DeForest 1979-1981…LEADING TO A TITLE

1979

Coming off a 3-6 season in 1978 the team jelled and  DeForest tied for the Capitol Conference title in 1979 (6-1, 7-2 overall), a title that they shared with Waunakee.  They lost the season conference opener to McFarland 40-14 but came back to win the next six Capitol games, beating Waunakee in the season ending clash 13-0. It was the best finish for Coach Jerry Roelke in his first 11-years at DeForest (1969-79).   It was also the Norskie’s first conference title since 1957 when they were a three-time consecutive champion (1955-57) of the Madison Suburban League.  In 1957 the team actually tied for the league title with Milton, both with 7-0-0 league records.  DeForest ended the 1957 season with an overall 8-0-0 record, one of the best showings in the state, scoring 151 points and allowing 50.  

1979 was a breakout season for junior fullback Mike Morrison who led the team in rushing (138-830-6.0), reception yardage (337) and touchdowns (13).  His scoring total was second in the Capitol Conference.  Sophomore Brent Schneider was a back-up to senior Kelly Callaway and gained 379-yards on only 43 attempts and scored three times.  The defense was deep with Callaway contributing 105 tackles and three interceptions, he also gained 483-yards, scored six times and earned All-Capitol Conference honors.  Besides Callaway, center Kevin Hoepler, end Todd Showers, offensive tackle Kevin Kilen and defensive lineman Chuck Moore all took home All-Capitol first team spots.

1980

Using the wing-T to pick up yardage on the ground at school record levels.  Newly uncovered information led to my discovering that this DeForest team was the first squad to boast three 1,000-yard rushers in a single season.  Prior to this discovery the 1995 Darlington team was the first in the record book research.  Senior Mike Morrison led the way (146-1,177-7.7-12) followed by sophomore Scott Reinert (114-1,099-9.6-17) and junior Brent Schneider (133-1,024-7.8-8).  The running game opened up a passing attack led by senior Rich Rabb and sophomore Todd Oberg. 

DeForest dominated the All-Capitol Conference team with the two Millers, Curtis and Jack (Not brothers) who opened the holes for the runners.  Curtis was a guard and Jack a tackle on offense.  They earned spots on the defensive line as well.  Mike Morrison was named both ways as both a running back and linebacker.  Brent Schneider was named as a first team running back but Scott Reinart was left off both the first and second team squads even though he led the conference in scoring.  As a sophomore in 1979 linebacker Mike Hahn was injured and after game two, he sat out the rest of the season.  In 1980 he was, as others called him, “a beast”.  Surprisingly, like Reinert, Dave wasn’t named to the All-Conference teams, but he earned recognition on the Wisconsin State Journal All-Area team:

November 16, 1980 Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Team

That’s 225 tackles on the season plus 18 more in the finals giving him 243 in 11-games (New addition to the record book for second most tackles in a season).

SPECIAL NOTE: An updated version of the state record book with DeForest's 1980 rushing record and Dave Hahn's tackles will be posted in late July or early August on the WFCA web site...State Records

The Norskie’s averaged 34 points per game during the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs against the Flyway Conference champion Mayville they bulled their way to a 35-14 win.  51 carries and 310 yards on the ground and that helped Oberg, starting for Rabb, complete seven of 11 passes for 91-yards through the air.  Oberg tossed for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion and scrambled for 75-yards on the ground.  Reinert caught the two scores from Oberg and ran for another with 84 yards rushing.  Both Morrison (60-yards rushing) and Schneider (95-yards) scored as well.  The defense only allowed 181 yards as they moved on to the finals vs. Mosinee, a 14-0 winner over Coleman.

1981 DeForest Yearbook

The title matchup between the two undefeated teams for the D-4 championship was held at Goerke Field in Stevens Point, almost a home game for Coach Bob Coy’s Indians.  Coy had a great running game as well led by All-Stater John Ronca who had 1,398-yardsrtushing in 11-games.  Bryan Maciejewski had 978 yards and Jerry Swita contributed 901.  It would be a showdown of great teams. DeForest had a 10-0 record but it would be the “home field” advantage that Mosinee possessed.  The game proved to be a slugfest as Mosinee outgained DeForest 329-313 on the ground.  Ronca carried 24 times for 232-yards while Maciejewski only picked up 18-yards and Swita two-yards.  On the Norskie side Morrison gained 152-yards on only 11 carries and Reinert picked up 136-yards on 19 totes of the ball.  Schneider was bottled up and only got 19-yards on eight attempts.  Ronca didn’t score but he bullied his way to set up his teams scores.   DeForest scored first on a Dennis Gilbertson 29-yard field goal but gave up a touchdown and a field goal and trailed 10-3 at the half.  Mike Morrison scored in the third period with Schneider scoring a two-point conversion, but Mosinee scored as well on a pass. The Indians now led 16-11.  With 8:37 left in the game Scott Reinart scored on a seven-yard run and the Norskies led 17-16.  The Indians took the ball and with 5:25 left in the game they chose to kick a field goal and the 19-17 win.  It was a major disappointment for DeForest but they would be back in the finals in 1981.  So would Mosinee. 

1981

As Coach Roelke noted to the WSJ the Capitol Conference was very balanced and even with 22 returning lettermen the road to the title would be tough.  Still, in a poll of conference coaches DeForest was a unanimous pick to win out in the Capitol.

Jerry Roelke coaching proper defensive line techniques.  Wisconsin State Journal August 30, 1981

Again, DeForest went through the regular season undefeated, cruising behind the running of Brent Schneider and Scott Reinert.  A new wrinkle was added to Reinert’s play as he still ran the ball well, caught passes and played great defense he was also the team’s kicker for extra points and usually field goals.  The Norskies opened the first round of D-4 with a pasting of Flyway Conference champ, Lomira, 24-7.  Above I mentioned that Reinert was the usual kicker.   No explanation was given by Coach Roelke for replacing Reinert late in the Lomira game after he added three extra points, one after touchdowns scored in each of the first three periods.  Roelke inserted linebacker Dave Hahn to kick the final points of the game, a 34-yard field goal. River Vally, co-champions of the Southwest Wisconsin League were polished off 27-6 to set up a meeting for the state title, with Mosinee.

DeForest would lose to a very tough Mosinee team for the title for what many observers at the time called a second classic affair.  Coach Bob Coy had lost a number of key players from his 1980 championship team, and early on the team was looking for leadership.  They got it from running back John Ronca, end Todd Coy (Bob’s son), tackle Greg Liter and center Steve Schinker.

John Ronca was again the star for Mosinee as he carried 25 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns.  The (Indians didn’t pass often during the season and had only four attempts in the game with two completions. One pass completion from Chuck Allen was the first of two “miracle” plays.  That happened with 25-seconds left in the first half as on a fourth and nine from the DeForest 25-yard line.  Allen threw between four defenders and Todd Coy miraculously hauled in the score to give Mosinee a 19-7 lead.  With the ground game not up to its usual dominance Coach Roelke turned to Todd Oberg.  The junior was 12 of 18 in the second half and tossed two scores, a six-yard strike to end Mile Minick and a 22-yarder to Reinert.  It was one pass by Oberg that was a miracle play. 

DeForest, trailing 26-20, finally forced Mosinee to punt with two minutes left in the game.  The puny had the Norskies deep in their own territory.  Oberg completed two passes moving the team to the DeForest 37.  As Oberg threw his next pass, but a Mosinee defensive back named Bill Miracle intercepted the ball to end the comeback.  Oberg ended with stats of 15-23-1-162-1.  Ironically, as good as Mosinee’s John Ronca was rushing in the game, he also had three fumbles and Mosinee lost them all.  It was those turnovers that helped keep DeForest in the game as they occurred in the second half.  But the game ended in defeat for the Norskies, 26-20.

Again, the post-season honors poured in for DeForest players.  Earning All-Capitol Conference were Tackle/DL Chris Hegno, OG Jeff Feldt, C Chuck Karow, RB/LB Reinert, RB Brent Schneider, WR Chris Dorsey, DL Mike Blau, LB Dave Hahn, DB John Feldman   Unlike 1980 where there were only three honorable mention players, in 1981 there were six…OE Mike Minick, OT Don Allen, QB Todd Oberg, DL Pat Minick, DL Chuck Karow, DB Mike Minick.  Reinert had 42 ex. pts and 2 2pt and 1 field goal with 23 td’s for 187 total points on the year.  This newly found total of points in a season replaced the previous leader in the state record book for MOST POINTS IN A SEASON…1981.  John Ronca of Mosinee had been listed with 26 touchdowns for a total of 156 points.   Reinert, Hahn, Schneider and Oberg were all named to the Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Team.

Members of the 1981 Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Team

Dave Hahn had the following notation in the WSJ 1981 profile of the All-Area players:

November 22, 1981, Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Team

Add those tackles up and you get the state record for tackles in a season with 280.  That doesn’t include the state title game.  This is just for the first 11-games.  Defensive stats from that final game against Mosinee are not available through the WIAA, newspaper accounts or the schools.  He may have surpassed 300 total tackles if those stats were available.

Other team stats on offense were led by Reinert with 179 carries for 1,425 yards, followed by Schneider with 150 carries for 1,180 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Oberg was 72-121-5-1,090-13 on the year passing and picked up over 300-yards on the ground.  Reinert earned 1^st team All-State on the AP team and Dave Hahn was on the 2^nd team. 

The season ended again on a down note but there was enough talent to again win the Capitol Conference title and get to state in 1982.

GREAT SUPERIOR TEAMS…PART 9

COVERING SOME GREAT HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FROM 1930 THROUGH THE MID-1960’S ON SEVERAL CITY OF SUPERIOR FOOTBALL TEAMS

 1964 SUPERIOR EAST  

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN GREATNER

With all the returning lettermen (20) Superior East easily filled 1964 schedule as they were able to rejoin the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference and add several non-conference opponents. One could not say that Coach Jerry Roesch shied away from tough competition.  St. Paul Cretin Prep, a school that had about 1,400 male students was a bigtime opponent.  They were the pre-season #1 Minnesota team.  Cretins Tom Warner was a Minnesota coaching legend with a 93-17-4 record coming into the 1964 season.  They would end the year with a 7-1-0 record and ranked #5.  His squads had won 10 straight Central Catholic Conference titles coming into the season.  The Orientals were up against a very tough team and they came out on the losing end 13-7.  There was one star for East and that was quarterback Mark Fitzgerald who led a furious comeback attempt.  Down 13-0, Fitzgerald drove the team down the field and tossed an 11-yard touchdown to Mike Regenfuss.  Though the comeback failed, Fitzgerald was 20-32-0-209-1 through the air.

BOTH ABOVE PHOTO'S FROM THE SUPERIOR EAST WA-WA-TA YEARBOOK

After the opening loss the Orientals cruised through the next seven opponents.  They scored 287 points after the seven they scored vs. Cretin.  That’s an average of 41 points per game per the final seven games.  Overall, the defense was superb, allowing 44 total points, for a 5.5 per game average.

1964 Superior East football team…from the 1965 East Wa-Wa-Ta yearbook.

Game 2, a 37-0 win over Ironwood saw many of the 1963 stars totally show up.  Tom McCauley scored 5 times including an 83-yard ko return, runs of 32, 12 &10 and a 66-yard reception. He had 4 carries for 61 yards and caught 5 passes for 112 yards. Mark Fitzgerald was 9-16-1-154-2.  Halfback Pat Longrie gained 86 yards on the ground and Pete LaPerre picked up 35-yards on five carries.  It should be noted that both LaPerre and Longrie were transfers from Superior Cathedral and they were added to the experienced East team.  End Bob Peck caught 4 passes for 41-yards and one score.  Mike Regenfuss intercepted a pass.  

Next up was Superior Cathedral and another 37-0 win.  Three recovered Panther fumbles that led to touchdowns.  Tom McCauley scored twice on nine and 18-yard runs plus an extra point.  The team gained 284 yards and allowed only 79.

Wakefield (MI) had won their first four games but East was too strong of an opponent.  East had 196 yards on ground, McCauley picked up 114 -yards.  He scored on a 29-yard run and on a 40-yard interception return plus a 1pt extra point reception   Fitzgerald 10-14-0-145-1 and the extra point conversion.

The season moved on and the Orientals kept scoring.  The Ashland Oredockers had three conference wins and hoped to give East a challenge.  They failed.  They were “dubbed” 48-0 as McCauley scored three times and Pat Longrie pitched in with two more.  In all East put up 48-0 as McCauley scored three times and Pat Longrie pitched in with two more.  In all East put up 30 first downs.  Mark Fitzgerald was injured in the game and missed the next two.  Back-up quarterback Mike Reganfuss moved from his end spot to direct the team.  After the first five games McCauley had 12 touchdowns.

Tom McCaulley scoring vs. Ironwood

The Hurley Miget’s, a team that had a good winning tradition and three wins on the season coming in could not contain Tom McCauley as he scored four more touchdowns.  His scores were runs of 13, 10, and 41 yards and a 63-yard pass reception from Regenfuss.  McCauley had two long touchdown runs called back and now had 99 points on the year on 16 touchdowns and three extra points.  The team rang up 334 yards on the ground.

At this point, McCauley had 434 yards rushing and led the team in receiving with 425 reception yards.  Pat Longrie had 410 yards rushing with six td’s and four extra points. End Bob Peck had 198-yards receiving.  Splitting the passing duties had Fitzgerald with 42 completions on 73 attempts and 604 yards with eight td’s and Regenfuss was 19 of 42 for 289-yards and four scores.

Game #7 was against the Bessimer Speed Boys, and it turned out tom be the Mark Fitzgerald/Pat Longrie show.  Fitzgerald came back from rib injuries that had kept him out for two weeks and he tossed 3 touchdown passes.  Longrie had a 94-yard run and scored three total touchdowns.  McCauley chipped in with a six-yard run and Regenfuss returned to his end position and hauled in a 30-yard touchdown.

Spring Lake Park was 6-2 on the season but was an undersized team compared to East.  It was another mismatch.  McCauley led the way as he scored three times and Longrie scored twice while Bob Peck caught two touchdown passes.   Fitzgerald threw two touchdowns and Regenfuss tossed one.

This was Easts final football game.   The school ended with a 144-137-17 all-time school record.  1964 was Coach Jerry Roesch’s best season as well as the school's nest all-time single season record with a 7-1-0 posting.  He became the head coach of the newly created Superior Senior High School.  As head coach at East, he had a 70-38-0 record in 14 seasons with the Orientals.  He stayed at the new school for six seasons and had a 30-10-3 record.  Before he moved on to coach Eau Claire North his record stood at 100-48-3.  At North his teams posted a 5-12-1 record in his two seasons with the Huskies.  Superior East finished #11 in UPI poll.

Just Some Superior East Stars:

From The Superior East 1965 WA-WA-TA Yearbook

The Post Season Honors:

Superior News Telegram Newspaper

As you can see, the two teams dominated the All-City team.  Together the 10 Central and nine East players, almost all were seniors.  They two schools would have made up a great combined team if the new school opening hadn’t been delayed.

MORE HONORS:

Central’s Bob Olson, a junior, earned 1^st team UPI All-State, 2^nd team on AP and Scholastic Coach Magazine Honorable Mention All-America in 1964.  He p[icked up 1,007 yards rushing, averaging 6.7 yards per carry and scoring 14 touchdowns.  As a senior in 1965 Olson was named 1st team All-State by both the AP and UPI as well as being named to Scholastic Coach’s All-America 1^st team squad.  In 1962 he played defense as a freshman for Central before playing both fullback and linebacker the next three seasons.  He’s the only player for Central that I found that started four seasons on the varsity.  Olson attended Notre Dame and was, when he graduated, the school’s all-time tackler.  He was a 4^th round draft pick by the Boston Patriots but fractured his elbow and could never play again.  Also had two knee surgeries.  He tried to comeback in 1971 but was cut.

Frank Howenstine was named 4^th team UPI All-State and later played at the university of Minnesota.  Dan Hartlund was UPI honorable mention All-State after completing 49 of 93 passes, only four interceptions and gaining 1,050 yards and 11 scores.

In 1965 tackle Tom Buchanan earned UPI Special Mention while Mike Reganfuss was named as a back on the Honorable Mention UPI squad. Mike, a three-sport player at Central was a great basketball player who started three years at Minnesota and was a two-year team captain.  

Doug Sutherland was the team’s punter, played offensive guard and defensive tackle. In 1965, as a senior, Doug earned honorable mention AP All-State.  Sutherland was a three-year starter at Central and went on to become a 3^rd team Little All American at Superior State.  He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1970 where he played as a middle linebacker and guard before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings. While there Doug played for 10-years as a defensive tackle.  He is in the Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame.

Pat Walsh attended Minnesota along with Packy Paquette who was a sophomore in 1964 and gained 208 yards on a 5.8 average and had seven scores.  Walsh scored eight touchdowns.   Bill Pence also played at Minnesota.  Ed Paquette played at Northwestern after gaining 608 yards on 100 carriers and scoring 12 times.  Sheldon Goldberg was an offensive guard at Nebraska.

East had their own special stars earn awards in the post-season and beyond.  Tom McCauley earned 5^th team UPI All-State after scoring 123 points.  He played for UW as a wide receiver.  Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings but then played three years with the Atlanta Falcons as a defensiove back.  He was a member of the 1959 state championship Little League championship  team and the 1965 state champion American Legion team.    

Bob Peck was named to the UPI All-State 4th team as an end.  He attended Superior State and many observers thought he could have played D-1 ball.  Pat Longire and Bill Pence attended the University of Minnesota and played football there.   

Mark Fitzgerald, a three-sport athlete at East and played hockey for the University of Wisconsin and was team captain as a senior.

Such a great amount of talent between the two schools. 

If they had been one team they couldn’t have been stopped.  

In my opinion, if the teams were combined, this could have been a team of such immense greatness.  THE GREATEST EVER.

One final note:

Ole Haugsrud was born in Superior in 1899 and attended Superior High School (Which later became Central HS).  Haugsrud Stadium in Superior where Central, East and Cathedral often played was named for him.  In the early 1920’s he pooled some money and owned the first NFL team in Minnesota, the short-lived Duluth Eskimos.  In 1960 he became a minority owner of the newly founded NFL Minnesota franchise.  In a meeting he suggested to the other owners the name for the team be called "The Vikings" and he also suggested the team colors be mainly purple. It was agreed and that is how the Minnesota Vikings got their name and color.  A Wisconsin school giving a Minnesota team their legacy.

This should be my final story on earlyer Superior schools but, who knows. I may discover a team that I overlooked. I hope you enjoyed the stories.

GREAT SUPERIOR TEAMS…PART 8

COVERING SOME GREAT HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FROM 1930 THROUGH THE MID-1960’S ON SEVERAL CITY OF SUPERIOR FOOTBALL TEAMS

1964 SUPERIOR CENTRAL

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN GREATER

1963-PRELUDE:

The football season ended in late October 1963.  Superior Central lost their final game to Wausau, in Wausau, 13-0.  The Vikings ended with a 6-2-0 record.  Playing an independent schedule, they still won the mythical Twin Ports (Superior schools vs those of Duluth) championship.  A day earlier the season was completed for the East Orientals.  They also ended with a 6-2-0 record but ended on a high note as they defeated Duluth Cathedral 26-19.  East finished second in the Twin Ports and second in the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference as well.  East did win the unofficial Superior City title as the defeated both Central and Superior Cathedral.  Coach Jerry Roesch expected the season final game against Cathedral to be his last as the head coach at East.  Afterall, in June, 1964, East was to officially close and along with Central merge into the new high school and Roesch would become the head coach at the new Superior Senior High School.   

But as early as July 1963, construction delays were known and this would hold up the merger of the two schools until August 1965.  Since the two schools had to do separate schedules for 1964, they seemed to forget that they had played each other since East opened in 1925.  Returning to the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference for 1964 East had an open date in the middle of their schedule.  They expected the Vikings to play them.  Central, which had not been part of a conference and scheduled nine games but for some reason they didn’t contact East.  OPPS!!  Unless Central could break a signed contract the two teams would have to matchup in the snow…November.  They were never able cancel their contract or move the opponent to another date. So they were unable to meet in 1964, but they did on October 5, 1963 and East beat Central 14-0.  East had a 2-2-0 record going into the game and Central had been 4-0-0.  The Central loss to East was an upset.

You may ask why the long story title has “WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN GREATNER”.  That’s the story of 1964.  Part 8 is about Superior Central.  Part 9 will be about Superior East and the honors the two teams' players achieved.

1964:

Both teams had a lot of experienced and very talented 1963 lettermen returning.  Much was expected of them for 1964.  The combined teams would have made for one of the best Wisconsin high school football teams EVER!!  Coach Crowley had 22 returning lettermen and Coach Roesch had 20 returning.  Both teams had very good speed and some big linemen.  Several key players didn’t even start on a regular basis until 1965.

CENTRAL

The Vikings opened against Brainard (MN) Warriors and easily defeated them 32-6 Brainard would end with a 6-3-0 record.  Junior fullback/linebacker Bob Olson scored three times.  Olson, who scored seven times with three extra points in 1963, had 14 tackles and broke up two passes.  End/defensive back Pat Walsh scored on a 50-yard interception return to lead the route.

Superior Central 1965 Echo Yearbook

Next was Antigo which gave Central their toughest game.  Quarterback Dan Hartlund tossed a 25-yard TD to Chuck Mahaffey as time ran out vs Antigo.  Antigo lost their first two games (Both non-conference affairs) then rebounded to win the Wisconsin Valley Conference title and ended up with a 7-2-oecord.

After the second win it was full steam ahead as Central averaged 43.4 points per game for the rest of the year.

Game 3 was a surprise destruction of St Paul Highland Park, usually a better team than the 1964 edition.  Bob Olson had two scores, Ed Paquette and brother Fran “Packy” Paquette each scored one as the team ran up 325 yards on the ground and added 140 yards passing.

Next up was Denfeld who was considered Duluth ‘s best team.  Olson again stared on offense as well as on defense.  At 5-11, 235 Olson was a load the opposition to handle.  With Dan Hartlub throwing the ball very effectively, 10-11-0-283-4 and Ed Paquette scoring three times the Vikings gained 584 total yards.

Crosby-Ironton was a cake walk as the undersized and undermanned 11 was out gained 414 to 103.  Their lone score was in the second quarter on a 65-yard pass play against the second team defense.  Yes, Crowley sent in his second team in very early.  Bob Olson did score twice and end Jeff Finn was six of seven on extra-point kicks.

Duluth Cathedral ended the season with a 2-7-0 record and one of the losses was in Central’s sixth win, 48-7.  It was the defense that ruled with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries out of five overall Hilltopper dropped balls.  Bob Olson ran 18 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense but he also has 15 tackles.  Packy Paquette scored twice as well.

Against always tough Duluth Central the Vikings only scored four touchdowns with Ed Paquette leading the way as he carried 18 times for138 yards and two touchdowns.  It was the Duluthians passing game that found some holes in the Superior defense that kept the game close but a win is a win.

After seven games Bob Olson had 108-643-11+1 yards while Ed Paquette had toted the ball for 67-388-9+1.  Dan Hartlund and backup Jeff Crisp tossed for 1,209 yards combinerd.  Jeff Finn was 24-30 on extra points.

Game #8 was the top blowout vs. Duluth East, 62-7.  Tied 7-7 in the first quarter the Viking offense was almost unstoppable from then on.  Again, it was the Bob Olson, 12-109 yards and Ed Paquette, 11-111, show on the ground, with Don Hartlund 7-10-0-151-3 yards passing.  The team intercepted five passes, two were returned by defense back Bob Greenburg. Pat Walsh caught three passes for 95 yards and two 35-yards scores. Overall, the team had 168 passing and 270 rushing yards.

The final game for Central in 1964 was against Wausau and things couldn’t have gone better.  The ground attack was again led by junior Bob Olson who picked up 173-yards on 29 carries and scored on a 50-yard run.  Ed Paquette threw in 96-yards on 22 carries and scored twice. The passing game for the Vikings only picked up seven yards but with the run game going strong and solid defense the Lumberjacks were toppled 20-0.  Superior gained 340 total yards and allowed only 101, of which 71 Wausau yards were in the first half.  They ground out 21 first downs, 20 by rushing and allowed only eight.  Highly touted Wausau ended the year with a 7-2-0 record and tied for Big Rivers Conference title.  They scored 260 points and allowed only 74 but were shut out 20-0 by Eau Claire and 20-0 by Superior.

1965 Superior Central Echo Yearbook

In his final season of coaching and Marve Crowley went undefeated for the third time (1957, 1958 and the 1964 season) in his 14-years as head coach.  A Superior native, Crowley posted a career record of 89-29-5 as head coach after being an assistant for Wausau’s Win Brockmeyer (1947-49) and then was an assistant to Harry Conley in 1950 before taking the head spot in 1951.  Marve was inducted into the WFCA Hall of Fame in 2011.

1965 Superior Central Football Team from the Echo Yearbook

The Superior Central Vikings (9-0-0) ended the season ranked #2 in the final UPI press poll.  They finished behind Oshkosh (8-0-0).

More on some of Central’s Stars:

NEXT UP, SUPERIOR EAST, POST SEASON HONORS AND MORE