The title is a little misleading, as I am taking advantage of a literary license. Each of the backs played during the 1950s, but one did not play his senior season and the senior season of another was 1960.
The six backs, in chronological order, are: Harry Shoup, Dan Veien, John Galvan, Rolland Van Blaricom, Willie Castillo, and Charles Kimble. Each not only played offense, but defense, and “special teams”.
I think any coach would have been happy to have any of those six players on their team when they were seniors. Veien, Galvan, Van Blaricom, and Castillo blossomed and grew into their ability as seniors. For Shoup and Kimble I think the same would have applied for each year they played.
The head varsity coach for each player was Phil Goettel. He molded players and set up a progression for success, a pipeline in effect, which yearly showed in the results of many players when they became seniors. In Shoup’s case it was obviously as a junior.
Shoup did not play as a senior because a new rule had been implemented and he was 19 years old. Personally, if I was in charge of making the rules he, and any others in a similar position, would have been “grandfathered in” and allowed to play as seniors. I would have had the rule apply when student/athletes entered high school. They would have known from the beginning. Perhaps then their curriculum could have been set up so they would be 18 years of age at the beginning of their senior year. To me, the rule seems rather mean for those whose eligibility was affected by age when they were already in high school.
Kimble’s senior year was during the 1960 season, but, again, I am using literary license.

HARRY SHOUP
Freshman season
“HARRY SHOUP–here is a freshman who should see plenty of action on this season’s Panther team. 150 pounds, fast and rugged. Harry will double at both the quarter and fullback posts.” (Source, game program quote for the Sonoma High School game, Friday, September 28, 1951)
The team had a 6-2 record. Shoup was listed as being 5′-10″ tall and weighing 152 pounds. His position was listed as quarterback.
Sophomore season
The team had a record of 7-1 and they were Superior California Athletic League Champions. Harry Shoup scored 92 of the team’s 178 points. He was obviously nominated for the All-League team.
“Harry Shoup was the star as Benicia High recorded a 26-19 victory over Rio Vista. The pass play covering 73 yards from Bob Hathaway to Shoup was the outstanding scoring play of the night.” (Source, Benicia Herald, November 5, 1952)
Junior season
The team finished the season with a record of 8-0 and was Superior California Athletic League Champions. It was the first undefeated team in the history of Benicia High School.
The team outscored league opponents 118-24 with one of the opponents scoring 18 of the points allowed. Benicia out-scored all opponents 270-48. Shoup scored 120 of the team’s points.
Shoup was nominated to the All-County League Team. He played left halfback and was listed as being 6′-0″ tall and weighing 165 pounds.
In front of Shoup on the line that season were Stan McHann, left tackle, at 240 pounds, and Dick Lawton, left guard, at 230 pounds. They opened a lot of holes for Shoup. Phil Goettel, long time Benicia High School coach, said McHann was the best big man he ever coached.
Against Armijo, the last game of the season and which decided the championship, the score was 35-0 at halftime. The second and third team played most of the second half as Benicia used 37 players.
Shoup was named to the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner’s All Inland Empire team at the end of that season. That team selection area included all of the schools in the Sacramento Valley and extended into Yolo and Solano counties. Also named on that team from Benicia were Bob Hathaway and Stan McHann.
Shoup was on the varsity as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. He was the varsity Most Valuable Player for both the 1952 and 1953 football and basketball seasons.
Many people with knowledge of the football history of Benicia High School believe Harry Shoup to be the best running back in the history of the school. When he would have been a senior at Benicia High School, he was playing halfback for the Vallejo Junior College Redskins.

DAN VEIEN
Junior season
Dan Veien was listed as a 16-year-old, 5′-9″, 135 pound, backup quarterback as a junior on the 1954 team which went 8-1. It was his first season on the varsity. Veien did not score. He was a junior varsity graduate. The only loss for the team was a 53-6 blowout to Rio Vista on Sanborn Field which cost them the championship. Each team had entered the contest undefeated. It was one of those games when things simply did not go well. The team allowed only 79 total points the entire season, but had 53 of the points scored against them by Rio Vista. It was a good team.
Senior season
Showing now at 5′-11″ tall and 151 pounds Veien became the starting quarterback for the Benicia High School Panthers. The 1955 team holds a record of 6-2-1 and was a Co-Champion of the Solano County Athletic League.
Veien only scored 44 of the team’s total of 230 points on the season, but from what I have read they were all in league games. He was named a co-captain of the BHS team and also selected as an All-League player.
“Danny Veien proved to be the league’s most dangerous back. He was the offensive leader of the Panthers, pacing them on the ground and in passing. Veien boasts the distinction of out gaining the entire backfield of every SCAL opponent he faced this year.” (Source, excerpts from the Benicia Herald, sports page, Thursday, November 24, 1955)

JOHN GALVAN
Junior season
The 1955 team was a Co-Champion of the Solano County Athletic League. Their record was 6-2-1. They scored 230 points while allowing 108. John Galvan was a 5′-8″ and 145 pound varsity starter at left halfback at the beginning of the season but did not remain so. Larry Speer took over most of the carries at the halfback position and scored eight touchdowns. Ken Cline and Jon Starkweather scored two TD’s each at halfback. Galvan did not score as a junior. He had been on the junior varsity as a freshman and sophomore.
Senior season
Once again Benicia was the Solano County Athletic League Champions. Their record was 7-1, and the team outscored opponents 196 to 65. Galvan was an offensive and defensive starter all season. On offense he was most often the left halfback, but did play right halfback.
“Van Blaricom threw to (Bob) Coen who deflected the ball in the air and into the ever alert (John) Galvan’s arms. The play carried to the 7.” (Source, excerpts from a article on the Armijo game which began on Page 1 and continued onto Page 6 of the Benicia Herald, Thursday, November 15, 1956)
Benicia won that game 19-6 and thus the championship. Armijo had an enrollment of over 900 and would no longer be in the league. Some people felt Armijo would have a competitive advantage, if they remained in the league, because of the size of their enrollment. Benicia had an enrollment of 350. They had only 26 players on the varsity. Armijo had almost that many returning lettermen, 21. As is often the case, it is not the dog in the fight which matters, but the fight in the dog.
On the season, Galvan only scored 24 points, averaged 9 yards per rush attempt, completed 5 passes for 53 yards and one touchdown, and caught 24 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns. When it is understood that Galvan played in the same backfield as Rolland Van Blaricom, and the fact he played defense and intercepted passes, those are fine all-around numbers.
From Bob Silva’s picks for ALL SCAL players for the 1956 season:
“HALFBACKS: John Galvan, Benicia. Here’s the most underrated player in the league, no doubt. Nevertheless, he’s the league pass catcher, by far, and possibly one of the best ever. His Johnny on the spot ball hawking led Benicia to many a touchdown this year, and halted more than a few of the opposition’s potential drives. His defensive plays, he intercepts passes as easily as he does passes intended for him practically made every opponents air attack useless against Benicia this season. He’s Benicia’s most consistent performer.” (Source, Benicia Herald, November 15, 1956)
There was no “official” ALL SCAL team, but the Vallejo Times Herald and league coaches selected one which was generally thought of as the ALL SCAL team. John Galvan was not named to the team. Rolland Van Blaricom was named to that team.
“We would, however, question the omission of Benicia’s John Galvan from the All League team. Without hesitation, we placed Galvan in our first string backfield, but to our astonishment, the superlative pass catcher and pass defense specialist failed to be recognized for as much as honorable mention on the T.H. team. We’re sure the SCAL mentors booted one by passing Galvan.” (Source, Benicia Herald, November 29, 1956)

To be continued with Rolland Van Blaricom and Willie Castillo…

James M. Garrett has lived in Benicia his entire life. He retired after a career of teaching at Benicia High School. He is the author of “one Great season 9-0!,” “Benicia and Letters of Love,” “The Mansion Stories,” and the compiler of “The Golden Era,” a history of Benicia High School football from the 1948 through 1960 seasons. Contact him at Jgstoriesnpoetry@aol.com.

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