ARCADIA RAIDERS…THE BILL CASHEN ERA INCLUDING A GREAT DECADE…1949-58 AND BEYOND

The “Great Decade” started in with Arcadia coming off a 4-2-1 year in 1948 (Two wins at the end of the season) Cashen directed his teams to a 20-0-1 record over the next three years.  His squad was 6-0-1 in 1949 before the school and Cashen turned the trick of going undefeated, untied and unscored upon in 1950 going 7-0-0.  1951 was a duplicate of 1950 as the team coasted to another 7-0-0 record.  They would win the 1952 opener then fall on bad times due to injuries that year, but they had put up a winning streak of 23-0-1 overall.  

1950 Arcadia 7-0-0

Coach Bill Cashen developed Arcadia into a small school powerhouse for the 39 years he was at the school. Posting a 172-70-18 record in football, Cashen also coached basketball for 27 years, winning 283 games as well as coaching baseball for 36 years.  The win over Mondovi was crucial as the two schools battled to a 12-122 tie in 1949 to share the MVC title. Mondovi had come into the game also undefeated in six games and had scored 142 points and allowed only 25. Led by George Galuska, a 180-pound fullback who scored 13 touchdowns and 14 extra points for a team leading total of 82 points. Halfback Dick Mettlack was second in the scoring with 78 points and junior Willie Berzinski followed with 51. David Wolfe and Gordon Schultz shared the quarterback choirs. Up front Aymarr Nelson and Robert Malesyteki were tough tackles. Jack Mettlach and Terry Gautsch were the starting guards. David Bohrnstedt held down the center position while Don Berzinski and Gerald Wolfe were the ends. Coach Cashen said the players had exceptional spirit and teamwork. That was the reason for their success. At the time Cashen had a soft spot for his 1950's team, stating that they had better balance than his 1939 and 1943 squads.

From the 1951 Arcadia “Arcadian Acorn” Yearbook

List of 1950 Wisconsin High School Football Undefeated Teams

Wisconsin State Journal Nov. 14, 1950

One of the top players on the 1950 team was junior Willie Berzinski, an outstanding halfback, who earned AP Third Team All-State in 1951. Many of the area coaches felt that if he had been on a larger school team, he would have earned first team honors. As it turned out, a few tears after Willie graduated from Arcadia a UW-Madison coach told Cashen that Berzinski was the best player for several years that the school failed to recruit.  Willie would attend UW-La Crosse where he started four years, setting school rushing and scoring records and was Small College All-America. In 1956, he played in the College All-Star game and then played a season with the Philadelphia Eagles and then Canadian football. Berzinski also lettered four years on the track team in college as a weight man, sprinter and long jumper. In 1993 he was named honorable mention to the Milwaukee Journal Team of the Century.

Another one of the 1949-51 stars was halfback Richard "Dick" Mettlach who attended UW-La Crosse with Berzinski and then became a Michigan Football Coaches Association HOF coach by directing Crystel Falls Forest Park to a 239-73-6 career record and two Class D State Titles.

As mentioned above Arcadia won the first two games in 1952 before ending the year with a 5-2-1 record.  Injuries in 1953 and 1954 also hindered their success but the opening win in 1955 started a 36-game unbeaten streak.  Both 1956 and 1958 seasons were 8-0-0, with a 7-0-1 1957 posting.  The 1959 team would then win three games and tie once before losing 7-0 to Black River Falls.  In that game with 83-yards to go for a score and little time on the clock it looked like the game would end in a tie. Arcadia had the ball on their own 17-yard line with a first and ten and then they fumbled.  Black River Falls recovered the lost fumble and scored with 10-seconds on the clock on a pass and kicked the extra point for the win.  The 36-game unbeaten streak ended.  The Raiders would have a 61-11-3 record during the 1949-1958 period with seven undefeated seasons.  Remarkable.

Bill Cashon said later, after the streak, that the 1958 team was, overall, his finest squad.  It was hard to argue the point as the team was full of stars.  Six players made the All-Mississippi Valley Conference first team squad made up of 12 members (Normally made up of 11 but there was a three-way tie at the guard position).  The first teamers were end Gary Pahl, tackle Gene Comero, guard David Pleerzina, center Ed Fernholz, quarterback Gary Luethl and back Dan Sobotta.  Tackle Darrell Lerch and guard Duane Guenther made the second team.  There were four other players, Wayne Killian, LeRoy Korpal, Jim Sobotta and Albin Slaby who made honorable mention.  All these honors in an eight-team league.

After the opening trouncing of Winona Cotter in 1958, the Raiders never looked back as they swept through their conference schedule.

Team picture and schedule from the 1959 Arcadia “Arcadian Acorn” yearbook

There were more honors to come for the players.  The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram’s regional reach covered many counties as well as 70+ schools.  Annually the Leader-Telegram posts their All-North West team and end Gary Pahl was named to the first team while quarterback Gary Luethl earned a spot on the second team.  Center Ed Fernholz, tackle Gene Cornero, fullback Dan Sabotta, a junior and junior guard David Plerzina each made honorable mention.  On December 6 the banner on the sports page announced that Pahl was named to the first team Associated Press All-State team.  Pahl, 6’2, 168, had hauled in 26 receptions that year for 418 yards and 10 touchdowns an added two extra points and one safety.  His 64 points led the conference. 

Luethl earned honorable mention on the All-State listings.  He tossed 18 touchdowns along with 700+ yards in 1958 while also scoring four rushing touchdowns.  

Another standout was Dan Sobotta who led the team in rushing 106 times for 932 yards and 12 touchdowns (Eight in conference play).

The end of the 1958 season saw a big change to the Mississippi Valley Conference.  Three teams announced that they were leaving the conference…Augusta, Osseo and Whitehall while three were joining…Menomonie, Chippewa Falls and Cochrane-Fountain City.

A three-way-tie for the conference title in 1959 occurred.  Arcadia (5-2-1) downed Chippewa Falls 13-6, Black River Falls defeated Arcadia 7-0 and CF beat BRF 6-0.  Now a senior, halfback Dan Sobotta completed a fine career as the schools all-time rusher.  Playing on four championship teams he gained 114 yards on 21 carries and one point as a freshman, 536 yards on 109 carries and 76 points as a sophomore (Earning 2^nd team MVC), 932 yards on 106 carries and 76 points as a junior and finally as a senior he gained 800 yards on 111 carries and 64 points.  His career totals were very good for the 1950’s as he ended with 2,382 yards on 347 carries and 172 points.

There would be a couple of good seasons (1961 and 1962) but after three teams leaving the conference and a number of injuries in 1963(1-5-0 record) Bill Cashen decided that 39-years of coaching was enough.  He would stay on as a teacher and then retire in 1973 but stay on for several years teaching part-time.  His reason for leaving sports so he could spend more time on learning the new methods of mathematics so he could do a better job of teaching his students.  One of things that endured the students to Bill was the extra time he spent with tutoring them in the off hours, even on Saturday mornings.  He was considered the kid’s best friend.

Blessed with good talent, Cashen preferred to stay in the background and let his players take the glory.  In the Mississippi Valley Conference Cashen’s opponents used a modified phrase taken from the MLB saying, “Break up the Yankees” and changed it to “Break up Arcadia”.

Bill Cashen would be part of the first class of 26 members in the WFCA Hall of Fame in 1980.  His career record is most impressive:

172-70-18 in 39-seasons

12 undefeated seasons

15 conference championships

A park in Arcadia was named for “Mr. Sports” in 1967 with a formal plaque installed in 1984.

La Crosse Tribune April 4, 1984

Bill’s wife Zeida preceded him in death in 1978 after 50-years of marriage and he passed in July 1986.  He truly was a great coach but even more a greatly beloved person.  

With 172 career wins, Bill Cashen is Arcadia’s winningest coach.  Current coach, Derek Updike has 139 career wins and Richard Fredrickson, who coached before Updike, had 135 victories.  From what I can track, since 1923 schools record is 503-321-21.

Thanks to Nancy and Grant Hanson as well as Bob Davis for suggesting that I look further into Arcadia football.  It is long overdue.

Thanks to Christine Pyka at the Arcadia High School Library for her help.

ARCADIA RAIDERS…THE BILL CASHEN ERA…THE FIRST 23 YEARS

Long before 1949 when a great decade of success began people knew about the Arcadia football program. It had been successful before then but that would be the start of something special.  First, the beginning of the Bill Cashen era.

William “Bill” Cashen came to the school in 1925 after spending one year at his former high school in Monticello, Iowa.  Bill had graduated from Loras College in Dubuque with a teaching degree in mathematics.  Arcadia had just restarted the football program in 1923 after not playing the sport since the 1909 season. 

Besides football, Bill would, at various times, coach basketball, track, and baseball in his 39-year coaching career at Arcadia.  He also found time to coach for a few years the school boxing program.  The “Red Raiders” as they were nicknamed in those days started slowly, going 3-1-0 in 1925 as the team only scored 32 points but held their opponents to 25.  The Raiders would post the first of Cashen’s 12 undefeated teams in 1928 by having a 6-0-1 record.  Arcadia scored 229 points in 1928 and allowed only 18.  The season highlight was the 100-0 crushing of La Crosse Aquinas.  This is the most all-time points in a game scored by Arcadia and the worst loss for Aquinas who was playing football in their inaugural season.  All the La Crosse Tribune could report besides the score was: “Aquinas could do nothing to stem the tide and had the ball in its possession but seldom”.  End of story.   Only a tie to Winona Cotter marred an undefeated season.

The 1929 Arcadia “Arcadian Acorn” Yearbook

When Bill Cashen started at Arcadia it coincided with the formation of the Mississippi Valley Conference.  Originally made up of Galesville (Now Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau or G-E-T), Black River Falls, Viroqua, Augusta and Mondovi, it would change in membership over the next 40-years.  

Average record seasons followed until 1939 when Cashen directed his team to a 6-0-0 record as they went undefeated, untied and unscored upon. 

                           1939 Arcadia (6-0-0)

In 1939, coach Bill Cashen led Arcadia to an undefeated, untied and unscored upon season, going 6-0-0. He is only the second coach known to post two such seasons in their career.  He would accomplish this feat again in 1950 with a 7-0-0 record. Left halfback Marcellus Brownlee was the team leader for the Raiders as he racked up 13 scores and 3 extra points for 81 of the team’s 133 points. Brownlee left the University of Wisconsin to enlist in the Navy as a pilot during World War II. He tragically died in an explosion and crash of a B-24 bomber on June 22, 1945, in the Philippines at the age of 23.

It should be noted, after further research done in 2019, besides Cashton and Arcadia having two undefeated, untied and unscored upon seasons under one coach, Eau Claire had the first two consecutive seasons, doing it in 1903 and 1904 but under two different coaches.  Delafield St. John’s Military Academy also did it in two consecutive seasons, 1904 and 1905 but under one coach, Louis Christopherson. There have been a few other schools t5o go undefeated, untied and unscored upon. I have posted stories on a few of them, most notably on Cashton High School...CASHTON…1978-81

There was success the next few years as the Raiders went 4-0-1 in 1940, 6-1-0 in 1941, 6-0-0 in 1942, 4-3-0 in1943 and 6-0-1 in 1944.  That’s three more undefeated seasons in Cashton’s first 20-years at Arcadia bringing his total to five up to then.  An interesting point about 1942 is that the team actually had a 5-1-0 record before, after losing to Black River Falls 18-12, it was discovered that BRF had used an ineligible player and the school forfeited their win to Arcadia alo0ng with several other wins to other opponents. 

In 1944 the team returned eight lettermen from the year before as Cashen and Arcadia went through a 4-3-0 season.  Those returning players formed a nucleus of a powerful group to develop a well-balanced team.  As you can see below, the defense was close to having another unscored upon record.  In fact, Mondovi scored only in the last minute of the game.  Bad weather played into keeping the Galesville score down but the offense picked up for the final three games.  It was the defense that was the main focus of Coach Cashen’s program.

There were a few lean years followed by huge success starting in 1949 and actually ending in mid-1959.  It was a great decade for the school. 

More on that next time.

GREAT COACHES WHO SHOULD BE IN THE HOF

I looked at the criteria set up by the WFCA for a coach to be eligible to be nominated and voted into the Wisconsin Football Coaching Hall of Fame.  There are several main points for a person to be considered…Hall of Fame.  Mainly, a coach can be nominated as a head coach, an assistant coach, college coach or a contributor to the football programs in the state of Wisconsin (Media, administrators, trainers, officials, etc.).  A coach must have a minimum 10-years of service in the state.  There are several other points for consideration so look at the above link for more details.

I took a look at a number of coaches who made great contributions, some only for a few seasons and others who make the minimum requirements.  These coaches that meet the criteria for Hall of Fame status:

Irl I. Tubbs…1916-1920…Superior High School…1921-1928 Superior State University

Coach Tubbs 1920 Superior High School Yearbook (The Lacedaemon)

Born in Kentucky, Tubbs attended William Jewel College in Missouri.  He coached two years of high school football in Missouri before moving north to Superior High School in 1916.  His 1918 and 1920 squads were the state champions.  He coached basketball and track as well as football.  Tubbs left Superior High to coach Superior Normal (Superior State then UW-Superior).  Because of bouts of illness, Malta Fever (From consuming unpasteurized milk), he didn’t coach football in 1921 but coached hockey in 1922 before taking over as head football coach in 1923-25 and 1928-29.  He spent ten seasons as a coach in the state before he moved on to coaching at the college level…Miami (FL) and Iowa.  Sadly, the fever caused him to be unavailable to coach on a regular basis after 1938.  What makes him special, besides winning state titles is his innovations in football related gear.  The current needle used to inflate balls (In fact, all sports balls) was his invention.  He also worked on improving head gear, padding, pants and cleats.  He makes the 10-year WFCA rule to be eligible. His two titles and innovations make, in my mind, him a very good candidate for the HOF.

Ralph Fletcher…1914-1927…Delafield St. John’s M.A.

1930 Delafield St. John’s Military Academy Yearbook (The Tattler)

Coach Ralph Fletcher graduated from St. John’s in 1910 after playing right halfback, fullback and quarterback on the football team.  Also starting on the basketball and baseball team’s as well as playing on the fencing, track and crew teams. He left the school having earned 17 letters. He first attended The University of Chicago for a year before transferring to Ohio Northern University before again transferring, this time to the University of Mississippi. He played football at all three schools as. He would put his high school fencing skills to good use as he won a spot on the 1912 Olympic squad in the sword competition. After graduation from Ole Miss, he accepted a teaching position at St. John’s and then the position of head football coach (1914-1927) and athletic director (1914-1952). While coaching football he compiled a 65-25-8 record in 13-seasons and won the 1914 state championship.  Most seasons, unable to get Wisconsin high schools to play his football teams, the Lancers played college varsity teams or their varsity second squads or later, the college freshman squads (30-13-4 record) along with teams from military bases (7-2-1) and even played three games against professional teams (3-0-0).  All with school students age 16-19 playing against older players

He also coached basketball from 1914-1928, earning a 126-46 record with his best team posting a 14-1 record in 1917-1918. He was the baseball coach during this time as well, piling up a 142-52 record. The Fletcher Baseball Field on campus was named for him in 1961. He even found time to coach the track team in 1920.   

Edison Lerch…1930-1942…Delafield St. John’s M.A.

1942 Delafield St. John’s Military Academy Yearbook (The Tattler)

Born in Lima Ohio, Lerch was a star fullback at the academy graduating in 1919. Following his graduation from St. John’s, he went to California and worked in the Universal Studios art department, saved his money and then took a world tour before returning to St. John’s in 1923.  He joined the Marine Reserves while working at St. John’s as a teacher and as an assistant football coach.  As an assistant he coached the 1929 state championship (9-0-0) team as the backfield and the defensive secondary coach.  When the head coaching spot opened up in 1932 Lerch got the job.  He then directed the team to the 1932, 1933 and 1942 state championships over 11-seasons.  He would post a 70-20-2 record before being called by the Marines to serve in a supply distribution capacity (Quartermaster Corps) during World War II.  Having been in the Marine Reserves he was promoted to the rank of major in 1941.  He then would return to the academy and, beginning in 1927, coach the crew team for another 50-years.  Lerch revolutionized the sport of crew with a new and inventive way to row…the “short-lay-back stroke” which today every rowing team world-wide uses. He would serve in many different school capacities.  As a baseball coach, assistant Commandant, Academy Treasurer, Academy President and on the Board of Directors.  He passed away in 1988.  His own three football titles and never having a losing season stands to his great ability as a head coach.

Don Penza…1957-67…Wisconsin Rapids Assumption…1981-88 Woodstock (IL) Marion

Don Penza at Woodstock (IL) Marian 1987 (SHAW LOCAL Newspapers)

Don was born in Kenosha and moved with his family to Racine. He attended Racine St. Catherine and as an end on the Catholic State Champion 1949 team, earning all-state honors.  After graduation he attended Notre Dame where he was the team captain in 1953. Coach Frank Leahy called him “the best team captain I’ve ever had”. Don was listed on the 1953 All-America team and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Playing in only two exhibition games, he hurt his knee and was forced to retire. From 1954-56 Don was a first Lieutenant in the Marines and played “service” football while at Quantico.

Following his time in the service Don Penza went on to coach at Wisconsin Rapids Assumption from 1957-1967 where he compiled a 68-18-2 record with five conference championships over 11-seasons. In 1968 he retired at age 35 from coaching to enter politics and was mayor of Wisconsin Rapids until 1978. Returning to coaching in 1981, Penza was hired at Woodstock (IL) Marion Central Catholic and would go on to compile a 90-18 record with three Illinois Class 2A state titles in eight seasons. Marion won the titles in 1983, 1986 and 1987 and was runner-up in 1985.

Don died at age 57 in 1989.  Illinois has a 10-year qualification, like Wisconsin so Don is not eligible in that state but he certainly deserves to be honored in this state.  One of his players at Assumption was Coach Bob Hyland of St. Mary’s Springs.  Bob would agree that Penza greatly influenced him and many others.

There are two others that I think that are HOF caliber coaches.  Check out their recent stories:

DeWayne Johnson…1967-68…New Richmond & Plymouth 1969-78… DEWAYNE JOHNSON…FROM PLYMOUTH AND BEYOND

Dan Thorpe…1982-present…Grafton/Beloit Turner/ Janesville Craig/Others out of state… A RED ROBIN’S GREAT CAREER

These are my HOF nominees, but other people need to help push them to get inducted.  Send in a nomination form to the WFCA.