short run and Marty Basoccini added the extra point. Barry Shires scored on the ground, and Dias, who rushed for 209 yards, scored on runs of 2 and 50 yards.
Bret Harte won its third nonleague game with a 27-0 win over Le Grand. Dias scored on an 8-yard run, Shires scored from 1 yard out, and Berry connected with Scott Martin for a 20-yard score and Mike Modrell for a 23-yard touchdown. Bret Harte suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Galt 34-20. Trailing 27-0, Bret Harte tried to mount a comeback, starting with a touchdown pass from Wally Bang to John Conklin. Shires then broke free for an 80-yard score. After a 57-yard run from Bang, Dias scored from 3 yards out to get within seven, but that was as close as the Bullfrogs got.
Mother Lode League play began with a 19-0 homecoming win over Jackson, and Roni Anderson was crowned queen. Dias rushed for two scores, and Berry connected with Mike Pattison for a touchdown through the air. Bret Harte then beat Ione 48-0 and totaled 404 offensive yards. Dias rushed for 115 yards and Shires rushed for 77 yards. The following week, for the first time in 10 years, Bret Harte beat Calaveras. The Bullfrogs won their county clash 20-19 to stay perfect in league play. Shires scored on a touchdown pass from Berry and later broke free for a long scoring run. Trailing 19-14, Bret Harte got the game-winning score on a touchdown pass to Conklin. Bret Harte suffered its first league loss, falling to Amador 22-19. The Bullfrogs ended league play with a 26-8 win over Summerville.
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
Calaveras, Bret Harte and Amador all finished with a 4-1 league record and were co-champions. It was Bret Harte’s first league title since 1953. However, Bret Harte got the playoff nod and took on Vanden of Travis Air Force Base in the fifth annual Sac-Joaquin Section Class A playoff opener. The winner would face the winner of Central Catholic versus Mariposa for the championship. Bret Harte lost at home to Vanden 24-0.
Bret Harte finished the season with an overall record of 7-3, including 4-1 in the Mother Lode League. The playoff appearance was the first in program history. Berry was named Outstanding Back of the Year. Dias, Conklin, Kane, Williams and Martin earned first-team honors.
CALAVERAS FOOTBALL
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
Calaveras’ 1975 season began with a 9-0 home victory over Sonora. Chris Tarbat connected with Kevin McCartney for a 44-yard touchdown pass. Glenn Dragomanovich later made a 40-yard field goal. Scott Ratterman intercepted two Sonora passes to lead the defense. Calaveras fell to 1-1 with a 14-8 road loss to South Tahoe. McCartney scored Calaveras’ lone touchdown and added a 2-point conversion. Calaveras bounced back with a gritty 7-6 win over East Union. Calaveras’ touchdown came on a pass from Tarbat to Dan Pateman, and Glenn Drag made the PAT. Calaveras made it two in a row with a 27-14 win over El Dorado. Calaveras got touchdown runs from Pateman, McCartney and Niles Matthews, while Rory Cuneo caught a touchdown pass from McCartney.
With a 3-1 preseason record, Calaveras began Mother Lode League play on the road against Ione and collected a 42-0 win. Pateman rushed for a touchdown and also had a receiving score, Tarbat connected with Butch Vallejo for a 40-yard score, McCartney rushed for a touchdown, Wimberly threw a touchdown to Cuneo, and Al Johnson had a receiving score. Calaveras improved to 2-0 in league play with a 14-6 road win over Summerville. Dragomanovich scored both of Calaveras’ touchdowns on passes from Tarbat.
Calaveras Enterprise file photo
In a homecoming county clash with Bret Harte, Calaveras fell to the Bullfrogs for the first time in 10 years, losing 20-19. Jennie Adams was crowned homecoming queen. Early in the game, Tarbat found Steve Alberts for a 20-yard touchdown pass, and Tarbat later connected with McCartney for a 55-yard score. McCartney scored on a short run, giving Calaveras a 19-14 lead, but a late Bullfrog score ended up being the difference. Calaveras rebounded with a 24-0 win over Jackson. Wimberly scored on a short run, Pateman found the end zone once, and Ratterman scored on a pass from Wimberly. The regular season came to an end with a 27-8 win over Amador.
Calaveras, Bret Harte and Amador all finished with a 4-1 league record and were co-champions. However, Bret Harte got the playoff nod, while Calaveras and Amador were left disappointed. Despite missing out on the playoffs, Calaveras’ Frank Greenleaf was named Lineman of the Year. Tim Lashbrook, McCartney, Dragomanovich, Terry Weatherby, Matthews, Wimberly and Ratterman earned all-league honors.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Calaveras won the Mother Lode League title, going 9-1 in league play. Bret Harte went 2-8. Calaveras’ Babs Yocum and Lauri Berry were first-team members, and Kathy Hicks made the second team. Bret Harte’s Eva McNeal made the first team, and Lori Jasper earned second-team honors.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Next year, we’ll take a look back at all that took place in 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986 and 1976.
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