1958 National High School Football Rankings

Oak Ridge of Tennessee edges Jefferson of Portland for top spot.

The National Sports News Service first began ranking high school football teams in 1959 and then at some point began retroactively selecting national champions for previous seasons. Which makes the listing for the NSNS’s 1958 champion all that more curious.

Various sources have claimed that the NSNS chose at least three different teams as the national champion for 1958. There is Doug Huff’s High School Football Record Book (published in 2001), which lists Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) as national champions and lists the NSNS as the selector. Then there is a newsletter put out in 1981 by acting NSNS editor Barry Sollenberger (who took over for founder Art Johlfs) which lists Oak Ridge (Tenn.) tied with Wichita Falls (Rider, Texas) as Co-No. 1 teams.

So which is it? The speculation is that Johlfs likely picked Oak Ridge and Wichita Falls (on several occasions over the years he picked co-national champions), but the pick was changed at some point by others who worked with Johlfs and made the changes with (or possibly without) his blessing. To be clear, no national champion was selected in real time during the 1958 season.

Either way, the actual national champion for 1958 has been a mystery for some time. The High School Sports History was started to hopefully solve some of those mysteries or at least to offer some insight. We’ve already published retroactive Top 50 national rankings for 1917, 1944 and 1945 and now we add 1958 to the mix.

In looking over the state champions for 1958, along with the various state ranking systems, like the Litkenhous rankings, the Dunkel ratings and the Colliton formula, to name a few, it becomes clear that Oak Ridge is the best candidate for the 1958 mythical national championship. Not only did the Wildcats post an impressive record, they were one of the most highly-rated teams in the history of the Litkenhous ratings and they had one of the nation’s top players in Jackie Pope.

Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), meanwhile appears to be a team chosen more in hindsight than in real time. Yes, the Democrats had some incredible athletes in Terry Baker and Mel Renfro, but the evidence shows that Jefferson wasn’t truly appreciated either locally (Oregon newspapers thought their schedule too weak) or nationally (neither Baker nor Renfro earned All-American honors higher than honorable mention). In hindsight, the star-studded talent looks incredible, but it’s unlikely Jefferson would have been considered a national champion in real time.

Wichita Falls, meanwhile, doesn’t even make our top three. Long Beach Poly’s record and schedule was simply too tough to ignore and Wichita Falls had a loss on its record. The Jackrabbits thus come in at No. 3 and the Coyotes are at No. 4.

It should be noted that the NSNS did not officially pick a Top 50 or even a Top 10 for 1958. Johlfs only picked a national champion. Following is a look at the Top 50 teams for 1958 as ranked by High School Sports History.

1958 Top 50 National High School Football Rankings

1. Oak Ridge (Tenn.), 10-0
The Oak Ridge Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Sports News Service, and for good reason. The Wildcats posted seven shutouts and gave up just 26 points on the season while averaging 43.8 points per game. While its schedule wasn’t filled with very many teams with winning records, Oak Ridge did have to face an undefeated Chattanooga Central (9-0) in the season finale. The Wildcats pulled off the 14-6 win and ended the year ranked No. 1 in the Litkenhous Ratings with a rating of 118.5. The rating far outdistanced Central, which finished with 105.7. The Wildcats’ rating was the second highest in the history of the Litkenhous ratings in Tennessee behind only the 1948 Dobyns-Bennett team. Running back Jackie Pope was the top player for the Wildcats. Named to the All-Southern Team and the Wigwam Wiseman All-American team, Pope rushed for 1,578 yards on 92 carries for 17.2 yards per carry. He also completed 44 of 64 passes for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns. He scored 158 points and was claimed by some pundits to be one of the fastest running backs in the nation. Center Mike Brady joined Pope on the all-state first team. A total of 10 seniors on the team played college football with seven playing in the SEC. Oak Ridge had a dominant team for well over a decade. From 1949 to 1963, the Wildcats never lost more than two games in a season, going 130-14 over that span.

Season Log
Knoxville East, 54-0
Chattanooga City, 46-6
Knoxville South, 34-0
Johnson City, 27-0
Unicoi County, 52-0
McMinn County, 40-14
Montgomery Bell Academy, 56-0
Cookeville, 54-0
Fulton, 61-0
Chattanooga Central, 14-6

2. Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), 12-0
Jefferson (Portland) has been identified as the national champion by the National Sports News Service in Doug Huff’s National High School Football Record Book, however the Oregon school was not chosen as the nation’s top team in either of those years by NSNS founder Art Johlfs. The Democrats were likely chosen retroactively in the years after Johlfs relinquished control of the NSNS in the late 1970s. Retroactively speaking, Jefferson is a great candidate for a national No. 1 ranking, considering that it was led by future Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker and future NFL Hall of Famer Mel Renfro. But in real time, Jefferson’s exploits were not as well known nationally. Consider that Baker and Renfro did not earn All-American honors from Wigwam Wiseman (although they did earn honorable mention from Scholastic Coach). Whether Jefferson was No. 1 or not, the Democrats were certainly no worse than the second best team in the nation behind Oak Ridge. After going 3-5 in 1956, Jefferson posted a 34-1 record over the next three seasons with two state championships and a 34-game win streak. Baker was a two-time all-state quarterback while Mel and his brother Raye also made the all-state team. Raye Renfro also set a conference touchdown record with 24. Despite a 12-0 record and back-to-back state championships, there was some skepticism about the greatness of the Democrats. Ken Hess of the Coos Bay World wrote on Dec. 2, 1958, that Jefferson didn’t match up to the 1956 Marshfield team. Said Hess, “The Jeffs may have more speed in the backfield with Renfro brothers and more versatility with quarterback Baker. For better all-around running ability and power, we’ll stick with Roger Johnson, Hardy Spurgeon and Jack Shanley.” Hindsight uncovers the absurdity of the statement, but Hess’s opinion does show that not everyone was sold on Jefferson. This was partly due to the belief that the competition in the Portland Interscholastic League was not as stellar as years past. Nevertheless, the talent on the team showed out in the years after 1958 with Baker and Renfro both going on to outstanding careers.

Season Log
Lincoln, 34-20
Roosevelt, 47-0
Wilson, 45-12
Washington, 48-0
Grant, 69-0
Madison, 41-0
Franklin, 48-6
Benson, 54-0
Cleveland, 31-0
Wy’East, 41-6
West Linn, 38-0
Medford, 21-7

3. Long Beach Poly (Calif.), 11-0-1
While Oak Ridge and Jefferson built undefeated records against opponents with mostly average records, the same was not true for Long Beach Poly. If not for a tie with Colton in mid-season, the Jackrabbits might have been the nation’s mythical champion. But Poly wasn’t the top-rated team in Southern California for much of the season. In fact the Jackrabbits sat behind No. 1 San Diego and No. 2 Paramount most of the last part of the season. In the playoffs, however, Poly beat San Diego and then avenged its only black mark on its record with a convincing win over Colton. In the finals, the Jackrabbits handed the only loss to Santa Monica, which had knocked off Paramount earlier in the playoffs. The Southern Section put out final rankings in late November prior to the playoffs and Poly ultimately ended up beating four teams ranked in the top seven (San Diego, Colton, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara). Those four teams had a combined record of 33-2-2 in the regular season. Poly also defeated Downey, the defending section champion, early in the season. Running back Dee Andrews was the Southern Section player of the year with 1,319 yards on 129 carries with 19 touchdowns and 124 points. Joining Andrews on the All-Southern Section were running back Willie Brown, who went on to earn Southern Section MVP honors in 1959, and guard Todd Jagerson.

Season Log
Santa Barbara, 32-13
Downey, 12-0
Compton, 38-13
Long Beach Jordan, 34-0
Long Beach Wilson, 33-7
Colton, 7-7
Lakewood, 35-7
Millikan, 41-13
North Torrance, 19-13
San Diego, 26-18
Colton, 41-27
Santa Monica, 31-19

4. Wichita Falls (Rider, Texas), 13-1
The Coyotes are listed in a National Sports News Service newsletter from June of 1981 as co-national champions with Oak Ridge. This choice was likely made by Johlfs (although exactly when he made it is unknown) because Johlfs was notorious for selecting co-champions. Wichita Falls was certainly a good candidate for national champions. Under Joe Golding, the Coyotes had a record of 100-23 in his 11 season with two state championships. In 1958, Wichita had the highest scoring team during Golding’s tenure with 529 points (which still ranks second in school history). The 1958 team gave Golding his third state title with a 48-6 win over Pasadena. The Coyotes also had some big playoff wins over defending state champion Highland Park in the semifinals and three-time state champion Abilene in the quarterfinals. The Coyotes did have a loss to Breckenridge (San Antonio), which went on to win a state championship, albeit at a lower enrollment level. The Coyotes dominated the various all-state teams selected by newspapers throughout the state with the Waco Tribune-Herald, for one, choosing end Leland Allred, tackle Ben Shields and running back Johnny Genung making the first team. Allred was considered by the Tribune as the state’s top player while Genung was one of three Coyotes to rush for over 1,000 yards. Genung rushed for 1,208 yards and threw for 727 while scoring 17 touchdowns. Dickie Turner rushed for 1,237 yards and Travis Reagan ran for 1,001.

Season Log
Pampa, 34-2
Breckenridge, 22-26
Fort Worth Poly, 54-0
Vernon, 47-0
Odessa, 20-6
CC Miller, 34-0
Irving, 58-22
Arlington, 24-0
Birdville, 59-6
Grand Prairie, 61-0
Borger, 12-6
Abilene, 34-6
Highland Park, 22-14
Pasadena, 48-6

5. East St. Louis (Ill.), 10-0
The Flyers finished undefeated for the seventh time in school history and the Belleville News-Democrat quoted coach Fred Cameron, who said the 1958 team might have been the best in school history. “These boys have set all sorts of statistical records and have to be ranked with the tops.”  Willie Terry set a school record with 104 points and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 1,799 yards in his career. Tackle Bob Scharbert joined Terry on the News Gazette’s all-state team. While Illinois did not have a playoff system in place in 1958, the Flyers have to be considered the state champion according to Illinois historian Tom Sikorski. East St. Louis beat a number of quality opponents including Lincoln (8-1), Assumption (8-3), St. Louis University (7-2-1) and Parkview of Springfield, Mo. (7-2-1).

Season log
Edwardsville, 34-0
Lincoln, 13-6
Granite City, 19-0
Parkview, 20-19
Assumption, 27-9
Alton, 33-6
St. Louis University, 19-0
Collinsville, 61-0
Wood River, 34-0
Belleville, 54-0

6. Breckenridge (San Antonio), 13-1
Between 1950 and 1959, the Buckaroos won five Texas AAA state championships. They posted a record of 98-20 with the 1958 team being the best of the bunch. Breckenridge, which was one of the smallest AAA schools in Texas, scored 436 points on the season and handed Wichita Falls, the 4A state champion, its only loss of the season. The Buckaroos’ only loss came against Abilene, the state 4A champion in 1954, 1955 and 1956. The Buckaroos had three players on the all-state team, including end Larry Parker, tackle Charles Huddleston and quarterback Jerry Gibson.

Season Log
Sweetwater, 35-20
Wichita Falls, 26-22
Levelland, 40-13
Abilene, 0-22
Snyder, 34-7
Brownwood, 22-6
Mineral Wells, 54-8
Graham, 42-6
Weatherford, 22-6
Vernon, 30-16
Sweetwater, 16-14
Andrew, 44-0
McKinney, 26-7
Kingville, 42-14

7. San Diego (Calif.), 10-1
The Hilltoppers didn’t get past the quarterfinals in the Southern Section playoffs, but that’s because they lost to eventual champion Long Beach Poly (See No. 3). San Diego was ranked No. 1 in the south for most of the season and was the top-ranked team heading into the postseason. Led by returning All-CIF Southern Section quarterback Ezell Singleton, San Diego averaged 44 points a game before the loss to Poly. Singleton set a Southern Section record with 28 touchdown passes on the season.

Season Log
Kearny, 25-0
La Jolla, 59-0
Point Loma, 40-0
Mission Bay, 34-0
Chula Vista, 54-6
St. Augustine, 51-0
Lincoln, 21-6
Crawford, 61-6
Hoover, 40-0
Arroyo, 54-13
Long Beach Poly, 18-26

8. Pensacola (Fla.), 9-0
The Tigers played teams from four different states, including Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana. Woodlawn was one of the top teams in Alabama with a 7-2-1 record while St. Stanislaus was 7-2 against a mostly Louisiana schedule. Pensacola concluded the season with a big win over Jesuit, which was in contention for the state championship in Louisiana. Pensacola edged out Miami Senior for the top spot in the Dunkel High School Football Ratings for Florida (as of Dec. 1), 84.5 to 84.4. Billy Sykes, a guard, was one of the highest vote getters in the all-state voting by the Florida Sports Writers Association while fellow all-state selection Billy Jackson was also named the News Journal’s player of the year after rushing for 1,222 yards on 160 attempts with 21 touchdowns.

Season Log
St. Stanislaus, 32-6
McGill, 33-0
Woodlawn, 33-7
Vigor, 34-0
Bay, 41-6
Gainesville, 49-6
Leon, 14-9
Murphy, 25-6
Jesuit (New Orleans), 27-7

9. Johnstown (Pa.), 11-0
While Mt. Lebanon is ranked No. 1 in the state by the Saylor Rankings, Johnstown was the actual WPIAL AA state champion with a 3-0 win over Clairton while Mt. Lebanon did not advance to the postseason. The Johnstown team was considered one of the best in school history for a program that had a long history of outstanding teams in Pennsylvania. Guard George Azar was the only first team all-state selection for Johnstown. He was the leading vote getter among the linemen and he kicked the field goal in Johnstown’s playoff win over Clairton.

Season Log
Redstone, 13-0
German Township, 32-13
New Kensington, 41-0
Windber, 13-0
Duquesne, 26-0
McKeesport, 26-0
Monessen, 39-19
Altoona, 20-14
Natrona Heights, 28-6
Johnstown Catholic, 41-0
Clairton, 3-0

10. Lee (Montgomery, Ala.) 10-0
Although it first fielded a varsity team in 1955, Lee Montgomery did not field a team with a losing record until 1968 (it went 25-0 in 1969 and 1970). The Generals were 10-0 in 1956, 7-2-1 in 1957 and 10-0 again in 1958. Only two of its opponents in 1958 had a losing record. Lee Montgomery started the season at No. 7 in the rankings and was No. 1 at the end by the Birmingham and Montgomery newspapers and UPI. Guard Earl Brophy and quarterback Bart Kennedy both made the all-state first team. Kennedy was named the city player of the year by the Montgomery Advertiser and went on to play at Auburn.

Season Log
Greenville, 30-20
Tallassee, 26-19
Phillips Birmingham, 13-0
Anniston, 31-13
Parrish Selma, 27-0
Woodlawn, 26-6
Benjamin Russell, 46-0
Ramsay, 14-0
Dothan, 40-7
Sidney Lanier, 26-19

11. Hermitage (Richmond, Va.), 10-0
Deemed the greatest team in school history by coach Chester Fritz, Hermitage was barely challenged in finishing undefeated. “This is a team of a lifetime,” Fritz told the Richmond News Leader. “I’m just thankful that I was able to come around at this time.” Douglas Freeman was the top opponent on the season as Hermitage handed the Mavericks their only loss. Hermitage edged out Graham of Bluefield as the top team in the Group 1 rankings, 24.80 to 23.57.  Hermitage landed two players on the Group 1 team, including end Nelson Elam and back Rex Collins. An All-Southern pick as well, Collins completed 54 of 107 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. Elam was an honorable mention All-Southern pick.

Season Log
Lane, 12-7
Douglas Freeman, 21-6
Washington Liberty, 25-0
Thomas Dale, 34-12
John Marshall, 26-0
Thomas Jefferson, 27-0
Manchester, 40-12
Highland Springs, 33-0
Petersburg, 40-13
Mount Vernon, 52-0

12. South Bend Central (Ind.), 10-0
The Bears earned eight first-place votes and 98 percent of the total vote by the UPI coaches board in determining the state champion for Indiana. South Bend Central defeated Gary Horace Mann in the state finals 46-0 in the most lopsided game in the state’s 18-year playoff history. All-state players included tackle Dale Mathews and running back Commie Walls. South Bend Central had a mostly junior backfield in 1958 and thus went undefeated with a mythical state championship in 1959 as well.

Season Log
Hammond Noll, 41-6
Mishawaka, 19-6
Michigan City, 39-7
South Bend St. Joseph, 36-0
South Bend Adams, 20-18
Goshen, 21-0
South Bend Riley, 40-0
South Bend Washington, 32-6
Elkhart, 28-7
Gary Mann, 46-0

13. Lawrence (Kan.), 9-0
The late 1950s was the golden age for the Lions under coach Al Woolard. Between 1956 and 1960, Lawrence posted five straight 9-0 records and won 47 straight games. Football was such a passion in Lawrence that Life Magazine devoted six pages to the school in a November 1960 article. Ironically, Lawrence did not have any players on the all-state first team, but three players - end Larry Heeb, guard Henry Asher and running back Don Broyles - made the second team. Lawrence finished first in the state polls for the third year in a row, outpointing unbeaten Bishop Ward 170.5 to 146.

Season Logs
Manhattan, 27-0
Atchison, 20-14
Topeka, 33-6
Shawnee Mission East, 12-0
Leavenworth, 14-7
Shawnee Mission North, 7-0
Ottawa, 27-0
Wyandotte, 18-0
Highland Park, 34-0

14. Alliance (Ohio), 9-0-1
Determining the state champion in Ohio depended on which poll you believed in. While the Associated Press selected Alliance as the state champ, the UPI poll went with Warren Harding. We will go with Alliance since it fared better in both polls combined. Harding only outdistanced Alliance by a single sixth place vote in the UPI poll, 230 to 224. Harding had eight first place votes to Alliance’s seven in the poll conducted of 30 Ohio coaches. Alliance outscored Harding 388 to 319 in the AP poll, picking up 15 first place votes to seven for Harding. A total of 51 sportswriters made up the AP poll. The only tie for Alliance came against powerhouse Massillon. Quarterback Walt Zingg made the AP all-state first team and was the only Alliance player selected. He completed 41 of 97 passes for 691 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. He made the UPI all-state team as a defensive back.

Season Log
Akron Central, 22-0
Cuyahoga Falls, 28-12
Massillon, 8-8
Barberton, 28-14
Youngstown Ursuline, 22-0
Glenville, 28-0
McKinley, 16-0
Youngstown North, 40-0
Akron Hoover, 76-0
East Liverpool, 52-0

15. Warren Harding (Marion, Ohio), 9-0
Harding comes in closely behind Alliance after finishing second in the Associated Press final poll in Ohio and first by a narrow margin in the UPI poll (see Alliance above). The 1958 season was the culmination of a building process by coach Gordon Larson who took the Marion team from a 3-6 record in 1955 to 9-0 and the school’s first ever unbeaten, untied team. Wide receiver Bob Middleton was the only all-state pick, earning Lineman of the Year honors from UPI.
Season log
Glenville, 32-0
Fostoria, 48-12
Lorain, 30-20
Dayton Roosevelt, 40-0
Elyria, 22-16
Findlay, 38-0
Ashland, 56-12
Fremont, 40-6
Sandusky, 20-0

16. Chattanooga Central (Tenn.), 9-1
After a close loss to state champion (and mythical national champion) Oak Ridge, the Pounders won the Optimist Bowl over Memphis Southside and traveled to Florida where they knocked off Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville). Lee had previously tied Miami Senior (which is No. 17 on this list). Central finished second in the Litkenhous rankings to Oak Ridge, albeit by a substantial margin of 12 points. The Pounders placed two on the all-state squad, including end Grady Wade and guard Paul Chapman.

Season log
Johnson City, 21-0
Humes, 26-14
Memphis Central, 26-7
Dobyns-Bennett, 20-0
Bradley Central, 14-7
Hillsboro, 27-0
Scottsboro, 59-0
Oak Ridge, 6-14
Memphis South Side, 37-13
Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville), 21-7

17. Miami Senior (Fla.), 9-1-1
The Stingarees dropped as low as No. 5 in the Dunkel Rankings by Nov. 12 after a loss to Coral Gables. But a strong finish boosted Miami to the No. 2 spot behind Pensacola by Dec. 1. First, Miami blasted No. 4 Pompano Beach by 42 points. Then Miami knocked off No. 2 Edison by a touchdown. Finally, Miami blanked Coral Gables, the team that had handed the Stingarees their only loss. The final Dunkel rankings on Dec. 14 moved Miami into the No. 1 spot, but we’ll keep the Stingarees behind Pensacola in-state due to the loss and tie on their record. A tie early in the season to Lee (Jacksonville) prevented Miami from rising higher up the Top 50 list. Miami landed Buddy Coleman at center and future NFL head coach Lindy Infante at halfback on the all-state team.

Season Log
Jackson, 27-26
West Palm Beach, 32-12
Jackson (Jacksonville), 13-7
Lee (Jacksonville), 0-0
Lakeland, 47-7
Vero Beach, 51-6
Key West, 19-7
Coral Gables, 12-13
Pompano Beach, 48-6
Edison, 13-7
Coral Gables, 20-0

18. Santa Monica (Calif.), 11-1-1
By 1958, Santa Monica was a victim of its own success. With another undefeated, once tied season, Samohi was facing the possibility of being moved out of the Bay League due to its dominance over the previous decade. “Other teams are tired of playing for second place every year,” were among the protests lodged at the Vikings. Ken Graham, wide receiver, earned All-Southern Section status for the Vikings. The only loss came in the Southern Section semifinals against eventual Southern Section Long Beach Poly.

Season Log
Centennial, 19-0
Glendale, 21-13
Ventura, 34-14
Burroughs, 21-0
Torrance, 27-14
Leuzinger, 46-14
Redondo, 48-0
Mira Costa, 7-7
Inglewood, 42-0
Paramount, 14-12
Mt. Carmel, 13-6
Sweetwater, 34-20
Long Beach Poly 19-31

19. Lawrence (Mass.), 9-0
With only a couple of starters returning from a 1957 championship team, Lawrence wasn’t expected to compete in 1958. However coach Eddie Buckley pieced together a championship team, winning 17 straight games over the two seasons. Quarterback Ralph Wolfendale was an All-American by Wigwam Wiseman and played at Purdue after throwing for 1,044 yards and 15 touchdowns. The gymnasium at Lawrence is named after his father, Ralph Sr. Other all-state players included Mike DiGaetano at running back.

Season log
Chelsea, 12-6
Peabody, 14-6
Lynn English, 22-6
Lynn Classical, 40-14
Somerville, 14-6
Lawrence Central, 36-0
Manchester Central, 42-12
Haverhill, 30-12
Lowell, 14-12

20. Cleveland Cathedral Latin (Ohio), 10-0-1
Although Latin finished third in the UPI state rankings and fifth in the AP state rankings, it actually won two games after the final regular season rankings were released. One of the wins came on Nov. 21, three days after the rankings came out. Latin defeated Holy Name 36-6 in a game that was only played because the Senate Council allowed schools to schedule a 10th game after the regular season was complete. Latin also beat St. Ignatius 12-6 in a charity Thanksgiving game to finish with 10 wins. Leo Caito was a first-team all-state selection at halfback for Latin after scoring around 130 points on the season.

Season Log
St. Ignatius, 14-6
Toledo Central Catholic, 20-6
Warren Harding, 16-16
Glenville, 50-0
East, 34-8
Collinwood, 26-0
Adams, 16-6
East Tech, 54-6
Benedictine, 34-16
Holy Name, 36-6
St. Ignatius, 12-6

21. Centralia (Ill.), 9-0
Known for a basketball program that had more all-time wins than any other team in the country, Centralia also had an outstanding football team in 1958 that was considered the best in school history. With eight shutouts and only 12 points allowed, the Orphans had one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. Guard John Atchison was the only all-state player for Centralia.

Season log
Collinsville, 27-0
Benton, 39-0
Herrin, 38-0
Belleville, 52-12
Harrisburg, 73-0
Salem, 47-0
Marion, 58-0
Mt. Vernon, 51-0
West Frankfort, 19-0

22. Indianapolis Manual (Ind.), 10-0
The Manual team of 1958 was considered one of the greatest to ever play in Indianapolis. Heading into the Cathedral game, Manual had averaged over 45 points per game including over 60 points against Ben Davis and Sacred Heart. The Redskins landed three players on the all-state team, including quarterback Steve Wright, tackle John Stafford and running back David Miller. Wright finished the season with 21 touchdown passes.

Season Log
Indianapolis Sacred Heart, 61-6
Indianapolis Washington, 55-0
Indianapolis Howe, 26-0
Warren Central, 42-0
Southport, 26-12
Ben Davis, 68-7
Indianapolis Broad Ripple, 54-7
Indianapolis Shortridge, 34-0
Huntington, 41-6
Indianapolis Cathedral, 35-0

23. Austin (Chicago), 8-0-1
Bishop Fenwick might have been the favorite heading into the 1958 Prep Bowl, considering it was undefeated while Austin had a 0-0 tie with Steinmetz. However, behind the play of all-state quarterback Larry Preo, Austin won its third Prep Bowl with a 20-7 win over Fenwick for the Chicago City championship.

Season log
Schurz, 20-18
Steinmetz, 0-0
Harrison, 24-0
Taft, 20-6
Lane, 7-6
Morgan Park, 39-19
Schurz, 20-6
Chicago Vocational, 12-6
Fenwick, 20-7

24. Peoria Manual (Ill.), 10-0
Manual began the season with five straight shutouts. While the Peoria team didn’t quite keep up that defensive pace the rest of the season, it still managed to finish the season undefeated and possibly the third best team in the state behind East St. Louis and Centralia. Frank Whitman, a fullback, was the only Manual to make the all-state team.

Season Log
Galesburg, 26-0
East Peoria, 31-0
Eisenhower, 27-0
Limestone, 27-0
Pekin, 13-0
Spalding, 20-13
Woodruff, 27-13
Richwoods, 13-6
Lanphier, 32-12
Peoria Central, 47-19

25. East Orange (N.J.), 9-0
According to the Colliton formula, which New Jersey used to select section champions, East Orange had the highest point total in the state. With 729 points, East Orange edged Plainfield for the top spot in the state. East Orange had just one all-state player in tackle Al Volpe, who made the second team.

Season Log
West Orange, 28-6
Orange, 47-0
Nutley, 20-6
Newark West Side, 25-0
Barringer, 27-7
Montclair, 14-6
Irvington, 28-0
Columbia, 25-0
Belleville 32-2

26. Bay City Central (Mich.), 8-0-1
In the closest final poll in the history of the state polls to date, Bay City Central claimed the state championship by just two points over Flint Central. The two teams tied 13-13 at mid-season, and among five common opponents, Flint Central had the scoring edge over Bay Central by one point, 168-167. However three sports writers in the seven-member poll voted Bay City Central and two voted for Flint Central. A sixth writer split his vote between the two. Bay City had 32-3-1 over the past four seasons. End Bob Bishop and center Jim Kanicki made the all-state team by the Associated Press. Quarterback Jerry Gross made the second eam after completing 141 passes in 238 attempts for 2,825 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career.

Season Log
Owosso, 51-6
Lansing, 46-0
Handy, 57-0
Flint Central, 13-13
Arthur Hill, 60-0
Midland, 12-7
Saginaw, 56-0
Pontiac, 34-6
Northern, 27-9

27. Flint Central (Mich.), 8-0-1
Flint Central led the state polling for much of the season, but fell behind Bay City Central in the final poll by just two points. The two teams tied 13-13 during the regular season and Flint held the edge in scoring against common opponents 168-167. Ron Watkins made the all-state team at running back while Ken Hardin made the team at tackle. Watkins averaged 12 years per carry.

Season Log
Midland, 26-19
Muskegon, 45-6
Ann Arbor, 33-7
Bay City Central, 13-13
Alpena, 64-0
Arthur Hill, 33-13
Saginaw, 53-0
Pontiac, 38-0
Northern, 51-0

28. Highland Park (Dallas), 11-2
Highland Park, the defending AAAA state champion, lost its season opener to Jefferson, but routed the rest of its opponents over the next 11 weeks to meet Wichita Falls in the semifinals.  The Scots couldn’t stop Johnny Genung, who ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns for the Coyotes in a 22-14 win. Guard David Duwe and running back Billy Gannon made the first team all-state.

Season Log
Jefferson, 6-12
Texarkana, 32-0
Lufkin, 47-6
Arlington Heights, 22-0
Paschal, 40-0
CC Miller, 20-6
Denton, 74-0
Sherman, 38-0
Denison, 49-6
Garland, 24-12
Texarkana, 46-20
Carter-Riverside, 21-0
Wichita Falls, 14-22

29. LaGrange (Ga.), 11-1
Although it suffered a late-season loss to Moultrie, LaGrange righted the ship in the final two weeks of the regular season and in the postseason, dropping Valdosta, Glynn Academy and Decatur in successive weeks. Glynn Academy was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state when LaGrange won 12-6. Jimmy Burson was tagged by his coach as the best player in the state. Over two seasons he rushed for 1,539 yards and scored 185 points. He was the only LaGrange player to make all-state.

Season Log
Lanett, 14-7
Jordan, 14-0
Willingham, 39-6
Albany, 13-0
R.E. Lee, 20-7
Baker, 19-7
Lanier (Macon), 27-7
Moultrie, 13-19
Columbus, 7-0
Valdosta, 23-21
Glynn Academy, 12-6
Decatur, 26-12

30. Roosevelt (Des Moines, Iowa), 8-0
The Rough Riders moved into first place in the state polls after the fourth week of the season when they belted Dowling 24-0 and limited the Maroons to just six yards rushing. Roosevelt finished the season with six shutouts and only 21 points allowed. Danny Grimm led the powerful Roosevelt defense at tackle and was an all-state first team pick by the Des Moines Register. Bob Kreamer was first team all-state at halfback after rushing for 944 yards on 119 carries with 17 touchdowns.

Season Log
Valley, 34-0
Tech, 33-0
Lincoln, 40-0
Newton, 40-0
North, 27-7
Dowling, 24-0
East, 20-0
Ames, 32-14

31. Lake Charles (La.), 12-2
Lake Charles was not considered a viable to threat to end Istrouma’s reign as the top team in the Louisiana Class AAA after losing to Istrouma early in the season and then also losing to Bolton during the regular season. But Lake Charles overcame an 18-7 first half deficit in the semifinals to defeat Istrouma 20-18. It then held off Warren Easton 22-20 in the state championship game. Jack Gates was the lone all-state member for Lake Charles on the team selected by the Times Picayune.

Season log
Istrouma, 0-14
New Iberia, 26-0
Beaumont, 22-12
LaGrange, 40-6
Lafayette, 27-7
Nederland, 21-8
Port Neches, 7-0
Jennings, 47-0
Bolton, 14-20
Sulphur, 40-0
Lafayette, 27-7
Istrouma, 20-18
Warren Easton, 22-20
Biloxi, 25-14

32. Pasadena (Texas), 12-2
Pasadena got its season off to a rough start with a loss to Odessa, but the Eagles won 12 straight to reach the Class AAAA state finals against Wichita Falls. Along the way, Pasadena defeated a Port Arthur team 6-0 (which Istrouma tied), allowing the Eagles to finish ahead of Istrouma in the Top 50. Carl Choate made the all-state first team at end while running back Randall Kerbow made the second team. Choate earned All-American honors, was class valedictorian and a member of the National Honor Society.

Season Log
Odessa, 8-21
Lamar, 19-6
Texarkana, 20-8
Ball, 46-12
Baytown, 28-0
Galena Park, 10-6
South Houston, 36-10
Spring Branch, 28-14
Texas City, 40-6
Brazosport 27-6
Port Arthur 6-0
Reagan 24-6
Miller, 7-6
Wichita Falls, 6-48

33. Istrouma (New Orleans, Louisiana) 11-1-1
Istrouma appeared to be the favorite to win the AAA title in 1958, after all it had defeated Lake Charles 14-0 in the first game of the season and had won three straight AAA championships heading into the 1958 season. But Istrouma blew an 18-7 first half lead and fell 20-10 in the semifinal matchup to Lake Charles. The loss was the first in 41 games to a Louisiana opponent and the first loss of any kind in 21 games. Istrouma placed four players on the all-state team by the Times Picayune (Lake Charles had one) in Don McCollister (E), Malcolm Fleming (C ), Lynn Amedee (RB) and Steve Ward (RB).

Season Log
Lake Charles, 14-0
Port Arthur, 20-20
Warren Easton, 20-0
Central (Little Rock), 42-0
Nederland, 35-0
Sulphur, 40-27
Catholic 42-0
Bogalusa 40-0
Baton Rouge, 14-12
Terrebonne, 21-0
Jesuit, 39-0
Lake Charles, 18-20

34. El Dorado (Ark.), 10-0-1
Only a tie with Little Rock Central kept El Dorado from an undefeated season. The Wildcats won the Big Nine Conference, which was essentially the Class 4A division for the state rankings. El Dorado placed six players on the all-conference team, including halfback Herbert Martin and fullback Tommy Brasher.

Season Log
Magnolia, 32-0
Fort Smith, 20-0
Fair Park, 14-7
North Little Rock, 7-2
Pine Bluff, 41-32
Smackover, 33-0
Little Rock Central, 14-14
Texarkana, 51-6
Blytheville, 46-7
Hot Springs, 19-0
Camden, 52-12

35. Bishop Fenwick (Chicago), 11-1
Fenwick won 11 straight games before falling to Austin in the Prep Bowl. The two teams had a played a memorable 19-19 tie in the 1936 game, but this time Austin dominated the Catholic League champions to claim the city championship. Jack Strobel earned first team all-state honors at halfback by the News Gazette. He had 963 yards on 125 carries in 10 games.

Season Log
Loyola, 20-0
DePaul, 38-24
St. Rita, 38-28
St. Phillip, 42-8
St. Patrick, 8-0
St. Mel, 24-12
St. Ignatius, 34-14
De La Salle, 18-7
Mount Carmel, 18-0
De Paul, 26-14
Gordon Tech, 28-15
Austin, 7-20

36. Edison (Miami), 7-1-1
Thanks to a win over Coral Gables early in the season, Edison was ranked No. 2 in the state for much of the season by the Dunkel rankings. However a loss to Miami in the final game of the season dropped Edison to No. 3 in the final state rankings behind Pensacola and Miami. Jim Causey made the second team all-state at end while John Albrecht made the third team at tackle.

Season Log
Coral Gables, 19-14
Landon, 6-0
Jackson, 20-20
Lee (Jacksonville), 18-0
Hialeah, 41-7
Jackson (Jacksonville), 25-0
West Palm Beach, 20-6
Orlando Boone, 32-6
Miami, 7-13

37. Abilene (Texas), 10-2
One of the top teams in the nation over the middle part of the decade, Abilene won a state championship in 1954, 1955 and 1956. The Eagles might have won again in 1957, but they tied Highland Park in the semifinals but lost on penetrations. The loss to Sweetwater in the second week of the season ended Abilene’s 51-game unbeaten streak and marked the first time a Chuck Moser team had been shut out. The Eagles got back on track with a win over Breckendrige, the eventual Class AAA champion. Abilene eventually lost to Class 4A champion Wichita Falls. No Eagles made the all-state teams, but running backs Stan Cozby and Charles Harrison, along with future NFL All-Pro receiver David Parks received honorable mention.

Season Log
San Antonio Jefferson, 28-26
Sweetwater, 0-19
Lubbock, 34-0
Breckenridge, 22-0
Austin, 52-8
Waco, 36-0
Big Spring, 38-8
Odessa, 34-14
Midland, 29-6
San Angelo, 12-0
Ysleta, 40-6
Wichita Falls, 6-34

38. Plainfield (N.J.), 8-0
New Jersey didn’t host state playoffs in 1958, but instead determined section champions by using the Colliton System, which was developed by a Trenton school teacher in the 1930s. The Colliton system came under great scrutiny in 1957 when Plainfield won its section ahead of Union despite having lost to Union in the final week of the season. There was no controversy in 1958, however, as Plainfield posted six shuouts and scored 720 Colliton points. The point total placed Plainfield second in the state behind East Orange. Guard Mike Miller earned a spot on the Associated Press all-state first team while halfback Herm Johnson made the second team.

Season Log
Columbia, 12-8
Woodbridge, 26-0
Perth Amboy, 46-13
Thomas Jefferson, 42-0
New Brunswick, 14-0
Union, 33-0
Barringer, 27-0
Westfield, 21-0

39, Robbinsdale (Minn.), 9-0
A total of 15 teams finished unbeaten in Ted Peterson’s final state rankings for the Minneapolis Star in 1958 and the Robins were No. 1. Julian Hook, described as one of the most devastating tacklers in the state, was the only all-state pick by Peterson on the Star’s all-state team.

Season Log
Wayzata, 19-6
Rochester, 26-6
Minnetonka, 18-0
Hopkins, 38-6
Bloomington, 29-6
Richfield, 25-0
Edina, 20-0
St. Louis Park, 20-6
Mound, 33-7

40. Massillon (Ohio), 8-1-1
The Tigers fielded such a powerful program in the 1950s that the 8-1-1 season ranks tied for the second worst record for the school during the decade. Washington went 10-0 four times in the 1950s and 9-1 twice. The 8-2 record in 1956 is the school’s worst mark during that span. The Tigers tied Alliance, which won the state title according to the Associated Press. It also lost to a Harding team that finished 7-2-1. The 1958 team featured one of the most decorated Tigers in end Bob Vogel, who earned All-American status. He went on to play guard in college at Ohio State and then in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts where he earned All-Pro honors five times.

Season Log
Akron South, 28-0
Canton Lincoln, 20-0
Alliance, 8-8
Steubenville, 19-7
Benedictine, 19-0
Mansfield, 20-8
Warren, 0-6
Barberton, 32-0
Akron Garfield, 36-0
McKinley, 38-16

41. Braddock (Pa.), 9-0
Braddock won its fifth straight Class A WPIAL championship in 1958 and extended its unbeaten streak to 46 straight games (with one tie). However it almost wasn’t to be. Based on the playoff system used to determine the two WPIAL championship opponents, Braddock was in fourth place in the standings and it didn’t appear that it would get the chance to defend it’s four straight Class A titles. However No. 2 Crafton was deemed ineligible after using an ineligible player and No. 3 Carnegie lost to Scotts Township, putting Braddock in the championship game against Waynesburg.

Season Log
Schenley, 38-7
Canon-McMillan, 46-0
Derry Area, 27-0
Homestead, 31-7
Midland, 9-7
New Brighton, 27-13
North Braddock Scott, 9-6
Swissvale, 32-7
Waynesburg, 21-0

42. Wenatchee (Wash.), 9-0
Wenatchee took over as the state’s top team late in the season when it knocked off previously unbeaten Walla Walla 19-12. Walla Walla had held the top spot in the rankings all season long before Wenatchee won and took over the top spot. Wenatchee finished No. 1 in the writers poll (there were no state playoffs) with 11 first place votes compared to six for No. 2 Renton (10-0).

Season log
Blanchet, 19-0
Ephrata, 20-13
Bellingham, 18-0
Eastmont, 41-0
Everett, 32-0
Richland, 20-0
Davis, 27-6
Walla Walla, 19-13
Moses Lake, 25-0

43. Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.), 10-1
Glynn Academy suffered its only loss at the hands of LaGrange in a state playoff semifinal 12-6. Glynn Academy finished second behind LaGrange in the final Atlanta Journal Constitution state rankings for Class AAA teams. End Jimmy Dix earned a spot on the AJC all-state team.

Season log
Aquinas, 27-6
Richmond Academy, 7-0
Jenkins, 28-0
Wayne County, 20-0
Savannah, 7-6
Groves, 33-0
Coffee County, 19-15
Waycross, 7-0
Benedictine, 10-7
Jasper, 35-6
LaGrange, 6-12

44. Coral Gables (Fla.), 8-2
The Cavaliers handed Miami its only loss of the season, 13-12, but could not win the rematch in the season-ending Fraternal Order of Police Game held at the Orange Bowl, losing 20-0. The loss dropped Coral Gables into fourth place in the state in the final Dunkel Ratings. Guard Wally Williamson made the all-state team along with fullback Ted Sauselle, who also made the All-Southern team.

Season Log
West Palm Beach, 27-6
Edison, 14-19
Lakeland, 17-0
Edgewater, 46-0
Lee (Jacksonville), 25-14
Jackson (Miami), 19-0
Fort Lauderdale, 34-0
Miami, 13-12
Southwest, 19-7
Miami, 0-20

45. Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.), 7-0-1
The Associated Press gave the Junior Blue Jays the slightest edge in the state ratings over Omaha South, which they tied 18-18 in the first game of the season. Creighton Prep edged Omaha South by 10 points in the final ratings. Guard Dick Stivers was the only player named to the all-state team by the Omaha World Herald.

Season Log
Omaha South, 18-18
Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson, 27-6
Omaha Tech, 33-0
Washington (Sioux Falls), 20-13
Omaha North, 47-13
Council Bluffs Lincoln, 60-0
Omaha Central, 33-12
Omaha Benson, 27-19

46. Omaha South (Neb.), 7-0-1
Although it tied Creighton Prep and finished with an identical 7-0-1 record, Omaha South finished behind the Junior Blue Jays in the final Associated Prep state rankings, 133.3 to 123.3. Scottsbluff, unbeaten at 10-0, finished in third. The Lincoln Star, however, rated it an even tie between Omaha South and Creighton Prep for the state title. End Tom Moore earned all-state honors by the World Herald while quarterback John Faiman, considered the state’s top prospect, also made the first team.

Season Log
Creighton Prep, 18-18
Omaha Central, 27-0
Omaha Benson, 31-7
Omaha Tech, 34-13
Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson, 42-0
Lincoln, 47-0
Council Bluff Abraham Lincoln, 58-6
Omaha North, 41-7

47. Santa Cruz (Calif.), 9-0
The Cardinals were the top team in Northern California, as determined by the San Francisco Examiner ratings. Santa Cruz edged out Poly (San Francisco), Castlemont (Oakland) and Berkeley for the honor. Santa Cruz also placed three players on the Examiner’s All-NorCal team, which was a rarity according to the publication. Running back John Kirby and tackle Wally Hicks made the first team and guard Paul McDuffee Jr. made the second team. Kirby finished with 641 yards on 108 carries and 20 touchdowns and 122 points. Kirby was also a fifth-team All-American by the Wigwam Wisemen and the MVP of the Shrine All-Star Game. A back injury cut short his college career at Oregon State.

Season Log
Burlingame, 46-6
Berkeley, 33-7
Bellarmine, 39-0
Salinas, 25-6
Watsonville, 34-0
Monterey, 32-12
Salinas, 52-0
Watsonville, 19-7
Monterey, 21-19

48. Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 8-0-1
Ranked as the No. 1 team in the state by the Roger Saylor rankings, Mt. Lebanon didn’t actually play in the WPIAL postseason as Johnstown and Clairton ended up playing for the Class AA championship. The Blue Devils did not reach the playoffs due to a tie with Uniontown. Saylor’s began in Pennsylvania around 1952 and were eventually used as the basis for choosing playoff teams when Pennsylvania incorporated its playoff format in the early 1970s. End Harold Vogel, guard Howard Breinig and halfback Denny Phillips made the All-WPIAL team with Phillips earning all-state honors by UPI and All-American by Teen Magazine.

Season Log
Homestead, 64-0
Westinghouse, 40-19
South Hills, 36-0
Penn Hills, 14-7
Washington, 35-26
Wilkinsburg, 32-14
Uniontown, 13-13
Baldwin, 34-7
West View, 26-7

49. Superior Central (Wisc.), 8-0
Playing a schedule against mostly teams from Minnesota, Superior Central finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state by UPI. According to Kevin Patrowsky’s book “The Great Teams”, Don VanBibber made the all-state team and led the team in scoring with 17 touchdowns. He also ran 81 times for 972 yards.

Season Log
St. Cloud Cathedral, 39-6
Duluth Cathedral, 53-7
Duluth Denfield, 26-13
Superior East, 39-0
Ashland, 58-0
Duluth Central, 23-13
Duluth East, 13-12
International Falls, 22-12

50. Ogden (Utah), 11-0
After handily defeating Logan in the Class A state championship game, Ogden was deemed one of the greatest teams ever to come out of Northern Utah. The Deseret News placed two Tigers on the all-state first team in guard Joe Lalli and halfback Bruce Samples. Lalli also earned recognition on the Teen Magazine All-American team. He was third team by the Wigwam Wisemen. Tackle Jerry Newell and fullback Bob McConnell were second team all-state.

Season Log
South, 20-0
East, 12-0
Bear River, 27-0
Ben Lomond, 33-0
Box Elder, 7-0
Weber, 19-0
Bountiful, 20-12
Davis, 18-7
North Cache, 34-0
Highland, 7-6
Logan, 40-13