Blog: A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football – 1965 All-State Teams/Final Rankings. (04/29/24)

*136 teams played 8-man football in 1965, 16 teams fewer than the previous year. This meant a steady decline in the number of teams playing 8-man football until 1977 when numbers slowly began to increase again.

11-man football was on the rise again, reaching 257 schools in 1965, while the 6-man game was almost extinct with only FOUR teams playing the game on a part-time basis. In 1967, the Six-Man game was, ironically, invented in Nebraska by Six-Man's father, Stephen Epler of Chester.

The game was dormant until the mid-1980s.

An interesting part of the 1965 NSAA decisions that I need to uncover is the minimum number for teams that were eligible to play 8-man football. I came across an article that said West Kearney still played 8-man football in 1965 and had 105 students enrolled.

Continuing with the final 8-man football team rankings for 1965.

Here are the final top ten:

*Final 8-Man Top 10 (1965)*

1. Sutherland (9-0)

2. Western (9-0)

3. Cedar Bluffs (10-0)

4. Overton (8-0)

5. Maywood (9-0)

6. Paxton (7-1)

7. Dawson-Verdon (7-1)

8. Johnson (8-1)

9. Bartlett (8-0)

10. Doniphan (9-0)

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Here are the final top ten showing each team's match results. I just loved it when the Omaha World-Herald included this in their wonderful sports section. The only thing missing from some of them is the name of the head coach.

*1965 Eight-Man Football Final, Top 10*

1. Sutherland, (9-0)

19 Hershey……………13 – 38 Hayes Center…0

67 Hyannis…………….0 – 51 Big Springs…….6

31 West Kearney…….7 – 54 Brady……………..0

13 Paxton………………12 – ?? Trenton………?? (Win but score not available)

62 Halsey Dunning…0

Coach Daryl Broberg

2. Western (8-0)

28 Plymouth………….0 – 40 Tobias………..6

38 Diller………………..0 – 1 xDorchester….0 (expired)

40 Sprague-Martel….7 – 47 Alexanderia…12

27 Beaver Crossing….6 – 41 Milligan………..0

x (11-man game)

Trainer-

3. Cedar Bluffs (9-0)

25 Snyder………..13 – 58 Waterloo….6

13 Alvo Eagle……7 – 28 Mead………13

27 Yutan……………2 – 48 Prague….…6

44 Plate Center…6 – ?? Weston….?? (Win but score not available)

58 Fort Calhoun…6

Trainer-

4. Overton (8-0)

50 Loomis………6 – 63 Wilcox………14

44 Axtell…………6 – 66 Sumner……20

40 Pleasanton…0 – 45 Elm Creek…0

67 Amherst…….13 – ?? Hildreth….?? (Win but score not available)

Coach Allyn Chambers

5. Maywood (9-0)

38 Venango………….0 – 61 Wallace….6

40 Brady………………0 – 19 Farnam….0

45 Beaver Valley….18 – 40 Elsie………6

34 Tryon……………..12 – ?? Maxwell…?? (Win but score not available)

54 Eustis……………..7

Coach Jerry Meyer

6. Paxton (7-1)

47 Lewellen………7 – 44 Elsie……….19

52 Venango…..24 – 33 Madrid…….6

26 Big Springs….6 – 45 Brule……….13

12 Sutherland….13 – 15 Hershey…..13

Trainer-

7. Dawson-Verdon (7-1)

13 xFalls City SH…26 – 61 Stella……….20

25 Cook……………..7 – 32 Table Rock…0

44 Odell……………14 – 20 Johnson……19

45 Shubert……………6 – 60 Nehawka…..18

x (11-man game)

Trainer-

8. Johnson (7-1)

61 Filley……….26 – 20 Talmage…………….0

32 Brock……..0 – 19 Dawson-Verdon…20

32 Nehawka…12 – 48 Peru Preparation……………7

33 Cook………..6 – 33 Palmyra………………0

Trainer-

9. Bartlett (8-0)

40 Elba…………………..6 – 26 Elgin………….0

25 Meadow Grove…..12 – 46 Chambers…12

48 Page………………….0 – 45 Clearwater…..6

31 Red Willow…………7 – ?? Butte………….?? (Won but score not available)

Coach Jerry Maurer

10. Doniphan (9-0)

20 Glenvil……..0 – 19 Boelus……….6

32 Cairo………..12 – 61 Hordville…13

12 Phillips………7 – 70 Glenvil……..7

54 Trumbull……0 – 34 Juniata……18

72 Marquette….13

Trainer-

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Once again, the eight-man football all-state team boasts one of the most talented backfields if stats are your thing. Chosen by Gregg McBride of the World-Herald in 1965, the backfield was one of the fastest and most versatile units in the history of 8-man football to that point.

The spectacular, mythical backcourt of Sutherland's Class D sprint champion Ken Beatty, strong 6-3, 185-pound Terry Petrzelka of Prague and Johnson standout junior Lee Rohrs combined for 554 points and sprinted 3,865 yards, a high mark on the day.

Despite having everyone cheering him on, the sizzling Beatty rushed for 1,694 yards, averaging a staggering 11.6 yards per pop. He also completed 14 passes, good for 356 yards and five more touchdowns.

Petrzelka, Prague's four-year starting quarterback, threw for 813 yards, rushed for 1,232 yards, recorded 45 unassisted tackles and made 14 interceptions on defense.

Rohrs, the Johnson junior, ran for 939 yards and 23 TDs, added 321 more yards on pass receptions, made 26 PATs, made 104 stops from his linebacker slot on defense, had three pick 6s and averaged on his booming punts of 39.2 yards.

*1965 8-Man All-State Football Team*

End—Robert Gergen-Dawson-Verdon, 6-2, 195, senior, (17 years old)

End—Dennis Bartels-Western, 6-2, 200, senior (17 years old)

Guard-Bob Larson-Overton, 6-0, 175, senior, (17 years)

Guard-Al Childers-Bartlett, 5-10, 185, junior, (16 years)

Center-Clifford Underwood-Doniphan, 5-10, 176, senior, (17 years)

Back—Lee Rohrs-Johnson, 5-11, 163, Junior, (17 years)

Back – Ken Beatty-Sutherland, 6-1, 180, senior, (17 years)

Back – Terry Petrzekla-Prague, 6-3, 185, senior, (17 years)