1944 Fleet City Bluejackets football team

The 1944 Fleet City Bluejackets football team was an American football team during the 1944 season. The Bluejackets represented the United States Navy's "Fleet City" facilities located near Dublin, California, which included Camp Parks, Camp Shoemaker, the Receiving Barracks, and a Navy Hospital.[1] The team compiled a 6–4–1 record.[2]

1944 Fleet City Bluejackets football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–4–1
Head coach
  • Jack Malevich (1st season)
Home stadiumForster Field
1944 military service football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Randolph Field   –  11 –0 –0
No. 5 Bainbridge   –  10 –0 –0
No. 18 Fort Pierce   –  9 –0 –0
No. 13 Norman NAS   –  6 –0 –0
No. 6 Iowa Pre-Flight   –  10 –1 –0
No. 16 El Toro Marines   –  8 –1 –0
Hondo AAF   –  7 –1 –0
Bunker Hill NAS   –  6 –1 –0
Lincoln AAF   –  6 –1 –0
Blackland AAF   –  7 –1 –1
Keesler Field   –  8 –1 –2
No. 17 Great Lakes Navy   –  9 –2 –1
No. 10 March Field   –  7 –2 –2
Third Air Force   –  8 –3 –0
North Carolina Pre-Flight   –  6 –2 –1
Atlantic City NAS   –  5 –2 –0
Camp Peary   –  5 –2 –0
Tonopah AAF   –  5 –2 –0
Daniel Field   –  7 –3 –0
No. 20 Second Air Force   –  10 –4 –1
San Francisco Coast Guard   –  4 –2 –1
Ellington Field   –  6 –3 –2
Amarillo AAF   –  5 –3 –0
Alameda Coast Guard   –  4 –2 –2
Coronado Amphibious   –  2 –1 –1
Olathe NAS   –  4 –2 –2
Selman Field   –  4 –2 –2
Galveston AAF   –  5 –3 –2
Fleet City   –  6 –4 –1
Jacksonville NAS   –  4 –3 –0
San Diego NTS   –  4 –3 –1
Camp Beale   –  5 –4 –0
Lubbock AAF   –  5 –4 –0
Fort Warren   –  5 –4 –1
Fort Monroe   –  5 –5 –0
Klamath Falls Marines   –  2 –2 –1
Maxwell Field   –  5 –5 –0
Minter Field   –  3 –3 –0
No. 19 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight   –  4 –4 –0
Fourth Infantry   –  3 –4 –2
Georgia Pre-Flight   –  4 –5 –0
Third Infantry   –  4 –5 –0
Bergstrom Field   –  3 –4 –0
Ottumwa NAS   –  3 –4 –0
Camp Lee   –  3 –5 –0
Cherry Point Marines   –  3 –6 –0
Chatham Field   –  2 –8 –1
Sampton NTS   –  2 –7 –0
Miami NTC   –  2 –8 –0
Bryan AAF   –  1 –7 –0
Fairfield-Suisun AAB   –  1 –7 –0
Richmond AAB   –  0 –10 –1
Camp Ellis   –  0 –5 –0
South Plains AAF   –  0 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1944 Fleet City team was coached by Jack Malevich, who played college football at Catholic University in the 1920s.[1][3] Tracey Kellow, who played for the 1935 TCU team that won the Sugar Bowl, was an assistant coach.[1]

The team played its home games at Forster Field, named in honor of base commander O. N. Forster, who was described as a "rabid fan" of the team.[1][2]

Key players included Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Stydahar, College Football Hall of Famer Bob Suffridge, and halfback Bill Schroeder, who later played in the NFL.[3][2]

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Fleet City ranked 54th among the nation's college and service teams and 12th out of 28 United States Navy teams with a rating of 85.5.[4][5]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 8at Pacific (CA)
W 7–6[6]
September 16El Toro Marines
  • Forster Field
  • Shoemaker, CA
L 7–136,000[7]
September 24vs. Alameda Coast Guard
T 7–715,000[8]
October 1Saint Mary's Pre-Flight
  • Forster Field
  • Shoemaker, CA
W 12–010,000[9]
October 7at March Field
L 0–39[10]
October 14San Francisco Coast Guard Pilots
  • Forster Field
  • Shoemaker, CA
W 27–610,000[11]
October 21at No. 12 California
W 19–2[12]
October 28at El Toro Marines
L 0–148,000[13]
November 5Saint Mary's
  • Forster Field
  • Shoemaker, CA
W 26–0[14]
November 11at Nevada
W 19–2[15]
November 19at Saint Mary's Pre-FlightMoraga, CAL 0–33,000[16][17]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References
  1. Ed Schoenfeld (September 2, 1944). "Fleet City Gets Ready for Grid". Oakland Tribune. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Ed Schoenfeld (November 21, 1944). "Fleet City Lays Plans For '45 Eleven". Oakland Tribune. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Harry Borba (November 17, 1944). "Fleet City Coach Works On Hall, Davis Defense". San Francisco Examiner. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Litkenhous, E. E. (December 10, 1944). "Big Ten Circuit Repeats As King of College Leagues". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City Utah. p. 8B. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  5. Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1944). "Army, Randolph Field One-Two in Final Litkenhouse Ratings". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  6. "Fleet City Wins, 7-6: Stagg's Grid Team Runs Into Tartar". San Francisco Examiner. September 9, 1944. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Marines Edge Sailors, 13-7". Los Angeles Times. September 17, 1944. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Ed Schoenfeld (September 25, 1944). "Morales Earns Sea Lions 7-7 Tie". Oakland Tribune. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Fleet City Rallies To Beat Pre-Flight Eleven, 12-0". Oakland Tribune. October 2, 1944. p. 8.
  10. "Flyers Swamp Bluejackets, 39-0". Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1944. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Fleet City Beats Guard Pilots, 27-6". Oakland Tribune. October 15, 1944. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Alan Ward (October 22, 1944). "Fleet City Upsets Bears, 19 to 2: Cal Handed 1st Defeat By Sailors". Oakland Tribune. pp. 18–19 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Fleet City Gobs Drop 14-0 Tussle To El Toro Marines". Nevada State Journal. October 29, 1944. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Ed Schoenfeld (November 6, 1944). "Phelan Raps Cards, Broncs, Dons: Coach Slams Grid Failure Of Colleges". Oakland Tribune. pp. 10–11 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Fleet City Defeats Nevada, 19 to 2: Wolves Turn in Stalwart Game On Snow-Covered Gridiron". Nevada State Journal. November 12, 1944. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Pre-Flight Wins, 3-0: Sanford Boots 14 Yard Field Goal". San Francisco Examiner. November 20, 1944. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Airdevils Add New Threat for Cal". Oakland Tribune. November 20, 1944. p. 14C – via Newspapers.com.
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