1953 National High School Football Rankings

Washington Tigers of Massillon edge East St. Louis for No. 1 ranking

The 1953 high school football season marked the end of the second run of national championships by the Washington Tigers of Massillon (Ohio). After a spectacular run of state championships under Paul Brown, who was coaching the Cleveland Browns by 1953, the Tigers completed another run of six state championships under Chuck Mather.

Mather’s final team (shown above, clipped from 1954 yearbook), before he headed to the University of Kansas, went 10-0 and was retroactively ranked by the National Sports News Service as the mythical national champion for 1953. It’s easy to see why. The Tigers’ closest game was a 21-point margin of victory against Warren Harding. Washington also clobbered longtime rival Canton McKinley by 41 points and had won six straight state championships.

The Tigers did have some competition in 1953, however. East St. Louis (Ill.) was a powerhouse in Southeastern Illinois during the early 1950s and had a juggernaut team in 1953 (although, perhaps, not its best team of that era). Santa Monica (Calif.) won a Southern Section championship in 1952 and won its second in a row in 1953. Meanwhile Lowell (Mass.) had posted several undefeated seasons in the early 1950s and Polytechnic (San Francisco, Calif.) in Northern California was in the midst of a 36-game win streak.

Since no official national rankings were compiled for 1953 (other than the national champion selection by the NSNS), High School Sports History attempts to select a Top 50 for 1953 based on how teams finished in the 1953 season, how they might have been ranked to start the season based on their 1952 season, in-state rankings, head-to-head matchups and All-American players.

Top 50 National High School Football Rankings for 1953

1. Washington (Massillon, Ohio), 10-0
Chuck Mather completed a spectacular six-year run at Washington with his sixth straight state championship, his second straight national championship (retroactively chosen by National Sports News Service) and his third national championship overall. The Tigers posted the biggest win over McKinley to date in their rivalry, winning 48-7. Washington won their 10 games by an average of 34 points a game and no game was closer than 21 points. The Tigers put five players on the Associated Press all-state team, including Jim Letcavits (E), Bruce Shram (T), Ronnie Agnes (G), John Traylor (RB), and John Francisco (RB). Letcavits played professionally in the Canadian Football League for five seasons. Letcavits, Traylor and Francisco all joined Mather in his new job as head coach at the University of Kansas. He concluded his career at Washington with a 57-3 record.
Season Log
Garfield, 39-0
Lincoln (Canton), 55-13
Lima Central, 40-0
Steubenville, 35-6
Alliance, 33-7
Mansfield, 41-7
Warren Harding, 27-6
Toledo Waite, 41-2
Fremont Ross, 40-7
Canton McKinley, 48-7

2. East St. Louis (Ill.), 11-0
One year after going 10-0, the Flyers did one better in 1953 with an 11-0 mark. That tied the 1953 club with the 1941 and 1943 teams with the best record under coach Wirt Downing. The closest matchup was a 7-6 win over Centralia in which the Flyers overcame a 6-0 deficit to gain their 20th straight win. A 33-7 win over Belleville the next week gave the Flyers their 21st win in a row to end the season. The team featured end Frank Rigney, who was dubbed the “Leon Hart of America’s preps” after the 1949 Heisman Trophy winner. Named to the Wigwam Wiseman All-America second team, Rigney went on to a 10-year career in the Canadian Football League as a tackle. There he won the Grey Cup four times and was the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman in 1961.
Season Log
Springfield, 21-0
Peoria Manuel, 29-7
Soldan-Blewett, 40-0
Assumption, 40-7
Quincy, 46-12
Warren Central (Ind.), 32-6
Danville Schlarman, 35-8
Granite City, 33-15
Alton, 33-0
Centralia, 7-6
Belleville, 33-7

3. Santa Monica (Calif.), 10-0-1
Santa Monica was a Southern Section dynasty under coach Jim Sutherland during the 1940s and early 1950s. After joining the Vikings in 1940, Sutherland went 79-13 with three Southern Section championships including an undefeated season in 1952. Sutherland left Santa Monica for an assistant coaching position at Cal-Berkeley in 1953, leaving Bob Stilwell to guide the Vikings. Santa Monica went 10-0-1 in the first year under Stilwell, defeating Whittier 34-19 for their second straight section championship. The key game for the Vikings, however, was a semifinal game against Anaheim. The two teams tied 21-21, but Santa Monica won on first downs, 15-14. Jackie Douglas made the All-CIF first team at quarterback while Richard Dorsey made the team at end. Douglas completed 81 of 161 passes for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. Douglas went on to play tennis and football at Stanford and represented the United States at the Davis Cup in 1958, 1960-61. He also started on the football team and was dubbed by Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray “as good a 5-foot-9 athlete as any state ever produced.” He went on to become a real estate broker and had one of the largest brokerage firms in the United States during the 1990s.
Season Log
Mira Costa, 46-14
S.D. Hoover, 28-20
LB Jordan, 34-0
Torrance, 19-14
Leuzinger, 39-0
Redondo, 28-7
Beverly Hills, 40-7
Inglewood, 20-7
St. Anthony, 13-7
Anaheim, 21-21
Whittier, 34-19

4. Lowell (Mass.), 9-0
The Raiders crushed Lawrence 37-0 in their annual Thanksgiving Day game to win their 24th game in a row and finish the 1953 season undefeated. However the win did not give Lowell the undisputed mythical state championship. Instead, Lowell shared the crown with Weymouth and Newton, both of whom finished undefeated as well at 9-0. Still, Lowell has to get the higher ranking here based on its nearly three years of unblemished play. Lowell was also the only team to place two players on the Boston Globe’s All-Scholastics team, landing end Dave Stecchi and back James Dean, who scored 20 touchdowns and was called “the Johnny Lattner of the preps” by the Globe. Dean and Stecchi also earned honorable mention Wigwam Wiseman All-America.
Season Log
Peabody, 33-7
Nashua, 39-6
Worcester Trade, 40-0
Salem, 41-0
Haverhill, 14-6
Keith, 14-12
Lynn Classical, 53-14
Arlington, 26-0
Lawrence, 37-0

5. Polytechnic (San Francisco, Calif.), 10-0
Led by Milt Axt, who was named the top coach in Northern California in the first half of the 20th century, the Parrots went undefeated in 1953 and stretched their winning streak to 28 games in a row en route to tying the state record of 36 in a row in 1954. According to his obituary in 1980, Axt spent 19 years at Poly and had an overall coaching record of 195-25-11. Poly had little competition in San Francisco in 1953. The closest game was a nine-point win over Balboa in the first game and the Parrots later beat Balboa in the final game of the season 26-0. Balboa did not lose any games in between the two losses and the Poly win gave the Parrots the city championship. Art Forbes was the only Parrot to make the All-Northern California team by the San Francisco Examiner while tackle Phil Debovsky made the second team.
Season Log
Balboa, 28-19
Galileo, 21-6
Lowell, 25-6
Sacred Heart, 34-6
Mission, 28-0
St. Ignatius, 26-13
Washington, 54-3
Lincoln, 47-13
St. Ignatius, 33-7
Balboa, 26-0

6. Pensacola (Fla.), 8-0
The Tigers beat teams from Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana along with Florida in earning the No. 1 ranking in the state by the Miami Herald. The big win came against Jesuit (New Orleans), which ended up winning the state championship in the Bayou State. Pensacola, which had lost just four games in the past three years with three of them to Jesuit, turned the tables in 1953, winning 7-6. Fullback Ed Sears made the All-Southern team and was named the top player in the state. He went on to letter three years at Florida and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Season Log
Bolles, 44-0
Jacksonville Lee, 12-6
Bay (Panama City), 27-6
Manual (Louisville), 41-7
Dothan, 39-0
Jesuit, 7-6
Ensley, 20-0
Leon, 34-12

7. Jesuit (New Orleans, La.), 12-1
Dominant in the 1940s with four state state championships, Jesuit won its first state title of the 1950s in 1953. The only loss was an out-of-state affair with Pensacola, Florida’s top team, with Jesuit losing 7-6. Jesuit romped in the playoffs, beating Istrouma (which had won state titles in 1951 and 1950) 19-0 in the semifinals and then edged Byrd 7-6 in the championship game. The Blue Jays had two players make the United Press’s all-state team including back Mickey LaNasa and guard Al Ecuyer. LaNasa was named the state player of the year ahead of future NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor of Baton Rouge. A four-sport athlete at Jesuit, LaNasa played several years of minor league baseball after high school.
Season Log
Terrebonne, 19-7
Baton Rouge, 27-21
Redemptorist, 33-0
St. Aloysius, 26-7
Istrouma, 6-0
Nicholls, 61-6
Fortier, 63-0
Pensacola, 6-7
Holy Cross, 47-13
De La Salle, 37-7
Warren Easton, 46-13
Istrouma, 19-0
Byrd, 7-6

8. Houston Lamar (Texas), 11-0-2
After attempting just one pass in the first round against Port Arthur and four passes in a semifinal win over Waco, Lamar threw the ball 13 times against Odessa in the Class 4A championship game. The passing attack proved to be the difference as Walter Fondren III rushed for 145 yards and also completed five of 10 passes for 45 yards in the championship win. Fondren made the Wigwam Wiseman All-America third team and was named the state player of the year by the Texas Sportswriters. The grandson of Humble Oil co-founder Walter Fondren Sr., Walter III went on to play quarterback at the University of Texas where he was the team MVP in 1956. The championship for Lamar marked the first time a Houston team had won a football state championship in 33 years.
Season Log
Baytown, 34-0
Adamson, 47-0
Harlingen, 7-7
Temple, 40-0
Ball, 33-14
Milby, 63-13
Reagan, 48-13
Austin, 20-13
Jeff Davis, 34-25
San Jacinto, 29-14
Port Arthur, 14-14
Waco, 12-7
Odessa, 33-7

9. Greenville (Miss.), 11-0
The Hornets had the best season in school history to date with an 11-0 record in 1953 and a first place finish in the Big 8 Conference. Greenville twice knocked off Nathez Adams, the second-place team in the conference, including 21-7 in the championship game. Quarterback Raymond Brown ranked as one of the top passers in the nation, earning first team all-state honors, All-Southern recognition and Wigwam Wiseman All-America first team honors. Brown went on to a spectacular college career at Ole Miss, leading the Rebels to the Cotton Bowl in 1956 and the Sugar Bowl in 1958, where he was named MVP. He also led Ole’ Miss to the SEC championship in baseball in 1956. He played three seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts, winning a pair of NFL championships (1958, 1959).
Season Log
Hot Springs, 42-0
Central Jackson, 7-6
Vicksburg, 40-0
Pine Bluff, 32-0
Drew, 27-0
Lee, 26-6
Natchez-Adams, 20-14
Tupelo, 34-0
Clarksdale, 26-0
Greenwood, 14-13
Natchez Adams, 21-7

10. Waco (Texas), 12-1
Posting its best season since Carl Price’s first year as coach in 1948 (14-0), the Tigers won their first 12 games (although the Tigers had to forfeit a win over North Dallas in the season opener due to an illegal player) before falling to Houston Lamar 12-6 in the Class 4A state semifinals. Waco won its first 12 games and hosted the semifinal game for the first time since 1927. Waco boasted the top defense among the 4A teams, giving up just 135 yards per game. Waco not only lost to Lamar in the semifinals, but it also lost the city’s well-known sportswriter Henry Harrison “Jinx” Tucker, who died of a heart attack not long after filing his story about the Waco-Lamar game. Tucker was estimated to have written nearly 50,000,000 words about sports during his long reporting career. Guard Ernest Lenart made the all-state first team while end John Garner, tackle Charlie Joe Bennett, and back Jim Phipps made the second team.
Season Log
North Dallas, 24-7 (forfeit loss)
Tyler, 26-0
Dallas Jesuit, 33-6
Dallas Forest, 20-7
Temple, 20-7
Brackenridge, 14-6
Austin, 45-14
Odessa, 13-12
Milby, 56-13
Wichita Falls, 13-0
Highland Park, 13-0
Ray, 28-13
Houston Lamar, 6-12

11. Har-Brack (Natrona Heights, Pa.), 9-0-1
The Har-Brack - Donora matchup for the Class AA WPIAL championship was a much anticipated matchup in November of 1953. Donora had featured spectacular teams in the 1940s (the 1945 team is ranked No. 1 by High School Sports History) and was undefeated at 10-0 heading into the matchup with Har-Brack. The Dragons, however, featured a high-powered attack led by future American Football League all-pro Chester “Cookie” Gilchrist. Posting 24 touchdowns and 42 extra points for a total of 186 points, Gilchrist had nearly double the points of Donora’s top running back. Teammates Barry Johnson and Jimmy Powell had 97 and 78 points respectively. Despite all the offensive power on both sides of the ball, the two teams tied 0-0 to each claim a share of the WPIAL championship. The Saylor formula rated Har-Brack ahead of Donora, 544-537. The team was the greatest in school history (based on Saylor rankings) before it changed its name to Highlands in the late 1960s. Gilchrist was named the AFL MVP in 1962 and is a member of the All-Time All-AFL team.
Season Log
Oliver, 47-8
Farrell, 40-0
Butler, 34-7
Scott, 42-7
Ambridge, 32-13
Kennedy, 45-21
Vandergrift, 68-33
Munhall, 42-18
Rochester, 35-19
Donora, 0-0

12. Donora (Pa.), 10-0-1
Donora comes in ever-so-slightly behind Har-Brack, based solely on the Saylor rankings that had Donora ranked at 537 and Har-Brack ranked 544 after the two teams tied 0-0 for the WPIAL AA championship. The 1953 Donora team tied the 1945 team for the school record for most wins in a season and the Tigers never got close again until eventually merging with Monongahela High School in the late 1960s to form Ringgold. Billy Russell led the scoring for Donora with 96 points. Ironically, not a single Donora player appeared on the UPI all-state first, second or third teams or even honorable mention.
Season Log
Westinghouse, 12-6
Greensburg, 7-0
Charleroi, 39-7
LaTrobe, 45-0
Redstone, 15-0
Central Catholic, 35-0
Brownsville, 20-0
Monongahela, 34-0
Wasington, 20-7
Monessen, 34-7
Har-Brack, 0-0

13. Whittier (Calif.), 10-1
The Cardinals were the underdog heading into their CIF semifinal game with Ernie Zampese-led Santa Barbara, but Whittier had little trouble advancing to the championship game with a 30-7 win. Facing the defending CIF Southern Section champions in the finals, Whittier was favored to beat Santa Monica, which had struggled to get past Anaheim in the semifinals. However Whittier had its worst game of the season in losing 34-19 to Santa Monica. Whittier landed four players on the All-CIF Southern Section team, including tackle Charles McMurtry on the first team, end Richard Beam and back Jack Taylor on the second team and guard Bill Lyon on the third team. McMurtry played for the Buffalo Bills in the first year of the AFL (1960) and later played for the Oakland Raiders. He was all-pro in his first year and made the Pro Bowl his second season.
Season Log
Fullerton, 33-7
Excelsior, 7-0
Monrovia, 33-13
LB Wilson, 12-22
Mark Keppell, 21-0
Rosemead, 40-12
Arcadia, 47-0
Alhambra, 27-13
El Monte, 40-13
Pomona, 14-6
Santa Barbara, 30-7
Santa Monica, 19-34

14. St. James (Minn.), 9-0
Blessed with a pair of speedy running backs, St. James ran over the competition to finish the season ranked No. 1 in the state. Norm Anderson earned all-state honors after averaging 15.9 yards per carry while scoring 26 touchdowns and 198 total points. Gerald Kintzi contributed 16 touchdowns on the season while St. James outscored opponents 412-19. Anderson earned 16 varsity letters at St. James and went on to play football and track at the University of Minnesota.
Season Log
Glencoe, 70-0
Madelia, 45-0
Worthington, 40-0
Blue Earth, 33-0
Windom, 56-7
New Ulm, 40-12
Fairmont, 41-0
St. Peter, 37-0
Waseca, 50-0

15. Pershing (Detroit, Mich.), 9-0
Although the Associated Press did not do state ratings in 1953 (and hadn’t since 1951), Pershing still ended up as the state’s top ranked team by the Detroit News Press. In the newspapers’ scoring system, Pershing scored 161 points to Ann Arbor Pioneer’s 144 points for the top spot in the Class A rankings. The state championship marked the first time a team out of the Metropolitan League and been ranked No. 1 in 25 years. Quarterback Jim Ninowski was the only Pershing player on the all-state first team after throwing 14 touchdown passes. He went on to play in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and was the team’s starting quarterback in 1960.
Season Log
Cass Tech, 42-0
Martin Luther King, 39-13
Northern, 38-13
Northeastern, 53-2
Denby, 30-13
Mumford, 32-0
Southeastern, 21-0
Redford, 27-7
Our Lady of Lourdes, 21-7

16. Ann Arbor Pioneer (Mich.), 8-0
Pioneer dominated during the 1950s, posting a record of 58-2-6 from 1950 to 1957 including an 8-0 record in 1953. Pioneer finished just behind Pershing in the state rankings by the Detroit News Press. Tackle Ernie Delco was the only Pioneer player on the all-state team. He also earned All-American honors and went on to play in the armed services and at Bowling Green. He played one game for the Cleveland Browns before an injury ended his career.
Season Log
Memorial, 32-13
Kalamazoo Central, 20-14
Flint Northern, 20-13
Sexton, 27-12
Battle Creek Central, 33-12
Eastern, 40-0
Ypsilanti, 2-0
Jackson, 14-0

17. Evansville Reitz (Ind.), 10-0
Reitz finished the season with a 27-0 Thanksgiving Day win over Evansville Central (handing it only its second loss of the season) and won its 17th game in a row. Reitz finished second in the UP Media Poll behind South Bend Washington, however the poll was taken prior to the season-ending win over Central. Reitz was ranked No. 1 on another state championship list, although the author is unknown, according to Almanac Sports. Fullback Jim Byers, son of coach Herman Byers, made the all-state team chosen by longtime Indianapolis journalist Heze Clark while tackle Don Vendever made the second team. Byers also made All-American and went on to become the Athletic Director at the University of Evansville. He was the AD when the Aces basketball team died in a plane crash.
Season Log
Henderson Barret, 34-0
Indianapolis Cathedral, 20-0
Terre Haute Gerstmeyer, 20-6
New Albany, 39-7
Evansville Bosse, 14-7
Evansville Mater Dei, 19-7
Muncie Central, 13-0
Vincennes Lincoln, 44-6
Evansville Memorial, 40-7
Evansville Central, 27-0

18. Iowa City (Iowa), 9-0
Named state champion in 1950, Iowa City earned the honor again in 1953 in the statewide poll by near unanimous vote. The Little Hawks received 40 of the 42 first-place votes in the final voting after posting seven shutouts and allowing just 14 points all season long. Charles Sample made the all-state first team at end while Grant Grimm made the second team at tackle. Sample also made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American fourth team.
Season Log
Fairfield, 16-0
Franklin, 25-7
Davenport, 13-7
Roosevelt, 38-0
Clinton, 14-0
Wilson, 31-0
East Waterloo, 20-0
Dubuque, 46-0
Sioux City, 38-0

19. Valdosta (Ga.), 13-0-1
Although playing at the 1-A level, Valdosta ranked among the top teams in Georgia after finishing 13-0-1 and winning its third straight state championship under coach Wright Bazemore. The state title was the fourth overall for Bazemore and his team ran its unbeaten streak to 32 games in a row by the end of the 1953 season. After crushing LaGrange 48-7 for the Class A championship, Valdosta was selected ahead of Class AA champion Grady to play in the Peanut Bowl. There, the Wildcats blanked Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.), 24-0. Tackle Paul McNeill was state lineman of the year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution while backs Willie Webb and Robert Hughes also made the all-state team.
Season Log
Appling County, 45-0
Cook, 51-7
Fitzgerald, 39-7
Douglas, 61-0
Tifton, 28-6
Moultrie, 0-0
Thomasville, 46-20
Jeff Davis, 39-0
Wayne County, 13-0
Waycross, 20-6
Americus, 33-13
College Park, 27-0
LaGrange, 48-7
Montgomery Bell Academy, 24-0

20. Rock Island (Ill.), 9-0
The senior class at Rock Island never suffered a defeat from seventh grade to their senior year. They were 6-0-1 as seventh graders, 13-0 as eighth and ninth graders, eight more wins on the junior varsity as sophomores and 18 in a row as juniors and seniors on the varsity. The 1953 varsity team scored a school record with 316 points in nine games. Guard Jerry Wheeler made the Chicago Daily News all-state first team while end Roger Davidson, halfback Jerry Jannecke and fullback Diek Hendrickson made the second team.
Season Log
Alleman, 52-0
Canton, 66-6
Clinton, 39-0
Moline, 27-6
Kewanee, 41-12
East Moline, 27-7
Galesburg, 34-6
Davenport, 16-7
St. Ambrose, 14-0

21. St. George (Evanston, Ill.), 11-1
The Dragons captured the City championship over Austin thanks to 25 points in the first quarter. St. George gave up 244 yards passing by Austin, but limited the City League champions to negative six yards rushing. St. George scored on the first play of the game and led 18-0 with just two minutes off the clock. The Dragons dominated opponents all season long, except for a 9-7 loss to Wisconsin’s Green Bay Central Catholic. End Thomas Aykroid was the lone all-state player for St. George, making the first team.
Season Log
Mt. Carmel, 7-0
De La Salle, 34-28
Green Bay Central Catholic, 7-9
Loyola Academy, 34-7
Holy Trinity, 38-0
Sheridan, 19-12
St. Mel, 42-7
St. Ignatius, 26-12
St. Philip, 12-7
Fenwick, 33-6
Leo, 19-7
Austin, 38-12

22. San Fernando (Calif.), 10-0
With the win over Polytechnic, San Fernando captured the first Los Angeles City Section championship of any team from the San Fernando Valley. The Golden Tigers got an upset win over defending section champion Manual Arts in the semifinals. San Fernando then faced a Polytechnic team that upset undefeated Los Angeles in the other semifinal. George Pupich earned all-city first team honors at end while Carl Ketchie made the team at running back. Pupich went on to play in the Cotton Bowl while a member of the Air Force Academy team.
Season Log
Verdugo Hills, 20-6
Eagle Rock, 34-6
Marshall, 25-6
Van Nuys, 7-0
Canoga Park, 47-18
North Hollywood, 26-7
Hart, 38-0
Hollywood, 21-06
Manual Arts, 14-7
Polytechnic, 20-18

23. Lafayette (Lexington, Ky.), 10-0
Lafayette had a spectacular 1953 as it won the basketball state championship in the winter of 1953, the  track state title in the spring and the football championship in the fall of 1953. The argument at season’s end held that Paducah Tilghman should have been ranked ahead of Lafayette due to four wins over teams in the Top 10 of the Litkenhous rankings while Lafayette had only one. However the Litkenhous rankings had Lafayette six-tenths ahead of Paducah in the final rankings. Paducah did have a loss to Evansville Bosse early in the season while Lafayette finished undefeated. End Doug Shively and back Don Plunkett earned all-state honors by the Courier-Journal. Shively played football at Kentucky and then coached in the NFL with various teams on the defensive side of the ball from 1974 to 1993.
Season Log
Jeffersonville (Ind.), 28-0
Danville, 13-6
Highlands, 32-0
Manuel, 35-0
Somerset, 27-0
Ashland, 26-13
Jenkins, 38-0
Whitesburg, 46-6
Henry Clay, 25-0
Lynch, 21-6

24. Weymouth (Mass.), 8-0
Weymouth finished in a three-way tie with Lowell and Newton for the No. 1 state ranking in Massachusetts. The Wildcats are recognized by the National Sports News Service as the national champions in 1951 with a 9-0 record. Weymouth also went unbeaten in 1950 at 10-0. Wildcat coach Harry Arlanson coached 20 seasons at Weymouth (1935-54) and posted a record of 135-19-10. He went on to coach 12 years at Tufts. Tackle Don Ross was the only Wildcat to make the Boston Globe’s All-Scholastics first team while back Don Aikens made the second team.
Season Log
Everett, 25-13
Brookline, 20-0
North Quincy, 14-7
Quincy, 28-0
Malden, 10-0
Somerville, 25-7
Arlington, 48-20
Brockton, 24-0

25. Southeast (Kansas City, Mo.), 9-0
Upon the defeat of Rockhurst for the mythical state championship, Southeast principal Harry McMillan told a crowd of 1,400 students that if they behaved at the celebration bonfire, he would cut up the goal posts into souvenirs. When the students kept their end of the bargain, McMIllan had to go looking for some wooden goal posts (Southeast’s were metal) and he had them cut up into 1,400 pieces for the students. The 1953 Southeast team was considered at the time to be the greatest team in school history. No team came within 19 points for the Knights, who placed six players on the Interscholastic All-League team. Roger Taylor led the way, rushing for 933 yards and scoring 90 points.
Season Log
North Kansas City, 39-13
Pasco, 46-7
East, 32-0
Northeast, 33-0
Raytown, 28-7
Westport, 19-0
Central, 25-0
Southwest, 40-0
Rockhurst, 48-13

26. Grand Island (Neb.), 10-0
Jerry Lee coached 18 years at Grand Island and won three state titles - 1947, 1948 and 1953. The latter team might have been his best as they outscored opponents 372-52 with six shutouts. Lee finished his career with a record of 101-23-5. Grand Island finished No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings, edging Creighton Prep 127 points to 120. Grand Island had three players on the Associated Press all-state team, including End Mike Lee, tackle Richard Roenfeldt and running back Claire Boroff. An All-American at Kearney State college, Boroff went on to coach at Kearney State for over 30 years (1968-99).
Season Log
Curtis, 40-0
Omaha North, 20-0
Columbus, 19-0
Kearney, 61-0
Norfolk, 40-6
North Platte, 39-19
Hastings, 21-20
Fremont, 52-7
Lincoln Central, 40-0
McCook 40-0

27. Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.), 9-0
The Jays finished undefeated, but ended up seven points behind Grand Island in the Associated Press Rankings, 127-120. Creighton Prep was ahead of Grand Island in early October, but eventually slid past the Islanders into the No. 2 spot. The Omaha Herald placed Creighton Prep and Grand Island in a tie for first place. Creighton Prep easily defeated Omaha North, the only common opponent between Grand Island and the Blue Jays, but Grand Island reportedly had a higher ranking by AP due to a schedule that included more Class A teams than Creighton Prep. The Blue Jays had a pair of players on the Associated Press all-state team, including tackle Bill Tomcykowski and quarterback Mike Dugan. A Wigwam Wiseman All-American as a senior, Dugan twice made the all-state team.
Season Log
South, 29-0
Central, 27-0
Omaha North, 49-2
Heelan, 28-6
Lincoln, 41-6
Tech, 33-7
Benson, 33-6
Thomas Jefferson, 20-0
Boys Town, 21-7

28. Granby (Norfolk, Va.), 10-0
The Comets of Norfolk were the top team in Virginia during the mid-1940s, going 32-1 over a three-year stretch from 1944-46. However in the six seasons after that stretch, Granby won just 21 games total and never finished above .500. The 1953 season was quite different as the Comets went 10-0 and edged Hampton for the mythical state championship based on a state point scoring system that favored Granby due to its stronger schedule. Three players made the All-Group 1 team, including quarterback Joe Leafe, tackle Doug Harless and end Billy Tilling. Leafe went on to become mayor of Norfolk and a circuit court judge.
Season Log
Suffolk, 27-6
John Marshall, 14-0
South Norfolk, 7-6
Cradock, 34-6
Hopewell, 13-6
Norview, 46-0
Warwick, 33-14
Newport News, 19-13
Woodrow Wilson, 14-0
Maury, 14-7

29. Santa Barbara (Calif.), 11-1
Led by CIF Southern Section player of the year Ernie Zampese at quarterback, the Dons were the top team in Southern California heading into the postseason. After wins over Hoover (Glendale) and Long Beach Wilson in the first two rounds, Santa Barbara saw its 11-game win streak come to an end with the loss to Whittier. Zampese scored 19 touchdowns on the season and was honorable mention All-American by the Wigwam Wisemen. Zampese went on to become an assistant coach in the NFL for multiple teams, including the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He won a Super Bowl in 1995 with the Cowboys as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Season Log
Loyola, 25-14
Mt. Carmel,  45-0
Oxnard, 20-0
Chaffey, 33-16
Huntington Beach, 25-0
Muir, 27-7
Pasadena, 27-13
Ventura, 37-0
Pt. Loma, 26-0
Hoover (Glendale), 19-7
Long Beach Wilson, 25-13
Whittier, 7-30

30. Chattanooga Central (Tenn.), 9-1-1
Although the Pounders lost their season opener to Memphis Central and tied Bradley Central at mid-season, Chattanooga Central finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state by the Litkenhous ratings with a 101.7 rating. The Pounders edged out No. 2 Litton, which scored 99.7 and lost to Central 34-13. Chattanooga Central also defeated powerhouse teams from other states, including Little Rock Central of Arkansas and two wins over Miami Senior of Florida. The latter win (21-14) came in the Kiwanis Bowl in Miami. The mythical state championship was the third under coach E.B. Etter, who went 212-68-14 at Central before moving on to Baylor (Chattanooga), where he finished his career with a record of 321-109-14. Guard Hal Bridges and running back Bobby Hoppe made the all-state team with Hoppe making third team All-America by the Wigwam Wisemen, scoring 114 points and gaining over 1,500 yards. A star at Auburn, Hoppe reportedly killed a man in self-defense in 1957. However the crime was not solved for over 30 years and Hoppe finally went to trial in 1988. A hung jury resulted in a mistrial and Hoppe was never tried again. He passed away in 2008.
Season Log
Memphis Central, 7-16
Marist, 49-0
Dobyns Bennett, 26-7
Red Bank, 48-0
Miami (Fla.), 27-0
Landon (Fla.), 20-13
Bradley Central, 13-13
Little Rock Central (Ark.), 26-7
Isaac Litton, 34-13
Baylor, 21-7
Miami (Fla.), 21-14

31. North Phoenix (Ariz.), 9-0-1
The Mustangs put together the only undefeated season in school history in 1953 with a tie against Mesa (a team it beat 20-0 earlier in the season) the only blemish on an otherwise dominant season. North Phoenix posted eight shutouts and gave up just 12 points on the season. The Mustangs landed four players on the all-state first team, including end Jack Denton, guard Bill Brashears, quarterback Clyde Nielson and halfback Ken Aycock. Coach Cecil Coleman was also named coach of the year. Aycock was also the metro player of the year, scoring 19 touchdowns.
Season Log
West, 27-0
Mesa, 20-0
Tucson, 14-0
Compton (Ca), 21-0
Glendale, 41-0
Yuma, 49-6
St. Marys, 26-0
Tech, 50-0
Mesa, 6-6
Phoenix, 14-0

32. South Bend Washington (Ind.), 10-0
The Panthers have posted four undefeated, untied teams in school history with the 1953 squad being the second team to go 10-0. The Panthers were actually voted as the champions in the final United Press Coaches Board poll prior to Thanksgiving, receiving 97.5 points to Evansville Reitz’s 85.5 points. However Reitz had not played its final game and was later named state champion by another media outlet. Mike Mondovics made all-state at center while Joe Brazier made the team as a defensive back.
Season Log
Hammond Noll, 13-0
Mishawaka, 19-13
Goshen, 13-0
Fort Wayne North, 13-0
South Bend Central, 20-0
South Bend Adams, 26-12
South Bend Riley, 20-12
Elkhart, 21-13
Fort Wayne Central Catholic, 32-0
East Chicago Washington, 28-18

33. Las Vegas (Nev.), 10-0
The Wildcats posted their first undefeated season in eight years and posted wins over four Southern California teams in the process, including Compton, Colton, Anaheim and Pasadena. Las Vegas blew out Reno, 34-0, for the state championship. The Las Vegas Sun picked nine Wildcat players on the AAA all-state team, however only Reno and Las Vegas were members of the AAA division.
Season Log
St. George, 71-0
Basic, 52-0
Prescott, 27-0
Compton, 13-6
Colton, 6-0
Anaheim, 14-7
St. Mary’s, 18-6
White Pine, 48-0
Pasadena, 25-0
Reno, 34-0

34. Montclair (N.J.), 8-1
The Mounties finished in a three-way tie with Orange and East Orange with a record of 8-1. However, Montclair edged out the other two by way of the Saylor ratings, a system compiled by Roger Saylor, a professor of accounting and statistics at Penn State. Montclair finished with 528 points while Orange had 522 and East Orange finished with 519 points. The season marked the 10th year under Clary Anderson, who had a record of 83-6. Aubrey Lewis earned all-state honors and he was the Star Ledger’s Athlete of the Year. He rushed for 1,159 yards and 122 points. He went on to play at Notre Dame and worked at the FBI following graduation as one of the first black agents in the program.

Season Log
Orange, 20-0
Irvington, 38-6
Kearny, 27-14
Nutley, 31-0
East Orange, 14-27
Columbia, 40-0
West Orange, 14-0
Clifton, 40-6
Bloomfield, 20-7

35. Orange (N.J.), 8-1
A 20-0 loss to Montclair placed Orange in second place in the state Saylor ratings, 528 to 522. Orange also defeated East Orange, the only team to defeat Montclair. Orange had a strong offensive line led by all-state first team tackle Stan Slater and third team all-state center Tom Grasso.
Season Log
West Orange, 27-6
Nutley, 20-7
Newark East Side, 40-13
Morristown, 29-0
Montclair, 0-20
East Orange, 15-7
Columbia, 32-6
Bloomfield, 26-7
North Belleville, 25-7

36. East Orange (N.J.), 8-1
Despite being outgained by Montclair 247-133, East Orange took advantage of three fumbles and an interception to end the Mounties’ 16-game win streak with a 27-14 victory. East Orange had just three first downs and seven yards rushing in the win. East Orange lost to Orange later in the season and finished third in the Saylor ratings behind Montclair and Orange. Quarterback Don Munford made the all-state first team.
Season Log
North Belleville, 30-14
Columbia, 22-6
Irvington, 39-0
Montclair, 27-14
Newark Barringer, 12-0
Newark Westside, 32-12
Nutley, 39-6
Orange, 7-15
West Orange, 28-7

37. Ramsay (Birmingham, Ala.), 9-1
With an 8-0 record, Ramsay only needed to defeat West End to capture the Big Five championship and likely the Alabama state championship. However West End shut out Ramsay 21-0 and collected the state championship. West End’s win allowed the Lions to play in the Crippled Children’s Clinic game against none other than Ramsay. This time the Rams came out on top 7-6 and got the nod as the top team in Alabama, considering that West End also lost to Woodlawn, a team Ramsay defeated by 20 points. Hindman Wall made the all-state first team at end while Perry Lee Jaffe made the team at tackle.
Season Log
Walker, 33-7
Woodlawn, 26-6
Etowah, 46-20
Sidney Lanier, 38-6
Phillips, 25-7
Shades Valley, 25-0
Ensley, 26-7
Bessemer, 19-14
West End, 0-21
West End, 7-6

38. Byrd (Shreveport, La.), 11-1-1
Although the Associated Press ranked Jesuit as the top team in Louisiana in 1953, there were a lot of reasons to like Byrd as the top team. Although Jesuit did defeat Byrd 7-6 in the AA championship game, Byrd dominated in all other aspects of the game. Byrd outgained Jesuit 264-158 and had more first downs, 15-8. Jesuit, however, was able to score the extra point on the short run while Byrd failed in its extra point attempt. Byrd put two players on the AA all-state first team and two on the second. Gene Newton made the first team at quarterback while John Kidd earned a spot at tackle. Running back Corky Jones and end Harold Smith made the second team. Newton went on to play at Tulane and was All-American in 1956 along with John Brodie, Paul Hornung and Len Dawson.
Season Log
Sulphur, 21-6
Classen, 21-13
Homer, 27-6
Bossier City, 20-0
Marshall, 34-21
Bolton, 33-13
Haynesville, 25-7
Ouachita, 35-7
Bastrop, 19-0
Springhill, 20-20
Fair Park, 40-0
Lake Charles, 38-14
Jesuit, 6-7

39. Durham (N.C.), 9-0-1
Durham and R.J. Reynolds were the teams to beat in North Carolina in the early 1950s. The 1953 state championship game marked the third time in four years the two teams had met for the title. Reynolds defeated Durham in 1952 while Durham picked up the win in 1950. Both teams had provided the last loss for the other. Durham had a nine game win streak since losing to Reynolds in the AAA championship game in 1952, but it had also handed Reynolds its last loss midway through the 1952 season. However the two teams tied in the 1953 championship game with Durham scoring twice in the second half to tie the game after Reynolds had taken a 14-0 lead in the first half. End Paul Pulley made the all-state team along with guard Julius Compton. Pulley also earned All-American status.
Season Log
Burlington, 21-6
Raleigh, 28-7
High Point, 27-0
Durham County, 21-0
Wilson, 19-0
Fayetteville, 13-0
Rocky Mount, 41-0
Wilmington, 27-7
Goldsboro, 14-7
Reynolds, 14-14

40. RJ Reynolds (Winston-Salem, N.C.), 10-0-1
Reynolds finished one quarter short of winning outright back-to-back AAA state championships after tying Durham for the crown in 1953. Reynolds led 14-0 in the first half of the finals, but Durham scored with 35 seconds remaining to tie the game. Reynolds had beaten Durham in 1952 for the AAA title. Reynolds did not place anyone on the all-state first team by the Charlotte Observer, but did have guard Buddy Spach and back Bunky Shore on the second team along with end Droopy Goodson on the third team.
Season Log
Gray, 13-12
Hanes, 20-0
Burlington, 19-7
Asheville, 25-13
Greensboro, 19-0
Salisbury, 41-19
Gastonia, 33-13
Mineral Springs, 46-0
Charlotte, 27-8
High Point, 6-0
Durham, 14-14

41. Flint Northern (Flint, Mich.), 8-1
Flint Northern won the Saginaw Valley Conference and had the Associated Press state player of the year in running back Art Johnson, but a loss to Pioneer early in the season left Flint Northern ranked No. 2 in the Class A rankings by the United Press. Johnson finished with 15 touchdowns. Johnson was a three-sport star at Northern, setting sprint records in track and leading the basketball team to three straight conference titles. After playing at Michigan State, Johnson played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League and won Rookie of the Year honors in 1957.
Season Log
Catholic Central, 19-0
Detroit Catholic Central, 19-13
Pioneer, 13-20
Memorial, 41-14
Saginaw, 20-6
Bay City Central, 18-12
Pontiac Central, 21-0
Arthur Hill, 47-12
Flint Central, 15-13

42. St. James (Philadelphia, Pa.), 9-0-1
St. James had one of the city’s top running backs in the history of the Catholic League in Dick Christy. Of the 18 touchdowns he scored prior to the city championship game, five of them were 75 yards or more. He also threw six touchdown passes, intercepted nine passes and averaged 42 yards a punt. Christy had 131 yards rushing in the tie game with Northeast, including a 71-yard scoring run. Christy also made the Associated Press all-state team and went on to star at North Carolina State, where he was named the ACC Player of the Year in 1957. He played in the NFL and the AFL and was an AFL All-Pro with the New York Titans.
Season Log
Ridley Township, 63-7
Loyola, 34-0
La Salle, 20-0
South Catholic, 27-7
Thomas More, 40-0
North Catholic, 9-0
Roman Catholic, 27-0
St. Joseph’s, 32-13
West Catholic, 34-0
Northeast, 20-20

43. Northeast (Philadelphia, Pa.), 9-0-1
The Archives were seeking their third city championship when they met St. James, the winners of the Catholic League. Northeast, the Public Conference champion, had also won a city title in 1942 and 1946. Northeast held off a late rally by St. James in the championship game, recovering a fumble on its own 2-yard line in the final seconds to preserve the 20-20 tie. Paul Boldin was the top scorer on the year for Northeast with 20 touchdowns.
Season Log
Roman 18-0
German Academy, 19-0
Bartram, 12-6
Olney, 32-0
Mastbaum, 31-0
Germantown, 39-8
Dobbins, 26-12
Gratz, 20-0
Central, 12-7
St. James

44. Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 9-0
The Warriors finished 1953 with their third straight undefeated season, defeating teams in Minnesota, Iowa and their home state. The Warriors ran their unbeaten streak to 31 games in a row (which eventually reached 37 straight). The championship came in the middle of Bob Burns’ run as head coach of the Warriors. From 1948 to 1955, Burns had a record of 55-8-3 with five of those losses coming in the first season. Burns eventually went on to coach at Augustana and was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Quarterback Don Renner was the only Warrior named to the All-SoDak team by the Lead Daily Call. He was also named to the Wigwam Wiseman All-American fourth team.
Season Log
Cathedral, 14-0
Aberdeen, 41-0
St. Paul Central, 60-12
Rapid City, 42-13
Sioux City East, 7-0
Sioux City Central, 35-7
Minneapolis South, 46-7
Huron, 46-0
Fort Dodge, 39-7

45. Hampton (Va.), 9-0
The Crabbers were a Virginia powerhouse in the late 1940s, posting a 52-10-3 record between 1946 and 1952, but they had their best season in 1953 when they went 9-0. However, Hampton was denied the mythical state championship by the state’s point formula, which deemed Granby to have the better overall record. Ironically, Hampton did not have anyone make the all-state first or second team. In fact, it didn’t have anyone make the All-Eastern Group first team. Three players made the All-Eastern second team, including end Otis Forrest, center Harry Vansant and back Leon Miller.
Season Log
Benedictine, 48-6
Maury, 28-6
Fairfax, 40-0
Thomas Jefferson, 13-7
John Marshall, 61-0
Hermitage, 33-0
Warwick, 19-6
South Norfolk, 42-13
Newport News, 21-7

46. Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.), 11-0
After going 11-0 in 1952, the Rams did even better in 1953 with another 11-0 season that included more points on offense and fewer points allowed on defense. The Rams scored 27 more points than the 1952 squad for a total of 301. That mark was a new school record that stood until 1996. The 1953 team also gave up just 26 points, which still ranks as the all-time school record for points allowed in a season. Tackle Hal Duffy made the all-state team along with back Chuck Withers, who also earned All-American honors. Both attended University of Oregon, Withers for football and Duffy for basketball.
Season Log
Albany, 18-0
Milwaukie, 27-0
Camas, 33-0
Astoria, 26-0
Tillamook, 52-6
Parkrose, 33-0
Columbia Prep, 32-0
Gresham, 20-0
Hillsboro, 26-7
Salem, 20-0
Grants Pass, 14-13

47. West (Green Bay, Wisc.), 7-0-1
Although West tied third-place Manitowoc in the penultimate game of the season, it trounced second-place East 49-13 in the finale to claim first place in the Fox River Valley Conference. West finished the season unbeaten in 24 straight games and claimed its third straight conference championship. Coach F.L. “Frosty” Ferzacca placed 11 players on the all-conference team and four made the Associated Press all-state team. Tackle Dick Maierle and center Richard Campbell made the first and guard Jim Williquette made the second team along with back Richard Neu.
Season Log
Escanaba, 57-0
Sheboygan Central, 41-0
Fond du Lac, 37-0
Appleton, 38-13
Sheboygan North, 49-6
Oshkosh, 49-0
Manitowoc,14-14
East, 49-13

48. Rogers (Ark.), 10-0
Class AA might have had the best team in the state in 1953 since Little Rock Central won the Big Seven with an 8-2-1 record. Rogers finished 10-0 for the best record in the state, but it nearly had half of its games forfeited after it was determined that quarterback Buddy Bloomfield was deemed ineligible due to playing summer baseball. After initially forfeiting half of its games, Rogers had the wins reinstated when it was determined that Bloomfield was not ineligible. All-state running back Jerry Ferguson led the offense, averaging 10.1 yards per carry. He gained 1,342 yards and scored 20 touchdowns with 25 extra points.
Season Log
Harrison, 41-12
Fayetteville, 19-6
Siloam Springs, 52-20
Van Buren, 42-14
Subiaco Academy, 14-7
Huntsville, 37-0
Monette (Mo.), 31-6
Tahlequah Sequoyah (Okla.), 30-0
Springdale, 40-0
Bentonville, 13-0

49. Newton (Mass.), 8-0
Newton joined Lowell and Weymouth as the top teams in Massachusetts. All three shared the mythical state championship with similar records, but the unbeaten season was the first for Newton since 1921. Quarterback Art DeStefano was Newton’s only All-Scholastics by the Boston Globe. He threw for 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns. DeStefano played football and baseball at Villanova. An ice hockey star as well, DeStefano became known as the “Ice Man” of Newton for his dedication to the sport, even building an ice rink in his front yard for the neighborhood kids to play ice hockey.
Season Log
Rindge, 21-2
Manchester Central, 28-0
Brockton, 19-13
Watertown, 28-13
Arlington, 13-0
Medford, 12-0
Waltham, 32-31
Brookline, 20-19

50. Olympia (Wash.), 9-0
After holding a slim lead in the rankings over Pasco for the latter part of the season, Olympia dipped behind Pasco following a relatively close win over Aberdeen, 18-13. The Bears were set to play Seattle city champion Queen Anne in the annual Seattle postseason game. Frank Caruso provided the winning extra point in Olympia’s come-from-behind win over the Kuays. After trailing Pasco by four points in the Nov. 18 poll, Olympia finished No. 1 in the state with 344 points to Pasco’s 335. Fullback Bill Steiger and tackle Terry Yeager were both named to the all-state team. Steiger earned All-American honors as an end with Washington State, but he became paralyzed after diving into a pool in the summer of 1957. He was able to recover and return to play for the Cougars.
Season Log
Clover Park, 28-0
Bremerton, 22-6
Hoquiam, 29-14
Kelso, 26-18
Long (Longview), 26-13
Centralia, 34-19
Vancouver, 32-7
Aberdeen, 18-13
Queen Anne, 7-6