The 1920 football season brought a lot of firsts for the Outrigger Canoe Club football team: a new coach, a new league and a mainland university opponent.
Dr. Paul Withington, a famous Harvard athlete, was selected to coach the Outrigger football team by Captain Bill Inman. Withington graduated from Harvard University in 1909 where he played football as a guard and center, and graduated from the Harvard Medical School in 1914. Withington had been the line coach at Harvard from 1910-1914, was an assistant coach at Harvard in 1915, was head coach at the University of Wisconsin in 1916. In 1917 Withington entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps and came to Hawaii in 1920 with the military, where he rowed for the Myrtle Boat Club and coached the Outrigger Canoe Club football team. He later became the Assistant District Medical Officer at Pearl Harbor, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the OCC.
A Senior Football League was formed with four members: Outrigger Canoe Club, Palama, University of Hawaii (formerly College of Hawaii) and Waikiki (formerly the Town Team). The teams were scheduled to play each other once. The winner of the Senior League was to play the University of Nevada on New Year’s Day at Moiliili Field. UN was in Hawaii to play the University of Hawaii on Christmas Day.
The Outrigger team tied for first place in the league with a 2-1 record. and won the right to play the University of Nevada on January 1, 1921 in the biggest football game of the year, by having defeated UH during the season. Nevada defeated Hawaii 14-0 on Christmas Day. The OCC team fought to a 0-0 tie with the Nevada team on New Year’s Day.
Members of the OCC team were: Elisha Andrews, W. “Andy” Anderson, Stafford Austin, Fred Bailey, manager; Boyd, W. Bryant, Colin Campbell, Gilbert Colterjohn, Sam Fuller, Arthur Gall, Earl Gall, J. Atherton Gilman, Jimmy Hart, Llewelyn Hart, Leslie Hicks, Jack Hiorth, Bill Hollinger, Johnny Hollinger, Nick Hoopii, David Kahananmoku, John D. Kaupiko, Langenstein, Morgan Keeff, D. McLean, McTaggart, Morgan, Esmond Parker, William Paty, Tom “Pump” Searle, Jack Slade, Joe Stickney, John Thompson, William Thompson. and Paul Withington, coach-captain; and Yorth.
Results
October 31, 192–Outrigger Canoe Club 26, Navy 0
December 5, 1920–Waikiki 14, Outrigger Canoe Club 7
December 13, 1920–Outrigger Canoe Club 3, University of Hawaii 0
December 19, 1920–Outrigger Canoe Club 31, Palama 7
January 1, 1921–Outrigger Canoe Club 0, University of Nevada 0 (tie)
Season Record: 3-1-1
League Record: 2-1
Senior League Standings
1. Outrigger Canoe Club 2-1 (tie)
1. University of Hawaii 2-1 (tie)
3. Waikiki 1-2
3. Palama 1-2