Saturday, July 29, 2006
Many think Chuck's football coaching career is synonymous with just the Bremerton area. Actually, Semancik's first job was in Aberdeen, Washington where he coached the 19941-42 seasons before he enlisted in the US Navy. After the war Chuck returned to the Bobcats sideline for two more seasons, 1946-47.
The annual turkey day tussle between Hoquiam and Aberdeen was much like the Apple Cup, Army-Navy game, and many of our nation's most intense rivalries. Thousands fans would cross the one small street (Myrtle) separating the two cities to claim bragging rights for a year. Many said that a coaches job hinged on the contest's outcome.
Chuck took a 3-0 Turkey Day record into the 1947 game played on a bright, clear Fall day at Aberdeen's Stewart Field in front of 6,500 screaming fans.
A young Hoquiam squad led by first year Head Coach "Blackjack" Swarthout and a junior quarterback, Jack Elway (yup, the daddy of the Denver Broncos John Elway) clung to slim lead at the half.
Chuck, true to his "hate-to-loose," very intense form, came up with the ultimate in half-time motivation for his 'Cats. Semancik told his charges that if they didn't come back and defeat the Grizzlies that he would resign.
Aberdeen played well in the second half, but succumbed to Hoquiam who scored a touchdown in the final seconds to nail-down a 22-7 victory sending Coach Semancik out of Grays Harbor with a 3-1 record in the Big Game.
And now for the rest of the story. At the time no one knew that Semancik had already taken a job for the next year at Bremerton High which was closer to his hometown of Tacoma.
As told to Lane C. Dowell by Jack "Blackjack" Swarthout (deceased) who had other coaching stints at, among others, the University of Montana, University of Texas and Olympia's Capital High.
