1931 SUPERIOR CENTRAL

THIS IS PART 2 OF A SERIES ON SOME OF THE GREAT CITY OF SUPERIOR FOOTBALL HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FROM 1930 THROUGH THE MID-1960’S

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.  The Vikings posted six shutouts and averaged nearly 30-points per game. They dominated the north part of the state and northeastern Minnesota.

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.