A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1961 All-State Teams/Final Rankings

*154 Teams played 8-Man football in 1961*

The number of schools playing 8-Man football actually decreased for the first time since making its debut in 1951 when seven teams gave the game a go.

The decrease was mostly due to the teams playing 11-Man increased by 16, contributing to the 8-Man team pool shrinking from 167 to 154.

*1961 Eight-Man Football Final OVERALL Top 10*

1. Winnebago, (8-0)

47 Dakota City….0 - 27 Beemer…..0

26 Rosalie……....14 - 38 Homer…….6

49 Walthill………...6 - 41 Decatur…..7

38 Emerson....…...0 - 47 Bancroft…14

Coach-Keith Richey

2. Coleridge (9-0)

18 Lynch………….0 - 53 xMillard………7

27 Dakota City….7 - 47 Newcastle…20

18 Wausa………...15 - 47 Orchard……13

40 Osmond……….0 - 14 Niobrara…….0

27 Wayne Hahn...6 -

x=(11-man game)

Coach-Don Thompson

3. Sutherland (8-0)

40 Hershey………………......6 - 32 Stapleton……6

33 Lodgepole……………....13 - 33 Tryon………..13

47 North Platte St. Pats…7 - 46 Big Springs…0

47 Paxton………………….....7 - 53 Brady………....6

Coach-Dick O’Neill

4. Lexington St. Anns (8-1)

20 Eddyville…19 - 21 xElmwood………………....7

0 xBertrand…28 - 33 Oconto…………………......12

25 Elm Creek…7 - 19 xNorth Platte St. Pats…0

26 Overton…….6 - 27 Holstein……………….......0

52 Orleans…….0

x=(11-man game)

Coach-Mike Heaton

5. Dorchester (9-0)

53 Fairmont……7 - 43 Utica……………….....7

41 Davenport…13 - 23 Elmwwod… ……...20

28 Exeter……...20 - 53 Diller……………….....0

46 Milford……...14 - 38 Beaver Crossing…7

41 Friend………..21

Coach-Keith Drake

6. Bennington (7-0)

20 Waterloo…0 - 57 Fort Calhoun…14

26 Gretna……7 - 21 Elkhorn………...19

24 Yutan…….12 - 25 Platteview……..7

33 Millard…….0

Coach-Don Moreland

7. Elkhorn (8-1)

32 Gretna……..12 - 19 Bennington…21

27 Mead………...6 - 56 Ceresco……....28

33 Millard……….0 - 26 Yutan…………....9

46 Waterloo……0 - 47 Cedar Bluffs….8

27 Platteview…24

Coach- Gene Kruger

8. Verdigre (7-1)

36 Osmond….……...0 - 19 Lynch.….13

28 Cedar Rapids…19 - 12 Spencer.18

39 Niobrara……... 14 - 38 Wausa….20

34 Naper..…………..13 - 47 Butte…..20

Coach-William J. Harder

9. Loomis (8-0)

32 Overton…20 - 31 Elm Creek….14

26 Amherst…15 - 52 Hildreth…....26

13 Wilcox…….0 - 45 Axtell………....21

27 Sumner….14 - 54 Pleasanton...13

Coach-Bud Extrom

10 (Tie) Farnam (8-0)

51 Bartley….7 - 25 Palisade………...6

51 Maxwell…0 - 19 Maywood……...13

51 Eustis…..13 - 45 Red Willow.…24

18 Holbook…6 - 62 Beaver Valley…0

Coach-Jerry Martin

10. (Tie) Brule (9-0)

35 Arthur……..7 - 41 Big Springs…0

41 Elsie………..0 - 27 Paxton……….7

47 Venango…19 - 27 Madrid………9

7 Lewellen……6 - 40 Wallace…….29

58 Hyannis…..0

Coach-Marvin Schleeman

Once again, the Omaha World-Herald had 8-Man ratings in two classes because of the huge number of teams playing the 8-Man game. The above ratings reflect the Final OVERALL Ratings, but I still feel like the Final 8-Man “A” and 8-Man “B” ranking should be included to illustrate how prep rate Gregg McBride arrived at his final choices.

The same formula will be followed for 8-Man All-State selections.

Final 8-Man Class A Top 10

1 Winnebago

2 Coleridge

3 Lexington St. Ann

4 Bennington

5 Elkhorn

6 Verdigre

7 Stapleton

8 Johnson

9 Wausa

10 Fairmont

Final 8-Man Class B Top 10

1 Sutherland

2 Dorchester

3 Loomis

4 Brule

5 Farnum

6 Elmwood

7 Beatrice St. Joseph

8 Maywood

9 Amherst

10 Talmage

*1961 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---John Adams-Brule, 5-9, 155, Senior, (17 years old)

End---Roland Bellamy-Farnam, 6-2, 170, Senior (17 yo)

Guard-Richard Hall-Fairmont, 5-11, 188, Senior, (17 yo)

Guard-James Copeland-Sutherland, 5-8, 170, Senior, (17 yo)

Center-James Jones-Amherst, 5-10, 185, Senior, (17 yo)

Back---Dennis Thorell-Loomis, 5-11, 159, Junior, (16 yo)

Back---Charles Sharpback-Winnebago, 5-9, 170, Senior, (17 yo)

Back---Tom Morrison-Coleridge, 6-0, 165, Senior, (16 yo)

*1961 8-Man Class “A” All-State Football Team*

End---Gary Settles-Cedar Bluffs

End---Kenneth Liska-Niobrara

Guard-Richard Hall-Fairmont

Guard-Jerry Hoffart-Coleridge

Center-Joel Pospisil-Friend

Back---Dennis Dau-Elkhorn

Back---Charles Sharpback-Winnebago

Back---Tom Morrison-Coleridge

*1961 8-Man Class “B” All-State Football Team*

End---John Adams-Brule

End---Roland Bellamy-Farnam

Guard-Sam Smith-Brock

Guard-James Copeland-Sutherland

Center-James Jones-Amherst

Back---Dennis Thorell-Loomis

Back---Gerald Fisher-Beatrice St. Joseph

Back---Dan Tesar-Dorchester

Both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincon Journal-Star mentioned the fact that 1961 produced a ton of fine running backs around the 8-Man football circles in Nebraska. Here is a list of those talented ball carriers that just missed being named to “All-State” status;

Dennis Keller-Talmage, Wayne Gierhan-Gresham, Lanny Lanman-Lynch, Wayne Smith-Stapleton, Jim Stewert-Western, Richard Bridgeman-Palisade, Bill Dunlap-Goehner, Clifford Welsh-Brule, Terry Cunningham-Lexington St. Ann, Allen Boelter-Verdigre, Gary McConnell-Wallace, Richard Vogt-Elmwood, Alan Cleland-Kenesaw, Doug Martin-Farnam, Ronnie Vlasin-Madrid, Ken Burr-Eddyville, Borman Bristol-Exeter, Gary Himmelberg-Lawrence, Merlyn Carlson-Wausa, Ted Kroese-Cook, Charles O’Gorman-Winnebago, Jon Brewer-Decatur, Rollie Fickenscher-Gurley, Mark Kneifl-Newcastle, William Nelson-Bennington, Stuart Geis-York St. Joseph, Clark Norblade-Axtell, Galen Corlett-Maywood, Rod Meyen-Sutherland and Robert McIntyre-Wolbach.