I saw this obituary this morning. Gil was a very good guy who shared his knowledge with many young coaches in the area. He also had one of the more enduring Texas Football nicknames “The Granger Ghost”. Also, back in the 50’s it was a big deal for a base to have a bona fide football team. In fact, one of my buddies who played at Texas was a coach with Sid Gillman at Ft Ord. I’m sure many naval commanders tried to secure Gil’s services.
Gilbert “Gil” C.Bartosh Sr.
1930-2016
Gilbert “Gil” C. Bartosh Sr. of Liberty Hill, TX, passed away on June 4, 2016. Gil was born on May 21, 1930, to Anastasia Stasny and Charles Bartosh of Granger, TX. Gil was a football star at Granger High School in the 1940’s earning the nickname “Granger Ghost” after a dynamic offensive performance in a fog-filled football game against Rockdale.
He went on to star at TCU under Coach Dutch Meyer, earning All-Southwest Conference recognition in 1950 while leading the league in total offense. He led TCU in both rushing and passing that season, a record that still stands today. In 1951, Gil helped lift the Frogs to a SWC title and a trip to the Cotton Bowl.
He served as a U.S. Naval officer during the Korean conflict and played service football for the U.S. Navy’s Yokosuka Seahawks. One of Gil’s most prized possessions was the Army-Navy game ball he was awarded in Pusan, Korea, in 1953. In 1954, Gil’s team capped a perfect season by going 11-0 outscoring opponents by a combined total of 391-41. The team was crowned Central Command Conference champions. Gil was named to the Central Command all-star team and was the top vote getter for the offensive backfield.
After leaving the military, Gil played one season of professional football in the CFL for the British Columbia Lions, leading the team in scoring before moving on to the coaching ranks. Gil accumulated an exceptional coaching record at four different Texas Class 5A high schools: Houston Robert E. Lee, Houston Milby, Odessa Permian and Midland Lee. His 1972 state championship team at Odessa Permian was regarded as one of the best schoolboy teams in Texas history, at that time, and was awarded the “mythical” national championship. His college coaching career included stints at Rice, Texas A&M, University of Texas El Paso and the University of New Mexico.
In 1974, Gil was awarded WAC co-coach of the year. Gil was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1989, the TCU Letterman’s Association Hall of Fame in 1992 and Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1995. Gil will be remembered for his great sense of humor, his competitive spirit, and his love of family. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=gilbert-bartosh&pid=180236059&fhid=5105#sthash.fswlXR0d.dpuf