The Rest of the Best of the 1920s

After reviewing the best teams of the 1920s I'd like to highlight the best game, coach and players of the decade.

The Best Game

This was another tough call so I had to choose two games and, as it turns out both involved Green Bay East.

The first was the 1927 battle between East and city rival Green Bay West. Before more than 10,000 frenzied fans, Arnie Herber was the difference for West with his passing, rushing, returning kicks, defense and kicking. It was a see-saw battle throughout the game with East taking the lead in the third quarter, 6-0, but a fourth quarter touchdown pass and conversion kick by Herber was the margin to win the game 7-6.

In 1928 Green Bay East met Appleton, a team that would end up in second place in the conference. The Red Devils couldn’t muster much in the way of offense but it was their defense that won the day. There were numerous fumbles throughout the game for both teams. Two safeties, one in the third period and one in the fourth quarter were the margin of victory as East won 4-0. Both safeties were a result of blocked punts.

Two hard fought defensive games that either team in each game could be proud of their performance.

The Best Coach

This era produced many great coaches. First, Curley Lambeau at Green Bay East, who coached the team as well as the Packers during the 1919 through the 1921 seasons. Yes, coaching two teams at the same time!! He was followed by Chester E. Wiley who led the teams for the rest of the decade before returning to his home town of Iron Mountain (MI) to coach. West had Murph White who led them into the 1930s and produced solid teams throughout. Marinette was led by Tom Johnson who led the school to four state titles in six seasons before leaving for Louisville (KY) Male High in 1927. Johnson replaced Harry Wilhelm at Male as Wilhelm in turn moved north to Delafield and coached St. John’s Military Academy to the 1929 state title.

When you look at the list of the top teams of the decade, two coaches stand out. Chester Wiley of Green Bay East coached three of the schools four state title teams in the decade, all in the top 10 and they had another, the 1927 squad, that was defeated by Green Bay West in one of the top games of the decade. They finished 9-1-0 that season. Tom Johnson of Marinette had four state titles and has three teams on the list and posted a 50-5-0 record in six seasons.

Wiley replaced Curley Lambeau as the head coach at East who moved on to devote his efforts full time to the Packers after the 1921 season. Chester Wiley is my choice as the best coach who posted a 68-6-0 record in eight seasons at East. When he left the school was in great shape and continued to be a powerhouse on into the late 1950s.

The Best Players

Arnie Herber

Many of these players would go on to have success at both the college and professional level. Milt Gantenbein, Wayland Becker, Champ Seibold, Arnie Herber and Swede Johnston all played together on the 1936 Green Bay Packer championship team. Arnie Herber has received the most recognition, as a member of the pro football hall of fame and considered one of the first great modern quarterbacks, winning 4 NFL championships with the Packers.

The 1920s was a great period in the sport. America made it through the Great Influenza and Word War I, the Great War, and there was new prosperity. Kids were healthier than ever before. The modern age was upon us as auto’s became more affordable, wages for the most part, were better, airplane flying was the rage and yes, there was still trouble abroad but overall life was good. Until the November 1929 Wall Street Crash. It wasn’t unusual for fans of a particular team who would rent rail cars to go even several hundred miles to cheer on their favorites, filing the stands with 200-500 out of towners.

Players were getting bigger and faster. The game was evolving. Passing was becoming more prevalent and even though it would be 19 years before the first known 1,000-yard passer and 35 years before the state produced the first 2,000 single-season passer the game was utilizing this option more and more. It was a time to revel in great coaching and great playing. It would be a bit more difficult during the Depression as money became tighter but still the crowds would still be large.

The Best Teams of the 1920s

Post-World War I America was a wild time in sports. Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees ruled major league baseball. Notre Dame really came into prominence on the college football scene, especially with the “Four Horsemen” backfield. Bobby Jones was the king of the golf links all over America. High school football in Wisconsin was drawing even bigger crowds, sometimes with 3,000-5,000 fans or more in attendance. The 1920s was an exciting decade as offenses were getting better and defenses were just as tough as before. Scoring 100-points in a game became scarce in Wisconsin high school football but overall scoring increased. Of the 20 known times a team scored 100-points against an opponent, all but one occurrence was prior to 1920. The last time known instance of a team passing the 100-point mark was done by West De Pere in a 126-0 win against Kewaunee in 1926.

The Notre Dame Box Formation, a variation of the single-wing that was developed in 1907 by Carlisle College coach Glenn “Pop” Warner, was the rage. Developed by Knute Rockne the Box was utilized by many colleges and was also prominent in the early days of pro football, in particular by the Green Bay Packers. Wisconsin high schools followed suit. The northeast part of the state dominated the scene. Green Bay East and Marinette each won 4 state titles in the 1920s and along with Green Bay West these three schools garnered eight of my top ten spots. All three schools used the Notre Dame Box or a variation of it.

THE BEST TEAMS

10) Green Bay East -1924 - (9-0-0)

The 1924 Red Devils was the first of coach Wiley’s four state champions. They were 9-0-0 and considered the top team in the state and were the first champion of the newly formed Fox River Valley Conference. The Red devils scored 230 pints and allowed only 16 points including six shutouts. Led by David Zuidmulder who went on to play for the Green Bay Packers after college.

9) Green Bay East - 1929 - (9-0-0)

The bookend to the decade was the 1929 GB East team that had many of the stars from the 1928 championship squad. This was coach Wiley’s last season at East and it was a super one at that. The Red Devils stampeded through the Fox River Valley Conference schedule as well as defeating Wausau and Marinette in non-conference play. They scored 271 points and allowed only 40. As usual, their season ending match with GB West was another classic battle ending with a 12-7 victory.

8) Green Bay East - 1920 - (7-1-0)

The 1920 Green Bay East team featured Jim Crowley who was considered one of the top backs in the state along with Superior's John Hancock. It’s not fully understood why East and Superior couldn’t agree to meet but maybe it was because East’s coach, Curley Lambeau couldn’t get away from Green Bay to a neutral site. The Packers played all of their games that season at home except for one. Crowley could do it all, passing, running and kicking plus play outstanding defense. The team's only loss was to Oshkosh Normal, a 15-0 shutout. This East team was not the state champion, the press awarded that title to Superior, but it was a fine unit.

7) Marinette - 1926 - (8-0-0)

Tom Johnson capped his six-season coaching stint at Marinette with the 1926, 8-0-0 team that beat Superior in a season ending scheduled game. Like the other Marinette teams the Purple Warriors had a stellar defense and shutout six of their opponents and allowed only 10 points overall. The offense only scored 165 but with their tough defense they didn’t need to pile up the points.

6) Marinette - 1922 - (9-1-0)

1922 Marinette was undefeated against their Wisconsin and Michigan foes but they accepted a challenge from Toledo (OH) Scott and they did go down in flames, 45-19 but they came away with their heads held high. Why, after taking a beating? Because Scott was the 1922 and 1923 mythical national champion. Marinette scored more points against Scott than any other opponent the Ohio team played in their championship seasons. All 11 starters would go on to play college ball and their seven reserves also played college football. Marinette scored 319 overall points and allowed only 55.

5) Green Bay West - 1927 - (9-0-0)

1927 Green Bay West and Green Bay East season ending match was played before more than 10,000 fans. Both teams were undefeated heading into their annual game. They battled with West winning 7-6 thanks to the play of quarterback Arnie Heber. Future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Arnie, named as the first team All-Time quarterback by the Milwaukee Journal in 1993, passed for a fourth quarter score and then kicked the extra point for the margin of victory. The team only scored 197 points but they were a great defensive unit with seven shutouts and allowing 12 points.

4) Superior - 1920 - (9-0-0)

John Hancock and his Superior Vikings closed out their great three-year run as the top team in the northwest and state champions in 1918 as well as 1920. Their second game of the season was a close battle with Duluth Cathedral, a 7-6 win, while Hancock was injured for much of the game. Superior played Madison for the title, winning 47-7 against a team that was 7-1-0 coming into the game.

3) Green Bay East - 1928 - (10-0-0)

Green Bay East bulldozed through the 1928 season as they won the Fox River Valley Conference shutting out eight of ten opponents. They gave up a field goal to the Alumni in their opener and then a touchdown to Manitowoc in a 32-6 victory. The Red Devils scored 314 points while giving up only 9 all year. Their biggest win was a season ending battle with rival Green Bay West, 26-0.

2) Delafield St. John’s Military Academy - 1929 - (9-0-0)

In his third season at St. John’s, after a 7-1-0 record in both 1927 and 1928, Harry Wilhelm took a big step forward by going undefeated in 1929. The team beat four college teams…the Marquette University freshman, the Platteville School of Mines (Now UW-Platteville), Oshkosh Normal (Now UW-Oshkosh) varsity and the Ripon College varsity. In mid-November St. John’s beat Culver (IN) Military Academy 25-7 before nearly 25,000 football fans at Chicago’s Soldiers Field. They were awarded the National Military Prep Championship, the Western Prep Championship and the North Central Academy Association Championship banners and trophies. St. John’s ranked higher in my overall rankings over their 1929 co-champs, Green Bay East, because of their tougher schedule.

1) Marinette - 1923 - (10-0-0)

The Purple Warriors blasted through their opponents scoring 455 points and allowing only 25 including 7 shutouts. This was the last season a “match game” for the title could be played but Marinette passed on Wisconsin teams and instead felt they could stand on their own 9-0-0 record and chose to play Rockford (IL) instead. Their star player, Einer Lund was ineligible because of age, he had turned 20-years old, and didn’t play in the team’s 14-12 victory over Rockford. The 455 points that Marinette scored in 1923 broke the previous single season scoring record of 427 points, set by Superior Central in 1918 (in just 8 games). The record stood for an incredible 60 years! No Wisconsin high school team is known to have scored more points in a single season until 1983's Schofield D.C. Everest put up 486 points in 13 games.

Honorable Mention:

Pio Nono - 1927 - (8-1-0)

Prairie Du Chien Campion - 1928 - (9-0-0)

The catholic schools of the time are not thought to have been on the same level as the best of the public schools. There was little overlap in schedules but Pio Nono defeated a good Milwaukee Lincoln team on their way to an 8-1-0 season and the first mythical Catholic state championship. A close loss coming mid-season to Racine St Catherine. Prairie Du Chien Campion lost to Pio Nono in the final game of 1927 before going undefeated in 1928 to win the mythical Catholic state championship.

Pio Nono - 1927

It's Not About the Numbers: 1976 Antigo - Part 2

1976 was a pivotal season in Wisconsin high school football. As you may know, the WIAA started the football playoff system for the public schools. The private school’s playoffs began in 1969. The most powerful conference in the state may have been the Wisconsin Valley as year in and year out they produced some of the best teams in the late 1960s and 1970s, namely Antigo and Schofield DC Everest. Because they seemed to dominate the WVC it is not to say that the rest of the conference were slouches.

From 1966-1976 the Red Robins won 88 games and lost only 9, a .907 percent win record. The 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973 and the 1975 teams all went 9-0-0, finishing #2 in the 1969 AP poll while finishing #1 in both polls for 1972, 1973 and 1975. But these were polls for mythical championships.

1976 would prove to be a major highlight in the school’s program and coach Gordy’s career now that the WIAA had instituted a post-season playoff system. The day before the season opener the Wausau Daily Herald reported that the Red Robins were expected to win the conference after they had posted a 9-0 record in 1975. They had won or shared the last four conference titles, going 38-1 on that span. In the previous 14 seasons under Schofield and posted a 96-14-2 record and now they were rated #1 in the state as they began the year. Returning for his senior season was quarterback Dan Thorpe who had directed the Red Robbins to a 17-1 record and had been first team all-conference as a defensive back as a junior. Another key returnee was 6’3 and 225 pound offensive/defensive end Dean Seis. Overall, they didn’t look that tough on paper but the Antigo Red Robins were THE team to beat in the Valley.

Picked as the #2 team in the Valley, D.C. Everest was the season opening foe for Antigo and it was a hard-fought defensive battle but the team dispelled any doubt as to what they were about. They were the same hard running team as junior fullback Pat Bradley took up the slack as he carried 23 times for 132 yards and scored the only touchdown, a 7-yard run along with a two-point conversion, in the 8-0 win. It was a typical Red Robin game as they gained 188 yards on the ground and only 8 yards passing while allowing only 92 total yards. It would be a typical defensive game as Antigo intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. They had now won their 15th consecutive game and they were now off to the races, sort of.

You see, this was probably the lowest scoring playoff championship team in history. The Red Robins would go on to score only 189 points in 11 games (A low 17.18 points per game) while allowing only 51 points (A 4.64 per game average), a low for any championship playoff team (11 game schedule or more). For much of the season Antigo was rated #1 in the polls but were eventually overtaken for the top spot by Racine Horlick. While they didn’t overpower teams with their scoring it was their defense that dominated. Offensively the team gained only 2,608 yards on the season, a scant 230.09 yards per game while on defense they allowed only 1,255 yards (114.09-yards per game). In five games they scored in the double digits and allowed only three teams to break the 10-point barrier. It was truly not about the numbers except when it came to defense and wins.

In the first four games the team only scored 8, 34, 8 and 8 points. They allowed 0, 12, 0 and 3 points. Several former players point to the fourth game, an 8-3 win over Marshfield, as maybe their toughest game. Dan Thorpe was hurt in the first half and was taken from the field with a concussion. He was a key person on the team being the starting quarterback and defensive back. Tom Meyer stepped in and helped lead the team to the win. Statistically Antigo out gained Marshfield 227-123 but they had two first half touchdowns called back before Thorpe was hurt. One was a 31-yard run by Thorpe and the other was a 38-yard TD aerial by Tom Meyer who had replaced the hurt Thorpe as the quarterback spot. Marshfield kicked a field goal with 7:40 left in the second period to take a 3-0 lead over the #1 ranked Red Robins. In the fourth quarter they drove 73-yards, mainly on the back of 5'6, 154-pound Bill Igl who carried the ball 11of the drives 17 plays. Bradley scored from six yards out and Meyer converted the extra point run for the lead and the victory. The win showed everybody that this was a determined team, one that came together under Coach Schofield’s direction. The team had confidence in themselves and the program, traits taught by their head coach who was not big or tall in stature but one who was able to get his players attention to follow his lead. Just like their coach the team wasn’t big but if they could overcome injuries and mistakes, they could beat anyone. These would be life lessons.

The 1976 Antigo Red Robins

Courtesy of the Antigo Daily Journal newspaper

There would be other tough games as everyone in the Valley was gunning for Antigo. The next week the Robins eked out a 6-0 win over Merrill, #2 in the conference at the time. Merrill’s defense was strong even though Antigo out gained them 193-63 yards. The Blue Jay’s just lacked the offensive punch to beat the Robins. Again, it was a determined drive and a six-yard score with 10:32 left in the game that made the difference. The team overcame mistakes, five fumbles to take the win while Merrill had five of their own fumbles, two lost, and threw three interceptions. Dan Thorpe was back, sometimes playing tailback, as he alternated with Tom Meyer. As a team they had 69 offensive plays with Bradley carrying 27 times but for only 87-yards. The next week they played Rhinelander and won 26-12 but it took two second half scores to break the 12-12 halftime tie.

Week seven brought a tough 6-0 win over Wausau West, a team who the week before lost to Wausau East, 19-0 despite tossing six interceptions and losing three of four fumbles. Antigo had beaten Wausau East in the second game of the season, 34-12 but against West they couldn’t find the endzone but one time they outgained the Warriors a crazy 195 yards to only allowing 32. Things were much better the following week as the Robins costed to a 32-0 win over Shawano. Next up was the conference season finale against Stevens Point.

Just a day before the game vs. SPASH word arrived that former star back for Antigo, Joe Pilecky had died in a car crash. Joe had graduated in 1973 and had played on the 1972 and 1973 mythical championship teams. He attended UW-Stevens Point but his career was cut short due to a knee injury. Each game before the team would go out onto the field Gordy would say a prayer and this time his voice seemed to breakup. It was a sad but inspiring prayer and they went out and won19-8. It was a tough game for SPASH quarterback Tom Lundquist as he tossed two of his season and conference record 20 interceptions. John Payant and Tom Meyer had the picks while Dan Thorpe had a 25-yard touchdown run and added two two-point conversions and a 30-yard field goal. Next up was the playoffs.

As mentioned before, Antigo had dropped to #2 in the polls but they were set to play the #5 ranked team, Milwaukee Madison. Racine Park had jumped to the #1 spot in the polls and they faced #3 South Milwaukee. The game against Madison, played in Oshkosh, was a surprise to Coach Schofield. First, his team scored a season high 36 points in the 36-16 win but they also fumbled 11-times, losing three, two of which were recovered by Madison and turned two into touchdowns. Before 4,000 fans Bill Igl carried 23-times for 108 yards scoring three times while Thorpe gained 58 yards on eight carries with one touchdown plus a two-point conversion. He was two for two passing for 60-yards and two touchdowns. As a team they rolled up a season high 345 total yards and allowed only 103.

The following weekend was the first WIAA Class AA (Later changed to Division 1) Championship game, again played in Oshkosh against #1 Racine Horlick. Both were 10-0. In the previous 10 years Antigo averaged just over 30 points a game and rolled up 300 yards+ per game. With those stats Schofield had been able to substitute freely but this season he wasn’t able to do so, playing the starters all the way. Those players were relied on most of the time and they did the job and did it well. Horlick in 1976 averaged 30+ points and 300+ yards per game going into the title game but Antigo shut them down. Antigo intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble as they gained 194 total yards and held the Rebels to 42 yards rushing and 44 yards passing. Again, the Red Robins won the game of turnovers, intercepting two balls and recovering a fumble. Dave Strobel was the “monster man” in the 52-Monster defense. His job was to key on Horlick’s star back, Zenith Driver who, after gaining over 750 yards and eight touchdowns coming into the title game. Driver only gained 18 yards in 11 carries. Assistant coach Dennis Schmidtke ran the scout team as usual in preparation of the big game and the team was ready. The coaches seemed to be afraid of Driver but they needn’t have worried.

Paul Wirth recovered a Madison fumble and on third and ten Randy Zoern was just able to cross the goal line for the only score of the game. A Robin fumble midway through the fourth quarter gave the Rebels the ball on the Antigo 41-yard line. On fourth and one on the 32, Dean Seis stopped the opposing runner for no gain. Horlick would again have the ball but with 1:41 remaining. Terry Grams would intercept a pass and the defense again came to the rescue. When the game ended fans rushed onto the field to celebrate. The trip home was fun and when the team buses approached the city a parade of emergency vehicles escorted the caravan into town. They proceeded to the school and in the gym Coach Schofield praised his team for their performance. There were a lot of standouts on the team. Dan Thorpe would earn all-conference as quarterback and defensive back, Pat Bradley would be honored at a running back spot on the team, Joe Miller was also named as a defensive back and John Payant was named as a linebacker. Four others received honorable mention on offense and one additional defensive player was named as well. Other key players that were often and mentioned in the newspaper were Dave Strobel, Tom Meyer, Joe Mattek, Mark Kautza, Rolan Buck, Tom Stanke, Pete Solin, Bill Igl, Terry Grams and Dean Seis who had been moved from the offensive end spot to a tackle position. Dan Thorpe was named to the UPI All-State football team on both the offense as a quarterback and on defense as a defensive back and was named by the UPI as the State Player-of-the-Year. He also earned All-State honors as a defensive back on the AP team.

When the 1976 season ended, Antigo had a 25 game winning streak. Antigo was voted as the team to beat again the next year in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The streak would end though in the 1977 season opener in a 12-6 loss to Stevens Point. The 1977 team would go 6-3 and finish 2nd in the Valley before bouncing back in 1978 to win another state championship. As before, it’s not about the numbers but it’s about the results and how you play the game. For many it was the life lessons on how to play the game of life. You win as a team and you lose as a team even outside the playing field. As Dale Peterson stated, It's what you do with it (your life) that counts". I'm sure Coach Schofield would agree.

I again offer my thanks to some of Coach Schofield's former players for contributing to this and the first part of this story. The 1976 team held a 40th reunion in 2016 and many former players attended. At the reunion Coach said that winning a state title was great but he thought that often, when there were limited teams available to enter the playoffs (1976-1990s) that the chance for a state title diminished the achievements of teams who won their conference. So, even though he won three WIAA titles he was most proud of his Wisconsin Valley Conference title teams.

The Antigo team celebrated a 40 year reunion in 2016. With Coach's passing last year there are still some hopes for a 50th Antigo reunion. Several former 1976 Antigo players and I wholly agree that there should be a special reunion, maybe held in Madison and supported by the WIAA and the WFCA in 2026. Maybe on the Thursday or Friday of the state football championships and those two organizations sponsor, not only gathering of the four state title winners from the first WIAA championships...Antigo, Menomonee Falls, Plymouth and DeSoto...but have a gathering for the runner ups...Racine Horlick, Clintonville, Iowa-Grant and Wild Rose. It would be a great effort to honor those coaches and players who battled for the title. I'll be passing this suggestion on to the WIAA and WFCA in the hopes they can get together on this. Could be a great time for all.