A History of Nebraska High School Big 10 Conference Football Playoffs-Part 4

Today we spotlight the 1955, ‘56, ‘57 and 1958 BIG TEN playoff games.

*1955 - Grand Island 41-13 Scottsbluff (Played Thursday, Nov. 17th in Scottsbluff)

……………………….1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Grand Island…..6……..14…….0…….21……….41

Scottsbluff……...7……...6.…….0……..0…..…..13

Scoring:

Scott - Bob Lehr 1 run………………………………………...PAT-Larry Wheeler kick

GI - Jerry Wagner 2 run……………………………………….PAT kick failed

Scott - Bill Lane 46 pass from Bob Rupp……………...PAT-Larry Feaster kick

GI - Jerry Schroeder 80 kick return……………………...PAT-Larry Feaster kick

GI - Larry Feaster 46 pass from Gene Suponchick..PAT-Larry Feaster kick

GI - Larry Schroeder 7 run…………………………………...PAT-kick failed

GI - Larry Schroeder 7 run…………………………………...PAT-Larry Feaster kick

GI - Jerry Wagner 25 fumble return……………………. PAT-Larry Feaster kick

...Grand Island’s Jerry Schroeder scored three touchdowns as the Islanders broke loose in the fourth quarter to take a near route 41-13 win over West Division champion Scottsbluff.

Grand Island entered the 4th quarter nursing a 20-14 lead when Schroeder escaped for touchdown runs covering 7 and 54 yards. Jerry Wagner scooped up a Bearcat fumble for a 25 yard touchdown return to put the game far out of reach, as the Islanders notched their third straight BIG TEN football championship and sixth overall.

*BIG TEN All-State selections in 1955. (Equivalent of today’s Super-State)

*FIRST TEAM*

Chuck Halstead-Scottsbluff, 6-2, 185, Sr. (Center)

Larry Feaster-Grand Island, 6-3, 180, Sr. (End) (SECOND TEAM All-State in 1954)

*SECOND TEAM*

Bob Thompson-North Platte, 6-0, 175, Sr. (End)

Don Olson-Grand Island, 6-2, 202, Sr. (Tackle)

Dave Duff-Grand Island, 5-11, 174, Jr. (Guard)

Allen Smith-McCook, 6-1, 175, Sr. (End)

*THIRD TEAM*

Don Pettijohn-Hastings, 6-2, 195, Sr. (Tackle)

*1956 - McCook 3-0 Scottsbluff (Played Friday, Nov. 16th in Hastings)

……………….1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

McCook…..3……..0……..0……..0………...3 (6-4)

Hastings…..0……..0……..0……..0….……..0 (9-1)

Scoring:

McC - Walt McGuire 17 Field Goal……(2:00 left, first quarter)

**McCook tackle Eugene Langfelt recovered a Hastings fumble the Hasting 33 yard line, setting up Walt McGuire’s 17 yard field goal with 10 minutes gone in the opening stanza. Hastings entered the game undefeated and rated 4th in Class A.

*BIG TEN All-State selections in 1956. (Equivalent of today’s Super-State)

*FIRST TEAM*

David Duff-Grand Island, 5-11, 180, Sr. (Guard) (Repeater)

Ron Callan-McCook, 6-2,165, Sr. (End)

Dick Becher-Hastings, 6-1,176, Sr. (End)

Don Kerwin-Fremont, 6-1, 180, Sr. (Guard)

Don Fricke-Hastings, 5-11, 180, Sr. (Center)

Mike Iseman-Fremont, 6-4, 194, Sr. (Back)

*SECOND TEAM*

Doug Fortik-Kearney, 6-2, 176, Sr. (End)

Oscar Bredthauer-GRand Island, 6-4, 185, Sr. (Tackle)

Jerry Ball-Grand Island, 5-11, 172, Sr. (Guard) (Coach Jay Ball’s Dad)

*THIRD TEAM*

Joe Hill-Hastings, 5-11, 168, Sr. (Back)

*1957 - Scottsbluff 28-6 Grand Island (Played Friday, Nov. 15th in Scottsbluff)

……………………….1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Grand Island…...6……..0……..0……..0………….6………….(8-2, Ranked 6th in final LJS ratings)

Scottsbluff……….0…….14…….0…….14………..28………..(7-1-1), Ranked 6th in final LJS ratings)

Scoring:

GI - Ed Richards 6 run……………………………………..PAT-Kick failed

Scott - Larry Donovan 7 pass from Jerry Wilks...PAT-Wheeler Kick

Scott - John Williamson 46 run………………………..PAT-Wheeler Kick

Scott - John Williamson 9 pass from Wilks….……PAT-Wheeler Kick

Scott - Bill Comstock 9 run………………………….……PAT-Wheeler Kick

*Scottsbluff All-State RB John Williamson more than atoned for a lost fumble on the opening kickoff of the football game. The muffed kick return led to a GI touchdown that put the visiting, 8-1 Islanders up 6-0.

But Williamson, aided by crisp offensive line blocking by Larry Wheeler, Bob Carleton and company, went on to rush for over a hundred yards, score two touchdowns and then recover a fumble himself that led to a later Bluffs score.

Scottsbluff ended the game by outyarding the Islanders 238 to 114, and actually shut the Grand Island offense down for all practical purposes after their first and only touchdown of the contest.

It was Scottsbluff’s 3rd BIG TEN playoff win in five trips. All the wins, the last coming in 1952, had been against Grand Island.

The Islanders, incidentally, were playing the game without the services of starting quarterback Bob Eversoll, who was left home due to a back injury. Back up signal caller Max Noel actually did a nice job filling in for Eversoll, despite the Islanders coming up on the short end of the score.

*BIG TEN SUPER-STATE* selections in 1957:

Don Perdue-Hastings, 6-2, 205, Sr. (Back)

*BIG TEN players making ALL-STATE CLASS A*

*FIRST TEAM*

Don Perdue-Hastings, 6-2, 205, Sr. (Back)

John Williamson-Scottsbluff, 5-8, 150, Sr. (Back)

*SECOND TEAM*

Doug Carlisle-Grand Island, 5-11, 160, Sr. (End)

Larry Wheeler-Scottsbluff, 6-0, 180, Sr. (Tackle)

Bob Carleton-Scottsbluff, 5-10, 160, Sr. (Guard)

Jim Matscullat-Fremont, 5-10, 175, Sr. (Center)

Larry Greenwald-Columbus, 5-11, 175, Sr. (Back)

*1958 - Scottsbluff 28-0 Columbus (Played Friday, Nov. 14th in Columbus)

…………………..1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Scottsbluff….14…...0….….7……...7………..28…..(10-0, Ranked #3 in LJS final ratings)

Columbus…..0.…....0……..0……...0………...0…...(7-2-1, Ranked #7 in LJS final ratings)

Scoring:

Scott - Larry Krause 50 Interception return………..PAT-Sid Micek kick

Scott - Galen Schwaner 33 pass from Sid Micek...PAT-Sid Micek kick

Scott - Bill Comstock 80 run……………………………….PAT-Sid Micek kick

Scott - Bill Comstock 22 run……………………………….PAT-Sid Micek kick

**Attendance - 5,000 (est.)

….Scottsbluff’s All-State fullback Bill Comstock was literally unstoppable as Scottsbluff rolled to a 28-0 win over a pretty salty Columbus team on a perfect afternoon for footall. Comstock had 169 yards in FIVE carries that I know of and may have set a BIG TEN playoff game rushing record if the final stats had been available.

It didn’t take long for the visiting Bearcats (9-0) to take control of this one. Larry Krause, Scottsbluff’s rugged 185 pound defensive center, pivot swiped Columbus quarterback Tom Ernst’s initial pass of the contest and rumbled 50 yards for a touchdown.

It was Ernst’s first interception of the entire 1958 season and it came less than two minutes into the big game in front of an estimated five thousand football fans.

Columbus nearly answered the Larry Krause touchdown in the first quarter, driving all the way to the Scottsbluff three yard line before turning the ball over on downs.

Scottsbluff may have applied the back breaker right then and there, marching 97 yards in just 7 plays to post a 14-0 lead.

Slick Bluffs quarterback Sid Micek (no relation that I know of) fired a perfect 33 yard scoring pass to Galen Schwaner to complete the long, killer drive.

AND, if that drive didn’t sink the Discoverers, the opening play of the third quarter had to do the trick. Brilliant Scottsbluff fullback caught the Columbus defense napping on that opening play and proceeded to explode 80 yards for a score, shaking off two Columbus defenders in the secondary on the way.

The Bluffs defense also pounced on a muffed Columbus handoff late in the game, quickly turning the mistake into a touchdown on the very next play.

Comstock once again did the honors, waltzing untouched through a stunned Discover defense for a 22 yard touchdown dash that completed the scoring.

Scottsbluff’s Larry Donovan, also a star pole vaulter, was a standout on defense for the Bearcats, as was Larry Krause, who pirated two Tom Ernst aerials. Speaking of Tom Ernst, the sparkling two-way player, was the Discoverers top defensive performer and perhaps the overall star of the game as far as tackling was concerned.

An outstanding late November weather day in Columbus (59 degrees/Sunny) also brought out some big name high school coaches to take in the game. Jerry Lee, whose Grand Island team tied Columbus for the BIG TEN east title, Hastings Ollie Smith, the legendary Don Leahy of Creighton Prep, Cletus Fisher of Omaha South and Jess Keifer of Holdrege were ALL on hand to see the ‘58 BIG TEN title matchup.

*BIG TEN SUPER-STATE* selection in 1958:

Larry Donovan=Scottsbluff, 6-0, 165, Sr. (End)

Roger Myers-Grand Island, 6-0, 170, Sr. (Back)

Bill Comstock-Scottsbluff, 6-0, 177, Sr. (Back)

*BIG TEN players making ALL-STATE CLASS A*

*FIRST TEAM*

Larry Donovan=Scottsbluff, 6-0, 165, Sr. (End)

Roger Myers-Grand Island, 6-0, 170, Sr. (Back)

Bill Comstock-Scottsbluff, 6-0, 177, Sr. (Back)

*{Grand Island, 7-0-1 and Hastings, 6-2-1, ended up being ranked 4th and 8th respectively in the final Lincoln Journal-Star ratings, giving the BIG TEN four spots in that Final 10.