Class of 1948 Football Team’s Undefeatable Year
By Lauren Ueding
As locals know, Pierce is well known for a hard-working football team and their many traditions. Heading into post-season play, however, many may not know that in 1948, Pierce football sported an 8-0 record. Like the 2022 season, the Pierce football team was undefeated 75 years ago.
To start their season off, the Jays kicked off their first season game with Madison at the Dragon’s home field and defeated them 39-0. And let it be known that the Pierce team only had three weeks of practice before this game.
“We would go out at 3:30 and practice till 4:30. Our coaches were very nice men,” said George Prince. Prince also stated that Plainview was Pierce’s biggest rival.
Then, the Jays traveled to Laurel the following week and nudged out the Bears 6-0 in a very close game.
In week three of the season, the Jays had their first home game against Stanton who was undefeated. Many people said that this was the game of the year! The stands were crowded with people. The Jays managed to squeeze a tight win with a 7-6 victory.
Then Bluejays won another game against Hartington, 32-0.
Following this, Pierce came out with another win against the Creighton Bulldogs 39-0.
The Jays pulled another win with the Plainview Pirates, 26-0.
Then the conference championship for Pierce, they played their final game against the Bloomfield Bees and pulled out another win 66-0 and were conference champions. At the time, the team held the largest score difference ever to be racked up by any team in Pierce High School history.
The major lettermen were Junior Zierke, Duane Luebe, Marvin Miller, Richard Ferris, Ruben Miller, Don Hoffman, Bob Krause, Duane Buckendahl, Richard Haas, Pat Allen, Dale Retzlaff, Junior Herbolsheimer, Don Voecks, Leroy Fischer, Eugene Ronspies, Alan Docken, Loren Jelinek, Elray Buckendahl, Junior Schulz, Bill Stonacek, Marvin May, Nelson Parks, Gene O’Neal, Arvin Nitz, and Jed Holmes.
“I was a freshman when I played football that year. I didn’t really get to play much in the games, but we only had two head coaches and they had to coach football, basketball and track,” remembers Stonacek.
Coaches for the undefeated 1948 team were Harold Thompson and Lauren Holcombe.
Making the all conference team that year were R. Miller, Krause, D. Buckendahl, Zierke, and Luebe. Allen received honorable mention honors.
