A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1957 All-State/Final Rankings

The game of 8-Man football received another boost in 1957 when several 6-Man teams, who had the player numbers to justify it, decided to move up to the popular way to play football in the Husker state.

The 6-Man game took the biggest hit in 1957, shrinking from 105 teams playing in 1956, down to 78.

Eleven-man football in Nebraska lost 8 of its 189 teams competing in 1956 to the 8-Man game in ‘57.

A total of 120 teams played 8-Man football in 1957, and here are those schools with their final won/loss totals that year.

The 120 Teams that played 8-Man football in 1957:

Red Willow (10-0), O’Neill St. Marys (9-0), Exeter (8-0), Elm Creek (8-0), Sidney St. Patricks, Arthur (8-1), Ceresco (8-1), Emerson (8-1), Shelby (8-1), Sutherland (7-1), Amherst (7-1), Brady (7-1), Dakota City (7-1), Davenport (7-1), Fairfield (7-1), Loomis (7-1), Chadron Assumption (7-1), Bartley (7-2), Culbertson (7-2), Hayes Center (7-2), Mitchell Sunflower (7-3), Filley (6-1), Gurley (6-1), Chester (6-2), Overton (6-2), Odell (6-2), Big Springs (6-3), Utica (6-3), Mead (6-3), Wayne Hahn (5-1), Dwight Assumption (5-2). Wausa (5-2), Ulysses (5-2), Potter (5-2-1), Hershey (5-2-1), Alliance St. Agnes (5-3), Holbrook (5-3), Milford (5-3), North Platte St. Pats (5-3), Lodepole (5-3-1), Paxton (5-3-1), Stapleton (5-3-1), Bancroft (5-4), Cedar Bluffs (5-4), McGrew (4-2), Coleridge (4-2), Donpihan (4-2-1), Kenesaw (4-2-1), Juniata (4-3), Venango (4-3), Lewiston (4-3), Maywood (4-3), Eustis (4-4), Axtell (4-4), Loomis (4-4), Elsie (4-4), Harrison (4-4), Norfolk Sacred Heart (4-4), Pleasanton (4-4), Niobrara (4-4-1), Lyman (4-5), Indianola (4-5), Palisade (4-6), Melbeta (3-2), Beemer (3-3), Newcastle (3-3), Beaver Crossing (3-4), Fairmont (3-4), Madrid (3-4), McCool Junction (3-4), Naper (3-4), Thedford (3-4), Cortland (3-5), Dalton (3-5), Farnum (3-5), Lewellen (3-5), Rising City (3-5), Bruning (3-5), Valparaiso (3-5), Edger (3-6), Bellwood Marietta (2-3-1), York St. Joseph (2-3), Winnebago (2-3), Dix (2-4), Giltner (2-4), Elkhorn (2-5), Campbell (2-5), Friend (2-5), Hardy (2-6), Sumner (2-6), Bradshaw (2-6), Homer (1-3-1), Holstein (1-4), Trumbull (1-4), Wallace (1-5-1), Mullen (1-5-1), Fremont St. Pats (1-5), Osmond (1-5), Winside (1-5), Verdigre (1-6-1), Spencer (1-6), Beatrice St. Joe (1-6), Hildreth (1-7), Lynch (1-7), Maxwell (1-7), Stratton (1-7), Benkleman (1-7), Leigh (1-8), Adams (0-6-1), DeWitt (0-8-1), Roseland (0-5), Haigler (0-6), Rosalie (0-7), Tryon (0-7), Broadwater (0-7), Gresham (0-7), Brule (0-8), Harrisburg (0-8), Wilcox (0-8).

*1957 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---Dave Pohlmeier-Lawrence, 5-11, 160, Senior (18 years old)

End---Don Reimers-Red Willow, 5-11, 166, Junior, (15 yo)

Guard-Don McVasey-Norfolk Sacred Heart, 6-0, 220, Senior, (17 yo)

Guard-Tom Harre-Exeter, 6-0, 165, Senior, (17 yo)

Center-Bruce Weier-O’Neill St. Marys, 5-9,165, Senior, (17 yo)

Back---Larry Bristol--Exeter, 5-9, 169, Senior, (17 yo)

Back---Harvey Fisher-Amherst, 5-8, 150, Senior, (17 yo)

Back---Burdette Malleck-Red Willow, 5-7, 158, Senior, (17 yo)

For this year's Final 8-Man Top 10, I’m just going to include the top three teams game by game results. One interesting and extraordinary highlight of this group was the fact O’Neill St. Marys won three games in a span of 7 days during the 1957 season, defeating Niobrara, Verdigre and Norfolk Sacred Heart while outscoring the trio 163-19 in the process.

1957 Final 8-Man Top 10

1. Exeter, 8-0

25 Odell……………....12. - 52 Sterling…13

26 Beaver Crossing…0 - 46 Ceresco…12

41 Norfolk S.H……….7 - 21 Milford…….6

52 Fairmont…………..0 - 43 Mead……...7

Coach-Rick Gibson

2. Red Willow, 10-0

60 Stratton….…..0. - 26 Palisade………..6

51 Culbertson.....7 - 58 Holbrook….......13

46 Indianola…….0 - 48 Farnam………….7

34 Bartley………..0 - 1 xHayes Center…..0

76 Wilsonville….26 - 44 * Dakota City….7

(x=forfeit), *=(Hastings Big Brothers Bowl)

Coach-Don McKillip

3. O’Neill St. Marys, 9-0

14 Crofron……..13 - 21 Norfolk S.H….19

21 Springview…6 - 40 Naper…………...0

61 Lynch………..0 - 20 Butte…………....6

63 Niobrara…...0 - 1 xSpencer……......0

80 Verdigre.…..0

x=(forfeit)

Coach-D.F. Templemeier

….and the remainder of the Top Ten;

4. Ceresco, 8-1

Coach-Bill Schubacker

5. Brady, 7-1

Coach-Cal Cordes

6. Sutherland, 7-1

Coach-Unknown

7. Elm Creek, 8-0

Coach-Don Williams

8. Amherst, 7-1

Coach-Earl Jensen

9. Dakota City, 7-1

Coach-Garlie Sailers

10. Norfolk Sacred Heart, 4-4

Coach: Fred Lethby