Bill Pierce’s prep almanac

With only a narrow 7-0 loss to Gonzaga, the Rogers Pirates were undisputed City champions in 1942.

To end the season, a game was arranged with undefeated Ellensburg for Thanksgiving Day. There were no playoffs to determine a state champion in 1942, however Ellensburg was 7-0 and the game was advertised as for the state crown.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Ellensburg had one more game the Saturday before it was to meet the Pirates against another undefeated team, Dayton.  In three inches of snow, slush and mud, Dayton came away with a 25-0 victory.

The Athletic Round Table, which was sponsoring the game, and officials at Rogers wanting to keep the Thanksgiving contest a state championship-caliber game, tried to get Dayton to replace Ellensburg as the opponent, but received the reply, “We have everything to lose and nothing to gain.” The attempted switch angered Ellensburg, with coach Bill Wilson stating about his team, “they wouldn’t get beaten again, particularly to a Spokane school.”

On Nov. 26, a disgruntled and injured Ellensburg team took to a frozen and windy Gonzaga University field against the Pirates and suffered their second straight loss, 13-0. After the win, Pirate fans proclaimed their heroes state champions. Dayton, sporting its 8-0 record, probably disputed that claim.