Davis Showed He Could Do It All at Bonita High

Glenn Davis of Bonita High, 57 years ago today, played one of the best football games in Southern California high school history.

Davis’ team was playing at South Pasadena in a Southern Section small schools semifinal playoff game.

Bonita won, 41-12, and Davis, the quarterback, participated in all six touchdowns, kicked four conversions and passed for a fifth. He gained 244 yards rushing and returned an interception 50 yards.

In the second quarter, Davis provided touchdowns for his team on three consecutive plays in less than a minute, although only the third one counted. Here’s how it happened:

Bonita, leading 21-6, reached South Pasadena’s 20-yard line. Davis threw a touchdown pass to Henry Saldivar. Bonita was offside and the ball was moved back to the 25.

On the next play, Davis passed into the end zone to Julian Ramirez, but there was a Bonita clip on the play and the ball was put back to the 40.

On the next play, Davis had to scramble on a pass play. He ran left, blew by half a dozen tacklers, cut to midfield and scored untouched. No penalties. This one counted.

The next weekend, Bonita beat Newport Harbor, 39-6, for the championship. Seven months later, he left the Pomona train station for West Point, N.Y., where he would win the Heisman Trophy in 1946.

At Army, his coach, Red Blaik, was once asked to compare Davis to Jim Thorpe.

“You take Thorpe,” he responded. “I’ll take Davis. In my 50 years of college football, I’ve seen some great players. None were better than Glenn Davis.”

Also on this date: In 1914, the baseball world was shocked to learn that the game’s greatest pitcher, Walter Johnson, had jumped to the upstart Federal League, for a $10,000 bonus and a $20,000 salary for three years. However, Washington Senator manager Clark Griffith talked Johnson into staying and accepting a $12,500 salary. He kept the $10,000 bonus, however.