A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1956 All-State/Final Rankings

1956 was a banner year for 8-Man football growth in Nebraska, as the game swelled from 47 to 83 teams. The 44% increase prompted the ratings experts to split 8-Man football into two classes, 8-Man A and 8-Man B.

The Omaha World-Herald final ratings included both classes with Class B placing three teams in that final mythical grouping.

Here is a listing of all Nebraska high school football teams playing 8-Man football in 1956 with their final records included;

83 Teams played 8-Man football in 1956 and they were;

Exeter (9-0), Big Springs (9-0), Mullen (9-0), Wallace (9-1), Crofton (8-0), Dakota City (8-0), Stapleton (8-1), Amherst (7-0-1), Elm Creek (7-0-1), Coleridge (7-1), Lyman (7-2), Madrid (7-2-1), Mitchell Sunflower (7-2), Potter (6-1). Fairmont (6-1), Ulysses (6-1-2), Sutherland (6-2), Arthur (6-1), Beemer (6-1), Rising City (6-1-2), Wausa (5-2), McCool Junction (4-2-1), Spencer (5-2), Cedar Bluffs (5-3), Maywood (5-3), Brady (5-3), Loomis (5-3), Orleans (5-3), Norfolk Sacred Heart (5-3-1), Paxton (5-3-1), O’Neill St. Marys (5-5-1), Harrisburg (4-2), Niobrara (4-2-1), Emerson (4-3), Utica (4-3-1), Rosalie (4-3-1), Mead (4-3-1), Shelby (4-3-2), Axtell (4-4), Overton (4-4), Wilcox (4-4), Elsie (4-5), Lodgepole (4-5), Hershey (4-5), Lewellen (4-6), Newcastle (4-3-1), York St. Joseph (3-3-1), Ceresco (3-4-2), McGrew (3-4), Bradshaw (3-5), Stratton (3-5), Palisade (3-6), Verdigre (3-6), Milford (3-4-2), Bancroft (3-6), Winnebago (2-3-1), Brule (2-5), Hayes Center (2-5), Winside (2-5), Gurley (2-5), Wayne Hahn (2-5)-1, Valparaiso (2-5-1), Leigh (2-6), Thedford (2-6), Beaver Crossing (2-6-1), Dalton (2-6-1), Sumner (2-7), Tryon (2-8-1), Dix (1-5), North Platte St. Pats (1-5-1), Randolph (1-6-1), Haigler (1-6), Elkhorn (1-6), Butte (1-6), Lynch (1-6), Broadwater (1-6), Gresham (0-5-1), Homer (0-5-1), Osmond (0-7-1), Maxwell (0-7-1), Hildreth (0-4), Melbeta (0-6), Venango (0-7).

*1956 8-Man All-State Football Team*

(* = repeater from 1955)

End---Harry Stewart-Niobrara, 5-7, 170, Senior, (17 years old)

End---*Vernon Thomsen-Exeter, 6-0, 180, Senior (16 yo)

Guard-Edward Weir-Sutherland, 5-9, 185, Senior, (17 yo)

Guard-Leonard Moyer-Mullen, 5-11, 165, Senior, (17 yo)

Center-Tom Harling-Fairmont, 6-0, 175, Senior, (17 yo)

Back--*Jerry Steffen-Crofton, 5-11, 185, Senior, (16 yo)

Back----Larry Mercer-Big Springs, 5-9, 150, Senior, (16 yo)

Back---Ken Magnuson-Stapleton, 5-10, 155, Senior, (17 yo)

Final 1956 Nebraska 8-Man Football Ratings*

*(according to Gregg McBride/Omaha World-Herald)

1 Big Springs (9-0)

41 Lodgepole…0 - 52 Brule……….14

45 Gurley…...…6 - 52 Lewellen…..13

41 Paxton……...0 - 40 Sutherland…6

41 Broadwater...0 - 33 Potter……….0

1 * Dalton……..0

*(Forfeit)

Coach-Lou Stueckrath

2. Exeter (9-0)

38 Beaver Crossing…8 - 57 Milford………………..7

63 Shubert…………...6 - 29 Seward Concordia…12

38 Western……….…..7 - 46 McCool Junction…..14

42 Sterling…………....6 - 52 Mead……………….....12

14 Fairmont…………..0

3. Crofton (8-0)

21 O’Neill St. Marys…0 - 47 Wayne Hahn…0

44 Osmond…………....0 - 38 Newcastle…….0

46 Randolph…………..0 - 30 Winside……….0

41 Coleridge…………...0 - 8 Wausa……….....6

4. Mullen (9-0)

7 Tryon…………..6 - 45 Maxwell……………….....6

18 Thedford……13 - 14 Stapleton…………….....13

31 Thedford……20 - 12 North Platte St. Pats…7

19 Arthur……….13 - 28 Hershey………………....14

46 Hyannis…….12

5. Stapleton (7-1)

21 Maxwell……….6 - 26 Sutherland….19

53 Tryon………....19 - 31 Brady………….7

19 Hershey……....13 - 13 Mullen……….14

27 N. P. St. Pats…7 - 53 Paxton………..12

6. Amherst (7-0-1)

33 Overton……..0 - 53 Axtell………...6

13 Elm Creek….13 - 43 Pleasanton…0

57 Loomis………7 - 45 Wilcox………..8

45 Sumner……..0 - 32 *O’Neill SM..13

*(Legion Bowl at Wahoo)

7. Dakota City (8-0)

32 Randolph…13 - 31 Rosalie………..0

65 Homer…….26 -49 Winnebago…...7

26 Bancroft……0 - 18 Emerson……...12

25 Beemer…….7 - 25 *O’Neill SM……7

8. Elm Creek (7-0-1)

39 Orleans…..6 - 25 Loomis………6

13 Amherst…13 - 40 Wilcox……….0

21 Axtell………7 - 30 Pleasanton….0

33 Overton…..15 - 40 Sumner…….13

9. Potter (6-1)

28 Mitchell Sunflower…0 - 31 Dalton……...13

36 Broadwater…………...0 - 26 Dix…………....7

53 Gurley………………......0 - 0 Big Springs…33

47 Lodgepole…………......6

Coach-Dean Thieafeld

10. Sutherland (6-2)

Only losses were to #1 Big Springs (6-40) and

#5 Stapleton (19-26). Unable to find remainder.

of their scores.

*AND……here is a real bonus, and a shocking one at that.

Here are the Nebraska high school student enrollments as compiled by the Nebraska Department of Education that the NSAA used for determining classifications for sports.

There are some real knee jerkers considering current 2023/2024 enrollments. Check out Class B, a classification that included such schools as Bridgeport, Minatare, Fullerton, Neligh, Chappell, Crawford, Pawnee City, Newman Grove etc.

You know that times have changed drastically when Bloomfield and Minatare were Class B in 1956 and had boy populations of 112 and 85 respectively, while Gretna and Bennington were Class D with boy enrollments of 33 and 31 respectively.

Today, Gretna has 334 boys, (Gretna East has 394), Bennington has 391 fellas. Conversely, Bloomfield has 39 boys and Minatare has but 15 males in school.

The NSAA used six classifications for basketball (AA, A, B, C, D and E) and four for football and track (A,B,C and D).

*The 1956 NSAA Classifications; *

CLASS AA

Omaha South-1,421, Omaha Tech-1,176, Lincoln Central-1,169, Omaha Central-933, Omaha North-925, Omaha Benson-702, Grand Island 648, Boys Town-540, Creighton Prep-531, Hastings-520, North Platte-506, Lincoln Northeast 543, Scottsbluff-473, Fremont-405, Kearney-351, Beatrice-335.

CLASS A

Norfolk-293, Omaha Westside-262, Fairbury-260, McCook-258, Alliance-255, Columbus-247, Omaha Cathedral-247, Lincoln Southeast-240, Nebraska City-238, Sidney-232, Lexington-216, Plattsmouth-205, South Sioux City-198, Falls City-196, York-186, Ogallala-186.

Curtis Aggies-173, Gering-172, Holdrege-170, Seward-168, Bellevue-165, Cozad-163, Omaha Holy Name-158, Broken Bow-148, Blair-147, Schuyler-146.

Crete-142, Gothenburg-138, Valentine-134, Auburn-129, Omaha St. Joseph-127, Albion-125.

CLASS B

Ord-124, Pierce-118, Superior-117, Central City-117, Minden-116, Kimball-115, Plainview-115, Aurora-115, Ainsworth-113, Bloomfield-112, Chadron-111, Columbus St. Bonaventure-111.

Lincoln Pius X-109, Bridgeport-109, Mitchell-107, Lincoln University High-107, Wahoo-105, Imperial-105, Neligh-103, Tekamah-102, Bayard-102.

West Kearney-101, Gordon-99, Ralston-95, Hartington Holy Trinity-95, Tecumseh-94, Stanton-92, West Point-91, Loup City-91, Ravenna-90.

Grand Island Central Catholic-90, Homer-88, Ashland-88, Chappell-87, Madison-87, Burwell-87, Geneva-87, Minatare-85, Hebron-85, Wymore-84, Milford-84, Crofton-83, Fullerton-83, Bassett-83, David City-83, O’Neill-83.

Crawford-82, Pawnee City-82, Wisner-81, Humboldt-81, Hemingford-81, Valley-81, Papillion-79, Grant-79, Newman Grove-78, Sutton-77, Howells-77, Wilber-76.

North Bend-76, Pender-75, Morrill-75, Lyons-73, Scribner-73.

CLASS C

Creighton-73, Rushville-71, Randolph-71, St. Paul-70, O’Neill St. Marys-70, Wauneta-69, Gibbon-69, Wakefield-68, Hay Springs-68, Oakland-67, Atkinson West Holt-67, Oshkosh-67, Syracuse-67, Seward Concordia-65, Franklin-65, Winnebago-64, Red Cloud-64, Sidney St. Patrick-63, Hastings St. Cecilia-63.

Norfolk Sacred Heart-62, Henderson-62, Wausa-62, Springview-61, Deshler-61, Louisville-60, Arapahoe-60, Wood River-60, Stromsburg-60, Shelton-59, Benkleman-59, Battle Creek-59, Cambridge-58, Allen-58, Mullen-58, North Platte St. Patrick-57, Nelson-57, Omaha Sacred Heart-57, David City St. Marys-56, Genoa-56, Blue Hill-56, Fremont St. Patrick-56.

Laurel-56, Clarkson-55, Bertrand-55, Oxford-54, Alma-54, Pilger-54, Taylor-54, Elm Creek-53, Coleridge-53, Exeter-53, Sutherland-53, Arlington-52, Adams-52, Weeping Water-52, Harvard-51, Beaver City-51, Trenton-50, Cortland-50, Ponca-49, Litchfield-49, Clarks-49, Friend-49.

Ewing-48, Niobrara-48, Spalding Academy-48, Walthill-48, Osmond-48, Humphrey High-48, Butte-48, Elkhorn-47, Osceola-47, Spencer-47, Tilden-47, Callaway-47, Hartington-47, St. Edward-47, Ansley-46, Hayes Center-46, Orleans-46, Bancroft-46, Lyman-46, Mead-46, Scotia-45.

Cairo-45, Lewiston-44, Arnold-44, Waverly-44, Leigh-43, Randolph St. Francis-43, Emerson-43, Lodgepole-43, Sterling-43, Big Springs-42, Kenesaw-42, Stuart-42, Fairmont-42, Mitchell Sunflower-42, Valparaiso-42,

Hyannis-41, Chadron Prep-41, Cedar Rapids-41, Humphrey St. Francis-41, Sargent-41, Beemer.

Decatur-40, Thedford-40, Arcadia-40, Cedar Bluffs-40, Nehawka-40, Culbertson-38, Palmyra-38, Polk-38, Verdigre-38, Alliance St. Agnes-38, Newcastle-38, Peru Prep-38, Potter-37, Winside-37, Elgin St. Boniface-37, Shubert-37, Greeley Sacred Heart-36, Ceresco-36.

CLASS D

Atkinson St. Joseph-36, Bartlett-36, Indianola-36, Utica-36, Hildreth-36, Lawrence-36, Chadron Assumption-35, Paxton-35, Dodge-35, Hershey-35, Orchard-35, Bartley-34, Fairfield-34, Odell-34, Eustis-34, Rising City-34, Filley-34, Johnson-34, Pleasanton-34, Axtell-33, Clay Center-33.

Diller-33, Meadow Grove-33, Shickley-33, Roseland-33, Bradshaw-33, Gretna-33, Uehling-33, Naper-33, Elwood-32, Madrid-32, Milligan-32, Palmer-32, Stapleton-32, Malcolm-32, Overton-32, Snyder, Belgrade-31, Davenport-31, Chester-31, Brock-31, Herman-31, Wolbach-31.

Bennington-31, Campbell-31, Farnam-31, Red Willow (McCook)-31, Craig-30, Elk Creek-30, Guide Rock-30, Giltner-30, Edger-30, McCool Junction-30, Table Rock-30, Barneston-29, Holmsville-29, Lindsay Holy Family-29, Stratton-29, Beatrice St. Joseph-29, Springfield-29, Center-29.