- Feb 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 6
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.
