Blog: A History of 8-Man Football in Nebraska – 1972 and 1973 All-State Teams/Final Rankings. (05/25/24)

In 1972, 87 high schools in Nebraska decided to play 8-man football.

*Final Rankings of the All-State Team in Eight-Man Football 1972*

.*Final 8-man top 10 (1972)*

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

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

3. Hampton-on-Thames (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. Humphreys (8-1) {354-94}

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

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

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And now let’s meet our eight-man All-State football team from 1972.

*1972 8-man all-state football team*

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

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

Defender: Steve Hays-Odell, 1.88 m, 97 kg, 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)

Defender – Dwain Seier-Petersburg, 5-10, 170, Senior (1,856 Rushing/30 TDs)

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

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

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*Final Rankings of the All-State Team in Eight-Man Football 1973*

*85 teams played 8-man football in 1973. 11-man football was a record for most schools playing this type of high school football. The record of 280 schools still stands today.

Considering that 132 schools will play 11-team football here in Nebraska in 2024, the number 280 seems impossible to imagine when you consider that a total of 277 schools will field high school football teams here in 2024.

This is called consolidation, my friends.

*Final 8-man top 10 (1973)*

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

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

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

4. Brüning (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}

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And now let's meet our eight-man All-State football team from 1973.

*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

Defender: Bernie Perlinger-Paxton, 1.90 m, 86 kg, 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'm not the only one who says that Hamptons quarterback Mark Olson was a really, really special football player and that Hawks country has produced some great players over the years.

By today's standards, Mark Olson's numbers may not be surprising, but in the 1970s, they were just about as good as his career numbers were back then.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound star from Hampton was involved in 95 touchdowns during his illustrious four-year career, scoring 37 of them himself and throwing passes for another 58 touchdowns.

Olson has totaled 4,232 yards on offense during his career.

In his final season alone, Olson scored 16 touchdowns and threw for 25 more. Many coaches urged World-Herald sportswriter Conde Sargent to name the Hampton star to the World-Herald First Team Super-State or at least the Second Team.

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In 1973, Nebraska had no state playoffs, but the NSAA was only TWO years away from implementing a system that would have state championships played on the football field as intended.

Back in the day (the early 1970s and before), the conference playoffs were the only postseason games, and some of them were of great importance, while others were of little interest unless both teams had stellar regular-season performances.

Here is a list of the 22 Conference Championship games from 1973. This includes 11-team and 8-team games. As you can see, many of these conferences were disbanded years ago.

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 Border Conference

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

Mid-State Conference

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

Centenary Conference

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