Beginning in September of 1943, Lt Raymond P. Flaherty who formerly coached the Washington Redskins (NFL) was charged with forming a football league consisting of five teams.  The teams would represent the five recruit camps and begin 7 weeks of play around Oct 1.  Farragut would not send a team into the regional semi-pro circuit.
 
In 1944, Farragut had two leagues and on Oct 27 (Navy Day) would put on a free demonstration at Gonzaga Stadium featuring the the two league champs and 125-piece navy band, and a contingent of "104 WAVES". 
 
Coaches of the teams included Ed Justice (Gonzaga), Ki Aldrich (Texas Christian), Bob Sweiger (Univ of Minnesota),  John Tynon (Peru State College), J.C. Wofford (SMU), Manuel Thomas (Tulane), E.D. Dawald (Swarthmore) and Leon Jursche (Pittsburg State).  The teams of the "Signalmen" and "Quartermasters" led with 2 wins followed by the "Radiomen" (1-0-1) made up of both sailors and marines.  A heavy team from the Hospital Corps scored a victory over the Dental Corps to take the lead in the Ship's Company league.  James W. Phillips was backfield coach for the Hospital team.

1944 Championship game:  The Signalmen and Quartermasters combined to take on the Hospital Corps Medics on Oct 27th.  Walter Emmot (QB) led the S-Q squad, and the former Washburn College back scored a TD in the first 3 minutes following Weed intercepting a Medics pass.  John Worley led the Hospital Corps rushing, but Emmot scored again from the 8 and kicked the PAT.

1944 Farragut Football League Champions - Hospital Corps Medics Front (l-r) H.W. Youngken, Kurkas, Hathaway, Hoyt, Coach Dawald, McDaniel, Coach Phillips, Mosher, Downing, Hatfield, Grossman, Lt. N.H. McLean; Second: Benson, Janssen, Kelley, Wotley, Lynch, Lehandy, Sitz, Sinitz, Tetz, Bates, Oliveri; Third: Johnson, Owens, Burk, Keller, Snow, Plone, Anonsen, Binaris, McCollow, Baker; Top: Drexler, Algard, Stamm, Shrader, Allen, Hughes, Livermore, Uberstine, Falkenberg, McCrea, Sample, (not pictured: Piccoli, J. J. Kelley)

By 1945, Farragut looked to enter a team into regional play but with a standing military order of "48-hour readiness", the team could not be away for longer than 48-hours so opponents within a short train or bus ride were needed.
 
The Nov 10 game between Farragut and the Idaho Vandals dubbed "Idaho Day" saw several crews of German prisoners of war and a a number of rotary brushes used to sweep the gridiron clear of snow in preparation for the game.  George Kaufman starred at quarterback that day with 6 passes completed for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The drubbing of the semi-pro Bremerton Rockets featured former USC quarterback Wellesley Magan scoring 2 TD's and the Bluejacket defense holding the Rockets to the Navy 44-yard line and allowing them no closer to a goal.  Cecil Bridges took a Rockets punt 33 yards for a score and Magan intercepted a pass returning it 23 yards for a score.  Vice Patrella, reserve fullback scored the final tally for the Navy after a 72-yard drive.

Farragut would play the undefeated Fort Lewis Soldiers on December 1st for the Pacific Northwest Service Championship.

1945 Farragut Bluejackets First Row: Stan Heath, Wellesley Magan, Bob Cameron, Ned Burrows, Charles Newman, Bill McDonald, Jesse Roff, Jerome Nawrocki, Morris Hathaway, Cecil Bridges, Bob Perkins; Second Row: Harry Grivet, Ed Nelson, Charles Mattox, Bartl Main, Henry Stigler, George Kaufman, Charles Lottes, Donald Roos, Al Krukas, Grover Cox, Jimmy Edwards; Third Row: Bob Otie, Blaine Tanner, R.G. Paterson, Jim McCulloch, Burnett Lee, Jack Jenson, Ed Ledger, John Kober, Jimmy Cosper, Louis Desmond; Fourth Row: John Call, Jerry Stannard, John Wofford, B.C. Jarrard, J.A. Holcomb

Farragut would forego football in 1946 and 1947 in favor of touch-football leagues while sending other sports teams to play collegiate competition under Bill Ramsey, new athletic director.  The team would bill itself the Farragut College and Technical Institute occupying part of the Naval Station.  The new club team would initial be dubbed the "Farragut Stags" in 1948 after forming as an athletic club with no official backing from the Institute.  The 25 players got three games, but failed to score a point.  Chet Johnson attempted to get the team back on the field in 1949, but ran into issues as the military designated Farragut for surplus and the State of Idaho took up discussions of what to do with the property.  Even the promise of Gloria Sue Ivester signing up for spring football in April of 1949 as a co-ed willing to specialize in place kicking could not intrigue enough interest. Only eight players from the '48 team showed up for the first practice.

NFL Hall of Famer was Northwest Minor League Coach During War Years
 
Ray Flaherty was Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame; 1976
 
But it was over 30 years prior that Ray was appointed physical instructor and football coach as part of his lieutenant commander commission to Farragut Naval Station in 1943.
 
Born in the East Boone Avenue area of Spokane, Flaherty attended Gonzaga College where he played football in it's "golden age" from 1923-1925 and lost only 4 games in Ray's three seasons as an end.  But he wasn't a specialist, he also excelled in baseball and basketball at Gonzaga. He signed with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the first AFL in 1926.  When that version of the AFL folded, Ray switched to the New York Yankees of the NFL in 1927 and then was traded to the Giants in 1929.  Flaherty took a year off from pro football to coach his alma mater, but returned to the Giants where he finished his career as an All-NFL end in 1928 and 1932, and the league pass receiving champion in 1931.  Following the 1935 NFL Championship between the Giants and Detroit Lions, Flaherty was tapped to lead the Boston Redskins, owners of a 2-8-1 record in 1935.  The Redskins won the Eastern crown in 1936 under Flaherty, but lost the NFL championship to Green Bay 21-6.  Upset with Boston's lack of fan support, the Redskins were relocated to Washington D.C. for 1937 and Flaherty fulfilled his promise, coaching the 'Skins to a championship in 1937.  During his stay with Washington he was 54-21-3 and finished on top of the division 4 out of 7 seasons and another NFL Championship in 1942, beating the Chicago "Monsters of the Midway" Bears 14-6.  But it was the incredible 73-0 loss to the Bears in 1940 that stands out in most historians minds when talking Bears vs. Redskins of the 1940's.
 
It was 1943 that he was assigned to Farragut where he coached many of his former Redskin players inducted into service during WWII.  In 1945 his Bluejackets were 6-1 and faced the undefeated Fort Lewis Soldiers for the Northwest Service Teams Championship.
 
Flaherty returned to the professional ranks following the war coaching the New York Yankees from 1946-1948 of the All-American Football Conference and the Chicago Hornets in 1949.  After ten seasons he was 80-37-5 with 2 NFL titles and 7 divisional titles.
 
Flaherty is credited with innovations such as the modern screen play with the pass completed behind the line of scrimmage, and the "Squirrel Cage" kickoff return where 8 players would converge on the ball, huddle up and then scatter in all directions as defenders had no idea who had the ball.  In one instance it allowed offensive tackle Turk Edwards to rumble 85 yards on a return.

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