THE
BEST SHS FOOTBALL TEAM EVER??
By
Steve
Brady-SHS Class of 1954
In
a trophy case in the lobby of the high school gym sits a deflated, dusty old
leather football. There is some writing on that old ball and on closer examination
the writing seems to be the scores of football games. If you examine the
ball closer, you will see that these are scores from the 1937 SHS football
season. Next September will be the 70th anniversary of that football
season and that deflated game ball. The 70th anniversary of what is quite
possibly the best football season in SHS history and also quiet possibly played
by the best football team Stevenson ever produced.
How
do you compare teams from one decade to another or how do you know which teams
were better than others? It’s obvious that a team that played 70 years
ago probably couldn’t play with a team from this century. Offenses have
become much more complex and wide open. Players have
become much bigger and with the size comes strength. Then the game
was more physical but slower. It was mostly a running game with few, if
any, passes being thrown. A team from that era would find today's passing
attacks and spread formations hard to defend. The defensive rules of that
time wouldn’t work today so they really couldn’t compete.
If
this is so, then how can I say this team was possibly the best ever? You
have to look at how they dominated in their day as compared to other great SHS
teams. The first thing to look at is their respective records.
There are 3 SHS teams, 1937, 1954 and 1968 that went undefeated. The ‘37
team was 9-0, the ‘54 team 7-0-1 and the ‘68 team 8-0-1, which makes the ‘37
group the only Stevenson team to be both undefeated and untied.
Then
you compare scores. The ‘37 boys scored 280 points and only had 6 scored
against them. The ‘54 team scored 191 pts. and allowed 46 and the ‘68 team also scored 191 pts. while allowing 65. When you look at total record and margin of victory,
the ‘37 team stands out.
The
1937 Bulldogs were playing in the “Interstate League”, a league that had just
been formed and lasted only this one year. Coach A. D. Robertson was in
his last season as head coach. Including the ‘37 season, he had a ten
year record of 54-28-7 and was one of Stevenson’s finest coaches ever. He
was assisted by Don “Pop” Leer who later became the head coach and also had a
fine record of 28-12-3.
They
ran from a “T” formation. Melvin Ziegler told me they had some key
injuries during the year but had enough talent to keep playing well. Mr.
Ziegler usually played fullback but filled in often at quarterback and even
played center for a game or two. He say’s it was a wonderful year.
In
the process of going 9-0, the Bulldogs of ‘37 beat Mill Plain-(Evergreen) 33-0,
Maupin 13-0, Dufer 44-0, The Dalles
33-6, (possibly the B team), Arlington 31-0, Goldendale 33-0, White Salmon
34-0, Parkrose 33-0 and Washougal 21-0..
The
Washougal game was important because they had won the Clark County League
Championship. After the Washougal victory, The Associated Press voted
Stevenson as the #1 football team in
A
few stories about the season have come down through the years. Stevenson
had lost to arch rival White Salmon the past couple years so just prior to the
game in ‘37 the coaches made a deal with the team. Mr. Robertson and Mr.
Leer told the players that if they “Walloped” White Salmon, the two coaches
would push each other in a wheel barrel from
When
the team arrived in
Players
on that team were; Jack Sullivan-one of the best ends ever, Lester
Krause-a small fellow but dynamite and an excellent tackler, Douglass Klinger-a
very good tackle, Ted Olson-plenty tough and a hard fighter, Don Fultz-capt. of the line and great tackler, Ken Kuskie-tough and the smallest player, Bob “Whitey”
Peterson-a great center, Bob “Blackie” Peterson-excellent ball carrier and capt. of the team, Bob Lofton-hard sophomore to stop when
he had the ball, Waldo Bennett-runs very well, fast and good on defense, Melvin “Tuffy” Ziegler-the biggest and toughest player on
the team, Gar Klinger, Jack Callahan-tough and sometimes started, Herbert Sellsted-sometimes started, Lee White-sometimes started,
John Melonas-a great player in coming years, Roy
Watson, John Dodson, Dick Lawton-tough player, Marvin Garrett, George Ziegler,
Sam Melonas, Vernin Kitchell, Jessie Pullam, Bill
Beck, Clifford Hauser, Ken Fultz, Bill Peterson, John Warner, Jim Kuskie, Merle Mullendore, Alvin
Smith-later played for Whitman College, Irwin Sterns, Jim Rynearson,
Bob Lee, Jim Lucas, Bob Johnson, George Kelly, Bob Borden and Arthur Davidson.
Many
of these men served their country during WW II and served with Honor.
They are part of “The Greatest Generation”. For that and for what they
accomplished on the football field they deserve to be remembered and honored.