Coach “Smiley” Jim Camitz

Coach “Smiley” Jim Camitz. Pittsburg Mallards 1961 - 1964. Plaque One: , Coach Camitz led the Mallards to a record of 34 and 2, won three East Bay championships, 4 bowl games, recorded 27 shutouts, and outscored opponents 1,037 to 83. From 1962 to 1964 seasons the Mallards had a string of 16 shutouts in a row and in 1963 the Mallards went undefeated and unscored upon, holding 9 opponents to minus 136 yards of total offense and won the national Pop Warner championship, earning them a meeting with President Kennedy. Instead they attended his funeral. They later won the game, 33-0. When the group of Mallards reached Pittsburg High School, the Pirate teams had a combined score of 30-2-4, with the 1964 (9-0) and 1966 (7-0-02) teams going undefeated and the 1965 and 1967 teams losing only a single game. The Pirates won D.V.A.L. championships in 1964, 1965, and 1967., 1961 Record 8 - 0 , 7 shutouts, season scoring 178 – 13 , East Bay Champions , Northern California Section Champions , Beating Redding 16 – 0, 1962 Record 9 – 0 , 4 shutouts, season scoring 244 – 37 , Northern California Section Champions, West Coast Regional Champions , Beating Salt Lake City 32 – 0 in the Pop Warner Bowl, 1963 Record 9 – 0 , 9 shutouts, season scoring 364 – 0 , Holding all 9 opponents to minus 196 yards and only 8 first downs , East Bay Champions, Northern California Sectional Champions , West Coast Regional Champions , National Pop Warner Disneyland Bowl Champions , Beating East Coast Champions, Mayfair of Philadelphia 33 – 0, 1964 Record 9 – 1 , 7 shutouts, season scoring 251 – 33 , East Bay Champions, Northern California Champions, California State Champions , Beating San Diego 33 – 0 in the Mother Goose Bowl, Plaque Two: , James “Smiley” Camitz was born December 16, 1931 and is a life-long resident of Pittsburg, CA. Coach Camitz played football for the Pittsburg Pirates from 1946. In 1947 and ’48 he was a teammate with the Pro Football Hall of Famer, John Henry Johnson. The 1948 team was one of the best teams in Pirate’s history. Unfortunately, Coach Camitz broke his leg, effectively ending his playing career. His passion for football never diminished, however and he naturally gravitated to coaching. In 1960 Coach Camitz traveled to Concord to watch 12 - 14 year-old kids play in the Pop Warner Football Program. From this visit was born the idea of developing a program in Pittsburg. All through the fall of 1960 and into the spring of 1961, Coach Camitz worked tirelessly to bring all the pieces together. He found the sponsors willing to contribute funds to buy equipment and uniforms, he secured the use of facilities for practice and put together an excellent coaching staff. Coach Camitz was a tough, hard-nosed coach, and his players have nothing but respect, fondness, and love for him. They learned valuable lessons, which not only made them better football players, but lessons that have served them well in all aspects of their adult life.