A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1972 and 1973 All-State Teams/Final Rankings.

87 Nebraska high schools chose to play 8-Man football in 1972.

*1972 Eight-Man Football All-State Team Final Rankings*

.*Final 8-Man Top 10 (1972)*

1. Farnam (9-0) {513-80}

2. Adams (8-0) {422-124}

3. Hampton (9-0) {428-93}

4. Brady (9-0) {423-108}

5. Fort Calhoun (10-0) {322-68}

6. Bartlett (10-0) {426-116}

7. Republican City (8-0) {369-46}

8. Humphrey (8-1) {354-94}

9. Madrid Wheatland (7-1) {438-163}

10. Trenton (8-2) {310-75}

----------------------------------------------------------------------

And now, let’s meet our 1972 Eight-Man All-State Football team;

*1972 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---Jerry Ott-Republican City, 6-2, 180, Senior

End---Ross Peters-Hampton, 6-1, 180 Senior

Guard-Steve Hays-Odell, 6-2, 215, Senior

Guard-Bob Johnson-Madrid Wheatland, 5-10, 185, Senior

Center-Randy Edson-Farnam, 5-10, 160, Senior

Back--Dave Romans-Fort Calhoun, 5-11, 175, Senior (928 rushing)

Back--Dwain Seier-Petersburg, 5-10, 170, Senior (1,856 rushing/30 TDs)

Back--Eldon Ideus-Adams, 6-0, 180, Senior (30 TDs)

Kicker-John Poltack-Madrid Wheatland, 5-8, 160, Junior

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*1973 Eight-Man Football All-State Team Final Rankings*

*85 Teams played 8-Man football in 1973. 11-Man football would set a record for most schools playing that version of high school football. The record of 280 schools still stands today.

When you consider that 132 schools will play 11-Man in 2024 here in Nebraska, that 280 figure seems impossible to visualze considering the fact a grand total of 277 schools in 2024 will field high school football teams here.

It’s called consolidation my friends.

*Final 8-Man Top 10 (1973)*

1. Paxton (9-0) {431-64}

2. Hampton (9-0) {446-80}

3. Cedar Bluffs (9-0) {446-100}

4. Bruning (8-0) {338-108}

5. Madrid Wheatland (9-1) {391-127}

6. Bartlett (9-0) {428-68}

7. Bartley (9-1) {402-112}

8. Farnam (8-1) {423-71}

9. Mullen (6-3) {265-127}

10. Adams (7-1-1) {458-61}

----------------------------------------------------------------------

And now, let’s meet our 1973 Eight-Man All-State Football team;

*1973 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End---Doug Max-Brady, 6-1, 180, Senior

End---Don Peck-Paxton, 6-5, 205 Senior

Guard-Gary Drahota-Bartlett, 5-11, 180, Senior

Guard-Bernie Perlinger-Paxton, 6-3, 190, Senior

Center-Bob Pfister-Lewiston, 6-5, 215, Senior

Back--Mark Olson-Hampton, 6-1, 197, Senior

Back--Gary Walkenhorst-Cedar Bluffs, 6-0, 198, Senior

Back--Wes Hoppe-Farnam, 6-0, 175, Senior

Kicker-John Poltack-Madrid Wheatland, 5-10, 170, Senior

*This is a personal observation, although I do not stand alone when I sy that Hampton quarterback Mark Olson was a really, really special football player, and they have turned out some dandies over the years in the land of the Hawks.

By today's standards, Mark Olson’s numbers may not raise too many eyebrows, but back in the 1970s, those stats were as good as it gets for career numbers.

The 6-1, 197 pound Hampton ace had a hand in 95 touchdowns during his illustrious 4 year career, scoring 37 himself and passing for another 58 TDs.

Olson compiled 4,232 career yards of total offense.

His senior season alone, Olson ran for 16 touchdowns and passed for 25 more. There were many coaches that urged World-Herald prep sports writer Conde Sargent to place the Hampton star on World-Herald First Team Super-State, or at least Second Team.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

There were no State playoffs in Nebraska in 1973, but the NSAA was just TWO years away from implementing a system where State Championships were settled on the football field, as it should be.

Conference playoffs were the only post-season games allowed in those times (early 1970s and prior) and some carried great significance, while others drew little interest when both teams sported less tham stellar regular season records.

Here is a list of the 22 Conference Championship matchups in 1973. These include 11-Man and 8-Man. Many of these conferences dissolved years ago as you can see.

Capital Conference

Hickman-Norris (8-1) at Springfield-Platteview (9-0)

Rangeland Conference

Valentine (6-2-1) at Chadron (8-1)

Niobrara Valley Conference

Atkinson West Holt (3-5-1) at Orchard (6-2)

Lewis and Clark Conference

Newcastle (7-2-1) vs Coleridge (7-2) {@ Wayne State}

Mid-Nebraska Conference

Sandy Creek (9-0) at Grand Island Northwest (7-2)

Big Sky Conference

Stapleton (6-3) vs Hyannis (6-2) @ Thedford

Galaxy Conference

Falls City Sacred Heart (6-1) at Louisville (7-2)

Pioneer Conference

Lawrence (7-1-1) vs Meridian (7-1-1) (@ Alexandria)

Southern Nebraska Conference

Sutton (8-1) at Wymore Southern (4-4-1)

Twin Rivers Conference

Fairbury (9-0) at Blair (9-0)

Central Ten Conference

Schuyler (8-1) at Ord (7-2)

Metro Conference

Creighton Prep (8-1) at Omaha Westside (6-3)

Big Ten Conference

Grand Island (7-3) at North Platte (7-1-1)

Husker Conference

West Point (7-1) vs Columbus Lakeview (7-1-1) {@ Pawnee Park./2:00}

Loup Valley Conference

Callaway (8-1) at Ansley (8-2)

Great Plains Conference

Farnam (7-1) at Big Springs (6-1)

Republican Valley Conference

Franklin (7-2) at Arapahoe (8-0-1)

Goldenrod Conference

St. Edward (9-0) at Stromsburg (5-5)

Sandhills-Gateway Conference

Clearwater (5-3) at Bartlett (8-0)

Southern Frontier Conference

Bartley (9-0) at Madrid Wheatland (8-1)

Mid-State Conference

Dodge (10-0) at Newman Grove (4-4-1)

Centennial Conference

Fremont Bergan (5-4) vs Columbus Scotus (8-1) {@ Pawnee Park/7:30}