1966…THE HIGH-FLYING CRUSADERS GO UNBEATEN

There were big changes in 1966 as Earl Wilke retired after coaching Madison Edgewood football for 37-years.  Wilke had coached nine undefeated teams…the school claimed ten but in one of those seasons they played a “Charity game” in 1945 against Chicago Mt. Carmel and lost.  The ten claimed undefeated seasons were 1937, 1939, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1962 and 1964.  In his final season, 1965, the team went 7-1-1 as he closed out an overall 201-66-19 career record.  This record included two seasons at Stoughton, 1927-28 (5-5-2), before spending time at Edgewood.  

Wilke stepped down at a December 1965 banquet and was replaced by George Chryst who had started at Edgewood in 1962 as an assistant football and basketball coach. With Wilke stepping down Chryst took over both head coaching positions as well as becoming the school’s athletic director.  1966 would be the next great Crusader season.

Things started slow for Edgewood as they opened in the rain against Sun Prairie.  The weather slowed their attack even though the Crusaders outgained the Cardinals 302 total yards to 159.  Using a new spread offense, often with a man in motion most of the yards gained was by passing but starting quarterback Geoff Poole tossed three interceptions to slow down the potential scoring.  The win came down to a fourth quarter 27-yard field goal by Mike Rynes to win.  Poole was 14 of 27 for 213 yards but even with the interceptions Chryst was encouraged with the overall team performance. 

The next seven games the Crusaders would use Poole’s arm to open up the run game.  Edgewood had normally been a running team but in 1965 Tim Sweeney quarterbacked the team and set several seasonal passing records.  However, after graduating, Geoff Poole took over and showed he could do just as well in directing the team with his arm and sometimes his legs.

Poole would break all school single season passing records in 1966 with games of 10-15-0-197-4 vs. Middleton, 5-7-2-100-4 vs. West Bend, 15-27-1-237-4 vs. Rockford Harlem and three touchdown passes in each game against St. John’s, Wisconsin Lutheran and Arrowhead.  His season passing totals were 81-122-6-1549-24.  The 24 touchdown passes were tops in the state for the season.  No wonder the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capitol Times dubbed the team as “the high flying Crusaders”.  While he didn’t run that much he did have an 81-yard touchdown run against West Bend and 73 yards total against Beaver Dam.  There were a few losses in his scrambling as he only gained 173 yards rushing on the year but he kept opponents honest when needed.  He would earn Special Mention on the A.P. All-State team as well as All-City honors.

End John Flad was the area’s top rated receiver with28 receptions, 509 yards and 11 touchdown receptions., earned All-City, A.P. Special Mention and U.P.I. honorable mention All-State awards.  John Bennett, the “other” offensive end for the crusaders, caught only 10 passes but gained 240 yards and scored five times and earned All-City.  Guard Mile Martin earned first team All-City and first team All-State on the U.P.I. listing.

Two guys in the backfield were the main clogs on a very balanced running attack.  They didn’t pick up big yardage but were consistent.  John Verhelst ran for 382-yards and caught passes for 222 while scoring five times.  He earned second team All-City but received Honorable Mention All-State as a defensive back by the U.P.I.  Teammate Mike Mentzer led the team with 388 yards on the ground and caught passes for 509 yards.  Mentzer scored four times and was second team All-City.

As a team the Crusaders gained 1,619 yards on the ground (202.4 yards per game) and 1,643 yards passing (205.4 yards per game).  The team total, 3,362 yards was huge for this time as was the 407.7 yards per game.  On defense they allowed 760 yards rushing, 533 yards passing for a total of 1,293 yards or, only 161.6 yards per game.  The 288 points scored by the team was a new season record.

Of all of the previously great Edgewood team’s this may have been the best and it certainly was a great start as a head coach for George Chryst.    Spending the next seven years at Edgewood, Chryst would direct his charges to a 43-10 record before moving on to UW-Madison for six seasons as an assistant then take over as head coach at UW-Platteville from 1979-92 as well as serving as the school’s athletic director 1981-90.  Tragicly, in December of 1992 Chryst died suddenly and left a career of making an impact on those whom he came into contact.  He was named to the WFCA Hall of Fame in 1994.