Greg Hansen's top 10 undefeated high school football teams in Tucson history
- Updated
Star sports columnist Greg Hansen counts down the top 10 undefeated football teams in Tucson history.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Editor’s note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today’s list: The top 10 undefeated high school football teams in Tucson history.
Van Howe was told the 1973 football season would be his last at Palo Verde High School. He was 64 and the school district then had a policy of mandatory retirement at 65.
It wasn’t that the former UA assistant coach had stoked much anticipation for the ’73 season. The Titans were coming off a 3-7 season and were 41-57-1 since Howe became the first football coach in PVHS history, 1962.
But behind senior running back Robert Fowler, the Titans rolled to a 12-0 record entering the state championship game against Phoenix Camelback. It didn’t look good; Camelback led 20-15 with six minutes remaining.
Quarterback Chuck Helms drove the Titans 80 yards, leading to the winning touchdown with 34 seconds to play; Palo Verde won 22-20. Howe retired from coaching and teaching at year’s end.
The Titans are No. 5 on our Top 10 list of Tucson’s undefeated state football champions:
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Considered by some the most talented team in state history, the ’70 Badgers whipped Phoenix Sunnyslope 54-16 in the state championship game, the first team to score 50 in the title game. Coach Ollie Mayfield’s team had seven major-college recruits: Allistare Heartfield; Marvin Lewis; Mike Dawson; Mark Simon; Derral Davis; Kelly Langford; Jinx Johnson and All-State players Will Kreamer and Frank Castro.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In only its sixth year as a school, Mountain View went 14-0 and won the state championship game 63-32 over Sahuaro. Coach Wayne Jones built his team behind tailback Kevin Schmidtke, who rushed for 5,410 yards, then the top total in Tucson history.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Dennis Bene’s Lancers outscored the opposition 697-101 and blew out longtime Phoenix superpower Scottsdale Chaparral 46-20 in the state championship game.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The first of Jeff Scurran’s three state title teams at Sabino was the first Tucson team to win 14 games in a season. It was a season of drama; a few months before the opener, Scurran was among 280 TUSD teachers scheduled to be laid off. The Sabercats rallied to beat Peoria 31-28 in a classic finish.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Howe said he often dreamed of a state championship, but “I always woke up early.”
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Amazingly, it was the only state title for coach Vern Friedli, whose 331 victories led all Arizona coaches when he retired. The Panthers beat Mesa 27-0 for the championship.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, the Tigers were a dominant state power in all sports. The ’67 football team was led by All-State running back Cleveland Colter and quarterback Tony Komadina, averaging 53 points per game, a state record. It beat Round Valley 21-7 in the title game.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Two words: Ka’Deem Carey. He rushed for 268 yards and scored five TDs in a 40-0 blowout over Sabino in the championship game.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Badgers, who shut out seven opponents, extended their winning streak to 32 games and finished the season beating Mesa 14-7 before 13,000 fans at Arizona Stadium. In one victory over Bisbee, future Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman ran 67 yards for a touchdown. Later in the period, Karl Eller, namesake of the UA Eller College of Management, ran 78 yards for a touchdown.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Caballeros coach Larry Hart had lost five state championship games before winning it all in ’75. He was asked if he felt jinxed. “Hogwash,” he said. “There’s no common sense to it.” His team beat Snowflake 14-13 for the long-awaited title, as John Bray rushed for 1,133 yards and 23 touchdowns over the season.
Editor’s note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today’s list: The top 10 undefeated high school football teams in Tucson history.
Van Howe was told the 1973 football season would be his last at Palo Verde High School. He was 64 and the school district then had a policy of mandatory retirement at 65.
It wasn’t that the former UA assistant coach had stoked much anticipation for the ’73 season. The Titans were coming off a 3-7 season and were 41-57-1 since Howe became the first football coach in PVHS history, 1962.
But behind senior running back Robert Fowler, the Titans rolled to a 12-0 record entering the state championship game against Phoenix Camelback. It didn’t look good; Camelback led 20-15 with six minutes remaining.
Quarterback Chuck Helms drove the Titans 80 yards, leading to the winning touchdown with 34 seconds to play; Palo Verde won 22-20. Howe retired from coaching and teaching at year’s end.
The Titans are No. 5 on our Top 10 list of Tucson’s undefeated state football champions:
Considered by some the most talented team in state history, the ’70 Badgers whipped Phoenix Sunnyslope 54-16 in the state championship game, the first team to score 50 in the title game. Coach Ollie Mayfield’s team had seven major-college recruits: Allistare Heartfield; Marvin Lewis; Mike Dawson; Mark Simon; Derral Davis; Kelly Langford; Jinx Johnson and All-State players Will Kreamer and Frank Castro.
In only its sixth year as a school, Mountain View went 14-0 and won the state championship game 63-32 over Sahuaro. Coach Wayne Jones built his team behind tailback Kevin Schmidtke, who rushed for 5,410 yards, then the top total in Tucson history.
Dennis Bene’s Lancers outscored the opposition 697-101 and blew out longtime Phoenix superpower Scottsdale Chaparral 46-20 in the state championship game.
The first of Jeff Scurran’s three state title teams at Sabino was the first Tucson team to win 14 games in a season. It was a season of drama; a few months before the opener, Scurran was among 280 TUSD teachers scheduled to be laid off. The Sabercats rallied to beat Peoria 31-28 in a classic finish.
Howe said he often dreamed of a state championship, but “I always woke up early.”
Amazingly, it was the only state title for coach Vern Friedli, whose 331 victories led all Arizona coaches when he retired. The Panthers beat Mesa 27-0 for the championship.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, the Tigers were a dominant state power in all sports. The ’67 football team was led by All-State running back Cleveland Colter and quarterback Tony Komadina, averaging 53 points per game, a state record. It beat Round Valley 21-7 in the title game.
Two words: Ka’Deem Carey. He rushed for 268 yards and scored five TDs in a 40-0 blowout over Sabino in the championship game.
The Badgers, who shut out seven opponents, extended their winning streak to 32 games and finished the season beating Mesa 14-7 before 13,000 fans at Arizona Stadium. In one victory over Bisbee, future Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman ran 67 yards for a touchdown. Later in the period, Karl Eller, namesake of the UA Eller College of Management, ran 78 yards for a touchdown.
Caballeros coach Larry Hart had lost five state championship games before winning it all in ’75. He was asked if he felt jinxed. “Hogwash,” he said. “There’s no common sense to it.” His team beat Snowflake 14-13 for the long-awaited title, as John Bray rushed for 1,133 yards and 23 touchdowns over the season.
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