Yesterday: Catawba College football team won first Tangerine Bowl Jan. 1, 1947

Published 12:00 am Monday, July 28, 2014

Joe Riley of Salisbury provided this photograph of Catawba College’s 1946 football team, which won the first Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on New Year’s Day 1947. The Indians beat Maryville (Tenn.) College 31-6. The 1946 Catawba team was coached by Gordon Kirkland and had an overall record of 10-2, losing only to VMI (21-7) and Presbyterian (13-12). Kirkland’s Indians also would win the next year’s Tangerine Bowl (today it goes by the Capitol One Bowl) by a 7-0 over Marshall. The above photo apparently was handed out during the 1946 team’s 25th reunion in 1971. Pictured on the bottom row, left to right, are Frank King, Lamar Dorton, Vernon Price, Rusty Craver, Vernon Ramsey, Bob Gore, Bob Surratt, Melvin Everhardt, Jim Dickey, Lefty Gardner, Perry Lefeavers, Ralph Conner, Tony Georgiana, Lee Spears, Bill Dixon and Charles Aycock. Middle row, left to right: Burton Barringer, Robert Martin, Don Kelly, Dutch Turchetta, Don Hanley, Ray Yagiello, Art Claar, Tuck Gudger, C.M. Tarlton, Hal Schroeder, Don Fuoss, Tom Garland, Paul Marklin, Boyd Parker and Dan Garfinkel. Top row, left to right: Jerry Earnhardt, Bob Bell, Jim Willett, Pop Clements, Lynn Hunter, Bill Greene, Clyde Biggers, Harry Adams, M.L. Barnes, Ralph Wilson, Harold Bowen, Ed Edmiston, Don Lambeth and Bill Speacht. Team members not pictured were Jack Dellinger, Glenn Broome, Warren Kesler, Leland Littleton, Elbert Mathis, Tom Forman, Jim Garland and Harvey Lutz.