1956 National High School Football Rankings

Abilene top team over Little Rock Central, Coral Gables.

The 1950s were a great time to be a high school football player in Abilene. When Chuck Moser arrived in Abilene in 1953, he was 34 years old and he had spent seven years at McAllen. He won a district championship in his final year in South Texas and he went 7-2-1 in his first year at Abilene. The next four seasons were, perhaps, the greatest stretch for a Texas high school football team in state history.

It started with a 12-1 season and a state championship in 1954. Another state title and a 13-0 season followed in 1955. By 1956, the Eagles were being called the greatest team in state history. In 1957, Abilene went 12-0-1 and missed a fourth straight state championship after losing a tie game with Highland Park based on penetrations. During that stretch, Abilene went 49 games without a loss. Fifty years later, Al Pickett wrote a book about the Eagles called “The Team of the Century.” In 1999, the Dallas Morning News called Abilene’s teams from 1954-57 the greatest team of the 20th century.

So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Abilene tops our retroactive selections for the Top 50 high school football teams for 1956. The National Sports News Service originally deemed Abilene the national champion for 1956 when Art Johlfs retroactively made his national champions picks sometime after 1959 when he first started ranking high school football teams on a national basis. The Eagles had some good competition for the top spot. No. 2 Little Rock Central went on to win the mythical national title in 1957 while No. 4 Oak Ridge (Tenn.) earned the crown in 1958. No. 3 Coral Gables went on to win four national titles in the 1960s.

The 1956 season was, perhaps, the peak for the Abilene program. The Eagles went 10-2 and won district titles in 1958 and 1959, but Moser stepped down as head coach following the 1959 seasons. Abilene Cooper field varsity teams for the first time in 1960, further diluting the talent pool at Abilene High. The Eagles did not hit double digits in wins for another 35 years, but they did return to glory in 2009 when they were one of two teams to earn recognition as a national champion after going 15-0.

High School Sports History, however, recognizes Abilene as the cream of the crop for the 1956 season. The following are our choices for the Top 50 teams from 1956.

Top 50 Teams from 1956

1. Abilene (Texas), 14-0
Under Chuck Moser, the Eagles were the top team in Texas and one of the top teams in the nation for a six-year span from 1954-59. The 1956 season was, perhaps, the best of those six seasons as Moser’s squad set a school record for wins at 14 that lasted until 2009 when Abilene went 15-0. Abilene dominated in the postseason, giving up just 12 points and posting two shutouts, including a 14-0 win in the Class 4A championship game over Ray (Corpus Christi). The Eagles won 49 games in a row under Moser before tying Highland Park during the 1957 playoffs. Abilene also won six straight district championships and three straight state titles (1956 was the third). Moser stepped down from coaching following the 1960 season to become the athletic director of Abilene schools. Glynn Gregory was the only unanimous AAAA all-state choice by the Texas Sports Writers after rushing for 1,147 yards and scoring 198 points. He also landed on the Wigwam Wiseman All-American fourth team. An all-around athlete, Gregory was honorable mention all-state in basketball, was offered a baseball contract by the Cleveland Indians and also ran the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds. He eventually went on to play two years with the Dallas Cowboys. Also earning all-state first team honors were tackle Rufus King, guard Stuart Peake and running back Jimmy Carpenter. Two other lineman, guard Guy Wells and center Jimmy Rose earned honorable mention all-state.

Season Log
Edison (San Antonio), 41-6
Sweetwater, 39-7
Monterrey (Lubbock), 41-0
Breckenridge, 41-0
Thomas (Lubbock), 49-7
Waco, 40-14
Big Spring, 42-6
Odessa, 47-6
Midland, 41-6
San Angelo, 20-0
Ysleta, 42-6
Fort Worth, 14-0
Wichita Falls, 20-6
Ray (Corpus Christi), 14-0

2. Little Rock Central (Ark.), 12-0
While bigger things were in store for the Tigers in 1957 when they were named national champions, they were ever so close to winning it all in 1956. Central beat teams from five different states, including Istrouma, the state champion in Louisiana; Christian Brothers and Memphis Central, a pair of Top 15 teams in Tennessee; and Paducah Tilghman, a top 10 team from Kentucky.  The Tigers also swept through Arkansas competition, including a 28-0 win over longtime rival Pine Bluff. Bruce Fullerton, a junior running back who earned All-American honors in 1957, led the Big Eight in scoring with 130 points. Little Rock, along with Greer (S.C.), placed two players on the All-Southern Team with Bill Hicks joining Fullerton. The unbeaten team was the first since 1946 for the Tigers and coach Wilson Matthews told the Arkansas Democrat the 1956 squad was the best he ever had (that was prior to 1957, however). They also extended their winning streak to 21 games in a row. Little Rock racked up 4,489 yards of total offense, including 3,272 yards rushing and 1,217 yards passing. A total of seven Tigers made the All-Big Eight team.

Season Log
Christian Brothers (Memphis), 33-0
Texarkana (Texas), 13-0
Istrouma (Baton Rouge, La.), 32-0
Hot Springs, 41-0
Fort Smith, 28-12
Texarkana (Ark.), 33-0
El Dorado, 27-13
Memphis Central, 33-6
Paducah Tilgham (Ky.), 34-13
Pine Bluff, 28-0
Blytheville, 59-0
North Little Rock, 45-12

3. Coral Gables (Fla.), 9-0
The Cavaliers stormed to their first unbeaten season in school history under coach Nick Kotys, who was the Miami News Coach of the Year. They dominated the Writers-Coaches poll by nearly 100 points over the second-place team. They also led the Dunkel Ratings and they defeated four of the top six teams in the rankings. Coral Gables placed three on the all-state team, including tackle George Swanson, quarterback Denny Kline and running back Mike Harrison. The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel both named Harrison as state player of the year and he was sixth team All-American by Wigwam Wiseman. He rushed for 799 yards on the season and was the second-leading scorer in the area.

Season Log
North Miami, 21-6
Edison, 34-7
Lakeland, 33-6
Jackson (Jacksonville), 20-0
Miami, 20-13
Lee (Jacksonville), 14-6
Edgewater, 35-6
Jackson (Miami), 33-0
Hialeah, 46-6

4. Oak Ridge (Tenn.), 9-0
The Wildcats cruised to a state championship in Tennessee with no team coming within 16 points. In the final Litkenhous state rankings, Oak Ridge finished No. 1 by 10 points over Montgomery Bell Academy. Don Stephens was the lone Wildcat to make first team all-state. He rushed for 936 yards and 11 touchdowns and also threw for 819 yards and 16 touchdowns. Sam Weir made second team at tackle while end Gene Berkau and guard Fred Mitchell were honorable mention. Both Stephens and Weir went on to play at Tennessee.

Season Logs
LaFollette, 16-0
Isaac Litton, 46-13
Chattanooga Central, 34-14
Knoxville West, 47-0
Rule, 48-0
Young, 35-0
Knoxville East, 34-6
Fulton, 34-0
McMinn County, 49-6

5. Champaign (Ill.), 9-0
The Maroons opened the season with four straight shutouts, finished with six on the season and allowed only 18 points on the year. Champaign posted the fourth 9-0 season in school history and was coming off an 8-0-1 season in 1955. Skip Ohl, a guard, earned first team all-state honors by the Chicago Daily News. Stu Clark made second team at running back while setting a school record with 1,040 yards rushing.

Season Logs
Feitshans, 59-0
Notre Dame (Quincy), 80-0
Mooseheart, 26-0
Schlarman, 53-0
Danville, 20-6
Bloomington, 34-0
Mattoon, 39-6
Urbana 41-0
Springfield, 28-6

6. Downey (Calif.), 13-0-1
Downey and Anaheim were about as even as two teams could be during the 1956 season. Both had 13-0 seasons heading into the CIF Southern Section championship game and Downey had scored 428 points while Anaheim scored 423. Both teams were led by outstanding running backs with Randy Meadows leading Downey. Meadows broke the Southern Section record for points in a season, finishing the season with 203 points. He also ended the year with 2,038 yards to lead the state in rushing. In the final against Anaheim, Meadows scored a touchdown and ran for 112 yards on just 10 carries. Downey gets the nod over Anaheim in this case due to a playoff win over San Diego, which had gone 12-0 in 1955. Meadows shared CIF Player of the Year honors with Anaheim’s Mickey Flynn. Tackle Harley Widmark joined Meadows on the All-CIF first team while guard Dave Okura and quarterback Jack Trumbo made second team.

Season Log
Fullerton, 7-0
Garden Grove, 35-0
Long Beach Poly, 39-6
Long Beach Jordan, 39-0
Paramount, 45-20
Long Beach Wilson, 13-7
Lynwood, 41-6
Excelsior, 32-19
Compton, 42-7
San Diego, 35-21
Beverly Hills, 54-13
Antelope Valley, 46-13
Anaheim, 13-13

7. Anaheim (Calif.), 13-0-1
The Colonists could have easily been higher on this list if not for the tie with Downey in the CIF Southern Section championship game. Behind Wigwam Wiseman second team All-American Mickey Flynn, Anaheim cruised to 13 straight wins, four of them by shutout, before matching up with likewise undefeated Downey. Playing before 41,383 fans, Flynn had two touchdowns and rushed for 145 yards in the tie and held co-player of the year honors in the Southern Section with Meadows. Also the CIF player of the year as a junior when he rushed for 1,184 yards and 22 touchdowns, Flynn finished 1956 with 1,377 yards and 22 touchdowns. Running back Joe Avitia joined Flynn on the All-CIF first team while end Gary Frederick made second team and tackle Gene Morford made third team.

Season Log
Redlands, 6-0
Las Vegas, 19-0
Newport, 38-20
Huntington Beach, 42-13
La Habra, 54-7
Santa Ana, 41-14
Garden Grove, 44-0
Orange, 50-0
Fullerton, 21-7
Compton, 32-7
Hoover (San Diego), 34-6
Redlands, 42-20
Downey, 13-13

8. McKinley (Canton, Ohio), 10-0
Under coach Wade Watts, the Bulldogs went from 3-6-1 in 1953, and 8-2 in 1954 before going unbeaten at 10-0 in 1955 to earn the No. 1 ranking in the state by the Associated Press. The Bulldogs repeated as undefeated state champions again in 1956 with a 10-0 record that included a second straight win over rival Washington (Massillon), which had won five straight state championships from 1950-54. The Bulldogs opened the season with 201 points in their first three games and finished the year with 490 in 10, including a 34-7 win over Washington. The Bulldogs had three players on the Associated Press All-Ohio team, including end Bob Williams, running back Ike Grimsley and running back Wayne Fontes. Scoring 24 touchdowns on the season, Fontes went on to become a longtime head coach of the Detroit Lions.

Season Log
Cleveland Lincoln, 80-6
Warren Harding, 60-12
Barberton, 61-0
Canton Lincoln, 33-14
Toledo Waite, 34-0
Steubenville, 66-13
Alliance, 21-7
Toledo Scott, 46-0
Akron South, 55-7
Washington (Massillon), 34-7

9. Montclair (N.J.), 9-0
The twin running back combination of Richard and Bob Haines led the Mounties to their 31st game without a loss during the 1956 season and finished with all-state honors. Richard made the first team with 127 points while Bob made the second team with 97 points. End Tony Carnevale made first team all-state while guard Mike Nicholl made second team. Montclair finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state by the Saylor rankings, racking up five shutouts and giving up just 28 points on the year. The Mounties also had their ninth unbeaten season under coach Clary Anderson. The Haines brothers were among the top athletes in New Jersey, winning letters in football, basketball and baseball. Featured in the New York Times and Jet magazine, the Haines brothers attended Villanova and were drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Season Log
Orange, 47-7
Irvington, 41-0
Kearny, 41-0
Nutley, 33-0
East Orange, 28-0
Columbia, 40-7
West Orange, 25-0
Clinton, 19-7
Bloomfield, 33-7

10. Weymouth (Mass.), 9-0
The Boston Globe argued the day before the traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup against Brockton that the 1956 Weymouth team was the best in school history. That’s quite a testimonial, considering the 1951 team was retroactively considered the national champion by National Sports News Service. The 1956 crew was the only Weymouth team to ever play a full Class A schedule. The Wildcats finished the 1956 season 9-0 overall with 12 straight wins dating back to 1955. Weymouth had an outstanding line, led by All-Scholastics end Charles Finlayson and tackle Otis Godfrey. Running back Santos Pasqualucci made the second team.

Season Log
Brookline, 27-0
Quincy, 14-6
Malden, 20-7
Medford, 24-6
Chelsea, 33-0
Everett, 54-14
Arlington, 34-14
Somerville, 25-0
Brockton, 48-6

11. Jeannette (Pa.), 10-0
Jim Burzio booted a 17-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Jayhawks the 16-13 win over Charleroi, led by future Washington Redskin linebacker Myron Pottios, in a West Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship game. The championship was the first for Jeannette since 1939. Wayne Tucci earned third team all-state honors at end while Richard Hoak was honorable mention at running back. Hoak went on to a 10-year career with the Steelers and was the running backs coach on five Super Bowl championship teams.

Season Log
Crafton, 30-0
Schenley, 25-0
Turtle Creek, 13-0
Connellsville, 12-0
Latrobe, 21-7
North Huntington, 33-7
Munhall, 21-0
Wilkinsburg, 19-0
Greensburg, 14-6
Charleroi, 16-13

12. Ross (Fremont, Ohio), 10-0
The Little Giants posted back-to-back 10-0 seasons in the mid-1950s, first in 1955 and repeating in 1956. Ross was ranked No. 4 in the state in 1955, but moved up to No. 2 behind Canton McKinley following a 42-0 win over Toledo Scott. Jim Tiller made the Associated Press all-state first team at running back after scoring 30 touchdowns during the season and 62 for his career. Wes Glover made the first team at defensive tackle. Under coach Mal Mackey, Ross went 29-0-1 over Tiller’s three years on the varsity. Known as “The Thriller”, Tiller was selected to the Ross Hall of Fame in its first year, along with Mackey. Tiller had 3,755 career rushing yards, ran the 100 yards in 9.8 seconds and could long jump 23 feet, 1 inch. He was drafted by the New York Titans in the American Football League and played briefly with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League.

Season Log
Cuyahoga, 38-7
Cathedral Latin, 19-13
Fostoria, 40-0
Findlay, 53-6
Sandusky, 25-7
Elyria, 37-6
Lorain, 14-13
Marion, 40-7
John Marshall, 52-6
Toledo Scott, 42-0

13. Woodlawn (Birmingham, Ala.), 10-0
The Colonels posted their second straight 10-0 season under Kenny Morgan in 1956, scoring 219 points and allowing just 26 with seven shutouts. Jack Rutledge starred for Woodlawn, earning All-Southern honors as a fullback and linebacker. Rutledge played at Alabama after high school and was a member of the school’s 1961 national championship team. He also spent many years as an assistant coach under Paul “Bear” Bryant and later Gene Stallings.

Season Log
Huntsville, 13-0
Ensley, 12-0
Chattanooga Central, 20-12
West End, 46-7
Bessemer, 20-0
Coffee, 27-0
Ramsay, 12-7
Jordan (Ga.), 24-0
Phillips Birmingham, 25-0
Ensley, 20-0

14. Lawrence (Kan.), 9-0
The 1956 season was the first of five straight 9-0 finishes for coach Al Woolard and the Lions. Doyle Schick was one of the leading scorers in the state and was an all-state fullback for the Lions. After playing in college at Kansas, Schick played one season for the Washington Redskins. End Gary Hatfield earned honorable mention all-state. Future NFL quarterback John Hadl also played on the team as a junior.

Season Log
Manhattan, 28-6
Topeka, 21-12
Atchison, 35-6
Shawnee Mission, 27-0
Leavenworth, 46-7
Argentine, 33-0
Ottawa, 43-0
Wyandotte, 43-13
Highland Park, 40-0

15. Wichita Falls (Texas), 12-1
The Coyotes won the first of six straight district championships under coach Joe Golding, winning the first 12 games of the season before falling to Abilene in the state playoffs. Running back Harold Morgan was the only Coyote to make all-state, landing on the second team. He scored 150 points on the season.

Season Log
Vernon, 28-7
Breckenridge, 46-0
Amarillo, 23-12
Pampa, 14-0
Sherman, 34-0
Denton, 40-0
Irving, 52-6
Denison, 34-7
Arlington, 55-13
Grand Prairie, 20-6
Tyler, 28-7
Highland Park, 19-7
Abilene, 6-20

16. Alameda (Calif.), 9-0
The Hornets were the top team in the San Francisco Bay Area and essentially all of Northern California in 1956. Alameda allowed just three touchdowns on the season and posted six shutouts. Chuck Moorehouse earned All-Northern California honors at guard. He also played in the North-South Shrine All-Star Game, along with teammate Len Nikolai, a second team All-NorCal selection.

Season Log
Hayward, 20-0
Berkeley, 19-7
San Leandro, 33-0
Technical, 46-0
Richmond, 41-6
Piedmont, 27-0
San Lorenzo, 34-0
El Cerrito, 25-0
Encinal, 26-7

17. Greer (S.C.), 11-0
The water tower in Greer, where all state champions are listed, has the 1956 team as the first team on the list. The first undefeated team in school history, the 1956 team played before state championships were held, but the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 1 in the state by the Greenville News. Coached by Phil Clark, Greer had two players make the All-Southern Team, including running back Murray Hall and guard David Boozer. According to the Greenville News, Clark considered Hall and Boozer the best running back and linemen to ever play at the school. Hall played Minor League baseball for five seasons, reaching the AA level. Boozer made the Scholastic Coach All-American team and was the only South Carolina player named to the squad.

Season Log
Taylors, 71-7
Easley, 58-0
Gaffney, 19-0
Cooper River, 13-9
Laurens, 21-6
Spartanburg, 26-0
Clinton, 19-16
Columbia, 33-0
Carolina, 25-0
Union, 28-13
Byrnes, 27-7

18. Jefferson City (Mo.), 9-0
The Jays were a strong program before Pete Adkins took over in 1958 and made them a national power (he went 354-48-2 in 36 seasons). The best pre-Adkins team is likely the 1956 squad that posted the school’s first unbeaten season since 1943. The Jays had six running backs gain over 200 yards rushing on the season, led by Mel West with 852 yards on 82 carries with 14 touchdowns and 99 points. West made the all-state first team by the Missouri Sportswriters Association while tackle Stan Kirschman made the second team. West went on to be one of the first two African American players at the University of Missouri where he was a three-year starter at running back. He was the university’s all-time leading rusher by the time he graduated. He played briefly in the American Football League before a knee injury ended his career.

Season Log
Mexico, 19-13
Hannibal, 27-7
Kemper Military, 52-13
Fulton, 31-7
Hickman, 13-6
Moberly, 52-0
Smith-Cotton, 26-0
Missouri Military Academy, 32-7
Lebanon, 67-0

19. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), 10-0-1
Under Johnny Meihaus, the Tigers went from a Kentucky also-ran to a state powerhouse. By the end of the season, St. Xavier had gone unbeaten for 19 straight games, including 10-0-1 in 1956. Meihaus, a former player under Paul “Bear” Bryant at Kentucky, was named the state coach of the year by Courier Journal. The Tigers solidified the mythical state championship by the Litkenhous rankings after a 52-7 thrashing of Newport in the final game of the season. St. Xavier had a score of 86.2 to edge Madisonville, which had 83.4 points. Ironically the Tigers had just one all-state first team pick in end Dick Mueller, who was also a Wigwam Wiseman Fourth Team All-American. However running back Jim Reader made second team and tackle John Hubbuch, guard Mike Schardein, and center Jim Rice made the third team. Mueller, who appeared in a photo in Sports Illustrated from the Roger Bacon game, went on to play at Kentucky and was drafted by the Boston Patriots.

Season Log
Newport Catholic, 20-12
Manual, 12-6
Central, 35-7
St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 20-6
Roger Bacon, 0-0
Valley, 34-0
Male, 28-0
Atherton, 27-6
Trinity, 48-0
Flaget, 13-6
Newport Public, 52-7

20. Valdosta (Ga.), 13-0
The Wildcats won their fifth state championship under Wright Bazemore and posted their third undefeated season under the Hall of Fame coach. Valdosta took over the No. 1 ranking in the state after beating Albany in Week 5. It then defeated No. 2 Druid Hills 27-0 in the championship game. Johnny Jones made the Journal-Constitution Class AA all-state team at guard while Robert Johnson made the team at running back. Jones was also All-Southern honorable mention.

Season Log
Appling County, 47-6
Wayne County, 19-0
Fitzgerald, 34-6
Americus, 42-6
Albany, 41-13
Tifton, 33-6
Moultrie, 39-0
Berrien, forfeit win
Thomasville, 27-6
Waycross, 33-13
Wayne County, 13-0
Thomasville, 20-0
Rockmart, 13-6

21. Galesburg (Ill.), 9-0
In 2015, the Register Mail conducted an online poll to determine the best team in Galesburg history and the 1956 Silver Streaks squad won the contest. Although the article in the Register Mail mentioned that Galesburg was named the mythical state champion in 1956, Illinois did not recognize state champions at that time. Galesburg would certainly have been in the running. Behind the brother combination of Albert and Elbert Kimbrough, Galesburg went 9-0 under coach C.C. Van Dyke. The Streaks outscored opponents 359-39 and both Kimbroughs made the all-state team, Albert at halfback and Elbert at fullback.  Albert scored 21 touchdowns and scored 147 points. The twin brothers combined for 2,000 yards rushing on the season. The undefeated season was the first for Galesburg since 1916.

Season Log
Pekin, 32-6
Peoria Woodruff, 13-0
East Moline, 32-0
East Peoria, 40-0
Moline, 31-13
Kewanee, 59-13
Monmouth, 47-0
Canton, 54-7
Limestone, 51-0

22. Evansville Reitz (Ind.), 9-0-1
The Panthers went 28 games without a loss from 1955 to 1958, including the 9-0-1 total in 1956. Reitz posted six shutouts on the season and allowed just 25 points while scoring 349. The conference championship was the eighth in school history. Reitz was ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the season before dipping to No. 2 following the 7-7 tie with Bosse. Richmond stayed on top of the INS state ratings the rest of the season, but Reitz captured the Litkenhous rankings with a score of 91.0 while Richmond finished third at 89.1 behind South Bend Adams (89.3). Tackle Albert Roehr was the only all-state player for the Panthers.

Season Log
Owensboro Catholic, 24-6
Cathedral, 31-6
Muncie Central, 27-0
Gerstmeyer, 59-0
New Albany, 47-6
Evansville Central, 46-0
Bosse, 7-7
Vincennes Lincoln, 42-0
Evansville Mater Dei, 27-0
Evansville Memorial, 39-0

23. Flint Northern (Mich.), 9-0
Flint Northern took over the top spot in the state sportswriters poll after the third week of the season when it defeated Ann Arbor and ended the state’s longest win streak. Another big win over Bay City Central proved the Vikings worth as Central finished No. 2 in the rankings. Flint Northern racked up 119 points to Bay City Central’s 109. Flint Northern copped the crown prior to their Thanksgiving Day win over Flint Central. Running backs John Sharp and Arden Relerford made the all-state first team while center Wilber Aaron made the second team. Sharp ran for 788 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Sharp was a Wigwam Wiseman All-American honorable mention selection and went on to be inducted into the Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame.

Season Log
Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 21-19
Grand Rapids Union, 27-0
Ann Arbor, 33-0
Saginaw, 40-0
Muskegon, 26-0
Bay City Central, 24-21
Arthur Hill, 40-7
Pontiac, 32-12
Flint Central, 20-8

24. Lowell (Mass.), 9-0
The first half of the 1950s belonged to Lowell, which posted a 54-2-1 record over 57 games with the only losses coming against Haverhill. Lowell didn’t lose a single game in 1956 and battled Weymouth for the top spot in the state rankings. Lowell and Weymouth were both 8-0 heading into the Thanksgiving Day games. Lowell needed a Weymouth loss or tie against Brockton, and a win of its own over Lawrence, to finish in first. It wasn’t to be, however, as Weymouth clobbered Brockton 48-6. Weymouth had a perfect 10.0 ranking by the Boston Globe while Lowell was just behind with a 9.71. Two of Lowell’s wins weren’t counted, however, as they were against out-of-state opponents. Ironically Lowell did not have a player on the Globe’s All-Scholastic first team, although end Norman Loranger made the second team. Loranger went on to play at Michigan State. According to his bio in the Lowell Hall of Fame, Loranger was a high school All-American second team selection.

Season Log
Peabody, 27-0
Nashua, 40-0
Manchester Central, 61-19
Salem, 19-0
Haverhill, 35-6
Keith, 6-0
St. Michaels, 7-0
White Plains, 20-0
Lawrence, 13-6

25. Garland (Texas), 13-1
Garland overcame an early season loss to Cleburne to win 12 straight games, including a playoff rematch with Cleburne, and the Texas Class AAA state championship. Garland defeated Nederland 3-0 on a 17-yard field goal by Wayne Mullins in a game that was played in the wind and rain. Under coach Bill Ellington, Garland went 42-5-1 over four seasons, culminating in the championship win over Nederland. Pat Sznajder made the Class AAA all-state second team while tackle Billy Weaver was honorable mention. Garland had just missed winning the state championship in 1955, losing to Port Neches in the finals.

Season Log
Hillcrest, 13-7
Cleburne, 7-12
Sherman, 27-0
Denison, 27-14
McKinney, 14-0
Diamond Hill, 34-13
Handley, 21-0
Carrollton, 25-12
Birdville, 39-0
Brewer, 37-6
Gainesville 39-0
Cleburne, 20-6
Littlefield, 28-2
Nederland, 3-0

26. Nederland (Texas), 13-1
The Bulldogs rose to power in Class AA under coach O.A. “Bum” Phillips in the early 1950s, posting records of 10-2-1, 12-0-1, and 11-1-1 before finishing 13-1 in 1956. Phillips coached his final season at Nederland in 1956 before moving on to coach at Texas A&M as an assistant. Twenty years later he was named the head coach of the Houston Oilers. Nederland fell to Garland on a muddy field by a field goal in the Class AAA championship. The season marked Nederland’s first year at the AAA level. Nederland placed guard Jerry Askew on the Class AAA all-state first team while center Gordon Buffington was honorable mention.

Season Log
Orange, 27-12
LaMarque, 27-0
Beaumont South Park, 32-6
Istrouma, 7-6
Lake Charles, 12-7
Beaumont, 13-0
Beaumont French, 41-7
Port Neches, 19-6
Vidor, 26-0
Silsbee, 35-0
LaMarque, 42-6
Bryan, 35-13
Edison (San Antonio), 7-0
Garland, 0-3

27. Anderson (Austin, Texas), 12-0
Playing in the Prairie View Interscholastic League, which consisted of all-black schools prior to integration, Anderson won its first state title by defeating Dallas Washington in the championship game. Raymond Timmons, a PVIL Hall of Fame inductee, led Anderson to the championship. It was the first of his coaching career and he went on to win three, including a second straight title in 1957. The offense featured running back Charley Bonner, who scored 146 points in 1955 to set a city record, but missed several games in 1956 due to injury. Running back L.D. Washington is an Austin Area Hall of Fame member, was a standout in multiple sports and coached youth sports in the Austin area for over 30 years.

Season Log
Beaumont Hebert, 20-2
Temple Dunbar, 12-0
Waco Moore, 14-2
Dallas Lincoln, 41-6
Houston Yates, 27-7
Corpus Christi Coles, 42-0
Bryan Kemp, 53-0
Dallas St. Peter’s, 71-0
San Antonio Wheatley, 18-13
Terrell, 14-0
Port Arthur Lincoln, 0-0 (2 penetrations)
Dallas Washington, 22-14

28. Washington-Lee (Arlington, Va.), 10-0
Now known as Washington-Liberty, Washington-Lee had just the second 10-0 season in school history (and has not had one since), matching the 1939 season. The Little Generals edged Norview for the state championship based on a point system the state used to determine state champions. Washington-Lee edged Norview by a half point for the crown, 226-225.5. Wayne Ballard made the all-state first team by the Virginia Sportswriters Association at quarterback. Ballard was also the placekicker for the Little Generals and he booted a 42-yard field goal that hit the crossbar and bounced over to give Washington-Lee a 3-0 win over George Washington (Alexandria) on Thanksgiving Day that allowed the Little Generals to win the state championship. Ballard later played at University of Virginia.

Season Log
Fairfax, 27-0
Northwestern (Md.), 20-14
E.C. Glass, 13-0
Hermitage, 3-0
Woodrow Wilson Portsmouth, 14-12
Mount Vernon, 33-0
Annandale, 21-6
Thomas Jefferson Richmond, 10-7
Wakefield, 20-0
G.W. Alexandria, 3-0

29. Norview (Norfolk, Va.), 10-0
Despite winning its final game against Smith 49-0 and Washington-Lee winning its final game of the season 3-0 against George Washington Alexandria, it was Washington-Lee that finished a half point ahead of Norview for the No. 1 state ranking by the state ranking formula. After going 0-10 in 1953, Norview went on a spectacular run from 1955 to 1961, going 64-3-3 during that span with back-to-back 10-0 seasons in 1955 and 1956 and another 10-0 season in 1959. Johnny Watkins made all-state for Norview, leading the state with 105 points on the year. He was also chosen as the most valuable player in the state.

Season Log
Princess Anne, 33-14
Suffolk, 20-0
Woodrow Wilson, 6-0
Warwick, 28-7
Maury, 39-6
Granby, 13-8
Newport News, 27-12
Craddock, 6-0
Hermitage, 20-6
Oscar Smith, 49-0

30. Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.), 9-0-1
Under four-year coach Tommy Owen, MBA had never lost to Springfield, including a 20-13 win during the 1956 season. However the two teams tussled in the Clinic Bowl on Thanksgiving Day and Springfield limited the Maroons to a 0-0 tie. Even with the tie, MBA finished second in the state to Oak Ridge in the Litkenhous ratings with a score of 103.3, 10.5 points behind Oak Ridge. Don Brothers made the all-state first team at tackle. Guard Ronnie Gubbs made the second team.

Season Log
Cohn, 13-6
DuPont, 25-0
Father Ryan, 7-2
Goodlettsville, 37-0
Hillsboro, 40-7
Isaac Litton, 20-7
Nashville East, 34-0
Clarksville 27-0
Springfield, 20-13
Springfield, 0-0

31. Gibbs (St. Petersburg, Fla.) 11-0
A member of the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governed the all-black schools in Florida during the era of segregation, Gibbs dominated the black schools in 1956. The closest games came at the beginning and end of the season when they edged Lincoln (Palmetto) by one point, 14-13, in both encounters. The latter win came in the Veterans Bowl. Gibbs had five players on the All-Big Nine South team, including Harold Williams and Alfred Rogers at guard, and Robert Kimble, Ernest Givens and Earl Pierce in the backfield.

Season Log
Lincoln (Palmetto), 14-13
Rochelle, 27-0
Booker, 33-0
Jones (Orlando), 20-0
Blake, 26-6
Dillard, 21-7
Middleton, 27-14
Pinellas, 33-0
Quincy, 20-7
Carver, 20-0
Lincoln (Palmetto), 14-13

32. Roosevelt (Minneapolis, Minn.), 9-0
With a 27-0 win over Johnson (St. Paul), Roosevelt won the Twin Cities championship and thus the No. 1 ranking in the state. Tackle Paul Gorgas, guard John Hrkal and running back L.C. Hester made the All-City team. Hester set a new conference record with 108 points on the season. Coach Jerry Sullivan, as quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, ranked the 1956 group as the best team the school had ever produced.

Season Log
Washburn, 14-6
Southwest, 41-14
Marshall, 46-0
Central, 41-7
North, 48-0
Vocational, 54-0
South, 34-0
West, 42-6
Johnson (St. Paul), 27-0

33. Barrington (Ill.), 8-0
Behind the play of quadruple threat Johnny Walbaum and a rugged defense that allowed just 19 points, Barrington finished the season as one of the few unbeaten teams in Illinois. Walbaum set county and conference scoring records with 100 points on 13 touchdowns. He also did some of the passing on the team while also performing kicking and punting duties. Walbaum was the conference player of the year by the Tribune and made the all-state team by News-Gazette.

Season Log
Palantine, 40-0
Warren, 52-0
MccHenry, 21-0
Lake Forest, 38-0
Woodstock, 46-0
Zion-Benton, 27-12
Libertyville, 34-7
Crystal Lake, 27-0

34. Palo Alto (Calif.), 8-0
Palo Alto finished just 13 hundredths of a point behind Alameda, according to the San Francisco Examiner rankings, for the top spot in the Class A rankings in Northern California. Doug Castle, the Palo Alto Times Athlete of the Year, led the Vikings in rushing with 439 yards with nine touchdowns. He was named second team All-Northern California by the San Francisco Examiner. Palo Alto finished the season with 15 straight wins dating back to the 1955 season. The league championship was one of five the school captured during the 1956-57 school year.

Season Log
Capuchino, 6-0
San Jose, 28-0
Menlo Atherton, 21-0
Lincoln (SF), 23-0
Hillsdale, 54-12
Lincoln (SJ), 21-6
Willow Glen, 27-25
Sequoia, 48-6

35. West Blocton (Ala.), 10-0
The Tigers posted their second straight 10-0 season under coach Morris Higginbotham, and they were ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 2A by the Birmingham Post Herald (Woodlawn was No. 1 in Class 3A). Running back Walt Sansing ran for 1,250 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior after rushing for those exact totals as a junior. Sansing went on to play at Alabama. He earned Wigwam Wiseman All-America honorable mention honors and was the Birmingham Post Herald Back of the Year.

Season Log
Tuscaloosa County, 20-0
Brookwood, 40-0
Greenville, 26-14
Prattville, 34-6
Greensboro, 41-2
Thompson, 41-14
Fayette County, 41-18
Holt, 34-0
Montevallo, 59-6
Bibb County, 34-7

36. Elmira Free Academy (Elmira, N.Y.), 8-0
Although Elmira Academy was undefeated at the time, the switch of Ernie Davis from end to halfback proved to be a turning point in the season. The future Syracuse Heisman Trophy winner broke out against Southside with a school record 234 yards rushing. He added a 72-yard pass reception in a win over Auburn - the first win for an Elmira team over Auburn since 1939 - and he had a 60-yard punt return, a 64-yard reception and a 35-yard touchdown pass against Birmingham Central. He had 122 yards rushing against Ithaca to give Elmira its first unbeaten season since 1939. Despite not playing halfback until the third game of the season, Davis led the Southern Tier Conference in rushing with 560 yards. He was also the only unanimous all-conference choice in the league. The school is now known as Ernie Davis Academy.

Season Log
Corning Academy, 41-0
Union Endicott, 20-19
Johnson City, 13-6
North, 6-0
Southside, 21-6
Auburn, 20-6
Binghamton Central, 48-19
Ithaca, 32-6

37. Istrouma (Baton Rouge, La.), 10-2-1
The Indians won their second straight state championship, beating No. 2-ranked Byrd 14-7 in the title game. Lynn Amadee, a sophomore, led the team at quarterback while Don Smith was an all-state selection at running back. Smith finished with 1,228 yards and 114 points and was joined on the all-state team by tackle Beverly Escue. Istrouma’s two losses came against undefeated Little Rock Cental (Ark.) and Texas Class AAA state finalist Nederland.

Season Log
Lake Charles, 20-14
Warren Easton, 26-6
Little Rock, 0-32
Nederland, 6-7
Sulphur, 6-0
Byrd, 14-7
Catholic, 41-0
Bogalusa, 13-7
Baton Rouge, 0-0
Terrebonne, 14-0
Baton Rouge, 19-7
Redemptorist, 28-0
Byrd, 14-7

38. Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.), 8-0
A future St. Louis Cardinal and the son of a Cardinal Hall of Famer sparked Christian Brothers to an undefeated season. Mike Shannon, who played nine seasons for the Cardinals, played quarterback for the Cadets while Dick Musial, the son of Stan Musial, played running back. Shannon was the leading vote getter on the all-state team while Musial, a junior, wound up as a Wigwam Wiseman All-American the following year. The Cadets were the only undefeated team in the St. Louis area for the 1956 season.

Season Log
DuBourg, 14-12
Roosevelt, 9-0
McBride, 7-0
McKinley, 26-6
Notre Dame (Quincy, Ill.), 42-7
Kirkwood, 18-7
Assumption, 38-7
St. Louis University, 12-0

39. East (Salt Lake City, Utah), 8-0
East used a brutal defense that posted seven straight shutouts to win their fourth state title in five seasons and their first under coach Grant Martin. The only team to score on East was Logan, led by future NFL Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. East had its own Merlin in tackle Merlin Smith, who was one of three first team all-state players for East. Others included Dave Malmquist and running back Bob Daynes. Smith earned the Thom McAn Trophy as the best player in Utah. He went on to play defensive end at BYU.

Season Log
Olympus, 7-0
Murray, 23-0
West, 14-0
Jordan, 28-0
South, 6-0
Tooele, 7-0
Carbon, 34-0
Logan, 34-6

40. Ames (Iowa), 8-0
Led by coach Kenneth Wells, Ames posted its 10th undefeated season in finishing No. 1 in the state poll. Wells had a record of 101-19-7 in his 16 years as coach at Ames. Bill Stuart made all-state first team at end. He had eight touchdown catches and led the conference in receiving. Quarterback/linebacker Chuck Lamson also made first team all-state. The son of Iowa State coach Bob Lamson, Chuck went on to play seven seasons in the NFL with the Vikings and the Rams.

Season Log
Sioux City East, 26-7
Newton, 7-6
Marshalltown, 27-12
Oskaloosa, 26-6
Waterloo West, 42-6
Grinnell, 35-7
Des Moines Roosevelt, 27-14
Boone, 28-14

41. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), 9-0-1
Ranked No. 2 behind Coral Gables after nine games, Fort Lauderdale suffered a 0-0 tie against No. 6 (and unbeaten) South Broward in the final game of the season. The Flying L’s still managed to finish in second place in the rankings, although much farther behind Coral Gables due to the tie. Denny Schou made the all-state first team by the Florida Sportswriters at guard while running back Floyd Cherry made the second team and Bill Seaborn made the third team at tackle.

Season Log
Miami Jackson, 18-7
Key West, 40-0
Lake Worth, 32-0
South Dade, 26-0
Vero Beach, 27-13
North Miami 38-0
Miami Tech, 47-0
Curley 39-7
Miami Beach, 27-6
South Broward, 0-0

42. Chicago Leo (Ill.), 10-1
Leo suffered an early season loss to DePaul, 18-14, but won the remainder of its games, including Calumet 12-0 for the City championship. Don Flynn made the all-state first team at tackle, as selected by the News Gazette, while Ed Ryan made the first team at running back. Ryan led the Catholic League in scoring and went on to play in the Canadian Football League.

Season Log
Fenwick, 19-6
DePaul, 14-18
Mt. Carmel, 25-13
Mendel, 33-7
De La Salle, 25-13
St. Rita, 33-7
St. Elizabeth, 37-0
Gordon Tech, 34-18
Fenwick, 27-13
St. George, 25-6
Calumet, 12-0

43. Omaha North (Nebraska), 8-0
Omaha North ended Creighton Prep’s reign in Nebraska with a 19-13 win that ended Prep’s 32-game win streak en route to finishing No. 1 in the state. Omaha North had one of the state’s top quarterbacks in Virgil Williams, who set an Inter-City League scoring record with 102 points (112 for the season). He made the all-state first team along with Ely Churchich at tackle. Running back Stan Byers made the second team as did end Gene Meester.

Season Log
Abraham Lincoln, 39-0
Benson, 38-7
Central, 46-19
Thomas Jefferson, 64-7
Creighton Prep, 19-13
Lincoln Central, 40-6
Tech, 48-20
South, 27-7

44. Southeast (Kansas City, Mo.), 10-0
Behind the record-breaking scoring exploits of Skip Snyder, the Knights finished the season undefeated. Snyder set the conference record with 97 points on the year and also rushed for 789 yards on 77 carries. Snyder made the Missouri Sportswriters All-State third team while guard Dick Unruh was first team. Missouri newspapers did not select a state champion.

Season Log
North Kansas City, 20-14
Raytown, 13-2
Lincoln, 41-0
Rockhurst, 40-12
Manual, 54-12
Northeast, 34-7
Southwest, 39-0
Central, 41-7
East, 40-0
Shawnee Mission, 20-13

45. Ada (Okla.), 12-1
The Cougars won four of six Class A state championships, including the 1956 season. The title was also the second of three straight crowns (1955, 1956 and 1957). Ada landed only one player on the all-state team by the Oklahoman with center James Frazier. Ada met an undefeated Cushing in the championship game, but rushed for 364 yards and held the opponent scoreless.

Season Log
Hugo, 41-0
Chickasha, 35-0
Durant, 20-0
Capitol Hill, 33-6
Ardmore, 7-12
Wewoka, 19-0
Seminole, 26-13
Henryetta, 31-6
McAlester, 34-13
Fort Smith Southside, 7-6
Sulphur, 51-0
Broken Arrow, 26-6
Cushing, 33-0

46. Mansfield (Ohio), 9-1
After losing to Hamilton in the third game of the season, Mansfield moved up in the rankings thanks to a 14-6 win over perennial state champion Washington (Massillon). Mansfield finished just two points behind No. 2 Fremont Ross in the Associated Press final state rankings while the Tygers had a 60-point lead over Ross in the United Press rankings. Jim Lutz was the only all-state player for Mansfield, making the Associated Press first team at linebacker.

Season Log
Cleveland East, 41-6
Middletown, 20-12
Hamilton, 7-14
Warren Harding, 19-14
Lima, 14-7
Washington (Massillon), 14-6
Sandusky, 16-6
Portsmouth, 41-24
Lakewood, 53-6
Springfield, 23-6

47. Ray (Corpus Christi, Texas), 12-1-1
Ray found itself on the opposite side of the playoff bracket from favorite Abilene and managed to reach the championship game before falling to top-seeded team. Sonny Davis earned first team all-state honors at end while Max Christian was a second team pick at center. Ray was not given much of a chance against Abilene, which was described by state sportswriters as “superhuman” and “the state’s greatest schoolboy team of all-time.” Sportswriters also argued that in any other year, Ray would have been an easy favorite. Abilene won 14-0.

Season Log
Reagan, 19-0
SF Austin, 20-7
Baytown, 7-6
SF Austin, 25-25
Tyler, 7-6
Harlingen, 33-0
Brownsville, 54-6
McAllen, 41-6
Edinburg, 20-6
Miller, 28-6
Waco, 33-6
Alice, 33-13
Baytown, 13-6
Abilene, 0-14

48. Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 9-0
By the end of the season, Washington had won 33 straight games against South Dakota opponents, not losing an instate game since 1950. The Warriors also played five out of state games, winning all five including a 19-13 game against Nebraska powerhouse Boys Town. Coached by first-year coach Grant Heckenlively, Washington featured a senior dominated crew that included quarterback Jim Luce, end John Simko and fullback Fred Hecker. A total of 10 players on the roster went on to play college football. Luce, Hecker and Simko made the all-state team along with guard John Armstrong.

Season Log
Cathedral (Ind.), 28-0
Brainerd (Minn.), 41-0
De La Salle (Minneapolis), 34-12
Lincoln (Neb.), 18-2
Aberdeen, 39-19
Sioux City East, 13-0
Sioux City Central, 26-6
Boys Town, 19-13
Rapid City, 20-0

49. Walla Walla (Wash.), 8-0
The Blue Devils were the easy choice in the state of Washington, edging Ballard by 67 points on the state rankings ballot (385-318) after finishing 8-0. Gene Bates and Brent Wooten were nicknamed the “Touchdown Twins” for Wahi and Both went on to play at the University of Washington with Wooten playing in the Rose Bowl win over Minnesota in 1961.

Season Log
Pasco, 26-13
Longview, 20-7
Lewiston, 14-6
Richland, 28-21
Kennewick, 25-0
Sunnyside, 50-0
Yakima, 26-0
North Central, 40-13

50. Williamsport (Pa.), 9-0-1
Williamsport finished as the second-best team in the state behind Jeannette, according to the Saylor Rankings. The Millionaires lost just once in 1955 while tying for the conference championship. Williamsport appeared to be rolling to an undefeated season in 1956 only to tie William Penn in the penultimate game of the season. Two players made the Associated Press all-state team, including Joe Harris on the first team at end while Weldon Schaffer made the second team at tackle.

Season Log
Coal Township, 19-6
Shikellamy (Sunbury), 34-6
York William Penn, 14-13
Reading, 40-0
Western Pa. Altoona, 21-7
J. Harris (Harrisburg), 19-13
Lebanon, 33-20
McCaskey (Lancaster), 31-6
William Penn (Harrisburg), 7-7
Steelton Highspire, 26-6