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The Kitsap Athletic Club became the defacto sponsor in 1935. Bremerton high star Chuck Jones, RB/LB/K - 1935 had a string of 20-consecutive pass receptions, and played all 60-minutes of the Port Townsend victory kicking extra points, playing tremendous defense and playing extremely well on offense. He was voted to the 1st Team of the All-Northwest league as LHB and a San Francisco sports reporter proclaimed in 1936 that he could start for any college on the Pacific Coast. Jones was actually a prep (high school) player in 1934 and 1936. High School coach Harold Shidler was able to get Jones back for the 1936 scholastic season. The Destroyers would don purple jerseys with gold numbers. In the 1936 home opener with Grays Harbor, Bremerton outgained GH 10 first downs to 4, however Joe Bolton fumbled the opening kickoff on the 10 yard line and lost another fumble when he mishandled a punt six plays later setting up the Harborites at the 18 yard line for a 12-0 first quarter lead. Bremerton finally scored as the fourth quarter started but could not overcome the turnovers. The two rivals would battle to a 0-0 tie later in the season and the Destroyers would tally a single win for the second year in a row in a 7-0 upset of Olympia. Babe Kelly would be the only scorer of the season tallying all 13 points Bremerton scored on the season. The offense was shut out in 8 of 10 contests in 1936.
The Kitsap Athletic Club disbanded the Destroyers following the 1938 season, forcing the players to band together as an Independent team for 1939. Babe Kelly, Don Hester, and Phil Mahan created the Kitsap County Amateur Athletic Club on November 7 in an effort to solidify the Red Raiders organization. Kelly would be elected President and Hester as VP. As an indepenent, Babe Kelly's team ran out to a 7-0 record including a 33-14 victory over the Cleveland Athletic Club, previously Georgetown but called themselves the "Gashouse Gang". Joining the "Olympic League" with Aberdeen, Forks and Port Angeles, the Red Raiders went undefeated. Forks folded early in the season. Les May joined the Red Raiders in 1940 after five years as a guard with the USS Idaho. Billy Kelly's toe booted the team to a Oct 20, 1940 victory of the Yellowjackets with a 26-yard FG. His kicking was also responsible for the Sept 29 win over the Renton Rams. Kelly would play the 1941 season with the 103rd Anti-Tank Battalion out of Fort Lewis. Following the December 1 loss to Seattle, one frustrated and disgruntled player told the Kitsap Sun "It ain't worth it, you train all season for every game and give your best, and then some guy who has been out all night on a party steps in to play beside you. What's the use in training?" Semi-pro football in a nutshell changed little in 80+ years. One fan remarked that they 1941 season was probably too long as the team geared up for 14 games including an intra-squad scrimmage to kick off the season. Injuries, deployments, and illness took it's toll. When 1941 kicked off the Red Raiders debuted a new coach in BIll
Hawke who intended to bring a new system mixing power, passing and
running plays. The uniforms would change to white jerseys with
big red numbers and bed pants. The opening game with Enumclaw
would be sponsored by the Teamsters' Union with Denney Givens
representing the union and Mayor Maddux of Enumclaw in attendance.
Hawke was a player for Enumclaw during the 1940 season. Former
Renton player Don Sprinkle would join
the Red Raiders for the '41 sesaon before a knee injury ended his
playing. Sprinkle would go on to a Hall of Fame career as
coach of the legendary Seattle
Ramblers. The 1942 team led by Babe Kelly was one of the best put on the field since 1939. In five consecutive outings, the Red Raiders shut out all five military opponents before being tied by the Port Angeles Commandos. The War-Industries League Champion Seattle Shipbuilders challenged for the Washington State Independent championship and finally broke the Bremerton defense in a 14-0 win. Kelly's Red Raiders finished 5-1-1, one of the biggest turnarounds in regional history after a 1-7-1 finish to 1941. The Red Raiders would disband after 1942 as Babe Kelly, the backbone of the franchise since 1936 reported for training at Farragut Naval Training in Idaho during World War II. Kelly was inducted into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame as a baseball and softball official in 1990 after 33 years of service from 1933-1966. Leonard Kelly passed away in 2002 while living in Ballard, Washington. Babe played football, baseball and basketball during the 1930's while managing and coaching the Red Raiders as well as being an official.
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