1955 National High School Football Rankings

Abilene takes top spot over recognized champion San Diego

In our quest to pick a top 50 for every year dating back from 1959, the starting point was always Art Johlf’s choice as the No. 1 team in the nation as noted in the National Sports News Service’s list of national champions.

High School Sports History has been retroactively selecting Top 50 high school football teams for years prior to 1959, the starting point for when Art Johlfs began ranking high school football teams. While Johlfs retroactively named national champions dating back to 1927 (and later 1910 by Barry Sollenberger), he never chose a Top 10 or Top 50 list of teams for those previous years. High School Sports History has retroactively selected Top 50 lists for 1917, 1944, 1945, 1958, 1957, 1956 and now 1955.

In choosing top 50 teams in 1958, 1957 and 1956, Johlf’s decisions to go with Oak Ridge (Tenn.), Little Rock Central (Ark.) and Abilene (Texas) respectively were spot on. However when we started to put together a Top 50 for 1955, it became clear that Johlf’s choice for the top team, San Diego, was not the best team in the country and probably wouldn’t have been ranked No. 1 if rankings had been done from the start of the season.

The way national rankings are done, if chosen in real time and not by a computer, starts with preseason rankings and they are adjusted based on wins and losses as the season progresses. It’s doubtful that San Diego (Calif.) would have been the No. 1 team in the country to start the season since it was coming off of a 9-2 season in 1954. More than likely, the top team to start the season would have been Abilene (Texas), which was coming off a 12-1 season and a Texas state championship.

Going with that premise, Abilene did nothing during the season to move it off of the No. 1 ranking. The Eagles went undefeated during the regular season and then clobbered every playoff opponent en route to a perfect 13-0 season.

San Diego, meanwhile, finished the regular season undefeated, but had a much tougher time in the playoffs. In fact, the Cavers tied Anaheim in the semifinals and were only able to advance due to having a higher number of first downs. San Diego finished with a CIF Southern Section championship, but Abilene’s dominance in the playoffs far outshined San Diego’s performance.

Thus we recognize Abilene as our national champion for 1955 rather than San Diego. The Cavers are still the clear No. 2 team ahead of McKinley (Canton) because it won the Southern Section playoff championships while McKinley did not play past the regular season since Ohio did not have playoffs until the 1970s.

1955 Top 50 National High School Football Rankings

1. Abilene (Texas), 13-0
The 1955 season marked the second of three straight state championship teams for coach Chuck Moser and his Eagles, who won 49 games between the 1954 and 1957 seasons. While the National Sports News Service selected the 1956 team as the mythical national champion, the 1955 team could easily earn the title as well. The Eagles in 1955 scored 501 points, which was more than either of the other two state championship teams. Of the 13 opponents, only two had losing records. The Eagles also knocked off an undefeated Tyler team by 19 points in the championship game. In fact Abilene outscored its three playoff opponents 127-20. Abilene also blanked Breckenridge, the team that had handed the Eagles their only loss in 1954. The Eagles from 1954 to 1957 were also named Dallas Sports Day’s “Team of the Century.” In the playoffs, Future SMU standout Sam Caudle was the top vote getter on the Texas Sports Writers Association all-state team at guard. He also made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American fourth team and he was a Scholastic Coach All-American. Glynn Gregory, who played in the NFL, also made all-state at running back while baseball standout Freddie Green made the team at end. The Eagles had three running backs rush for nearly 1,000 yards each. Gregory and Henry Colwell each broke the barrier with 1,174 yards and 1,086 yards respectively. Meanwhile James Welch finished with 997 yards on the year. Against Tyler, Abilene shut down all-state quarterback Charles Milstead and shut out the Lions for three quarters before giving up two late touchdowns.
Season log
Highland Park, 34-0
Sweetwater, 45-20
Breckenridge, 13-0
Borger, 35-6
Odessa, 47-0
Pampa, 40-12
Amarillo, 35-13
Lubbock, 62-7
Midland, 28-7
San Angelo, 35-6
El Paso, 61-0
Dallas Sunset, 33-6
Tyler, 33-14

2. San Diego (Calif.) 12-0 (11-0-1)
The National Sports News Service retroactively chose the Cavers as the mythical national champion for 1955, but San Diego could very easily have lost its CIF Southern Section semifinal game with Anaheim if not for the great running ability of Mickey Flynn. The Southern Section player of the year in 1955 and 1956, Flynn had touchdown runs of 66 and 67 yards against San Diego in the semifinals to lead the Anaheim comeback and tie the game at 20-20. There was no overtime period in 1955, so the game was decided based on first downs. Despite having over 100 more yards of total offense than San Diego, Anaheim lost because the Cavers had 17 first downs to the Colonists’ 14. Ironically, Flynn’s long touchdown runs hurt Anaheim. If the Colonists had put together long scoring drives with multiple first downs, instead of long touchdown runs by Flynn, they would have won the game and San Diego wouldn’t be in the national champion conversation, Anaheim would. The Cavers went on to beat Alhambra 26-14 in the section finals and finish 12-0 overall, but 11-0-1 on the field. Coached by Duane Maley, the Cavers had three players make the All-Southern Section team, including future longtime MLB player Deron Johnson at wide receiver, future Oregon quarterback Pete Gumina and future AFL defensive back Willie West. Although he didn’t receive any postseason honors in 1955, defensive back Dave Grayson went on to earn All-Pro honors six times in the AFL and was named to the all-time AFL team. Johnson was also a Wigwam Wiseman first team All-American and the Scholastic Coach All-American team.
Season log
Lynwood, 18-6
Lincoln, 19-0
Pt. Lomas, 42-0
Kearny, 41-0
Hoover, 27-6
Mission Bay, 53-0
Santa Barbara, 27-13
La Jolla, 57-0
Chula Vista, 26-0
Bellflower, 26-6
Anaheim, 20-20
Alhambra, 26-14

3. McKinley (Canton, Ohio), 10-0
Between 1948 and 1954, the Associated Press named Washington (Massillon) the state champion every year during the seven-year run. That streak ended in 1955 when the Canton team defeated Massillon 13-7 in a snowstorm in front of 21,000 fans. McKinley got both of its touchdowns on bad snaps during punt attempts by the Tigers. The loss proved to be Washington’s only loss of the season. McKinley picked up 17 first place votes in the Associated Press rankings and finished with 359 total points - which was 58 points ahead of second-place Massillon. The perfect 10-0 season was the first of back-to-back unblemished records. Bob Williams made first team all-state by the Associated Press at end while Napoleon Barbosa and Ronnie Perdue made the first team defense at defensive back and linebacker respectively. Coach Wade Watts was the UPI Coach of the Year, an honor he earned again in 1956.
Season Log
Cleveland Lincoln, 71-0
Warren Harding, 46-0
Toledo Scott, 52-0
Canton Lincoln, 74-7
Akron East, 25-7
Steubenville, 34-6
Alliance, 30-6
Toledo Waite, 29-7
Akron South, 22-0
Washington (Massillon), 13-7

4. Tyler (Texas), 13-1
Buck Prejean’s Lions went undefeated through the first 12 games of the season to reach the championship game against Abilene. The 12 wins marked the highest win total for Tyler since 1938 and it also marked the last time the Lions would hit double figures in wins until Earl Campbell led the Lions to a state championship in 1973. Tyler defeated some of the top programs in the state in Lufkin, Waco and Highland Park and it also handed Wichita Falls its only loss of the season. Charles Milstead rushed for 769 yards on the season as the starting quarterback. He was named the state player of the year and also made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American first team and the Scholastic Coach All-American team. End Byron Caruthers joined Milstead on the all-state first team while center Jim Davis made the second team. Milstead played just two years of professional football, but he won a pair of AFL titles with the Houston Oilers in 1960 and 1961.
Season log
Palestine, 21-0
Galveston Ball, 46-12
Paris, 27-12
Marshall, 49-0
Lufkin, 27-7
Ray, 27-14
Austin, 21-7
Waco, 35-7
Highland Park, 33-13
Wichita Falls, 13-6
Miller, 20-0
Baytown Lee, 20-0
Abilene, 13-33

5. Woodlawn (Birmingham, Ala.), 10-0
Although the Colonels won three straight state championships between 1941 and 1943, they had their greatest season in school history in 1955 when they posted their first of two straight 10-0 seasons. Woodlawn also scored 338 points, which is still the second highest total in school history. The Colonels allowed just five touchdowns on the season and had five shutouts, including three straight to end the season. Woodlawn had a pair of All-Southern selections in center Dan Sims and end Morris Harwood.
Season log
Talladega, 35-6
Ensley, 33-6
Bessemer, 6-0
West End, 34-0
Bay Panama City (Fla.), 40-7
Shades Valley, 39-6
Ramsay, 20-6
Jones Valley, 44-0
Phillips Birmingham, 48-0
Phillips Birmingham, 39-0

6. Anaheim, 11-0-1
Technically, the Colonists were 11-0-1 on the season, but they actually were handed a loss against San Diego in the CIF Southern Section semifinals. Anaheim had 100 more yards of offense against the Cavers, but had only 14 first downs to San Diego’s 17. Anaheim had one of the top running backs in the nation in Mickey Flynn, who was selected as the CIF Southern Section player of the year over San Diego’s Deron Johnson. Flynn scored 22 touchdowns on the season and rushed for 1,184 yards on just 76 carries. Flynn also earned player of the year honors in 1956 when Anaheim tied Downey for the Southern Section championship. However, Flynn never played higher than junior college football after high school.
Season log
Redlands, 20-16
Las Vegas, 14-7
Garden Grove, 28-0
Santa Ana, 31-7
Santa Monica, 14-0
Huntington Beach, 26-6
Orange, 28-13
Fullerton, 27-7
Newport, 27-6
Mt. Carmel, 33-14
Glendale, 27-13
San Diego, 20-20

7. Istrouma (Baton Rouge, La.), 12-0-1
The Indians won their first of three straight state championships in Class AAA in Louisiana and the first one was the best one for Istrouma. Behind the play of Billy Cannon, Istrouma had only one close game, a 7-7 tie with Sulphur. Among the wins was a 19-7 victory over Arkansas state champion Little Rock. Cannon also is believed to have led the nation in scoring with 229 points and he made fifth team All-American by Wigwam Wiseman and the Scholastic Coach All-American team. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy with LSU in 1959 and was a two-time all-star in the AFL. Others making the all-state team included Luther Fortenberry at tackle, Billy Bueto at gard and George Guidry at running back.
Season log
Humes, 55-20
Lake Charles, 31-13
Warren Easton, 36-0
Little Rock, 19-7
Jesuit, 40-0
Sulphur, 7-7
Holy Cross, 33-0
Catholic, 26-0
Bogalusa, 42-0
Baton Rouge, 38-26
Terrebonne, 32-0
St. Aloysius, 33-7
Fair Park, 40-6

8. Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), 10-0-1
Big Red won its first state championship since 1926 with a 26-7 win over Litton on Thanksgiving  Day. MBA had tied Litton in the previous game on November 14, ending a nine-game win streak to open the season. The tie proved to be the only blemish on the record for MBA, which was ranked No. 1 in the state by the Litkenhous rankings. Big Red gave up just 39 points all season, racking up six shutouts in the process. Ironically MBA did not have any players on the all-state first team by a board of state sportswriters. Frank Burkholder made the second team at tackle and Tom Husband made the third team at end.
Season log
Nashville East, 33-0
Nashville West, 61-0
Clarksville, 13-6
Father Ryan, 22-7
Nashville Central, 54-0
Cohn, 34-0
Springfield, 19-0
DuPont, 49-0
Hillsboro, 66-6
Litton, 14-14
Litton, 26-7

9. Lincoln (Port Arthur, Texas), 12-0
The Bumblebees won the Prairie View Interscholastic League championship in 1953 and opened the 1955 season with a 95-0 win over Sam Houston of Huntsville. The big win led to a 12-0 season that included a 9-6 win over Dallas Lincoln for the Class 3A state championship. Lincoln reached the finals with a big win over previously unbeaten Austin Anderson. Lincoln almost had to forfeit a pair of wins due to an ineligible player. However when it was determined the player in question was actually sick and didn’t play in either of the games to be forfeited, the wins were restored and Lincoln maintained its unbeaten record. Besides winning the state championship in football, the all-black school also won the state basketball title. R.E. Posey coached both teams. Quarterback Thomas McCain and guard Wilbert Flowers were the all-district co-captains while running back Samuel Johnson, tackle Ernest Miller and end Bennie Clay were also all-district.
Season log
Huntsville Sam Houston, 95-0
McKinley (Baton Rouge), 26-7
Wallace (Orange), 31-12
Emmett Scott (Tyler), 46-0
Wheatley, 40-14
Washington, 68-0
Beaumont Hebert, 26-0
Yates, 19-13
Charlston Pollard, 34-0
Galveston, 33-13
Anderson, 39-7
Dallas Lincoln, 9-6

10. Miami Senior (Fla.) 9-1
Due to financial reasons, the Stingarees did not travel out of state in 1955 after making that a standard on their yearly schedule. The only out-of-state opponent was New Britain, the Connecticut state champion that traveled to Miami for the annual Charity Bowl. After losing the first game of the season to Palm Beach, Miami won eight straight, including a shutout of Coral Gables. The Palm Beach loss was the result of nine fumbles, eight of them lost, by the Stingarees. Miami lost two of the fumbles in the end zone and two more inside the Palm Beach 5-yard line, thus preventing the Stingarees from scoring. Tackle John Feurtado was the highest vote getter on the all-state team by the state sports writers. He also earned Scholastic Coach All-American honors and a Wigwam Wiseman All-American sixth team selection. Quarterback Joe Caldwell also made the all-state team.
Season log
Palm Beach, 0-7
Orlando Edgewater, 18-0
Coral Gables, 12-0
Jacksonville Jackson, 14-6
Jacksonville Lee, 33-0
Miami Beach, 54-6
Key West, 20-0
Miami Jackson, 20-7
Edison, 14-6
New Britain, 20-12

11. Washington (Massillon, Ohio), 8-1-1
The Tigers won seven straight Associated Press poll championships from 1948 to 1954 and they were as good a pick as any to win the state title again in 1955. Although Mansfield tied Washington 12-12 in midseason thanks to a Tiger touchdown in the final seconds, the Tigers still had a shot at the state championship when they met up with McKinley in the annual rivalry game in the final contest of the season. Playing in the snow, Massillon hiked two balls over the head of the punter, leading to both touchdowns for the Canton team. Massillon actually outgained McKinley by over 140 yards on the ground in the loss. In the final Associated Press rankings, Massillon did not receive a single first place vote (McKinley had 17), but it still finished No. 2 behind Canton by 58 points. Even though it lost to McKinley in the final game, Massillon actually gained about 20 points in the rankings from the penultimate poll to the final poll. Jim Houston was the top player for the Tigers, earning all-state honors and was second team All-American by Wigwam Wiseman. He played 13 seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, earning Pro Bowl honors four times.
Season log
Youngstown North, 31-0
Canton Lincoln, 45-7
Alliance, 22-6
Elder, 26-7
Toledo Waite, 32-13
Mansfield, 12-12
Warren Harding, 34-7
Barberton, 26-14
Akron Garfield, 27-20
Canton McKinley, 7-13

12. Woodruff (Peoria, Ill.), 10-0
Facing the best competition in the state in the Greater Peoria and Illini leagues, Woodruff posted nine shutouts and gave up just one touchdown on the season. The perfect season was the best year Woodruff had during the 20-year coaching career of Virgil Boucher. Woodruff had a four-year run from 1954 to 1957 when it went 35-2-2. Harry Higgs was the lone Woodruff player to make the all-state team by the News Gazette and the Daily News, making the team at fullback.
Season log
Quincy, 57-0
Galesburg, 20-0
Central, 14-0
Canton, 45-0
Spalding, 40-7
Limestone, 27-0
Manual, 21-0
Kewanee, 40-0
East Peoria, 7-0
Pekin, 14-0

13. Aliquippa (Pa.), 9-0
Undefeated through the first eight games of the season, the Quips found themselves trailing Mt. Lebanon 13-0 in the final six minutes of the Class AA WPIAL championship game. However a 78-yard touchdown pass from John Moore to Bob Rembert highlighted the comeback. Willie Smith was another hero as he made both of his conversion kicks to lead to the one-point win. The championship marked the second in four years for coach Carl Aschman’s program, which also won in 1952. Aliquippa was the only undefeated and untied Class AA team in the state. Rembert and running back Jim D’Antonio were both second team all-state. Future NFL Hall of Fame tight end and coach Mike Ditka was a junior receiver on the team.
Season log
Westinghouse, 35-0
McKeesport, 18-12
Ellwood City, 32-6
Rochester, 23-6
Sharon, 37-18
Beaver Falls, 34-6
Duquesne, 26-0
Ambridge, 26-12
Mt. Lebanon, 14-13

14. Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 10-0
Coached by Humpy Heywood, Baylor played a prep school schedule in 1955, taking on college JV teams, military academies and the occasional high school team. The Litkenhous rankings put Baylor at the top of the prep school rankings with a score of 106.5. Running back Calvin James was the star player for the Red Raiders. He was the school’s first Scholastic Coach All-American while also making the All-Southern team and the All-City team. He went on to start three seasons at George Tech. Cal’s brother Fob James became the governor of Alabama in the 1970s and Cal became president of Diversified Products, the largest manufacturer of home fitness equipment in the country. Baylor also placed Chubb Smith (who was All-Southern honorable mention) and Bill Mott at guard on the all-state team.
Season log
Davidson JV, 45-13
Greenbrier Military, 33-12
Tennessee Polytechnic Institute JV, 40-14
UT Martin, 13-7
Chattanooga City, 14-7
Chattanooga Central, 18-7
Castle Heights, 20-0
Georgia Military Academy, 49-6
Gordon Military College, 27-6
Columbia Military Academy, 33-7

15. Greenwood (S.C.), 12-0
Coached by Julius Wistar “Pinky” Babb, Greenwood went undefeated and had a winning streak of 18 straight games. The season was Babb’s 13th as head coach and he went on to finish his career in 1981 as the winningest coach in high school football history with 336 wins. Harvey White led the team at quarterback. He made the All-Southern team, the Scholastic Coach All-American team and the Wigwam Wiseman All-American third team. White went on to play at Clemson, where he led the team to a pair of ACC championships. He also played briefly in the AFL for the Boston Patriots.
Season log
Batesburg-Leesville, 34-12
Rock Hill, 27-0
Chester, 21-7
Spartanburg, 25-0
Saluda, 39-19
Greenville, 33-14
Charleston, 32-7
Parker, 26-6
Easley, 48-13
Gaffney, 48-0
Marietta, 19-0
Newberry, 53-0

16. Longmont (Colo.), 12-0
Longmont has a long history of outstanding football, dating back to 1908 when it defeated Englewood to claim a national championship. Longmont also had great success in the 1950s, winning back-to-back state titles in 1954 and 1955 with 17 straight wins. The Trojans easily defeated Grand Junction 32-6 in the championship game, one year after beating Grand Junction 40-7 for the title. Running backs Alan Ashbaugh and Dennie Powell made the Denver Post all-state team along with guard Spike Rasmussen and center Doug Wills. Ashbaugh had 13 touchdowns on the season while Powell had 12 touchdowns and 51 extra points.
Season log
Pueblo Central, 27-0
Aurora, 41-0
Fort Morgan, 56-7
Boulder, 33-13
Englewood, 27-0
Loveland, 48-13
Sterling, 34-0
Fort Collins, 42-6
Greeley, 27-14
Westminster, 41-12
Colorado Springs, 33-0
Grand Junction, 32-6

17. New Britain (Conn.), 9-1
For three quarters it looked like New Britain would finish the season unbeaten with a shocking win over the Miami Stingarees in the Orange Bowl. But Miami scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out the 20-12 win. New Britain was untouchable through the first nine games of the season, led by all-state running backs Joe Willis (first team) and Stevie Zisk (second team). The state championship was the first of three straight for the Hurricanes.
Season Log
Mt. Pleasant, 25-20
Stamford, 19-6
Weaver, 32-12
Norwich Free Academy, 36-6
East Hartford, 33-12
New London, 39-6
Hillhouse, 14-7
Hartford, 34-21
Bulkeley, 33-0
Miami Senior, 12-20

18. Corbin (Ky.), 11-0
Led by one of the legendary figures in Kentucky high school sports, Corbin won the state championships in Kentucky with an 11-0 record that included a key win over Newport in the final game of the season. Calvin Bird was the top player on the team as he set a state record with 157 points and was the captain of the Louisville Courier Journal all-state team despite being just a junior. An outstanding basketball player as well, Bird went on to a Hall of Fame career at the University of Kentucky in football. He was one of four brothers to star at Corbin. As a senior, he earned All-American honors after scoring 264 points.
Season log
Bell County, 25-6
Henry Clay, 33-0
Pineville, 39-0
Manuel, 7-0
Middlesboro, 46-0
Barbourville, 76-0
Somerset, 45-6
Danville, 34-20
Williamsburg, 61-6
Knox Central, 56-0
Newport, 27-21

19. Vocational (Chicago), 11-1
Bill Miller’s 66-yard punt return in the third quarter gave Vocational a 6-0 win over Weber in the Prep Bowl at Soldier Field, marking the first All-Chicago High School championship for the Cavaliers. Vocational had won the City League title in November with a 13-6 win over Lane Tech and won nine straight games after losing to Lindblom early in the season. Tackle John Sawin was the only Vocational player to make the all-state first team by the News Gazette. He also earned All-American honors by Scholastic Coach.
Season log
Calumet, 18-0
Kelly, 21-7
Lindblom, 6-13
Fenger, 13-0
Tilden 6-0
Morgan Park, 24-14
Phillips, 15-0
Du Sable, 26-0
Taft, 40-7
Steinmetz, 50-0
Lane Tech, 13-6
Weber, 6-0

20. Peoria (Ill.), 10-1
Other than a loss to undefeated Woodruff, Peoria can make a good claim to being the second-best team in Illinois. The Centennials placed five players on the all-city team, including running back Dick Matarelli, Joe Suffield, Jim Swardenski, Ralph Mason and Bill Waibel. Peoria had gone 10-0-1 the previous year with the only blemish a 6-6 tie with Woodruff.
Season log
Galesburg, 18-6
Limestone, 13-0
Woodruff, 0-14
Spalding, 32-0
Streator, 28-0
Springfield, 39-2
Pekin, 14-0
East Peoria, 19-7
Mattoon, 27-0
Canton, 21-0
Manual, 32-0

21. Montclair (N.J.), 8-0-1
The Mounties won their fourth straight sectional championship in 1955 as awarded by the New Jersey Scholastic Association. Ralph Galascione was the top player on the team, earning all-state honors for the second time. Sophomore Richie Haines led the rushing attack with 699 yards and 12 touchdowns and he also made the all-state team. Montclair beat out Memorial of West New York for the top spot in the state by the Saylor Rankings with 528 points to Memorial’s 518. Montclair also scored 733 points in the Colliton rankings system used by the state to award section championships. The 733 point total was 80 points higher than the second-highest team.
Season log
Orange, 26-0
Irvington, 46-0
Kearny, 0-0
Nutley, 14-6
East Orange, 14-7
Columbia, 47-0
West Orange, 36-14
Clifton, 32-0
Bloomfield, 18-0

22. East Liverpool (Ohio), 10-0
The Potters completed the first undefeated season in the school’s 53-year history with the 10-0 season. East Liverpool finished third in the Associated Press rankings with 281 points. McKinnley (Canton) finished first with 359 while Massillon had 301. Notably East Liverpool finished with seven first place votes while Massillon had none. Fullback Gene Bell made first team all-state after rushing for 1,048 yards and 14 touchdowns. Bert Dorsey made second team at end and Jim Potts was second team defense at safety.
Season log
Cleveland East Tech, 33-14
Steubenville, 46-6
New Philadelphia, 27-14
Steubenville Cathedral Catholic, 19-12
Youngstown Rayen, 47-7
Bellaire, 26-19
Martins Ferry, 40-0
Salem, 46-19
Toronto, 47-12
Alliance, 34-14

23. Litton (Nashville, Tenn.), 9-1-1
Litton was ranked No. 2 in the Litkenhous rankings for most of the season behind Montgomery Bell Academy and then tied MBA 14-14 in mid-November. Based on the Litkenhous rankings, MBA was a 14-point favorite heading into the game, but Litton held on for the tie. As fate would have it, Litton and MBA met two weeks later on Thanksgiving Day in the JCC Clinic Bowl for the mythical state championship. MBA held a 10-point lead in the Litkenhous rankings and this time it took advantage of seven Litton fumbles to secure the 26-7 win. Bobby Tillman earned all-state honors at running back.
Season log
DuPont, 38-6
Cohn, 20-6
Memphis Central, 18-14
Nashville Central, 35-6
Springfield, 13-6
Oak Ridge, 33-13
Nashville West, 54-0
Nashville East, 37-7
Father Ryan, 19-12
Montgomery Bell, 14-14
Montgomery Bell, 7-26

24. Athens (Ga.), 13-0
Athens did not play in the largest classification in Georgia in 1955, but it may have been the best team in the state. In Class AA, LaGrange and Rossville both finished tied for the state championship. LaGrange also had two losses while Rossville had a loss and another tie. Athens, meanwhile, went 13-0, beat Valdosta in the state finals and led the state in scoring with 495 points. Only seven other teams in the state scored over 300 and none scored over 350. Guard Sonny Dillard was the state lineman of the year in Class A while Billy Slaughter also made all-state by the Atlanta Journal Constitution at running back. Running backs George Guisler and Carlton James also made all-state honorable mention. Ironically, the lone backfield mate who did not earn all-state honors was future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton.
Season log
Fulton, 37-7
Toccoa, 51–0
Monroe Area, 65-0
Rome, 32-0
Elberton, 33-6
Richmond Academy, 14-7
Winder-Barrow, 41-0
Gainesville, 51-0
Hart County, 25-0
Newton, 40-6
College Park, 39-0
Rockmart, 26-7
Valdosta, 41-20

25. Port Neches (Texas), 11-2
A state champion in 1953 over Big Spring and a runner-up to Breckenridge in 1954, Port Neches got off to a slow start in 1955 with losses to Nederland and Port Arthur Jefferson. Nowhere to be found in the Fort Worth Star Telegram state rankings in October, Port Neches gradually worked its way back into contention, defeated unbeaten Alice in the semifinals and then edged favored Garland in the championship game. Port Neches did not win another state title until 1975, which is currently the last state crown for the Indians. Running back Gordon LeBoeuf led the all-state voting for Class AAA while end John Goodwin also made the first team. Running back Bobby LaBorde was second team. LeBoeuf led the state in rushing with 2,150 yards and finished his career with 5,110 yards and 49 touchdowns. He played at Texas A & M for Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Season log
Orange Stark, 26-6
Nederland, 6-34
Port Arthur Jefferson, 13-27
Brazosport, 14-6
Conroe, 34-0
Aldine, 28-0
Texas City, 38-6
Beaumont French, 40-13
Spring Branch, 64-0
Beaumont South Park, 19-13
Temple, 36-19
Alice, 14-7
Garland, 20-14

26. Garland (Texas), 12-1
One year before winning the Class AAA state championship, Garland won 12 straight games and reached the Class AAA finals against Port Neches. The season marked the second year in a row that Garland finished the regular season undefeated under coach Bill Ellington. Port Neches ended Garland’s chance for a title with a 20-14 win. After a scoreless first half, Garland took a 14-0 lead in the third period. However Port Neches scored 20 unanswered points for the win. Running back Bobby Boyd tied Port Neches running back Gordon Leboeuf for the most votes on the all-state team. End Lowell Baker finished with the second-highest number of votes. Boyd went on to play quarterback at Oklahoma before playing nine seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts. Boyd was all-pro five times as a defensive back and finished his career with 57 interceptions.
Season log
Denison, 45-6
McKinney, 64-0
Dallas Hillcrest, 27-7
Sherman, 7-6
Arlington, 40-19
Cleburne, 34-0
Weatherford, 20-0
Irving, 45-19
Birdville, 48-6
Grand Prairie, 18-14
Snyder, 18-13
Texarkana, 44-18
Port Neches Groves, 14-20

27. Coral Gables (Fla.), 8-2
Coral Gables won the Big 10 Conference in Florida and finished No. 2 in the Miami Herald’s state rankings, behind Miami. The Stingarees handed Coral Gables one of its losses while the other came against Lakeland. Lee Collins made first team all-state and All-Southern at guard while Mike Harrison was second team at running back. John Gable made the third team at tackle.
Season log
South Dade, 47-0
North Miami, 31-7
Miami Senior, 0-12
Lakeland, 12-13
Edison, 13-12
Mainland, 48-0
Edgewater, 6-0
Hillsborough, 36-7
Fort Lauderdale, 26-7
Jackson (Miami), 28-7

28. Vicksburg (Miss.), 11-0
Just three seasons after an 0-10 season, Vicksburg posted the greatest season in school history with an 11-0 record. It remains the only unbeaten, untied record in the school’s 111-year history. The Big Eight Conference championship was also the first in school history. Claude King led the team in rushing with over 1,700 yards and 133 points. He made the All-Southern first team and also made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American first team and the Scholastic Coach All-American team. He played two seasons in the AFL with the Houston Oilers and Boston Patriots.
Season log
Tallulah, 36-6
Provine, 34-6
Greenville, 32-7
Natchez Adams, 19-6
Central Jackson, 27-7
Yazoo City, 13-0
Meridian, 47-13
Murrah, 32-0
Clarksdale, 27-0
Greenwood, 19-10
Brookhaven, 21-7

29. East Chicago Roosevelt (Ind.), 9-0
Between 1942 and 1957, the Roughriders never lost more than two games in a season and had six undefeated seasons during that stretch including the 1955 season. Roosevelt was the unanimous state champion of three different polls - the Dunkel Index, the Litkenhous rankings and the United Press. Guard Ed Sojka and running back Jack Davidson earned UP all-state first team honors while eight others earned second or third team or honorable mention honors. The duo also made the Scholastic Coach All-American Team. Interestingly Ralph Reel, a second team all-state guard, earned Wigwam Wiseman first team All-American honors.
Season Log
Hammond Tech, 47-13
Hammond Clark, 33-13
Hammond, 26-13
Gary Mann, 27-7
Hammond Morton, 27-0
Whiting, 34-7
Hobart, 34-7
East Chicago Washington, 34-6
South Bend Adams, 13-7

30. Ross (Fremont, Ohio), 10-0
Ross finished fourth in the Associated Press rankings in Ohio while winning the Buckeye Conference. Ross won 10 straight games and would go on to win 20 in a row with a 10-0 season in 1956. Dave Wolschuck made the second team at center while Jim Tiller, a first team all-state running back in 1956, made the second team defense at defensive back.
Season log
Lima, 20-6
Hammond Bishop Noll, 7-0
Fostoria, 30-0
Findlay, 27-6
Sandusky, 20-6
Elyria, 19-6
Lorain, 28-0
Marion, 30-12
Toledo Scott, 12-0
Portsmouth, 28-20

31. Davenport, 9-0
The 1955 season marked the first of three straight mythical state championships for Davenport. The Demons set a school scoring record with 256 points and had a 15-game win streak by the end of the season. Davenport guards Sam Bowlby and Robert Hain ranked among the best in the nation. Both made the Scholastic Coach All-American team while Bowlby was first team All-American by Wigwam Wiseman and Hain was third team.
Season log
St. Ambrose, 7-6
McKinley, 42-0
Iowa City, 48-0
Dubuque, 27-0
Rock Island, 35-6
Clinton, 28-6
East Moline, 42-14
Franklin, 13-0
Moline, 14-0

32. Norview, 10-0
Norview went 0-10 in 1953 and wasn’t much better in 1954, going 3-7. Enter coach Pete Sachon, who came to Norview from Woodrow Wilson. In his two seasons at Norview, Sachon never lost a game, going 20-0. He moved on to Princess Anne after 1956 and coached there for another nine seasons. He finished his career with a record of 103-49-8. Norview scored 269 points, which was the most in school history at that time. The record lasted until 1968. Running back Johnny Watkins made first team all-state along with end Allen Whittier. Scholastic Coach also picked Whittier on its All-American team.
Season log
Princess Anne, 45-0
Suffolk, 13-0
Woodrow Wilson, 14-6
Warwick, 14-7
Maury, 27-7
Granby, 25-7
Newport News, 33-0
Cradock, 26-0
Hermitage, 40-13
Oscar Smith, 32-6

33. Champaign (Ill.) 8-0-1
The Maroons completed their third undefeated season in school history and tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference. The only tie came against Joliet Catholic in the fourth game of the season. Ironically, the Maroons did not have any players on the 33-member all-state team chosen by the hometown Champaign News Gazette.
Season log
Danville Schlarmann, 20-6
Notre Dame Quincy, 34-0
Moosehart, 47-20
Joliet Catholic, 20-20
Danville, 53-0
Mattoon, 31-0
Bloomington, 13-0
Urbana, 21-12
Streater, 33-12

34. East. Louis (Ill.), 8-0-1
Only a tie with St. Louis University (Mo.) blemished the Flyers’ record in 1955. East St. Louis had won 35 games in a row prior to the tie. The following week the Flyers ended Collinsville’s unbeaten streak. Ironically, East St. Louis didn’t place anyone on the all-state team by the News-Gazette; however, receiver Rich Brooks, who was also an outstanding basketball player, made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American second team.
Season log
Springfield, 27-0
Lincoln (East St. Louis), 40-6
Washington (East Chicago), 40-0
St. Louis University, 13-13
Collinsville, 21-18
Assumption, 30-6
Bloom Township, 33-14
Granite City, 25-0
Belleville, 14-0

35. Marshfield (Coos Bay, Ore.), 11-0
Under longtime coach Pete Susick, Marshfield dominated Oregon football for much of the 1950s. The 1955 season was the middle of a three-season run that included a 33-0-2 record and three state titles. Marshfield also won 10 league championships between 1947 and 1959. Susick eventually went on to compile a career record of 235-69-18. Quarterback Denny Baker made the Wigwam Wiseman All-American sixth team while center Robert Peterson made the Scholastic Coach All-American Team.
Season log
Caldwell, 40-13
Coquille, 27-0
Grants Pass, 27-6
Springfield, 27-7
Roseburg, 49-0
Eugene, 32-13
Crook County, 21-0
North Bend, 32-0
Medford, 20-6
Washington, 40-2
Gresham, 19-0

36. Florence (S.C.), 11-0
Florence played in the Big 14 Conference with Greenwood, but the two teams did not play each other in 1955. As a result, both teams finished undefeated with a claim as the best AA team in the state. While Greenwood won out in the state rankings, Florence was close behind at No. 2 in the final rankings. Florence did not have any players on the all-state first team by the Greenville Piedmont, but they had two players on the second team in guard Petie Bazen and running back Tommy Price.
Season log
Lake City, 40-0
Winyah, 19-13
Conway, 21-13
Camden, 22-0
Orangeburg, 20-6
Rock Hill, 21-0
St. John’s (Darlington), 35-7
Spartanburg, 32-20
Columbia, 14-13
Charleston, 33-6
Edmunds, 20-6

37. North Kansas City (Kansas City, Mo.), 10-0
The Hornets were the top team in the Kansas City area, finishing undefeated behind all-state quarterback Phil Snowden. Northtown won the Pony Express League for the second year in a row and end Dave Bolsenga and tackle Paul Bailey joined Snowden on the all-district team. Snowden made the Scholastic Coach All-American Team. He played at Missouri and led the team to the Orange Bowl. He is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Season log
Liberty, 24-0
Southeast, 7-0
DeLaSalle, 45-20
Sedalia, 20-6
Chrisman, 13-0
Benton, 42-0
Wentworth, 55-0
Lafayette, 47-6
Central, 39-13
Raytown, 34-7

38. Creighton Prep, 8-0-1
The Junior Jays won 28 straight games over three seasons before tying Boys Town in the final game of the 1955 season. Creighton Prep still finished as the No. 1 team in the United Press rankings. End Frank Zitka and running back Leo Von Tersch made the all-state first team. Zitka went on to play baseball at Creighton University (his teammate was Bob Gibson). The entire 1955 team has been inducted into the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame.
Season log
South, 39-6
Thomas Jefferson (Council Bluffs), 28-18
Tech, 21-0
Omaha North, 21-20
Lincoln (Council Bluffs), 27-0
Central, 47-20
Benson, 14-0
Grand Island, 28-13
Boys Town, 7-7

39. Elba (Ala.), 10-0
The Tigers posted back-to-back 10-0 seasons in 1954 and 1955, marking the best two seasons in school history until Elba went 15-0 in 2011. Elba was one of four AA teams to be ranked No. 1 in their region in the state, joining West Blocton, Handley and Guntersville. Running backs Mack Wise and Marlin Dyess both made all-state and went on to play for Alabama.
Season log
Luverne, 47-0
Opp, 13-6
Enterprise, 21-12
Florala, 34-0
Geneva County, 33-6
Samson, 34-7
Geneva, 24-6
Andalusia, 33-0
Charles Henderson, 45-0
Ashford, 60-0

40. Haverhill (Mass.), 7-0-1
The winningest high school football team in the nation for most of the first half of the 20th century, Haverhill’s lead started to slip after 1950. The 1955 team, however, proved to be the best team in Massachusetts with an undefeated record that included a tie with Beverly. Haverhill sported the state’s top quarterback in Don White, who drew comparisons to Harry Agganis, a Wigwam Wiseman All-American in 1947. White threw for 872 yards and nine touchdowns and also ran for five scores. He made the Boston Globe’s All-Scholastics Team along with end Mike Conway, who was a member of the National Honor Society. Conway also finished with seven touchdown receptions. White also earned selection to the Scholastic Coach All-American team.
Season log
Beverly 7-7
Malden, 28-14
Lynn Classical, 47-0
Lowell, 14-12
Salem 42-7
Medford, 26-21
Lawrence, 39-0
Manchester Central, 33-6

41. Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 8-0
Pioneer was in the midst of its fourth straight season without a loss in 1955, yet it was not the No. 1 team in the state heading into the final week of the season. Bay City Central held that honor, edging out Pioneer 197-195 in the Associated Press rankings. However Bay City Central lost to Flint Central, 13-12, and Pioneer beat Jackson 32-6, allowing Pioneer to move into the top spot with 253 points to Grand Rapid Catholic Central’s 224 points. Pioneer captured 21 of the 26 first-place votes. Running back Bob Correll was the lone Pioneer player on the Associated Press Class A all-state team. He rushed for 776 yards on 77 carries with 11 touchdowns.
Season Log
Wayne, 14-7
Kalamazoo, 41-7
Flint Northern, 33-13
Lansing Sexton, 14-0
Battle Creek, 19-18
Lansing Eastern, 32-7
Ypsilanti, 20-13
Jackson, 32-6

42. Rochester (Minn.), 8-0
The Rockets finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state by the Star Tribune, edging out seven other teams in the top 10 who finished undefeated. Rochester ran its win streak to 15 games in a row with a season-ending 40-0 win over Austin. Running back Tom Robbins was the only all-state first team player for Rochester, but he also earned All-American honors by Scholastic Coach and Wigwam Wiseman All-American second team honors.
Season log
Owatonna, 44-0
Faribault, 13-12
Northfield, 46-6
Albert Lea, 27-8
Winona, 28-6
Red Wing, 13-0
Mankato, 13-0
Austin, 40-0

43. Ada (Okla.), 12-1
The Cougars finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the state by the Daily Oklahoman with the only loss a 14-0 defeat at the hands of Chickasha early in the season. Among the big wins included an 18-0 win over Capitol Hill, a 26-0 semifinal win over Broken Arrow and two wins over Class A finalist Ardmore. In the championship game, Ada scored twice in the fourth quarter to come from behind and beat Ardmore 18-12. Ada also finished No. 1 in the rankings at 11-0 in 1954, however no state playoffs were held that year. The Cougars also won state titles in 1951 and 1952. Tackle Jerry Thompson and guard Billy Jack Moore made the all-state team. Thompson also earned Wigwam Wiseman All-America sixth team honors. Both Thompson and Moore also made the Scholastic Coach All-American team.
Season log
Hugo, 13-0
Chickasha, 0-14
Durant, 13-7
Ponca City, 14-0
Ardmore 14-6
Wewoka, 6-0
Seminole, 14-6
Henryetta, 42-0
McAlester, 20-6
Capitol Hill, 18-0
Sulphur, 53-0
Broken Arrow, 26-0
Ardmore, 18-12

44. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), 9-1
Fort Lauderdale was ranked No. 3 in the state by the Miami Herald behind Miami Senior and Coral Gables for the month of November, but a loss to Coral Gables dropped Fort Lauderdale behind Palm Beach and Miami Jackson, each of which had significantly worse records. Ironically, Fort Lauderdale did not place one player on the all-state first, second, or third teams or honorable mention.
Season log
Mainland, 26-0
Key West, 20-0
Lake Worth, 45-0
South Dade, 12-6
Miami Tech, 38-0
North Miami, 35-0
Miami Curley, 20-6
Coral Gables, 6-26
Miami Beach, 34-6
South Broward, 34-0

45. Williamsport (Pa.), 9-1
The Millionaires won their first nine games of the season, winning most games by double digits. However Steelton-Highspire pulled of a 7-6 win in the season finale to end Williamsport’s perfect season. Despite the loss, Williamsport still had the second highest ranking in the state behind Aliquippa, according to the Saylor Rankings. Williamsport had 531 points in the ranking system while Steelton Highspire had 518. Aliquippa had 538. Receiver Harold Fisher was first team all-state with four touchdown catches. Center Wayne Berfield made the second team.
Season log
Coal Township, 28-25
Sunbury, 40-0
York, 32-7
Reading, 28-14
Lancaster, 30-0
John Harris, 34-6
Lebanon, 31-8
William Penn, 14-0
Altoona, 14-7
Steelton, 6-7

46. East (Salt Lake City, Utah), 11-0
Between 1952 and 1957, East posted a record of 49-3-2 with the 1955 season the best of the six teams with an 11-0 record. East began a 24-game win streak in 1955 and captured the state championship with a 27-0 win over Murray. Five East players made the all-state team including Steve Watson, Howard Ringwood, Gary Johnson, Jim Hibbard and Gary Chestang.
Season log
Ogden, 32-6
Bne Lomond, 44-6
Olympus, 12-6
Murray, 13-0
West, 13-2
Jordan, 20-0
South, 33-0
Tooele, 39-6
Granite, 34-7
Ogden, 24-0
Murray, 27-0

47. Kenosha, 8-0
The mythical state champion, Kenosha powered to an undefeated season on the legs of running back Eddie Hart, who broke Alan Ameche’s state record for rushing yardage with 1,033 yards on just 75 carries with 14 touchdowns. He found a spot on the Scholastic Coach All-American team.
Season log
Waukegan, 12-7
Janesville, 35-7
Beloit, 40-13
Madison Central, 48-6
Racine Park, 48-21
Racine Horlick, 41-13
Madison West, 13-0
Madison East, 41-21

48. Elgin, 7-0
Elgin was firmly in the argument for the best team in the state after finishing undefeated for the first time since 1929. Elgin placed eight players on the All-Big Eight team and two on the all-state team. Don White made the team at quarterback while Glen Huber made it at guard.
Season log
Freeport, 32-0
East Rockford, 13-6
West Aurora, 33-7
Joliet, 34-0
East Aurora, 20-7
West Rockford, 24-2
LaSalle-Peru, 25-6

49. Sikeston (Mo.), 10-0
Sikeston dominated play in Missouri throughout the 1950s, posting a record of 49-0-3 from 1948 to 1953 and then going undefeated in 1954 and 1955. Ron Carmody was named to the all-state first team as center and linebacker.
Season log
Chaffee, 42-6
Caruthersville, 27-13
Cairo, 34-13
Kennett, 33-0
Poplar Bluff, 6-0
East Prairie, 27-0
Cape Central, 34-0
Jackson, 33-0
Fredericktown, 19-6
Charleston, 13-7

50. Hammond Bishop Noll (Hammond, Ind.), 8-1
Depending on the poll you chose, Noll was either the second best team in the state or not even in the Top 10. The Litkenhous rankings had Noll right behind East Chicago Roosevelt with a score of 85.8 to 85.1. The Dunkel rankings, however, had Noll at No. 4 behind Roosevelt, Evansville Central and Evansville Ross. The UPI Rankings didn’t have Noll in the top 10. The six shutouts are hard to ignore and Noll played a Fremont Ross team from Ohio to a one-score game. Fremont Ross is ranked No. 30 in this poll. Mike Graney, who played at Notre Dame, made the all-state team at tackle.
Season log
Indianapolis Cathedral, 19-0
Fremont Ross, 0-7
Fort Wayne Central Catholic, 26-0
Hammond Morton, 20-6
Hobart, 35-7
South Bend Central, 6-0
South Bend St. Joseph, 29-0
Hammond, 25-0
Gary Roosevelt, 13-0