*136 teams played eight-a-side football in 1965, 16 fewer teams than the previous year. This shows that the number of teams playing eight-a-side football steadily decreases until 1977, after which the number gradually increases again.
While 11-a-side football was on the rise again, reaching 257 schools in 1965, 6-a-side football was nearly extinct, with just four teams playing the game part-time. By 1967, the Sixth Man game was invented in Nebraska by Sixth Man's father, Stephen Eppler of Chester, ironically.
The game went dormant until the mid-1980s.
One of the interesting aspects of the 1965 NSAA ruling was what the cutoff number was for a team to be eligible to play eight-man football. I have to clarify this in the future. I came across an article that stated that West Kearney University still had 105 students in 1965 and was still playing eight-man football.
Next, let's take a look at the final rankings of the 1965 eight-man football team.
The final top 10 are:
*Final 8 Top 10 (1965)*
1. Sutherland (9-0)
2. Western (9-0)
3. Cedar Bluffs (10-0)
4. Overton (8-0)
5. Maywood (9-0)
6. Paxton (7-1)
7. Dawson vs. Verdon (7-1)
8. Johnson (8-1)
9. Bartlett (8-0)
10. Doniphan (9-0)
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The final top 10 with match scores for each team is as follows: When this was featured in the Omaha World-Herald's awesome sports section, I just loved it. What's missing from some of these is the name of the head coach.
*1965 8-a-side Football Final Top 10*
1. Sutherland (9-0)
19 Hershey…………13 – 38 Hayes Center……0
67 Hyannis……………………0 – 51 Big Springs…………6
31 West Kearney……7 – 54 Brady…………0
13 Paxton……………………12 – ?? Trenton……? ? (I won, but I didn't get a score)
62 Halsey Dunning…0
Coach – Darryl Broberg
2. Western (8-0)
28 Plymouth………….0 – 40 Tobias……..6
38 Diller………..0 – 1 x Dorchester….0 (Forfeited)
40 Sprague Martell….7 – 47 Alexander…12
27 Beaver Crossing….6 – 41 Milligan…..0
× (11-person game)
coach-
3. Cedar Bluffs (9-0)
25 Snyder……..13 – 58 Waterloo…….6
13 Arboeagle…7 – 28 Mead…13
27 Utahn……………………2 – 48 Prague…………6
44 Pratt Center…6 – ?? Weston…? ? (I won, but I didn't get a score)
58 Fort Calhoun…6
coach-
4. Overton (8-0)
50 Loomis…………6 – 63 Wilcox…………14
44 Actel…………6 – 66 Sumner…………20
40 Pleasanton…0 – 45 Elm Creek…0
67 Amherst…….13 – ?? Hildreth……? ? (I won, but I didn't get a score)
Coach – Alyn Chambers
5. Maywood (9-0)
38 Venango…………0 – 61 Wallace…….6
40 Brady………………0 – 19 Farnham…….0
45 Beaver Valley….18 – 40 Elsie….6
34 Tryon………12 – ?? Maxwell…?? (Win but no score)
54 Eustis………………………………7
Coach – Jerry Meyer
6. Paxton (7-1)
47 Lewellen…………7 – 44 Elsie……………………19
52 Venango…24 – 33 Madrid…6
26 Big Spring….6 – 45 Brulee….13
12 Sutherland….13 – 15 Hershey….13
coach-
7. Dawson vs. Verdon (7-1)
13 x Falls City SH…26 – 61 Stella………….20
25 Cook…………………………7 – 32 Table Rock……0
44 Odell…………14 – 20 Johnson…………19
45 Schubert……………………6 – 60 Nehoka…………18
× (11-person game)
coach-
8. Johnson (7-1)
61 Mare………………26 – 20 Talmage……………………0
32 blocks…0 – 19 Dawson Verdon…20
32 Nehoka…12 – 48 Preparation for Peru……………….7
33 Cook……..6 – 33 Palmyra……………………0
coach-
9. Bartlett (8-0)
40 Elba………………………………6 – 26 Elgin……………………0
25 Meadow Grove….12 – 46 Chamber…12
48 Pages……………………0 – 45 Clear Water……6
31 Red Willow…………7 – ?? Butte……? ? (I won, but the score is not available)
Coach – Jerry Maurer
10. Doniphan (9-0)
20 Grenville……..0 – 19 Boels…………6
32 Cairo……..12 – 61 Hordeville…13
12 Phillips…………7 – 70 Glenville…………7
54 Trumbull……0 – 34 Juniata……18
72 Marquette….13
coach-
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Once again, if you care about statistics, the all-state team in eight-man football boasts the most talented backfield. The 1965 backfield, selected by Greg McBride of the World-Herald, was one of the fastest and most versatile units in the history of eight-man football up to that point.
The epic, mythical backfield of Sutherland's Class D sprint champion Ken Beatty, Prague's powerful 6-3, 185-pounder Terry Petrzelka and Johnson's standout junior Lee Rawls combined for a 554 He finished with 3,865 yards rushing, a high for the day.
The frenetic Beatty ran for 1,694 yards and averaged a mind-boggling 11.6 yards per pop, despite being targeted by every opponent. He also hauled in 14 passes for 356 yards and five additional touchdowns.
Petrzelka, a fourth-year starter at quarterback in Prague, threw for 813 yards, rushed for 1,232 yards, recorded 45 unassisted tackles and had 14 interceptions on defense.
Rawls, Johnson's junior, rushed for 939 yards and 23 TDs, added another 321 yards receiving, made 26 PATs, made 104 stops from the linebacker spot on defense and had three pick-sixes. He averaged 39.2 yards on punts.
*1965 8-Man All-State Football Team*
Finished — Robert Gergen Dawson Verdon, 6-2, 195, Sr. (17 years old)
Finished — Dennis Bartels-Western, 6-2, 200, Sr. (17 years old)
Guard – Bob Larson-Overton, 6-0, 175, Sr. (17 years)
Guard – Al Childers-Bartlett, 5-10, 185, Junior, (16 years old)
Center – Clifford Underwood-Doniphan, 5-10, 176, Sr. (17 years old)
Back—Lee Rawls Johnson, 5-11, 163, Junior, (17 years old)
Back–Ken Beatty Sutherland, 6-1, 180, Sr. (17 years old)
Back–Terry Petshekla-Prague, 6-3, 185, Sr. (17 years old)
