A RED ROBIN’S GREAT CAREER

Back in April 2022 I did a two-part story on the 1976 Antigo Red Robins and their great coach, Gordon Schofield.  One of the players that I mentioned was quarterback/defensive back Dam Thorpe.  Antigo won the initial Class A (Now D-1) WIAA championship and Thorpe was a team leader. 

While doing research for my two recent blogs on the 1980’s I ran across Dan’s name listed in the WIAA web pages concerning Football Championship Games listing of yearly champs…Team Champs.  I’d looked over the pages many times and this time I recognized the name of Dan Thorpe under the 1987/1988 D4 games.  So, I did a deep dive on Google, came up with some great info and so I decided to contact Dan.  Back when I did the stories on the 1976 Antigo stories Dan had sent me some info on his former coach.  I had saved his email address, and I contacted Dan for an interview, so here goes.

Dan grew up in Mattoon, WI., a village of about 375 people in 1976 located about 16 miles from Antigo.  Dan’s father was the area post master and his mom taught at grade schools nearby. The support in the Antigo area was tremendous as because of late practices.  With 13 of the 22 football starters who lived outside Antigo, members of the Elks, Rotary, Kiwanis, the American Legion, various elderly men and teachers competed to help drive the player’s home. 

One of five children, growing up, Dan’s idol was his older brother Tom, an All-Wisconsin Valley Conference first team forward basketball player and he also played at UW-Oshkosh.  As a senior Dan played both sides of the ball as the team’s quarterback and defensive back.  An all-round athlete, Dan earned All-Conference as a defensive back.  The UPI saw things a bit different from the conference and he earned 1st team All-State honors while being named by the UPI as the state’s top offensive player.  Dan was named to the 1st team on the AP squad as a defensive back.   

Following high school graduation Dan first attended Hamlen University in St. Paul, MN where he started and played both ways.  He transferred in 1978 to UW-Stevens Point and his coach, Ron Steiner had him concentrate on defense.  As a senior strong safety in 1980 Thorpe earned All-WSUC first team accolades.  After graduation Dan did post-grad studies at UW-River Falls and as an assistant coach he credits WFCA HOF coach Mike Farley as helping him in organizing strategies.  Dan then took an assistant coaching position under the tutelage of HOF coach Kip Cramer at Grafton where the 1982 team (11-1) won the D-2 title.  The 1983 (7-3) team earned third place in the North Shore Conference.  In 1984 Grafton went back to the state finals but lost and finished with a 10-1 record.

Following the 1984 season, Dan moved to Maryland as his wife took a job at a museum and they stayed two years. While living in Maryland was an assistant at Cambridge South Dorchester.  The team made the playoffs both seasons.  In 1987 he and his family moved back to Wisconsin Dan took his first head coaching position at Beloit Turner High School.  Replacing Ed Gavigan who had been successful there was a pressure spot to be in as the school had made the playoffs in 1985 and 1986.  Dan and his Trojans rose to the occasion and made it to the D-4 finals in 1987 (10-3 record), losing to Baldwin-Woodville 16-8.  The next year, 1988, the school went back to Madison and this time, going 11-2 overall and this time Turner blew out St. Croix Falls 50-0. 

Thorpe stayed at Turner until 1993, posting a 60-18 record over seven seasons.  He then moved to become, first, an assistant coach at Janesville Craig in 1994 and then took over the program in 1995.  Over the next five years the Craig Cougars went 28-22, making the playoffs three times and losing to either the eventual state champion or the runner-up.

His wife Dana took a job in Cleveland at a museum and Dan took a job as head coach at Warrenville Heights (15 miles south of Cleveland) from 2000-2002.  His teams had an overall 16-14 record in the three years (The team went 2-8 in his first year).  He moved on to Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High school in Chadron, Ohio located 30-miles east of Cleveland.  Success continued to follow.  In 2003 he directed the team to a 7-4 record and the school made the state playoffs for the first time.  He followed up in 2004 by going 9-2, the best record in the school’s history as they were the conference champions. 

With his wife taking a position as the Project Manager at the Schedd Aquarium in Chicago, the Thorpes moved to Illinois.  2005 was the beginning of a 19-year run at Aurora Marmion Academy, a private Catholic school.  Dan retired as head football coach in 2023 after posting an overall 101-86 record, making the Illinois playoffs 10-times.  His 2010 team went 12-2 and was the runner-up in 6A.  Taking the wing-T offense and 5-2 defense as the foundations of his football coaching, strategies that he learned from his high school coach.  Like a good coach he has modified the process to meet his team’s abilities.

Dan was also a track and field coach at multiple schools winning a number of conference track titles.  In 2018 Dan was selected as the Illinois State Track Coach of the Year. Over the years in addition to his coaching duties Dan has been a social studies teacher, a guidance counselor and at Marmion he is Director of College Guidance, a job which he continues to perform.

Thorpe had an overall Wisconsin record as a head coach of 88-40.  In Ohio his teams posted an overall 32-20 record. And, with his Marmion record of 101-86 his teams went to the playoffs 21-times in 35 years.  He coached six NFL players, four at Marmion, and won an overall 221 games with 146 loses.  He qualifies for the WFCA Hall of Fame as he was a head coach in the state for 12-years as well four seasons as an assistant and I think he should me nominated.  He coached in four state title games as an assistant and head coach.

Thorpe is the first person in Wisconsin history to win a State Championship as a player (1976) and as a head coach (1988). He is also the first person in Wisconsin to play in (1977) and coach (1991) in an All-Star Game. Besides his Wisconsin All-Star Game coaching duties, he has coached All-Star games in Ohio and Illinois.

I spent a lot of time talking to Dan and it was a pleasure to hear from him directly.

You never know what you find when doing research and thanks to delving into the 1980's I found several other ideas for future stories.

BEATING A DEAD HORSE …NIL CONTINUED

I've probably written too much on this but I'm giving you a heads up. on the future.

It’s about to happen.  NIL is coming to Wisconsin High School Sports

Read the story:

Wisconsin's High School NIL Vote Is Key Decision for WIAA's Future

Your thoughts?  Email me at kevinpatrowsky@earthlink.net

THE 1980’S GREATS…PART 2

UPDATER AT 10:50AM, 2/26/2025

Hopefully you liked Part 1…The Top Teams.  Now I move on to the Top Game, Coach and Players of the decade.

THE TOP GAME

All the WIAA state finals in 1980 and 1987 were low scoring/close margin games. Great battles under the eyes of those watching at Camp Randall.  Another game of note was the 1986 shoot-out between Kimberly and Sheboygan South, a 37-33 Papermakers (Sept.12) win.  I even considered the Oct. 24, 1984 game between Green Bay East (2-7) vs. Green Bay Southwest (1-8), an East win, 4-0!!!  Yes, 4-0.  That may be a story for the future.  However, there were some other battles that I looked at and one was the November 7, 1989 Waukesha Catholic Memorial upset 21-20 win over undefeated Milwaukee Marquette Academy. 

In the end I picked the 1984 first round tilt in the WIAA D-1 playoffs game between Appleton West and D.C. Everest.  The Evergreens were the #1 state ranked and #19 ranked in the USA Today National Poll.  Everest coach Wayne Steffenhagen had his team on a roll.  This game was a battle between the Wisconsin Vally Conference champion and that of the Fox Vally Association.  Everest had blown out conference rival Antigo, the 1982 D-1 champion, 50-7 and had averaged 37.2 points per game while allowing only 9.4.  Their offence averaged 376.1 yards vs. 138.2 on the defensive side as they posted a 10-0 record going into the battle against the Appleton West Terrors.  West had a 9-0 record going into the playoff matchup.  Not a powerful, high scoring team, the Terrors had scored 164 points and allowing only 39 points.  Field goals played a big role in Appleton’s fine season as they beat Appleton East 3-0 and Oshkosh North 17-14.

Coach Paul Engen of West had directed his team to their first regular undefeated season in 10-years using a running game and seldom passing.  The Appleton Post- Crescent newspaper often listed the Terrors as the team that “never passed”.  It is true that West didn’t have a good passing game and that was proved out as they threw seven times and completed but one for seven yards as the Terrors was able to upset Everest 7-3.  Everest gained 125 yards on the ground vs. Wests 137 yards but passed for 173.  278 total yards for the Evergreens while allowing only 144 by Appleton yet West would earn an edge in offensive plays, 53 to 51.

Engen knew he his team had to be opportunistic in order to win and they did so.  Allowing a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter, the Terrors recovered a third quarter Everest fumble and, after seven plays, they were able to cover the 22-yards to the goal line.  Quarterback Mike Driscoll was able to dive in from the one-foot line for the only touchdown of the game.  There were several heroes for West.  Tim Horn recovered a Keith Howland fumble to stop Everest in their first march into West territory early in the game.  It was Dan Vanden Heuvel who recovered the Troy Clemens Everest fumble in the third quarters to set up West’s only score.  Mike Pajewski caught Mike Rinehart, a speedy Evergreen receiver from behind with 1:32 left in the game on what looked like a breakaway touchdown pass play.  The gain was for 53-yards. A moment later, with 1:16 remaining Richie Gore intercepted a Keith Howland pass on his own 10 to clinch the win for West.  All crucial defensive plays in this most exciting contest.

Down went D.C. Everest with their 24-game win streak and national ranking.  Appleton West could bask in the light of their victory for only a week before they would lose in round two of the playoffs to the Ships from Manitowoc Lincoln, 20-0.  That school would eventually win the first of three consecutive D-1 championships and end up with a then state record 48-consecutive wins.

                                THE TOP COACH

This was a tough choice.  I have tended to side with the one who has won the most titles in the decade.  The one with the best overall record. 

It would be hard not to consider Ron Rubick, coach at Manitowoc Lincoln.  His teams won six Fox Valley Conference and three state D-1 titles, posted a 48-game win streak, was named in 1985 as the State Coach of The Year by the Associated Press and was 81-21 during the decade along with six conference championships.

As previously mentioned in PART 1, Wayne Steffenhagen of D.C. Everest won three state D-1 titles in the 1980’s, had an overall record of 84-22 and also earned three additional Wisconsin Valley Conference trophies.  His teams were always in the hunt for a playoff berth just like Manitowoc Lincoln.

Then there was Dick Basham of Milwaukee Marquette Academy.  His teams won four WISAA titles, five Metro Catholic Conference titles and finished in second place in the conference three times.  Taking his Fighting Hilltoppers to a 93-15 overall record in the decade. Marquette also made the playoffs eight out of ten years. Basham posted the second most wins during the 1980’s, just behind Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs who posted a 97-19 record.  Even with Hylands 97 wins, Springs only won one title.   

Having written all this, my choice is Dick Basham.  It’s close but I go with the coach with the most titles and the most wins in the 1980’s.

Marquette University Academy's Dick Basham

                              THE BEST PLAYERS

As the decade moved on the All-State teams posted by then Associated Press and the United Press International became more expanded.  Instead of just 11 or 12 players on the first, second and third teams (Including a kicker and a punter) the first team expanded to as many as 20 players on both the offense and the defense.  In staying with that format (And because I had so many good choices) I have expanded my lists as well.

I want to write a little about several of the players on my lists.  First is Terry Lehman of Menomonie Falls North.  In 1981 Terry was named the Waukesha County Player of the Year by the Waukesha Freeman newspaper.  When the AP and UPI released their All-State teams, Terry was on the first team as a running back on one poll and listed as a defensive lineman (Who also played linebacker) in the other all-state team.  I placed him on the defensive line in my lists. 

Next, there were two players that I just couldn’t leave out for honorable mention.  There was Dan Dobner, a running back for New Berlin Eisenhower who also earned Waukesha County Player of the Year in 1989.  Dan was the heart of a Lions offense that made it to the 1989 D-2 finals (Losing to Marinette 43-19).  Dobner rushed for over 1,600 yards and scored 31 touchdowns yet only received honorable mention all-state.  The AP placed Dobner on the honorable mention list.

The other player was Greg Lueck of Appleton Xavier.  Greg was a two-way standout on a 1-9 team in 1985.  I listed him in my honorable mention section as a linebacker even though he rushed for 1,068 yards.  On defense he averaged an impressive 19.4 tackles per game! He made the AP all-state second team.

So, who was the best overall player?  Remember, my list is for what a player does in high school, not as how we remember them in college or the pros.  My pick is Todd Gregoire of De Pere Pennings.

 In 1983 Gregoire made all-state as a linebacker and a kicker and was state Player of the Year.  He also made the Green Bay Press Gazette All-Metro Team as a receiver and as a punter.  He was named as the Metro Player of the year on both offense and defense.   While taking De Pere Pennings to the second round of the WISAA playoffs,

Todd was perfect on all 31 of his extra-point kicks, 11 of 15 in field goals with a longest of 53-yards.  He hauled in 26 passes for 698 yards and 11 touchdowns and scored 13 total touchdowns.  In all he scored 142 points on the season. While on defense he averaged 9+ tackles per game and intercepted 11 passes including four in a 20-0 playoff win over Green Bay Premontre.  He returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns during the regular season.  Gregoire chipped in as a punter with a 35+ yard average.  Pennings went 10-2 on the season.

There you have it.  The 1980’s best.