HILLTOPPERS VS CRUSADERS…1980’S… PART 2

Moving on from last time.

1986

The two teams met up for two very outstanding games in 1986.  The conference season opener was played at Waukesha South Stadium.  The week before the two met, each played interesting opponents.  Marquette went to Marshfield in a matchup of two of the decade’s best teams.  Columbus was the WISAA champion in 1980 and the game was billed as a matchup of two 1980’s powerhouses.  Fans attending were not disappointed as Marshfield won in overtime 27-24 in a game that saw the lead change hands several times.  Waukesha faced a good Mukwonago team that shot itself in the foot by fumbling six times, losing four as well as tossing two interceptions as Memorial pulled out a 28-20 victory

Game one between Marquette and Memorial was another matchup of a team having a lead only to lose it and then comeback to seal the victory.  Marquette scored on a 36-yard interception return and a 2-yard run for a 13-0 halftime lead.  Then, Memorial scored twice on a 1-yard run and an 80-yard interception touchdown return by Chip Wall (With 1:55 left in the game).  A two-point conversion gave the Crusaders the 14-13 lead.  Following the Memorial interception score, a Hilltopper 31-yard kickoff return followed by a 46-yard drive on eight plays ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass and a Marquette 20-14 victory with just 21-seconds remaining.

Six games later, they met again.  Marquette was the Metro champion and Memorial had placed second.  Both had been 1-1 when they first met and now Marquette was 8-1 and Memorial was 7-2.  The two schools were then facing each other in the first round of the playoffs on the Hilltoppers home field, Hart Park in Wauwatosa.  Both coaches thought their team had improved.  Marquette was playing better defense, and their passing game had improved.  It was the same for Memorial as they had changed starting quarterbacks, and the defense had been “shored up”.  As it turned out, the Crusaders defense was better, as they turned back the Hilltoppers, 10-7.  A first quarter 1-yard run and a fourth quarter 35-yard field goal gave Memorial a 10-0 lead but an 80-yard punt return put Marquette on the board but that was it for them as the game ended 10-7.  Memorial would win the next week 21-7 against Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs.  However, their season would end in the WISAA finals with a 13-3 loss to Stevens Point Pacelli.

1987

It was the sixth game of the season for Marquette, and it was Memorials fifth game and each was undefeated. On October 3 they met at Waukesha South Stadium and like in 1986, it ended as a heartbreaker for the Crusaders.  Offensively, the two teams were fairly equal in yards gained but it was the turnovers committed by Memorial that did them in, tossing three interceptions and losing a fumble while Marquette who did fumble twice but they recovered each of them.  Catholic Memorial scored in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.  The Fighting Hilltoppers scored a touchdown and an extra point in each of the second and third quarters to take a 14-7 lead.  With 7:20 left in the game the Crusaders pulled even after a 51-yard drive on an 11-yard keeper by quarterback Chris Fox and a kick by Mark Pollnow.  Fox had a bad game in the air, 4-13-3-39 but was the team leader on the ground, with 94 yards on 16 attempts.  Following the Memorial score each teams traded the ball and then Marquette mounted a 10-play, 70-yard drive that took just 1:59 to set up an Andy DiPiazza 25-yard field goal and the 17-14 win.

Six weeks later the two met in the second round of the WISAA playoffs and this time it was in the friendly confines, for Marquette, at Wauwatosa Hart Park.  This was the eighth time in 1987 that the Fighting Hilltoppers played at their “home field”.  Memorial finished second in the Metro Conference as Marquette was still undefeated and the conference champs.  Last season Memorial stunned Marquette in the quarterfinals 10-7. After their earlier season loss, the Crusaders were geared to beat their conference foe.  In their past 13 meetings neither team had been able to score more than 21 points except for the 27-0 1985 win by Marquette.  Dick Basham felt that he was expecting a typical tight game for each while Bill young thought this might be the game things would be more of a wide-open affair.  As it turned out it was Marquette’s bigger offensive/defensive lines that wore Memorials defense down as they outgained the Crusaders 265 -178 yards.  It was two drives that were capped by running back Kevin Reilly scoring on runs of 1 and 2 yards in the second quarter leading to a narrow 14-0 win. The shutout was only the third time in the Bill Young era that his team had been shutout.  Memorial’s season ended with a 10-2 record while Marquette would play Chippewa Falls McDonell for the WISAA title, winning 26-21 and earning am undefeated 12-0 record. I ranked Marquette as the #3 team of the decade in my story on the 1980’s.

1988

It was another shutout for Marquette over Catholic Memorial (The fourth in the Bill Young era) as the Crusaders fumbled four times, losing all of them and passing for only 39 yards on 6-15-1 stats.  The Fighting Hilltoppers fumbled six times but recovered all six. They outgained Memorial on the ground, 139-70.  It was the passing of quarterback Jeff Jarecki, the Metro Conference Co-Offensive Player-of-the Year who was 8-16-1-156-2 and led the Hilltoppers.  The two teams had very good punting in the game.  Memorial had five punts for a 41.8 average.  But Marquette’s Brian Kelly was better, kicking three times for a 46.7 average.  Outgaining the Crusaders 295-109, Marquette scored early and won the battle.

Six weeks later on November 8th the two again met in the WISSA semi-finals at Hart Park.  Memorial was 7-3 at the time and Marquette, with an opening season 28-21 loss to De Pere Abbott Pennings was 10-1.  The matchup would be the highest scoring affair of the decade.  Marquette’s offense showed up and even though Memorials, didn’t, the Crusaders made the most of things.  Led again by Jeff Jarecki who was 12-16-1-134-2 passing and 46 yards rushing with a 27-yard scamper for a score.  The Fighting Hilltoppers led 34-6 at halftime and then coasted to a 42-22 victory.  Defensive back Todd Belardi contributed with an 86-yard interception touchdown in the second quarter.  Memorial only had 42-yards rushing and 114-yards passing for a total of 156 yards.  They didn’t fumble but threw three interceptions.  Conversely, besides Jarecki’s 134 passing yards the ground game came up with 213 yards. Bill Young said that the team just fell apart in the first half and couldn’t come back.  Dick Basham was, for the most part, satisfied with the win.  The 42 points was the second most that Catholic Memorial had allowed in the school’s history, behind a 49-0 loss to Marquette Academy in 1958.  The 64 total points was the highest total in the Marquette-Catholic Memorial series that dated back to 1952.

Marquette would finish the season 12-1 four days later in Oshkosh as they defeated La Crosse Aquinas 7-0 for their fourth WISAA title in the decade.

1989

The Fighting Hilltoppers opened the season with three shutout victories against non-conference opponents.  The Crusaders were 1-1 in non-conference play as the two teams were lining up on September 16 at Hart Park.  Led by first team all-conference linebacker who was also a second team all-conference fullback, 6-4, 240 Greg Mc Thomas, Marquette was on a role.  But Bill Young almost got what he wanted, which was a victory.  However, Dick Basham’s team denied Young with a 13-10 win.  The game was quite even with Marquette leading at halftime 6-0.  Memorials Rick Ritter put his team on the board in the third period with a 35-yard field goal but a fourth quarter 1-yard touchdown run by Mc Thomas kept the Highlanders ahead, 13-3.  Memorial marched 76 yards in three minutes, despite two penalties on one play.  One was a 15-yarder on a clipping penalty and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct call on the same play made things interesting.  On a third-and-32 Chris Chudzik hauled in a 33-yard pass to set up what eventually was the team’s second score.  After the extra point conversion, the Crusaders failed to convert on an onside kick with 1:35 left on the clock and Marquette ran out the clock for the 13-10 victory.

The two met again on November 11 in the WISAA semifinals.  Marquette was undefeated, 11-0, and Memorial was 8-3.  It was another showdown at Hart Park. For the fifth time in the past five years the two schools were meeting in the playoffs.  Marquette had come out on top in three of the four previous battles.  At stake was a trip to play for the state title.  Running back Doug Inda, a 1,000+ yard rusher had been injured in the opening round of the playoffs and had to sit out that game so his teammates had to do their best without him.   The Crusaders had to rally from 20-points down to pull out a 21-20 win.  It was an upset, or was it?  When these two schools play each-other anything can happen.  Looking at the stats it would seem that Marquette should have dominated.  They did, in the first half.  The final stats showed Marquette with a 23-14 advantage in first downs, 242-135 advantage on the ground, a 184-115 lead in passing and an overall 426-250 total yards.  The key to the loss was, despite a team passing statistical efficiency of 13-19 was the two interceptions that were thrown. A lost fumble also proved to be the difference maker.  Memorial only had one turnover, an interception.  Mc Thomas led Marquette with an 18-yard option pass for the first score and then scored on runs of 28 and 53-yards.  It was on this last score that the extra point was blocked.  Up 20-0 at halftime, the Crusaders were able to put some drives together in the second half, scoring three touchdowns and all three of the extra-point kicks and that was the difference.  They did it without Inda who was doubtful for the state finals against Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs.

Marquette ended as the Metro Conference Champions and a 11-1 record.  As it turned out Doug Inda would return to the field four days later at Camp Randall to rush for 157-yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns on runs of 2, 56 and 23.  The Crusaders won 28-6 over Springs (9-4 season record) and they, Memorial, ended with a 9-3 record of their own.

Hopefully you will agree that these games between conference rivals were the best of the decade.  There might have been a game or two, played by other schools but compared to the 16-games Milwaukee Marquette Academy and Waukesha Catholic Memorial played this was the best series.

The 1980’s Top Coaches:

I searched for the best records by a coach during the 1980’s and I found 11 that made my list.  Both Dick Basham and Bill Young easily made the list.  Like Basham and Young, the other nine coaches have been honored by the WFCA as Hall of Fame.  The ranking is based first on the number of state titles won and not overall wins.  At the bottom of the list, I include the two coaches for De Soto who, as a team combined for the second most wins (93) of the 1980’s.

As a note, Bob Schulz had coached De Soto for 16 seasons (1971-86), posting an outstanding 141-24-1.  His teams won the first WIAA Class C title in 1976.  He followed this with Division 6 titles in 1983 and 1984.  De Soto won 12 conference championships under his leadership.  All this before taking a head coaching position at Menasha in 1987.  Things didn’t go as well there as Menasha was the smallest school in their conference, but he still earned a place in the WFCA Coaches Hall of Fame. 

So, I think, for a while, this concludes my stories on the 1980’s.

HILLTOPPERS VS CRUSADERS…1980’S… PART 1

This story features, in two parts, two great teams who year in year out played in maybe the toughest conference in the state during the 1980’s.  The teams were directed by two Hall of Fame coaches who are representative of the most outstanding members in their profession.

In picking the top game of for the story concerning “THE 1980’s GREATS”, I ran across a series of usually close and exciting encounters between the two great ball clubs:  Milwaukee Marquette Academy and Waukesha Catholic Memorial.  The two schools played each other 16 times during the decade…once each during the regular season and six times in the WISAA playoffs.  Often, the regular season game was for bragging rights in winning the Catholic Metro Conference.  And often their games were classic battles known for terrific defense.  Only a few were blowouts.

Marquette played their first ever game in 1909, tying Milwaukee Pio Nono 0-0.  The Fighting Hilltoppers have won more games than any other school in Wisconsin football history with 775 all-time wins.  In the 1980’s the school was coached by Dick Basham who, from 1972-2012 had an 350-87 record, currently #5 on the state’s all-time win list.

Memorial with 527 career victories as of 2024, opened in 1949, played a freshman and junior varsity schedule in it’s first two years.  In 1951 they played an independent schedule before formally joining the Catholic Conference at the varsity level in 1952.  One of those games in 1951 was against future Catholic Conference powerhouse, Milwaukee Don Bosco, an upset tie, yes, tie, 6-6. 

The Hilltoppers and the Crusaders first played on September 21, 1952 with Marquette winning 31-0.  From 1952-79, 28-years, Marquette dominated the series 18-5-1.  The Catholic Conference, because of adding new schools in the 1940’s and 1950’s growing from six teams to 10 (11 teams in the 1960’s).  The Conference split into two divisions for the 1960 and 1961 seasons before reverting back to 10-11 teams in a round robin schedule so the two schools didn’t play five times in the 1952-79 period.  Currently, Bill Young has coached Waukesha Catholic Memorial since 1978 and is #3 on the state’s all-time coaching win list with a record of 413-127.

1980 was Dick Basham’s 9th season at the school and he had a then career 59-21 record at the school.  In 1979, Bill Youngs 2nd at Memorial was a very good one as he led his Crusaders to a 10-1 record and the WISAA state title.

1980

The two schools met on Saturday, October 11 at Waukesha South’s home field which they shared with Memorial.  The Crusaders was hoping for a win after losing earlier to Thomas More.  If they lost, they would probably be out of the race for the conference title.  The team had two goals going into the season.  One was to beat Marquette and the other was to win the conference title.  Memorial outgained Marquette 319-76 yet they lost 21-13.  How could that be?  First, a 31-yard punt return in the first quarter, an 88-yard kickoff return following a Crusader score and a third quarter run for a touchdown after making their only drive of the game gave Marquette the win.  Six times Waukesha had the ball inside the 20-yard line but could only score twice.  Marquette would stumble and end up with a 6-3 record for 3rd place in the Metro, but Memorial would make the playoffs and end with an 8-3 record and second place, losing to Marshfield Columbus 19-12.

1981

With a 2-2 record Memorial was facing their third WISAA top ranked team in four weeks.  Marquette was undefeated, 4-0 and headed to a second place showing in the conference after pulling out a 14-7 victory.  Memorial scored late to pull close but failed to put up another drive.  It was a tough defensive battle for each school.  The Hilltoppers would lose the next week to Thomas More and then again in the playoffs to the Cavaliers and finish with a 8-2 record.  The Crusaders would end with a 5-4 record.

1982

Both schools were undefeated early in the season when the two met and the Waukesha Freeman newspaper declared the match up as the most exciting game of the season.  Marquette had posted four consecutive shutouts to start the year while Memorial had only allowed 11 points in their first four games.  It looked to be a defensive battle, and it was.  Memorial scored first and then Marquette replied with a score in the second period and the game was tied 7-7.  Neither team generated a lot of offense, in fact, the Crusaders held the Hilltoppers to one first down and 26 yards in the second half.  After regulation the two were still all even.  Memorial got the ball first in overtime and had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by kicker Bob Vitale.  Marquette next took the ball to the 1-foot line.  On fourth down nose-guard Pat Rankin broke through the line and stopped Marquette’s Tom Klar for a two-yard loss to seal the win, 10-7.  Memorial would finish the year with a 9-1 record, win the Metro title but lose to Marquette 19-7 in the WISAA semi-finals. 

Tom Klar got his revenge in the second matchup as he led the Fighting Hilltoppers with 138 rushing yards on 25 carries and his team’s final score.  Memorial dominated in the first half taking a 7-0 lead but they couldn’t hold back Marquette.  The Crusaders fumbled on two of their first second half possessions and along with adjustments made by Dick Basham with his offensive line that allowed his quarterback, Chris Rolof, to have more time to pass and that opened up the run game.  Memorials offense was non-existent in the second half as Marquette dominated defensively.  The Hilltoppers would finish 10-1, finish 2nd to Memorial in the Metro and take the state title a few days later with a 7-0 win over Marshfield Columbus.  

1983

Waukesha Memorial again had major goals for the season, 1983.  First was to take down Milwaukee Marquette, second was to win the Metro Conference and third, go deep in the playoffs.  Marquette’s goals were similar (But of course to beat Memorial).  The Hilltoppers didn’t return a strong squad and as a result when the two schools met, even though they had a 5-2 record they were not strong offensively.  A close 3-0 defeat at the hands of Milwaukee Pius in game two and later a 21-6 loss to Thomas More the week before they would meet Memorial.  The Hilltoppers were looking to change things around.  With a goal of winning, Marquette however had again issues with moving the ball against a stubborn Memorial defense gaining only 9-yards rushing vs. Memorials 290 and in holding Marquette’s offense back Waukesha took advantage, winning 20-0.  Marquette would end the year in 4th place in the Metro with a 6-3 record.  Memorial was undefeated during the regular season, won the Metro and end up losing in the second round of the playoffs to Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (The eventual champion) 9-2 to end the year with a 10-1 record.

1984

The two schools met early in the season on September 15th and Memorial again had Marquette’s number.  The Crusaders outgained the Hilltoppers 287-129 and despite having five turnovers Memorial won 14-0.  Waukesha would have scored at least three more times if they hadn’t handed the ball over.  In the end, this meeting was not one of their classic battles.  Marquette placed 2nd in the Metro, made the playoffs, losing to St. Mary’s Springs 15-6 in the first round and finished with an 8-2 record.  Memorial again won the Metro, going undefeated until the second round of the playoffs, losing to Springs, 19-7 to finish 10-1.

1985

1985 was the first season of five consecutive years where the two schools played each other twice.  The roles were reversed from 1984 as Marquette waltzed to a 27-0 victory in their first meeting and this time, even though they only led 3-0 at halftime.  Their offense showed up in the second half gaining 355 yards to Memorials 108.  This was the Hilltoppers year as they would go 12-0 and win the WISAA title.  Memorial had a down year going 5-5 but they did make the playoffs. 

After opening the season with three consecutive losses, one to Marquette, Memorial won five of their next six games and surprised many as being named to fill a spot in the playoffs.  However, Marquette coach Dick Basham felt that Bill Youngs Crusaders earned their spot.  Unfortunately for the Crusaders, Memorials first playoff game would be against Marquette. 

What turned things around for Youngs team during the regular season was the fact that they were passing the ball much more than in the past and generally more effectivly.  Both coaches expected a close game.  However, it became the Chris Wagner show as Marquette won 24-7.  Wagner, a first team all-stater, took the opening kickoff back as he zig-zagged 85-yards for the score.  Wagner, who also played wide receiver and defensive back caught three passes for 79 yards and two scores…38 and 30 yards all from all-state quarterback Dan Novotny. As it turned out Marquette barely won the offensive statistical battle as they gained 109 yards on the ground and 127 (7-14-1) through the air for a total of 236 yards.  Because the run game wasn’t going for Memorial, gaining only 61 yards, they reverted to throwing the ball on 17-35-2-169-0 for a team total of 230 yards.  The 35 passing attempts was the most, up to this time, in the Bill Young era.  The 1985 team for Marquette was rated by me as #7 on my story entitled “THE 1980’S GREATS…PART 1”.

More on these two teams’ next time.

DEWAYNE JOHNSON…FROM PLYMOUTH AND BEYOND

While doing some research on teams from the 1980’s I noticed, looking at the WIAA web site (FOOT Playoff Scores), that Plymouth had won the 1976 first Class B WIAA state title, beating Iowa-Grant 42-12.  In 1977 the Panthers lost in the opening round of the Class B playoffs to the eventual champion, Iowa Grant 21-7.  The next year, 1978, Plymouth was back in the playoffs and won the Division 3 title for a second time, beating Prairie du Chien 34-14. (Don’t be confused …the WIAA changed the titles of the playoffs from Class to Division).  These were terrific teams.

Looking at another WIAA page…Team Champs…I noticed the name of the Plymouth coach, DeWayne Johnson.  Investigating the records further I noticed that the school didn’t make the playoffs for another 13-years (1991).  So, what happened to Johnson?  I was afraid of a tragedy.

At Plymouth   The Sheboygan Press March 29, 1979

While researching the 1979 Two Rivers regular season ending game, I noticed that Johnson wasn’t listed in the game story as being the Plymouth coach.  I then checked the WFCA Hall of Fame where I expected to find his name and get more information.  Not there.  How could a coach just drop out of sight after developing a good program?  Where did he go?  From the mid-season of 1975 the school won 35 of 36 games.  6-3- in 1975, 11-0 in 1976, 9-1 in 1977 and 11-0 in 1978.  I found a story dated March 29, 1979 in The Sheboygan Press that Told what and where he was going.  The story stated that he was resigning to take another coaching position at Anoka High School, about 25-miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He was taking over at a school that had 2,000+ students, grades 10-12 vs. 650+ students, grades 9-12 at Plymouth.  Anoka came calling, Johnson listened and moved on.  But like a lot of coaching moves there is additional information about the new landing spot.

DeWayne Johnson graduated from Cameron High School in 1961 who earned 11 letters playing four sports.  He went on to UW-River Falls where he co-captained the 1966 football team as he earned honors as a defensive end and center.  While at River Falls, he also played on two conference championship baseball teams.  Following graduation DeWayne took a math teaching position and a coaching job at New Richmond.  He was the head baseball coach at New Richmond and assisted with football and basketball.  His baseball teams won two conference titles.  The New Richmond Tigers football squads had a 10-8 record during his two years there.

In 1969 he took the head football position at Plymouth and taught math as well.  Things started slow as the school won only five games the first three years but in 1972 things began to change.  Creating what many thought was the best off-season weight-training program in the state was a start.  The Plymouth Panthers began to quickly improve as a result of the training.  The school won their last two games in 1971 and the won the 10-team Packerland Conference title in 1972 by ending with a 9-0 record.  beginning in 1972 Plymouth won 53 conference games and four titles. 

DeWayne Johnson and his family, wife Sharon who was also a teacher at the Riverview Middle School in Plymouth, and two young boys moved to Anoka in June of 1979.  The Minnesota program he was taking over was a good one. 

Under the previous Coach Stan Nelson, who retired, Anoka had posted a career 154-70-8 record in 26-seasons.  The 1978 season the school had gone 6-3.  Nelson would be inducted into the Minnesota State Football Coaches Hall of Fame.  His team, playing in one of the state’s toughest conferences in Minnesota was the state runner-up in 1963 and then won the 1964 state title.  He also coached three players who went on to play in the NFL, including his son, Steve.  As a linebacker who played 14-seasons with the New England Patriots Steve totaled 207 career tackles.

Johnson at Anoka from the school profile page

Johnson coached and taught for 24-years at Anoka, posting a 212-122-2 record. His Tornado teams won the 1990 and 1994 state titles. In 1996 he was named the state Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Minnesota State Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009. DeWayne coached 14 first team All-State players and two who eventually played in the NFL.

Coach Johnson instituted several practices that became staples of the Tornado football program such as a player-parent mixer on the first day of fall camp; an annual team pig roast; a spaghetti dinner the day before a game and a team party following the game. There is an annual community clean-up day during which players volunteer for various tasks to improve the local community. All events that have continued after his coaching days. Anoka's success and team spirit continued after DeWayne Johnson retired in 2002.

He sadly passed in 2019 at age 76.

As I mentioned in the start of this story, it took Plymouth 13 years to make it back to the playoffs. While there have not been any additional state championships the Panthers have made the post season every year, 32 consecutive seasons (Except for the non-playoff 2020 COVID year) since 1991.