As the decade began, Oshkosh was THE team in Wisconsin. The school claimed six state titles (though I and non-local contemporary papers only credited them with three in 1908, 1910 and 1912). After losing to Eau Claire in 1907 (11-0), Oshkosh didn't lose to another high school team until falling to Green Bay West (10-0) in 1914. The 1912 team came closest to going undefeated at 7-1-0 having lost their first game to Ripon College. The school produced many future college athlete

Like a number of state titles in the early years, because there were no playoffs, it was hard to determine who was really the top team. The press usually helped crown the champion. Before I get into this, I need to thank Jerrod Roll, the director of the Monroe County Local History Museum (Sparta) and his volunteer researcher, Barb as well as Lori Brost of the South Wood County Historical Museum (Wisconsin Rapids) for their outstanding efforts in getting me needed information.

Well, it all started in 1884 when the Reverend Sydney Smyth founded a private school in Delafield and it was called St. John’s Military Academy. Needing a way to entertain the students that fall he gathered some material he had on sports…there were really only a limited number of athletic activities available at that time. Besides baseball, running events and swimming, football was a sport he enjoyed as a student at Racine College where he studied for the ministry. He had