Began on the heels of the Aberdeen American Legion team from the late 1920's that enjoyed much succes, the Grays Harbor Athletic Club put out a football team for the Northwest Football League 1934 season.

The 1934 team played the USS Maryland to a 13-13 tie in Bremerton, after opening with two victories over Tacoma and Fort Lewis.  The Maryland was 1933 champions of the United States Fleet and tied the San Diego Submarines for the Battle Force Championship.  Harbor would tie the West Seattle Yellowjackets in the Northwest League championship game finishing as Co-Champs. 

Einno Laukkanen was a 4-year Northwest League veteran and voted the #1 tackle of 1934.  In the 1935 opener, without Laukkanen, the USS Lexington stole away a victory picking of a fumble in mid air and racing 40-yards for the score and kicked the point after.  The sailors did not pick up a first down the entire game as the Harbor defense was stifling.  Clem Warren joined the team after failing to qualify academically for his second season at Washington State.  Warren was slated to be a varsity prospect.  Mason McCoy was a former Oregon Duck in the early 30's.

Front Row L-R: Harry Holt (16), Jack Warwick (34), Glen Hicks (10), Coach Neil Eddy, Bill Warren (26), Second Row: Tom Randall, Steve Franko, Edward Strada (23), Chet Anderson, Dave Lundquist, Dave Auer (29), Cliff Erickson (14), Jim Heffernan, Bill Gill (12), Harry Moeller, Bob Kavaney, Stan Antich (asst mgr), First Row Standing: Fred Everson (asst manager) Frank Siggstedt (27), Chuck Swanson (30), Harry Lund (18), Caichina (32), Ben Hageage (3), "Butch" Dombroski (39), Ted Carnocki (17), Hubert Finch (13), Joe Micholich (20), Stan Wincewicz (25), Mason McCoy (15), John Carlson (36) Back Row: George Lundquist, Dode Phillips, Earl Philbrick, Stan Gillies, Merle Wickett, Ray Ross, George Barnes, Kirkwood, "Abe" Lincoln, "Red" Baker

Coach Neil Eddy, longtime player with the Aberdeen Legion club, died June 18, 1936 at the age of 29, twelve days after suffering a burst appendix. Eddy had played for Oregon University and Ellensburg Normal, then the Legionnaires before coaching football, basketball and serving as athletic director at Grays Harbor Junior College in 1931-1932 and the Grays Harbor Indians in 1935.  Fred LePenske, former College of Puget Sound gridder would be tasked with replacing Eddy.

The Harborites lost a tough season finale giving up the opening 85-yard kickoff return to Enumclaw, but pitching a defensive shut out the rest of the way.  Unfortunately the offense could not punch in a score.  The defense performed a similar feat the week prior against Olympia, holding a shut out into the final minutes of the game before giving up a 25-yard scoring pass.

Opening the 1937 season with a tie, Frank Desordi tied the knot at halftime of a Friday night affair with the Doghouse Club of the Seattle Community League in front of a massive crowd of Aberdeen fans.  Grays Harbor would defeat Doghouse 7-0, the Seattle Community League runners-up the year before.

Plans for 1938 included the team moving to the new 9,000 seat Grays Harbor field in November when the covered grandstands were to be completed.  Ollie Arbelbide was hired as head coach and his assistant was former Gonzaga star and Green Bay Packer Marion Ashmore.  In past years, the Indians were known for being one of the strongest defensive teams to run against.  It required speed runs around end or passed over the top to defeat the 250-pounders manning the trenches.  The troubles continued as an 0-10 season ensued.

Following the disasterous 1938 season, Grays Harbor dropped out of the Northwest League embarking on an independent schedule kicking off against the Issaquah Alpines, five-time champions of the Seattle Community League.  The Indians dropped a 7-0 decision extending the longest losing streak of franchise history to 14 in-a-row.  Nearly 75-years later the Grays Harbor Bearcats would match that losing streak from 2013-14.  The Bearcats similarly, had also been a top league contender in their first season of play in 2009, but fell dramatically five years later.  The haunting similarities included the Bearcats playing at Hoquiam Olympic stadium.

The Neil Eddy Memorial Award was established in September of 1936 for the outstaning athlete at Grays Harbor Junior College.

DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE?  CONTACT US! (email)