GREAT SUPERIOR TEAMS…PART 2

1931 SUPERIOR CENTRAL

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

After going undefeated, 8-0-1, in 1930, many of the players on that squad returned for 1931.  If you didn’t read my story from 2021,  1930  you should but I’ll give you a brief recap.  Actually, as in some years, many schools/newspapers claimed a local team as the state champion since the WIAA disallowed post-season games now that every school should have been in a conference and have a set schedule.  As I relate in my story 1930 Superior had the best overall record in the state for that season.  In writing my book on the state’s high school football history I designated myself as the judge on several unofficial, mythical state championship teams using all available info.  I think that overall, I was right on with my choices, including 1930. 

1931 rolled around and Superior was primed to go undefeated.  Harry Conley did a strange thing in scheduling the teams last two games.

As you look over the above record taken from the school yearbook the Duluth Central game was set for late October, the Superior Central game was set for November 15 and then the game against La Crosse was scheduled for the 21^st.  I ask WHY?  Basketball season starts soon and Conley was the coach for that team as well.  Why would he schedule games so far apart, time wise?  No answer.

The season started against a tough Chisholm MN squad that had beaten the Vikings of Superior in the season opener in 1929, 13-0.  The Purple and White returned the favor oi 1930 winning 12-0.  When Superior scored early in the first period on a seven-yard run by team captain Verner Anderson to make the score 6-0, many still thought that either team could win.  It was a slugfest with a muddy field caused by a downpour with winds blowing often into the players face.  Whoever could overcome the monsoon like conditions would pull it out.  Superior only had seven first downs but they limited Chisholm to only four with three coming, surprisingly on the weather, via the pass  Once in the third period the Vikings had driven to their opponents five -yard line and looked sure to score but on four consecutive runs the tough Blue Streak defense only allowed three-yards.  The Superior Evening Telegram newspaper noted that the game was a “thrill minus from start to finish”.  Boring.

Yet, the Vikings were able to continue their undefeated streak which was now at 11-games, going back to the season ending 13-0 victory over Superior Cathedral in 1929.  Chisholm would go 5-2-0 on the season so this team wasn’t a pushover.  But the rest of the season would show that in good field conditions the Vikings were a great team. 

In 1929 little Ladysmith tied a much bigger foe, Superior, 6-6 in a game Coach Conley noted that his team was lucky to break even.  In 1930 his team blew out the Lumberjacks 33-6 and this season the Vikings would win by an even more margin, 55-0.  In the biggest scoring victory of the season, it was a showcase for fullback Verner Anderson.  The 200-pounder scored two touchdowns, kicked an extra point as well as a field goal.  On defense he contributed two interceptions that led to touchdowns scored by others.  It was sort of an audition for the future.

As mentioned earlier, the season was drawn out by the schedule of late games with Cathedral and La Crosse but there might be more.  After Ladysmith, the team was on cruise control, strolling through the rest of the schedule. 

La Crosse and Superior had a varied and sometime acrimonious history.  The two played in 1919 with the Vikings losing 37-20 at La Crosse.  In a previous story I mentioned that there was bad blood for the way La Crosse hosted Superior.  The Purple and White made up for the poor treatment by beating La Crosse 14-12 on Thanksgiving Day in 1922, again played in La Crosse.  Superior lost to La Crosse in 1923 39-0.  Those games were against Central.  In 1928 Logan High School was opened and it was against that school that the Vikings played.  The score (25-6) doesn’t indicate how well the team from up north dominated.  The victory should have been by a wider margin. 

The La Crosse Tribune newspaper had a side news item next to the game report.  In PART 1 of Superior teams, I mentioned post season charity games.  Superior Central principal C.G. Wade issued a challenge to Milwaukee Washington. to play a post season charity game.  “Superior would play Washington any day it desired and, on any field,” was what Wade told reporters.  Another side story touted Washington was a monster, high scoring undefeated team.  In reality, Washington ended the season with a 5-0-1 record.  They did win the Milwaukee City Conference title but the tie was a 6-6 affair against 1-2-3 Bay View in their final game.  The Purgolders scored 121 points and allowed only the six points that Bay View put up on the scoreboard.  A good team but Watertown (8-0-0) had a better record and the newspapers from Madison and Milwaukee touted them as the state champion (As I did in my book). 

The WIAA still disallowed a charity game but that didn’t stop Delafield St. John’s from playing one.  Being a private school and not a member of the WIAA (But they followed the state rules) they none the less played Culver Military Academy (IN) in their scheduled regular season finale.  St. John’s lost 18-0 before 25,000 fans at Soldiers Field in Chicago.  The game was played on a cloudy, chilly, overcast day with a wet field.  Had it been sunny and clear as many as 10,000 more people might have attended the game.  It was held for the Cook County American Legion relief fund. 

The season ended for Superior Central and they were 9-0-0.  This time they didn’t get the respect for a title but they had a second consecutive undefeated season and an eventual 22-game unbeaten streak.  They would win their first three games in 1932 vs. Cloquet, Superior East and Ladysmith before falling 7-6 to Duluth Denfeld.  In his first three seasons as head coach, Harry Conley had a great 21-4-2 record.

I mentioned earlier that against Ladysmith Verner Anderson “auditioned” against Ladysmith.  Upon graduation, Anderson and teammate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would attend Northwestern.  Verner would stay there for several years starting on both the football and basketball teams.  He had been an All-State basketball center at Superior and also played that spot at Northwestern.  Verner would transfer to Superior State College and earned a teacher’s degree.  His first teaching job was at Ladysmith where he also served as the football and basketball coach as well as athletic director.  He would return to Superior in 1940 as a teacher and Dean of Boys at Central.  He helped Conley coach football and basketball before moving into administration as an assistant principle at Central and later he was a long-term principle at Pattison and Blaine elementary schools. Like Conley, Anderson is in the Central Athletic Hall of Fame.

Next up, 1952 Superior Cathedral…undefeated, untied and unscored upon.

GREAT SUPERIOR TEAMS…PART 1

1930 SUPERIOR CENTRAL...STATE CHAMPIONS

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

Coach Harry Conley took over the Superior Central football program in 1929.  The “Purple and White” were also known, according to the school yearbook as “The Orphans”.  I ask, why the two nick names?  In the great seasons of 1918-20 they were known as the Vikings.  Central would take up that moniker again in 1932 although the Superior Evening Telegram would occasionally use the Purples or the Purple and White in some stories.  The team only had three returning starters from 1928 and they would post a 4-4-1 record.  Even with a break-even record, Central finished as runner-up in the Head of the Lakes Conference.  The last game of the season was a 13-0 win over Superior Cathedral and the start of a 22-game unbeaten streak that ended in 1932.

Coach Harry Conley…1931 Superior H.S. Yearbook

The Head of the Lakes Conference was made up of three Wisconsin and seven Minnesota schools.  In 1930 Superior returned seven starters and they were expected to win the league title.  They opened the season against non-conference opponent Chisholm (MN) with the team captain, quarterback Dave Liebowitz leading the way with his passing, punting, running and defense, the P&W won out 12-0. 

Game two was a second away-game (Maybe that’s why they got the additional nickname the Orphans) was a trouncing of Cloquet (MN) 33-0.  It was the conference opener as the line Superior dominated, holding the Minnesota team without a first down.  Liebowitz was again the big star, scoring three times with three extra points. 

Another star was left-halfback Gerald Harris who broke away with a 75-yard jaunt just after the game started.  The game also marked the debut of Vander Anderson at the fullback position.  Anderson had been moved from his end position to replace the injured Brother Elmer who had been a team captain as a junior the previous year.  By the end of the season, he would be shifted to the right-halfback spot for some games due to other injuries.  Anderson and Eugene Michelson would alternate between the two positions throughout the year.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would move from back-up to starter at the end spot and be a star there.

Things got tougher the next week when Central eked a 6-0 win over their city rival, the Superior East Orientals, highlighted by a 78-yard interception return by Vander Andeson.  It was their first home game but it was marked as a poor offensive performance by both teams.  Central played better than the score indicated, according to the Superior Evening Telegram and should have scored two or three more times yet they couldn’t make it over the goal when needed.

On the road again for game four, this time against Ladysmith who they tied 6-6 in 1929, the Orphans destroyed their Wisconsin foe, 33-6.  The Lumberjacks did score the first points that Superior allowed so far on a “fluke” (No newspaper description) pass play early in the first quarter.  A Superior fumble led to the Lumberjacks crossing the goal early in the first period to take a 6-0 lead.  The Purple and White then got their act together and Dave Liebowitz again was the star of the game, scoring two touchdowns and three extra points.

The weather was freezing and windy on Friday, October 17 as Centrsal traveled across the way to meet Duluth Denfeld at Hislop Park.  The defense was tough against the run but was weak at times vs. the Denfeld passing game.  The run game was working, all be it a few fumbles to slow them down, with Liebowitz, Anderson, Harris and Michelson leading the way to a 19-6 win.  The game was 19-0 before Denfeld put their passing game into effect to get their one score.

With five wins under their belt, up next was Wisconsin foe, Ashland.  Again, the Orphans were on the road.  Maybe the travel disrupted the team a bit as they played a sloppy game without Coach Conley present.  Conley traveled farther north to scout Ironwood (MI) as they hosted Fort Wayne, Indiana the next day.  Assistants Hans Dhols and Wasley Halich directed the squad as they took a 20-0 lead going into the mid-third period before they turned the game over to the second team which allowed a score by the hosts.  Seven lettermen starters for future foe Ironwood drove down to scout Central and then to return quickly to play against Fort Wayne the next day.  The game against Ashland was expected to be a breather for the team before their next game against Duluth Central.

Outplaying their opponents in every period, dominating the field in all phases the Trojans from across the bay proved to be no match for the Orphans who again played on opposing ground at the Duluth Public Schools Stadium.  Superior made 21 first downs to Duluth’s five, completed three of six passes against seven of 27 and would have scored four more times in the 26-6 win as they lost four fumbles inside DC’s 20-yard line.  Liebowitz scored twice on plunges from the one-yard line, kicked two extra points and tossed touchdown passes to Verner Anderson and Arthur Modeen.  With seven wins under their belts the Purple and White were getting noticed by downstate papers.

The stock market crashed in November 1929 and now, a year later there was talk of “charity” games being played by high schools and college teams to support the local unemployed workers and their families.  Post season games were not allowed and the WIAA declared that Wisconsin high schools would not be involved.  The Superior schools had given it some thought but gave the talks up.  New York University vs. Georgetown was the first charity game followed by others such as Army vs. Navy and Marquette vs. Detroit U.  Posters went up for colleges to “Smash the Breadline” for charity. 

Central was now poised to meet Ironwood.  The betting odds favored the Red Devils over the Purple and White.  The Michigan foe had a 5-1 record coming into the game and was a bit bigger team but Coach Conley was confident that his boys would win.  However, again, his team would have to leave the city and become “Orphans”.  The two teams would be fighting for the honor to display, or, in Ironwoods case, continue to display a winner’s banner created in 1928. 

Superior surprised favored Ironwood 7-6 and held the banner until they lost 20-7 in 1929.  Now, the Purple wanted it back as the crimson pennant now flew across the border at their rival school.  Played at Luther L. Wright High School on Longyear Field the two teams met at 2pm.  After the Wolverines scored in the first three-minutes the Orphans came back to score three consecutive times to take a 20-7 lead midway in the second quarter.  Liebowitz tossed for two touchdowns and Harris broke away for an 80-yartd scamper.  Anderson ran twice for the two extra points.   Only the lead wouldn’t last.  Although Central outgained Ironwood, posted 16 first downs against nine and threatened to score three times in the fourth quarter they allowed the Wolverines to tie, with a final 20-20 score.  The pennant stayed with Ironwood despite knowing that Central had outplayed them.   Ending with a 6-1-1 record Ironwood would be declared the Northern Michigan Champion.

The season final was against Superior Cathedral to be played at Superior States Gates Field.  The Irish were a good team that came into the game with a 6-2-0 record. Cathedral had a slightly heavier team but that didn’t deter Conley’s boys from starting fast and cruising to a 33-0 win. 

Official John “Doc” Connell” motions for a Central touchdown vs. Cathedral   Superior H.S. 1931 Yearbook

Dave Liebowitz would lead the charge as he passed for three touchdowns on six of 10 passes for 120-yards, ran for another and passed for an extra point.  The Orphans gained 198-yards on the ground for a total of 318-yards while holding the Irish to 22-yards passing and 58-yards rushing.  The strength of Central was just overwhelming.

The season ended with Superior Central posting a 8-0-1 record and many newspapers declared them the state champs.

1931 Superior H.S. Yearbook

There were many honors bestowed on the team including the All-City Team made up of the three Superior high schools.

The All-City team was voted on by the three Superior high school head coaches…Harry Conley of Central, Peter Guzy of East and Micky McCormick of Cathedral along with John ‘Doc” Connell, the dean of local officials and Ray McBride, the sports editor of the Superior Telegram.

Final standings for the Head of the Lakes Conference. Superior Telegram Newspaper, November 17, 1930

With 10-teams in the conference I couldn't figure out why some teams played 4, 5 or 6 league games.

Although some newspaper game scoring was difficult to decern it appears that Dave Liebowitz scored at least eight touchdowns and five extra points as well as passing for eight touchdowns and three conversions.  After Dave graduated in 1931 his name shows up in many areas of the Superior newspaper.  He tried several times to play college ball, first at Superior State and later at Kentucky. He also was a coal delivery man then worked as a fireman. 

Having been a star in as a basketball and baseball player in high school he played for various teams in the area after graduation.  He signed a contract to play pro-ball in 1936 with the Duluth Eskimos of the NFL.  Yes, besides Green Bay being so far north and in a smaller city, Duluth once had an NFL team (1927) but Liebowitz played when it was in the Northwest Football League, a minor league, semi-pro-outfit.  In 1938 he signed a contract to play in the real NFL for the New York Giants.  He didn’t make the team and was back in Superior and this time he joined the police department.  The last report I had on him was in 1941 when he was listed, among others, on a roster of men being drafted into the army.

Harry Conley graduated from Nelson Dewey High School, later renamed Superior East and attended the University of Michigan school of health and physical education.  After earning a degree in 1925 he spent two years at Ellsworth College in Cedar Falls, Iowa where he coached football (1925-26).  He then moved to coach at Duluth Cathedral for one year then to Dewey/East before being named the head coach and athletic director at Central.  He stayed as coach/athletic director until1951.  His football coaching record was a fine 111-56-3.  Later he served as physical education director for the Superior high schools and junior high schools. While at Central he was also very successful basketball coach.  One of his star players on the gridiron and the court was Minnesota Vikings Coach Bud Grant.  When Harry stepped down as head football coach he was replaced by future WFCA Hall of Fame Coach Marv Crowley.  When the retirement appreciation dinner was held in late April 1951 for Conley, as he was stepping down, nearly 130 former players came far and wide to sing his praises.  Surprisingly to me, Conley is not in the WFCA Hall of Fame.

A FAMILY AFFAIR RELATING TO THE 1897 MADISON CHAMPIONSHIP…PART 2

Thanks for coming back to PART 2.

Here is where the story gets very interesting.  Lucius Sr.’s great-granddaughter Cammy Baker, was engaged to a man who was raised in Madison, where his parents still lived.  A year before the wedding Cammy was in Madison with her fiancé, Adam McCaughan and his Madison friends Scott Grogan and Pete Albrecht, and, out of curiosity, they searched for the championship trophy and found it at Madison Memorial HS.

A year later but before the wedding, Pete remembered how much the trophy meant to Cammy's mom and thought it would be a really nice gesture to see if he could get the trophy loaned to him to be taken to the wedding.  He contacted the athletic director at Madison Memorial High School, and he was very supportive of the plan as long as it was properly packaged for travel. Although Pete lived in DC, he arranged for his parents in Madison to get the trophy and pack it very safely.  Scott then took it with him to the wedding as a checked item. Pete and Scott were both groomsmen for Adam as lifelong Madison friends since elementary school.

They all presented the trophy to Cammy's mom, Bonnie, right after the wedding ceremony and she was ecstatic!  Her joy was equally shared by the other three great-grandchildren of the team captain that were present at the wedding.

1897 MHS National Football Championship trophy and plaque in Naples, Florida with four descendants of team captain, Lucius Donkle Sr.  All three of his children were represented. Lorraine Donkle Weatherby by Lee (on left), Donna Donkle Baker by Bonnie (holding plaque), and Lucius Jr. by Lucius III (holding trophy) and Heidi (on right).

The “traveling” Trophy visits the beach in Florida.  A forerunner pose to the Heisman?

The “traveling” plaque

The wedding went well and the trophy and plaque were returned without any problems.

Today, in 2026, it is on display in Madison at the MMSD office in the Doyle Administrative building near the Kohl Center.  I met with Jeremy Schlitz (MMSD District Athletic Director) who first showed me the trophy.  The area where it normally stored is being remodeled so it was brought into a side room and set on a table.  I looked it over and the wooden stand for the trophy is worn.  The stand needs refurbishing along with the two-name plates and the trophy itself could use polishing.  Originally the trophy was attached to the wooden stand but over the nearly 130 years since the Detroit Athletic Club presented the championship award it has, well, seen some better days.  The trophy has been moved around a bit over the years.  It had several locations at Madison High School, then to the school district offices, being moved from room to room.  In the 1997 celebration it was mentioned that a display case was being donated but it isn’t to be found now.

You can see the bumps and bruises of the stand.  The trophy is loose.  The metal stays have come loose.  Compare this picture of the trophy and stand to the one above taken in Florida. I didn't take a picture of the plaque, but it was in better shape.

There were two other trophy’s that Jeremy brought out for me to view.

The one in the center (Sorry, my picture cut the top off a bit) is from Wisconsin High School for winning the 1960-61 basketball championship of the Badger Conference.  The team had a 16-1 regular season record and finished 17-2 overall.  The award on the right is also for Wisconsin High School, winning the Southern Wisconsin -Six Conference football title.  The school posted a 5-1-0 record.  Both trophy’s show some wear but with some polish they might shine more brightly.  Opening in 1914 and eventually closing in 1962, WHS was a school for university students to get classroom teaching experience.  The classes that did not graduate in 1962 moved to Madison HS which was a short distance away.

So, there you have it.  A story about a family very proud of what their football heritage. 

One final not on the trophies.  The MMSD would really like to find a more permanent home for the three items since their schools don't exist anymore.  They usually sit in various offices at the MMSD building.   I’ve been told that the State Historical Society, on the campus at UW isn’t interested in housing/displaying them. Could the WIAA, WFCA or WBCA be interested?  I volunteered to take them if nobody wants them.  I’ll make room in my house.  I’ll even refurbish them.   Lou, do you have room for the 1897 trophy?

Thanks to Lucius "Lou" Donkle III and his family for all the family info and to Jeremy Schlitz at MMSD who was gracious. enough to show me the trophy's.