October 7, 1966. Halfback Steve Pelot of Wisconsin Rapids Assumption ran for 135 yards on 23 carries while scoring two rushing touchdowns and running for three extra point conversions in a 21-7 win. Going into the game against La Crosse Aquinas, Assumption was ranked #6 in the AP press poll while Aquinas was ranked #5. (In the UPI poll Aquinas was #6 and Assumption was #11). While outgaining Assumption 264-235 in yardage, the Aquinas Blugolds turned the ball over four times, two that set up Royals touchdowns. Another hero for Assumption was Dick Hyland, brother of future Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs coach, Bob Hyland. Dick punted six times for a 48.6 average, including one of 78 yards. A tight end, Dick also caught two passes for 42-yards including the first score of the game, a 29-yarder. With the win Assumption moved up to the #3 position in the AP. Aquinas dropped to the #16 spot. The two schools would end up in the final AP statewide poll with Aquinas ranked #8 and Assumption #10 after they lost their final game.
The Central Wisconsin Catholic Conference in 1966 was a very tough league. Early in the season Eau Claire Regis, Marshfield Columbus and Prairie du Chien Campion were all in the hunt for the conference title along with Aquinas and Assumption. Hoping for their second unbeaten season in the school’s 15-year history, the Royals were denied that fete as they fell 14-7 in their final game against Columbus to finish 8-1-0. The game featured a battle of minds by two HOF coaches…Walt Kroll of Columbus and Don Penza of Assumption. Penza was successful at the Wisconsin Rapids school, then took time away to go into politics before moving to Illinois and becoming a HOF coach at Marion Central Catholic in Woodstock IL. Kroll had a 219-99-2 career record and two WISAA titles. Penza was 68-18-2 at Assumption and 90-18, including three Class 2A state titles at Marion.
Why mention all this you may ask? More on other coaches later but first, the head man at Aquinas and the rest of the season.
John Michuta was 150-86-11 in 33-years of coaching football (1940-71). His final team was 10-1 and the WISAA state football runner-up. In 1949 the Blugolds went 9-0-0 and tied with Racine St. Catherine’s for the state Catholic title. John’s 1961 team was also undefeated posting a 7-0-1 record. It was often said that Michuta’s football teams only had 10-plays and everybody knew them…players and opponents. He would still beat an opponent because he drilled the basics into his men. He was much like Green Bay packer coach Vince Lombardi.
As a basketball coach at Aquinas (1941-64), he was 327-200 with five state private school titles. A rough and tumble man, Michuta was a champion boxer at Notre Dame and a starting tackle on the 1933-35 Irish football teams. He coached football, first at West Bend in 1938-39 and then from 1940-71 at Aquinas. John was honored as a member of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1980. 1966 may have been Coach John Michuta’s best team although they weren’t undefeated. At one time or another he coached just about every sport at Aquinas. When he stepped down as head football coach in June of 1972 he stayed on as a biology teacher and golf coach. And yes, golf was a fall sort and at one time he split duties coaching both sports during the same season.
John Michuta…WFCA profile photo
The Blugolds opened the season with a convincing 47-6 win over Chippewa Falls McDonell. Quarterback John Pincsak was the star as he went 12-7-0-197-2 passing along with two rushing touchdowns. Next was Prairie du Chien Campion who fell 34-0 and then a 26-6 victory over Marshfield Columbus. All three opponents were good teams and injuries would take a toll on all of them but if they could just get things going, they could be contenders for the CWCC title. After three weeks Aquinas was 3-0-0 and the other three schools were 2-1-0. Then their seasons fell apart as they weren’t up to vying for the conference crown.
La Crosse Tribune, November 23, 1966
Next up was city foe La Crosse Logan who held Aquinas to 140points for the first three quarters before their offense exploded for three touchdowns. In the 35-0 victory the Blugolds outgained Logan 524-yards to 123-yards. Workhorse fullback Mike Weber gained 148-yards on 23-carries to lead the way before a crowd of nearly 5,000 fans. The all-time series record moved to 16-16-1 with the Aquinas win. Coming into the game the Logan Rangers were 1-1-1 having given up only four touchdowns on the year, so far. Having gained 533, 478 and 326-yards in their first three games the Blugolds were a juggernaut on offense to be reckoned with. And their defense was also tough.
But now came the showdown with Assumption and the mistakes proved costly as noted above.
With the loss the team needed to regroup. Their next foe was La Crosse Central for the city title. If Aquinas won, it would be their 13tn in the city-series going back to 1934. The game also featured an unusual situation. Senior linebacker Dan Gordon would face his brother, junior guard/defensive end Duane now playing for Central after transferring following the previous year. Three starters on defense were either out or were doubtful as to playing much for Aquinas. The game was played on Saturday, but the Blugolds needed a win to keep pace any chance of coming back and tying Assumption for the SWCC title. The Royals played Thursday night and beat Stevens Point Pacelli 40-7 to stay undefeated. Aquinas was up to the task against Central, keyed by Mike Weber’s 140 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the 27-0 win. Central fell to 1-5-0. The Gordon’s each had six tackles. Now 5-1-0 the Blugolds still had a chance for the CWCC title.
With three games left Aquinas was on a mission. They wanted to make a statement to the conference and the state. Next up was Wausau Newman and the Blugolds manhandled the Fighting Cardinals to the tune of 47-13. Despite having 125-yards in penalties, 3 turnovers and three touchdowns called back, Aquinas picked up 347-yards rushing. John Lynch returned one of three team passes that were intercepted for a 51-yard touchdown with just 19-seconds left on the clock. Next up was Stevens Point Pacelli, and the game was the biggest blowout of the season, a school record 70-0 win. Mike Weber was again the top scorer in the game as he gained 81-yards with three touchdowns. Prior to 1969 non-kicking extra points were worth one-point. Weber scored five extra points on runs. At this time, as far as I can determine, this is a state record for one-point non-kicking conversions in a single game.
How strong was the Blugolds ground game against Pacelli? Besides Weber’s 81-yards of the 439 rushing yards (Plus 103 yards passing, 542 total yards) the team gained, Tom Wuensch lead the way with 104-yards, followed by Dave Hyde gaining 88-yards, Dan Rathburn picked up 66-yards and Henry Funk chipped in with 63. Greg Hilbert touched the ball six times with three of those carries as one point conversion runs. The defense came through in a big way allowing three first downs on 75-yards rushing and zero passing. Mike Cahill and Dan Stanek each blocked a punt as Pacelli averaged only 14-yards on seven punts. The game was played on a Friday night. Saturday Marshfield Columbus upset Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, 14-7 so Aquinas could clinch a tie for the SWSS title with a win the next week against Eau Claire Regis. At this point Assumption ended the season with a 6-1-0 conference record while Aquinas had a 5-1-0 record going into the finale.
With all this offense so far could the Blugolds get better? They could. In the final win, a 48-0 blowout over Regis, the teams netted 609 total yards, an unhear- of total for this era. The Ramblers could only muster 73 yards. Mike Weber scored two touchdowns and three extra points to end the season with 121 total points scored, a new La Crosse City record. His 86 conference points surpassed the 73 scored by Regis halfback Brad House. Halfback Tom Wuensch scored twice, had another long run nullified by a clipping penalty and finished with 162yards on 12 carries plus scoring an extra point. Halfback/receiver Dan Rathburn caught five passes for 112 yards and gained 77yards on the ground in 11 carries and an had a 14-yard touchdown run and an extra point. Leading the team was quarterback John Pincsak whom was six for eight and 117 yards passing along with a TD pass. In this game he set a school single season record, ending with 1,047 yards passing.
As a team the Blugolds set school records with 3,017 yards on the ground, five-yards short of the school record. They passed for a school record 1,069 yards for a total of 4.091 yards or a 454.56 average. This was by far better than any team in the state that year. The team was well rounded with seniors and juniors. Senior John Pincsak only had a .376 completion percentage due to many dropped passes. If you look at his first and final game totals the receivers held on to the ball much better. If they had done so in the other games his and the team's offensive totals would have been even better, and they would have scored even more points.
This ends the long recap of Aquinas High School, 1966 but I promised more.
Some of the other great coaches in the CWCC besides John Michuta, Walt Kroll and Don Penza in 1966 were:
As an assistant coach in 1966 for Stevens Point Pacilli, Bob Raczak was waiting his turn and in 1967 he moved up to the head coach position. After a 19-game losing streak took the Cardinals to a 4-5-0 record in his first year. He would enter the WFCA HOF with a career record of 248-128-2. Bob’s Cardinal’s would earn 11 conference titles, two WISAA championships and be runner-up six times.
Bill Donahue at Eau Claire Regis went 5-3-1 in 1966 and 41-16-6 in 7-seasons before he left the coaching profession in 1967 to earn a master's and then a Doctorate degree at an out of state university. If he had stayed on as the head coach of the Ramblers, he might have earned a spot on the HOF.
At Prairie du Chien Campion, Louis G. Friedrichs was completing a 20+ distinguished coaching career. L.G., after starting as a halfback at Oklahoma took the head coaching spot in 1941 at Milwaukee Marquette University High School and posted a 5-2-0 record. After serving in the service during World War II he took the head coaching job in his hometown at New Orleans Holy Cross High (1945-48) going 31-4-0, then in 1949 he coached St. Louis (MO) University High accounting for a 7-2 record. Fredrichs took the head coaching position at Omaha (NE) Creighton Prep where his team was the state champion (Press Poll) in 1953and 1954, earning a 26-8-0 record (1951-54). He then moved to Davenport (IA) St. Ambrose College earing a 25-19-1 record. He was at Campion 1961-67 with his record there was 40-22-1, 4-5-0 in 1966. That’s a prep career coaching record of 109-36-1. A winner wherever he went.
It's hard to believe there was so much coaching talent in a seven-team conference in one season.
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