A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1968 and 1969 All-State Teams/Final Rankings.

*1968 Eight-Man Football All-State Team Final Rankings*

*99 Teams played 8-Man football in 1968, down just three schools from 1967. The Omaha World-Herald’s Conde Sargent declared the Gresham Blackbirds 8-Man Football Champions for 1968 in Nebraska.

Gresham outscored opponents by a whopping margin 442-31 (49 to 3) in 196. The number one Blackbirds and #2 Sterling had a common opponent during the season, Malcolm. Gresham throttled the Clippers 48-0 while Sterling escaped with a 14-7 win.

Here are the Final 8-Man rankings in 1968 and unfortunately, this is the year the World-Herald may have discontinued posting each school’s game by game scores in these ratings.

*Final 8-Man Top 10 (1968)*

1. Gresham (9-0)

2. Sterling (8-0)

3. Paxton (8-0)

4. Hardy (11-0)

5. Orchard (10-0)

6. Platte Center (9-1)

7. Madrid Wheatland (7-1)

8. Elmwood (8-1)

9. Bartley (9-0-0)

10. Trenton (8-1)

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And now, let’s meet our 1968 Eight-Man All-State Football team.

*1968 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---Ray Kastanek-Dorchester, 6-4, 190, Senior

End---Tom Williams-Gresham, 6-0, 160 Senior

Guard-Bill Nealeigh-Trenton, 5-10, 185, Senior

Guard-Bill Covalciuc-Omaha Brownell-Talbot, 5-10, 175, Senior

Center-Jerry Meyer-Orchard, 6-3, 195, Senior

Back--Byron Harms-Venango, 6-0, 180, Senior

Back--Jerry Macken-Platte Center, 5-10, 175, Senior

Back--Lee Hansen-Hardy, 6-0, 185, Junior

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Here are a few outstanding single game performances by 8-Man football stars in 1968;

*Richard Shain-Ewing - Caught seven passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Clearwater.

*Jim Smidt-Trumbull - Took off for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries in a 74-11 win over Bladen, leaving him 49 yards short of a thousand yards rushing in just five games.

*Roy Sharp-Harrison - Exploded for 224 yards and 4 TDS on 31 carries in a win over Melbeta.

*Ray Hoefer-Sutherland - Made 20 tackles, blocked a punt, intercepted 2 passes and recovered 2 fumbles in a victory over Halsey-DunnIng.

*Byron Harms-Venango - All-State RB rushed for 303 yards in a win over Big Springs.

*Duane Katen-Chadron Assumption - 171 yards rushing and 19 tackles against Mitchell Sunflower.

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*1969 Eight-Man Football All-State Team Final Rankings*

*93 Teams played 8-Man football in 19689, down 6 schools from 1968. A strange occurrence took place in the final Class D/11-Man ratings and final 8-Man rankings.

Eight-Man Champion Sutherland, a Class C school playing the 8-Man game, had a boy enrollment of 69 while Class D/11-Man Wolbach had just 51 boys.

Thank goodness a school with 69 boys cannot play 8-Man football for over two seasons this day and age, as wiser minds now prevail.

The top 3 teams, Sutherland, Badshaw and Milligan, swept through opponents with ease, averaging winning margins of 49-2 for Sutherland, 48-5 for Bradshaw and the gaudy 60-6 margin fashioned by the Milligan Roosters.

Stating that Champion Sutherland boasted the fastest 8-Man team may have been an understatement. All-State RB Rick Anderson covered the 100 yard dash in :10.1 and set a District record when he blazed the 220 yard dash curve on his way to a time of 22 flat. His running mate, Steve Pederson was right behind with a :10.2 clocking in that hundred yard dash..

Both Bradshaw and Milligan featured big squads with Bradsahw’s backfield of John Appuhn weighing in at 195, All-Stater Milt McLain checking in at 185 and Dan Dye running at 175. Not so heavy by today’s standards, but pretty bulky back in the day when most schools never heard of a weight room.

I graduated from GICC IN 1967 and the only weight lifting apparatus I had was a pair of paint buckets filled half way up with cement.

Those bucket handles were fastened to chains, which in turn were fastened to a bar used for lifting the buckets. Sweet! THAT was how we did it.

*Final 8-Man Top 10 (1969)*

(Fortunately, I uncovered the game by game records for Sutherland, Milligan, Shickley and Trenton and the results will be reflected in the ratings below)

1. Sutherland (9-0) {Outscored opponents 397-16}

58 Stapleton…………......0 - 45 Hayes Center……....0

42 Maywood………...…...0 - 26 Big Springs………....0

26 Madrid Wheatland…8 - 43 Halsey-Dunning…..0

42 Paxton……………….....0 - 1*Trenton…………….....0 (Forfeit) {*See story below}

50 Hershey…...………......8

Coach-Darly Broberg

2. Bradshaw (10-0) {Outscored opponents 483-50}

3. Milligan (8-0) {Outscored opponents 482-46}

48 Byron……….0 - 74 Roseland….8

62 Campbell….0 - 70 Malcolm…..0

70 Holstein…..12 - 64 Ruskin…...12

54 Hardy………..6 - 40 Shickley….8

4. Shickley (8-1)

37 Hardy………..12 - 70 Byron………….....12

46 Kenesaw…….6 - 34 Doniphan………..20

56 Dorchester….0 - 46 Republic, Kan….12

44 Malcolm……..0 - 8 Shickley………......40

36 Ruskin………..0

5. Trenton (7-1)

36 Culbertson………………....20 - 32 Palisade………....14

36 Stratton…………………….....6 - 34 Haigler…………...8

28 Lebanon Beaver Valley…..6 - 58 Hayes Center…..0

22 Maywood………………….....14 - 0 * Sutherland……..1 (Forfeit) {#See story below}

Coach-Gordon Benson

6. Cody (7-0)

7. Shelby (8-1)

8. Doniphan (9-1)

9. Bartlett (6-1-2)

10. Elgin (7-1-1)

#Both Trenton and Sutherland were rolling along unbeaten and headed for a huge meeting in the final game of the regular season, but a critical injury to Trenton junior center Dave Brown during a Monday game with Hayes Center changed that. The Sutherland/Trenton game was scheduled for Friday of that same week.

Brown, who suffered a head injury in that Hayes Center game, was transported to Omaha where he underwent surgery at Methodist Hospital. The young man was still listed in critical condition that Thursday, prompting Trenton head football coach Gordon Benson and the Trenton school administration, who chose to forfeit the scheduled game because of community concern for young Brown.

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And now, let’s meet our 1969 Eight-Man All-State Football team.

*1969 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---Ryan Hawley-Republican City, 6-0, 180, Senior (23 rec/486 yds/12 TDs)

End---Gerry Reinsch-Shickley, 6-2, 180 Senior

Guard-Roger Stein-Odell, 6-5, 305, Senior

Guard-Don Hohlen-Trumbull, 6-4, 200, Senior

Center-Danny Harbert-Madrid Wheatland, 5-8, 185, Senior

Back--Gary Filipi-Milligan, 6-1, 195, Senior (1,080 rushing/26 TDs)

Back--Milt McLain-Bradshaw, 6-2, 185, Senior (1,518 rushing/25 TDs)

Back--Rick Anderson-Sutherland, 5-8, 178, Senior (1,124 rushing, 23 TDs)

*Sutherland speedster was something else on the gridiron, as well as the track. During the ‘69 football season, Anderson averaged 9.9 yards a pop, while rushing for 1,124 big ones and 26 touchdowns. Rick also caught 11 aerials for 180 yards, three were touchdowns. He averaged 27.6 per punt return, 46.6 per kick return (and remember, this was on an 80 yard field).

Bradshaw's big Milt McLain was no slowpoke himself, clocking a :10.4 hundred (yards), was a terror running the ball when he kicked in the jets with his rangy 6-2, 185 pound frame. 1,518 yards with 25 touchdowns labeled McClain as the Crossroads Conference’s top athlete, a prestigious honor.

Cloverleaf Conference Player-of-the Year Gary Filipi was a physical specimen who rambled for 1,080 yards and 26 touchdowns. I saw Filipi play against Shickley and rushed for 192 yards in the 40-8 victory and agreed with then Milligan head coach Dan Tesar that Gary Filipi could have played for any high school team and done well, including Class A. The dude was the Real Deal.

This 1969 8-Man All-State squad was the biggest as far as average weight goes, since the 8-Man rating began in 1954.

This ‘69 eight-Man Dream Team averaged 201 pounds/per, big for back then.

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Finally, here are a few noteworthy 8-Man football single game performances that highlighted the 1969 season.

*Gary Filipi-Milligan - Ran for 179 yards with TD runs covering 2, 26 and 46 yards in a 54-6 win over a good Hardy team.

*Monte Nicholson-Tryon - The 5-8, 141 pound sophomore ran for 217 yards and 4 TDs in a 52-13 victory over Brady. Nicholson had 396 after 3 games.

*Randy Wilson-Orchard - Ran for 311 yards, scored 3 touchdowns and intercepted two passes during a win over Ewing.

*Dan McKinney-Dix - BIG night for the 205 pound bruiser in a win over Dalton. McKinney rushed for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries but then turned Quarterback and attempted FOUR passes. ALL went for scores totaling 185 yards.

*Gerald Wengler-Holstein - Carried a staggering 47 times for 357 yards and 4 TDs as the team's 3rd win ties a school record for most wins in a season.

*Rick Nekl-Shelby - Huskies quarterback had himself a game for the ages, tossing SIX touchdown passes, running for another and collected 4 PATs in a win over Hordville.

*Mick Strand-Venango - Scored 4 TDs in a 25-6 conquest of Big Springs, rushing for 100 yards and 62 more on pass receptions.

*Dave Black-Trumbull - 180 halfback lifted his team to a 14-14 season ending tie with rival Giltner. All Mr. Black did was score all of Trumbull’s points and run for 170 yards on 25 touches