A History of Nebraska High School Big 10 Conference Football Playoffs-Part 3

Today we spotlight the 1951, ‘52, ‘53 and 1954 BIG TEN playoff games.

1951 - Fremont 28-6 Scottsbluff (Game played Friday, Nov. 16th in Scottsbluff)

………………….1…….2……..3……..4……….Final

Fremont…….0…….7……..7…….14………..28

Scottsbluff….0…...6……..0……...0………….6

Scoring:

Scott - Bill Averill 1 run……………………………………….PAT-kick failed

Fre - Johnny Neff 55 pass from Ronnie Donohue..PAT-Jim Beck kick

Fre - Ronnie Donohue 55 run……………………………..PAT-Jim Beck kick

Fre - Joe Beaver 55 Return Return*.......................PAT-Jim Beck kick

Fre - George Anderson 3 run……………………………...PAT-Jim Beck kick

*(Donohue took a pitch from Johnny Neff, who had run from his own goal line to the Fremont 45. Donohue then covered the final 55 yards for the score.)

….For Scottsbluff, it was a simple case of too much of Fremont’s Johnny Neff, the Tigers fleet halfback. Neff set had a hand in three of Fremont’s four touchdowns, as the Tigers won their first BIG 10 Conference playoff.

It was East Division Champion Fremont’s third appearance in the past six seasons and that third time was indeed the charm for the Tigers, who finished the 1951 season 9-0.

Fremont finished second in the Lincoln Star 1951 Final Top Ten behind powerful Lincoln High. Scottsbluff, who had upset Alliance 13-7 on Armistice Day to win the BIG TEN West, finished 6th with a record of 5-4.

Fremont back Johnny Neff was chosen as an All-State RB for the second consecutive season and was headed to a collegiate career in Annapolis for Navy. Scottsbluff center Walt Gallawa, a 180 senior, was also 1st Team Class A All-State, while the Bluffs big 185 back Bill Averill was chosen as Third Team All-State.

Also chosen for 1st Team All-State from the BIG TEN was Norfolk tackle Mickey Gray (215, senior) and Alliance 154 pound senior End, Leonard Beckenbach.

1952 - Scottsbluff 26-0 Grand Island (Game played Wednesday, Nov. 19th in GI)

……………………..1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Scottsbluff…….0……...6……..7…….13……….26

Grand Island….0……..0……..0……..0………….0 (*Attendance 3,000+ est.)

Scoring:

Scott - Don Comstock 75 run………………………..PAT-Run failed

Scott - Comstock 21 pass from Bob Wegelin...PAT-Westervelt pass from Wegelin

Scott - Gary Daugherty 6 pass from Wegelin..PAT-Pass failed

Scott - Dick Knaub 1 run……………………………….PAT-Bob Wegelin run

Talk about an about face. Scottsbluff, who was accused of “appearing uninterested” a year ago in the 1951 BIG TEN playoff loss (28-6) to Fremont (in Scottsbluff), took out their frustrations on Grand Island in a rousing 26-0 victory over the Islanders IN GI.

I wonder how many folks laughed under their breath when Bluffs head coach Lauren Schwisow stated “wait till next year” after that 1951 Fremont loss? It took only ONE play for the naysayers to eat their words in this one when Scottsbluff All-State RB Don Comstock rambled 75 yards for a score on the Bearcats first play from scrimmage.

The 6-1, 175 pound senior back battered the Islander defense with 154 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns, the second score coming on a 21 yard pass reception.

Don Comstock certainly wasn’t the only shining star for Scottsbluff in this romp. Renaissance Man ace Dick Knaub did about everything a player could do except drive the bus back home from GI. Knaub began by thwarting Grand Island’s opening drive by pirating an Islander pass at the Bearcats 20 yard line.

Late in the third period, with Scottsbluff clinging to a sim 7-0 lead, Knaub set up the next Bluffs touchdown with a sparkling 33 yard punt return from his own 35 yard line to the Islander 32.

Dick Knaub then put the finishing touches on the Bearcats victory when he picked off another Grand Island pass at the Scottsbluff 30 and was on his way to a 70 yard punt return when he was stopped at the Islander one.

Scottsbluff coach Lauren Schwisow then did the proper thing, switched Knaub to the T-Formation quarterback and let him take it in for the final score of the contest.

It was the first BIG TEN playoff for for the Bearcats since 1945, the conference’s first year of competition. Scottsbluff (9-1) ended up being rated #2 in Class A behind Lincoln High, who also handed the Bearcats their only loss of the season. Grand Island finished 4th in the Lincoln Star rankings at 7-3.

**BIG TEN Conference All-State players from 1952:

*First Team;

Jim Murphy-Columbus, 5-11, 178, Senior (Guard)

Dick Mangelsen-Grand Island, 6-3, 220, Senior (Tackle)

Burdon Daugherty-Hastings, 5-11, 181, Senior (Back)

Don Comstock-Scottsbluff, 6-1, 170, Senior (Back)

*Second Team;

Ted Westervelt-Scottsbluff, 6=5, 198, Sr, (End)

Darrell Benham-Fremont, 5-8, 145, Sr. (Guard)

Marvin Bopp-Scottsbluff, 5-9, 190, Sr. (Tackle)

Mike Lee-Grand Island, 5-10, 156, Sophomore

*Third Team;

Gordon Johnson-Norfolk, 6-1, 165, Sr. (End)

Doug Marcy-Alliance, 5-11, 188, Sr. (Center)

*1953 - Grand Island 40-0 McCook (Game played Wednesday, Nov. 18th in McCook)

……………………..1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Grand Island...13…….7……..7…….13………..40

McCook………...0……..0……..0……..0………….0

Scoring:

GI - Darrell Pinkston 30 Run……………..PAT-Pinkston run

GI - Darrell Pinkston 38 Run……………..PAT-Mike Lee run

GI - Darrell Pinkston 63 Run……………..PAT-Run failed

GI - Darrell Pinkston 14 Run……………..PAT-Mike Lee run

GI - Mike Lee 12 run………………………...PAT-Run failed

GI - Lewis Rohs 42 fumble return……..PAT-Terry Trueblood run

The Islanders unleashed the fury of slender running back Darrell Pinkston and the rest is history. McCook, expecting a steady dose of Islander backs Mike Lee and Clair Boroff, may have been caught off guard, but there was no doubt GI had unveiled a future star in Darrell Pinkston.

The 10-0 Islanders ended the 1953 season finishing a close second behind Creighton Prep, who featured a killer passing game led by poised junior QB Mike Dugan. McCook finished rated 8th with a 7-3 mark.

The BIG TEN was well represented in the Final Lincoln Star rankings, also having Hastings (8-2) rated 5th and Alliance ranked 7th with a 7-2 record. That’s half of the Top ten spots being occupied by BIG TEN football squads.

Incidentally, the Islander backfield of Mike Lee, Clair Boroff, Darrell Pinkston and Terry Trueblood was lauded as on of the most potent ground attacks of all time.

*1953 All-State players representing the BIG TEN;*

*1st Team;

Mike Lee-Grand Island, 5-10, 165, Jr. (End) (Repeat selection from 1952)

Earl Galusha-Alliance, 6-1, 214, Jr. (Guard)#

Eldon Mapes-McCook, 6-1, 177, Sr. (End)

Clair Boroff-Grand Island, 5-9, 170, Jr. (Back)

*2nd Team;

Dick Kleiber-Hastings, 6-4, 180, Sr. (End)

Richard Roenfeldt-Grand Island, 5-11, 180, Sr. (Tackle)

Larry Blaser-Columbus, 5-8, 155, Sr. (Guard)

Mike Dallam-Fremont, 6-3, 205, Sr. (Tackle)

Darrell Pinkston-Grand Island, 5-11, 165, Jr. (Back)

*3rd Team;

Larry Youngblut-Scotsbluff, 5-10, 180, Sr. (Guard)

Dick Knaub-Scottsbluff, 6-0, 165, Sr. (Back)

#(Earl Galusha of Alliance was 18 years old as a junior selection and sadly enough, could not compete in 1954 due to his high school eligibility running out)

*1954 - Grand Island 38-14 North Platte (Game played Thursday, Nov. 11th in GI)

…………………….1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

North Platte….0……..7……..7……..0………...14

Grand Island...7……..0……..6…….25………..38

Scoring;

GI - Larry Feaster 25 fumble return…………………………..PAT-Boroff run

NP - Jerry Renfroe 16 run………………………………………….PAT-Harv Florom kick

GI - Jerry Schroeder 56 pass from Terry Trueblood…...PAT-run failed

NP - Harv Florom 23 INT return………………………………...PAT-Florom kick

GI - Clair Boroff (no other information available).........PAT-No good

GI - Terry Trueblood (no other information available)..PAT-No good

GI - Darrell Pinkston (no other information available)..PAT-No good

GI - Gaines (no other information available).................PAT-Ely run

Grand Island notched their second consecutive BIG TEN playoff blowout victory and fifth win playoff win overall since the conference began play in 1945. But the final score is not indicative of how close the game was until the late stages.

North Platte was actually in the drivers seat, nursing a 14-13 lead entering the 4th and money quarter, but the Platters line began to weaken under the continuous pounding by the Islander line and running of Clair Boroff, Darrell Pinkston and Cliff Nelson.

Ace North Platte Harry Tolly, son of the Platters head coach, was hounded all day by the GI defense and finished the day with a minus 4 yards through the air as the Islanders dominated the statistics on this day.

*1954 All-State players representing the BIG TEN;*

*1st Team;

Mike Lee-Grand Island, 5-10, 170, Sr. (End) (Third time selection)

Jim Duff-Grand Island, 6-1, 195, Sr. (Center)

*2nd Team;

Larry Feaster-Grand Island, 6-2, 175, Sr. (End)

Tom Osborne-Hastings, 6-3, 175, Sr. (Back)

Clair Boroff-Grand Island, 5-8, 170, Sr. (Back) (Repeat selection)

*3rd Team;

Mal Dohrman-Kearney, 6-0, 190, Sr. (Back)