Pittsburg Mallards’ documentary to be shown at
California Theatre
One of Pittsburg’s shining moments will be celebrated in a documentary film that will be
previewed for the public on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the California Theatre at 8 p.m.
“Thrown for a Loss” is a story of the 1963 Mallards, the National Pop Warner football
champions, who went undefeated, untied and un-scored upon, including the championship
game in Philadelphia against the undefeated Mayfair Athletic Club team.
“Thrown for a Loss” is an apt title for the documentary created by producer Jonathan Chavez.
Chavez hopes to interest PBS in the documentary.
The 1963 Mallards ended the season not only undefeated, untied and un-scored on but also
held opponents to negative yardage (-149) for the entire season.
However the Mallards themselves were thrown for a loss before the championship game.
They were scheduled to meet President John Kennedy in the White House. Instead they wound
up watching his funeral cortege after flying east on Sunday, Nov. 24, two days after the
President’s assassination.
Just as it has done to support the Pittsburg High School Band’s trips to New York for the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009 and again this year for the band’s trip to London, Pittsburg
residents, businesses and officials worked together to fund the trip for the team.
One of head coach Jim ‘Smiley’ Camitz’s associates, Les Kinsolving, an Episcopal minister,
brought his friend Ed Daly to a practice to see how well the players on the multi-racial, multiethnic team blended together. Daly, the head of World Airways, was so impressed that he
provided a plane for free transportation for the team to the East Coast.
One of the members of the team, Pete Riso, was a candidate for the Pittsburg Entertainment &
Arts Hall of Fame’s first induction class. Riso, a drummer, toured with legendary jazz artist Cal
Tjader.
Ollie McClay, a member of PEAHOF’s first induction class, was an assistant coach in the team’s
first two years, 1961 and 1962.
Tickets for the special public showing of “Thrown for a Loss” are $5 and available at the
California Theatre ticket box office or online at www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. Advance
purchase is suggested for the special public showing that will follow a sold-out showing that will
include Camitz and players from the Mallards team.
On Friday, Nov. 22, Channel 7 will have a news feature on the Mallards during its 6 p.m.
segment.