The History Of Football
Wisconsin At LaCrosse
From 1969 To 1997, The
Coach Roger Harring
At The University Of
29 Years Under Head
Created,
Professor
Compiled, And Edited By Eugene
Emeritus Of English At UW-LaCrosse
E. Williams,
Published By The Josten Co. Of Topeka, Kansas
January, 1998
The endsheet pictures are of
Homecoming 1997, taken by
Scenic Concepts, owner Pat
McGuire.
·6 3
The Harring Era
Acknowledgements
Almost one hundred people helped to gather the materials
in this book, which have been used to present the
history of twen-
ty-nine years of football at the school now called the
University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse. When Roger Harring
first began here as
head football coach, the school was Wisconsin State
College, The name has changed several times since 1969.
The football coaches, Roger Harring, Barry Schockmel,
Roland Christensen, Larry Terry, and a dozen more, were
very
cooperative in helping to identify old pictures. A few
pictures we finally gave up on, but not many.
I found pictures in old files from the former yearbooks
published years ago, and in the Murphy Library Research
Center,
where old pictures and various rare items and articles
were located. The librarians were helpful and patient as
I scrounged
through box after box,
Upon my request, several former players sent me pictures
they had kept over the years and were now willing to
contribute to
this book. Some of the former players were willing to
write about their experiences with the football program
here at LaCrosse,
and these are included in this book. These are extremely
helpful in gaining insight into what makes Harring such
a success, and
any young coaches who wish to gain from this insight,
surely can do it by reading of these experiences.
The Sports Information Director at UW-L, Todd Clark, was
very informative, and is to be thanked profusely for
gathering statis-
tics and making them available to me. He also did a lot
of writing over recent years, from which I have drawn
heavily.
Special thanks go to the LaCrosse Tribune and Marc
Wehrs, news editor, for helping me locate pictures of
coaches from
former years. Wherever I have used Tribune writing, I
have credited the author. Some photographs have names of
photogra-
phers, but some went back too far to identify.
Kelly Skaff of Visual Sports Network gave me team
pictures from 1982 through 1997, which were absolutely
essential. Kellys
picture is on page 159.
Jim Lund of Crescent Printing in Onalaska was more than
helpful with his pictures. He went out of his way to
obtain old pic-
tures and to help identify them and to offer
suggestions, for which I am very grateful.
Provost Leo Lambert granted me office space, and most of
the computer operators in the Wing Building assisted
with pencils
and paper clips and the making of signs. Bob Simpson,
custodian, was helpful with tables, chairs and
telephones, The entire
university personnel seemed desirous of cooperative
help, for which I'm grateful. It certainly made this
production easier.
Pat McGuire of Scenic Concepts Inc. gave me aerial
photos of the Homecoming game against Oshkosh, which you
will
see as endsheets in this book. Aria Wojahn of Visual
Communications is to be thanked, as is Burt Sasse of
University Graphics.
People who contributed photos are Don Suter, Paul
Currier, Bob Seaquist, and Larry Lebiecki, as well as
Debbie Schultz,
Craig Chrest, and Craig Kusick Sr.
Although a lot of people contributed to this
undertaking, if anyone locates an error, it is my fault
alone. To all of you I say
thanks. I think Roger Harring deserves the accolades
this book offers.
Table Of Contents
Page
i - Title page
ii - Acknowledgements
iii Contents
iv- Value of a Team
vii- Bill Collar
viii -William Kraemer
2 - Legalized violence
3 Head Coach, by Todd Clark
4- Coach, Father, Friend,
by Jeff Brown
6 - The Little Giant
8 - 53 All-Americans
9 - NFL - Drafted or Free Agency
10 - Dynasty, Legend, and Legacy
12 - Championship Rings
13 -WSUC in the 90s
14- 1969
17 - 1970
20- 1971
24 - 1972
28-1973
32-1974
36 - 1975
40 - 1976
44 - 1977
48 - 1978
52 - Mattison and Bukowski
53 - Nick Harring
54 - 1979
A university football program is promoted by those
people in most coaching roles, by the players'
friends who come to watch the game on Saturday
afternoon, by most parents, although some mothers still
feign fear and loathing, and by some young men who
have some good reason for not playing but would like to
play.
Contrarily, the university football program is derided
by
some academicians as not belonging in the university
envi-
ronment, by some people as too disgustingly rough and
contributing to violence outside the stadium, and by
some
people who denounce competitive activities because
they themselves cannot compete successfully. Nonethe-
less, the successful university football program
contributes
mightily to individuals involved in the various aspects
of the
sport, to the university itself, to the city in which
the program
resides, and to the state in which the city is located,
and ul-
timately to the entire United States of America, as the
foot-
ball phenomenon is perceived by foreigners. Football has
become America's game.
As the football phenomenon becomes more important
through sheer numbers of teams, and continues to impact
more and more Americans, as television pronounces foot-
ball one of the biggest business ventures America has
ever
produced, football needs to be understood, so that it
can
be utilized to the greatest benefit to the most people
and
not get out of control to be used for personal
aggrandize-
ment alone for a limited number of entrepreneurs.
T he most obvious value of football to most players is
the physical conditioning maintained in a physically
demanding game dictated by a mental strategy co-
ordinated with peers, and the emotions that are preemi-
nent in the winning or losing. Football keeps most
players in
shape for a few months and gives them an outlet for
their
tremendous energies in youthful, muscular bodies. It
gives
most players a way to fill a few hours each day, when
they
might otherwise be sitting idle, or worse, be into
mischief or
trouble. Football offers a balance of physical contrast
for
the hours spent in study at a university. Most
university play-
ers realize that they will end their playing days after
their se-
nior year in school.
In that football is an extremely popular spectator
sport,
the news media of today spend great energy in depicting
the football games. That means that the players will
have
their pictures displayed in newspapers, magazines, and
on
television screens. The players become temporary
celebri-
ties, popular not only with children, but with all age
groups.
Each players individual activities become accomplish-
ments, and his ability to throw, catch, or to handle the
ball
in some expert fashion become talents, and for the play-
ers display of these talents, he is offered rewards, or
what
we might call prizes. He is conditioned through these
re-
wards or prizes to attain even greater dexterity and
finesse.
These prizes come from coaches, friends and fans,
various
accrediting agencies, and what we might call 'sponsors'.
Great self-esteem is developed as prizes are awarded
and gathered in abundance. Each good coach knows the
importance of awarding numerous prizes so that consider-
able self-esteem is developed. This self-esteem will
hold
the player in good stead after his playing days are
over.
This self-esteem is maintained and transferred to other
en-
terprises into which the young man will venture. The
more
successful a university football program is, the more
prizes
will be awarded, and the more self-esteem will be devel-
oped by the largest number of players. Thus, the most
suc-
cessful program turns out the most young men with
self-es-
teem to be transferred to other ventures. This is why we
find
a great many former football players successful in
business
later in life.
Is Subtly Beyond Full Realization
This same principle of transferrance of
self-esteem holds true for other athletic
endeavors also, but the scale of the
football programs and the large num-
ber of young people football touches
and the popularity of football today
makes football the number one pro-
gram for teaching one to be successful
and adventurous in business. One is
taught in football to be tough, aggres-
sive, determined, tenacious and perse-
vering. These same traits are utilized by
the most successful businessmen in a
capitalistic society.
Football teaches cooperation and
teamwork. The true individual can't
make it as a member of a football
team. Football requires eleven young
men to move into concerted action
with a common goal at the instanta-
neous command of a quarterback,
There are no loners on a football team.
One learns to sacrifice self to a team
goal through cooperative efforts. Foot-
ball players make great company men.
America has traditionally, historically
recognized and promoted the individ-
ual, pioneering spirit, the man with the
guts to enter unexplored territory, to go it
alone with little help from anyone else,
to test his mettle against the unknown.
That was centuries ago.
A man today is better off learning to
cooperate and to be part of a success-
ful team than to go alone. The frontier is
long gone. There does exist room for the
lone entrepreneur in small business, or in
the experimental laboratory, or in the ar-
chives of a law firm, but much more
room and a zillion more jobs exist for the
successful team player, the man who
seeks approval and corroboration for his
efforts. This is taught in football.
T he value of a successful football
program can be counted in myr-
iad ways by a university. This in no
way places it into conflict with the aca-
demic programs. Football augments
the academics of a university, if for no
other reason than entertainment on a
long week-end. People outside of the
university view the various aspects of a
university differently than those people
who are within and part of the university.
Mention Bart Starr, Woody Hayes, the
Gipper, or Joe Montana to almost any-
one on the street, and that person will
say football. Mention the name of a
state senator, or the state governor, or
the university president to people at ran-
dom and see how many can identify
them. The contrast will be startling, with
many more people identifying football
personalities than politicians, academi-
cians, or even their bosses in large com-
panies.
The point to this is that a successful
football program will bring notoriety to a
school, more than anything else the
school does, because it includes,
through entertainment value, the uned-
ucated masses. An unsuccessful foot-
ball program does very little for a
school. People identify the value of a
university through the success of the
football team. Silly as this seems to aca-
demicians, because the value of an
academic program is in no way related
to the success of an athletic team of
any kind, people continue to identify
and evaluate schools through football
teams.
Mention Ohio State and no one will re-
spond by noting the quality of its pro-
grams or its noted professors or its presi-
dent, or even its size or where it is lo-
cated. Almost everyone will say football.
People want to identify with winners. No
one can tell how many students matric-
ulate at Ohio State or Alabama or Michi-
gan or Notre Dame just because they
have good football teams, but we do
know that some students attend a foot-
ball university because of the vicarious
feeling of power and success attained
through the football team.
Some football players come to a uni-
versity because of its winning reputation
in football. Some of those players'
friends follow the players to that univer-
sity. Every time the team wins another
award, a sense of winning is felt by the
student body as a whole, and on and
on the feeling goes, spiraling ever up-
ward, until the reputation becomes
something unto itself and almost be-
yond the control of the university admin-
istrators.
Even students who rarely attend a
game will get a sense of winning on
week-ends when the team wins another
game. People ask students, "Did you go
to the game?" There's an expectancy,
something inspired, as if it's an accom-
plishment to attend a game. There's a
deflation when the student says no. If
the student says yes, there's a sense of
being lucky and part of intense action
and prestige, even though one did
nothing but watch.
The vicarious thrill one realizes through
being associated with a winning football
team harks back to the prehistoric times
when man fought over anything and ev-
erything, and strength was the mark of
the man. Football comes as close to
those prehistoric battles of strength as
anything other than actual, killing war-
fare. Football permits a man to test his
strength against other men, as men did
eons ago for mating rights or food. To
the victor belong the spoils. Today the
spoils are notoriety, celebrity, and
money.
S imilarly, winning sends a sense of
accomplishment throughout the
entire university city in which the
school resides, and people who have
never even been on the campus speak
proudly of the winning team. Especially
do they speak loudly and proudly when
they are off in other cities. Suddenly they
sound as if they are graduates of the in-
stitution, when one has but to listen to
their vernacular to recognize lack of ed-
ucation and refinement. Nonetheless,
they are also recipients of that intangi-
ble sense of accomplishment, and they
wear the school colors proudly on their
backs.
A city with a university with a reputa-
tion for winning football is fortunate in-
deed. Tourists drive far out of their ways
to view the campus and the field of bat-
tle, and to regale listeners with ex-
panded exploits of former glory days,
whether true or not. The farther one gets
from home, the larger and more im-
pressive the stories become.
Every chamber of commerce worth
its paper utilizes the tales of gargantuan
battles to entice visitors to its city and to
embellish the appeal of residency. Tick-
ets to games become enticements to
be offered discreetly to potential land-
holders, as if they are acquiring the keys
to the forbidden city.
How huge the value of tickets has
grown and how important they appear
is readily seen by viewing the 'boxes'
now perched high atop stadiums across
the U.S. The expense for a businessman
to entertain guests on a Saturday after-
noon in the lofty, royal, private rooms is
a clear indication that one seems to
have 'arrived' when one visits a heavenly
'box'. The majority of Americans believe
this. The 'business' of football almost
makes the game secondary.
T he UW-LaCrosse football team has
traveled to a dozen different states
in the past twenty-nine years, cross-
ing the country from California to Vir-
ginia, most often returning imbued with
additional aggrandizement for self, uni-
versity, city and state. Quite naturally,
there are people now all across Amer-
ica who have heard of the UW-LaCrosse
football team and its vaunted power.
As Harring has built the LaCrosse dy-
nasty, the university has become better
and better known as a quality university.
If its football team is national in quality,
then it must be a university of national
quality. Thus, the football team has
been ambassadorial, not only for the
university, but for the entire state of Wis-
consin, creating goodwill through win-
ning nobley and honestly, and with high
spirits taking the high road to champion-
ships.
The players, the coaches, the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, the city of La-
Crosse, and all people who live here or
even have relatives here benefit either
directly or indirectly through the success
of the football team. The benefit is more
than is readily discernable. It is discreet,
subtle, often unseen and intangible, but
nonetheless there working its magic to
make everyone associated feel a bit
more imperial, a bit more like a winner,
one above the rest, not to be toyed with
lightly, for UW-LaCrosse football is a win-
ner, and therefore everything associ-
ated with it is a winner.
oger Harring did not know in 1969
that he would in twenty-nine
years create through his football
heroics such a dynamic, dazzling dy-
nasty. Of course, all coaches aspire to
such largess, but it happens so rarely as
to be almost unimaginable, and its real-
ization only comes about after years of
dedication, devotion, struggle and per-
severance. As with some of the other in-
tangibles of the world, such as valor,
glory, courage, and heroism, one can't
easily identify it, but one knows it when
one sees it.
The Cuffing
Edge
1969-1971
by Bill Collar
In this picture Bill Collar is far left at one of
Coach Harrings training camps for high school
football players. Standing next to him is Bill Vick-
roy, UW-L football coach prior to Harring. Coach
torring, in this 1997 pcture, is between Vickroy
::~Coaches ~and Bruce Bukowski forme player at UW-L now
Defensive Coordinator of football at the University
of Wis consin-Whitewater. All four of these men
have had coaching roles in football at UW-L.
For the past 26 years Bill Collar has been a history
teacher and head football coach at Seymour
H.S. Bill has been named Wisconsin Social Studies
Teacher of the Year, Wisconsin Teacher of the Year,
and Wisconsin Football Coach of the Year. He has
received the Dave McClain Distinguished Service
Award for Football in Wisconsin, and is a member of the
UW-LaCrosse Wall of Fame. Bill was the direc-
tor of the UW-LaCrosse Line Camp for 26 years, and
presently is the President of the Wisconsin Football
Coaches Association.
"If you're not on the cutting edge, you're taking up too
much room!" This sums up Roger Harring's approach to
coaching
football and working with young athletes. His innovation
and commitment to his profession have made an impact on
coaches
and athletes throughout the Midwest.
Elmer Collar, former general manager of the Wisconsin
Rapids Twins, a minor league baseball franchise,
describes a youthful
Harring as'a bundle of energy. Elmer introduced me to
Roger and proudly said, "Bill is a starting tackle at
LaCrosse State." Dur-
ing the summer of 1964, as I was preparing for my senior
football season, Coach Harring offered some shoulder
pads and en-
couraged me to join in the drills with his high school
players. His up-beat coaching style and non-traditional
methods made a
lasting impression.
During a time when most coaches discouraged players from
lifting weights, Roger believed they were the key to
improved
performance. He constructed isometric racks where
players were required to complete a strength building
circuit immediately
after practice. While most coaches in those years denied
players water, Roger took breaks to encourage players to
get more
fluids into their systems.
The 1968 season found me out of coaching and teaching
and back at LaCrosse State working under Dick Koehler as
Assis-
tant Housing Director. I was stunned a year later when
Coach Harring visited the Housing Office, informed me he
was the new
coach at LaCrosse, and told me I belonged back on the
football field. He managed to persuade Dick Koehler to
free up some
time, and Bill Collar became the new freshman football
coach at LaCrosse.
During the next three years, 1969-1971, Roger was a
tremendous influence and helped me realize that football
would always
be a part of my life. He emphasized the positive
approach to coaching. "Players rise to the level
expected of them; high ex-
pectations, high results." Eventually I returned to my
first love, teaching history and coaching at the high
school level. The three
years coaching under Roger made a lasting impression. I
not only met many great people through football at
LaCrosse, but
laid the foundation for a coaching philosophy that
continues to this day.
Some of Rogerfs accomplishments and innovations which
made a lasting impression are:
* The first conference championship for LaCrosse in many
years.
*Football clinics organized so that young coaches could
visit campus and listen to veteran high school coaches
speak. This
was a new concept at the time and led to numerous other
colleges copying the idea .
* On-campus football camps for high school students.
This was another creative idea that offered people the
opportunity to
spend time on a college campus while learning football
skills. Roger spoke with numerous college coaches and
developed
a camp to train offensive linemen, the first of its kind
in Wisconsin.
* A detailed study of the psychology of coaching. Roger
brought nationally known experts to the LaCrosse campus
to share
their expertise with high school coaches.
* Classes in motivation and goal setting. Once again
Roger led the way in this now popular field.
* The expansion of the weight training program. I
remember the little closet where the weights were kept
and how Roger ar-
gued for a large facility suitable for all athletes.
* Presentation of the 'Alumni Coach of the Year' plaque
at the annual clinic. It was rewarding to see LaCrosse
graduates experi-
encing success in their field.
* Presentation of 1000 yard rusher certificates for high
school players, another great idea to recognize young
athletes for their
achievements.
* Twenty-six years and three national championships
later, I'm proud to say, "I coached with Roger Harring."
Tradition And Strength Give Edge To LaCrosse
STRENGTH
TRAINING
head of his
t A m e
laA esCoach Har-
ring stressed
weight training for
all of his players,
and with guys like
me, whohad
been training in
high school, this
was great. A small
percentage like
myself and Rick
Griffin became fa-
natics in the
the LaCrosse tradition in 1997.
d s T weight room, and
this started a tradi
tion ... LaCrosse
William J. Kraemer, Ph.D. football players
Centero- 1971-1974 50" we re highly condi-
Professor of Applied Physio logy tioned teams, and
Director of Research-Center for Sports Medicin e ming fe
Associate Director-Center for Cell Research
The Pennsylvania State University h i g h I y we ig h t
-
_______Strength ~trained in those
early years.
This continued
to get better over
the years. At LaCrosse many football players trained at
least a
few months a year with weights, which was more than
other
players did at most schools in our league. Some of us,
like me
and Rick Griffin, trained all year long. This has become
part of
the LaCrosse tradition in 1997.
Strength and conditioning were keys to LaCrosse football
success and created a distinct advantage we now under-
stand scientifically. The weight training program
allowed for
late bloomers to really flourish at UW-L. We had many
then,
and many are still drawn to UW-L today because of our
strength programs. With off-season weight training
programs,
UW-L made big jumps in physical development over a four
year career. The typical contact scrimmages in the
spring for
Division I and II players slowed training programs,
physical de-
velopment, and produced injuries.
Strength training had humble beginnings in the men's
locker
room in Mitchell Hall with a Universal weight machine
and an
Olympic barbell set in a wooden box which required us to
get
the combination. We also had only one bench.
Testing was also a big part of the program. Players were
ex
pected to return in August in shape, and we were tested
to
determine how fit we were. Being in shape was promoted
in a
big way by Coach Harring, and I believe, looking back,
it paid
off in our play. I was one of the people involved with
the early
development of the National Strength and Conditioning
Asso-
ciation, a professional association for strength
coaches. This
did not happen until 1978, so UW-L was again ahead of
the
times.
OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE SCHEMES
e need top players, but we also need sound football
techniques and strategies which match personnel.
We had them. Coach Harring and Coach Chris-
tensen had top offensive and defensive approaches and
matched them to their players' abilities. Interestingly,
Coach
allowed quarterbacks to call their own plays ... unheard
of to-
day. We were well coached and well disciplined to carry
out
assignments.
We had top specialty teams. For example, my claim to
fame in UW-LaCrosse football, besides helping to start a
tradi-
tion in strength training, was never to have missed a
long snap
in four years of playing.
High powered offenses and stingy defenses were
traditional
for UW-L football, and that was accomplished by solid
game
plans, workman-like practices, respect for opponents,
and the
traditional winning attitude on game days.
I had a unique opportunity to talk with Chuck Vabora,
with
whom I had played grade school football in Marshfield.
He
then went on to play for Marshfield Columbus High School
and then on to UW-River Falls to play nose guard against
me
in '73 and '74. I wanted to know what it was like to
play UW-L.
My curiosity to see us from the other side of the line
provided
an interesting comment on UW-L football at that time and
some insight into the program which had been created to
date.
He stated that many of his teammates looked at the UW-L
football team as a group, a single entity, and not only
by spe-
cific players. Many times they feared us, and our size
and
speed was exaggerated to be sometimes thirty pounds
heavier and several inches taller than we really were.
The key element I found interesting was that we were a
team thought to have complex offensive and defensive
sets.
Our blocking scheme was such that Chuck said he never
knew who was going to hit him ... would it be you, or
would it
be someone else like a back or guard from the off-side?
Speed was also multiplied and exaggerated, and he
thought
we were the fastest team River Falls ever faced.
Coach Chris's 4-4-3 defense was also legendary at that
time. Thus, the concept of tradition we felt, appeared
to im-
pact our opponents' views of us and sometimes give us
com-
petitive advantages greater than we perhaps deserved or
more impressive than were real. But perception is
reality in
football too. Our reputation as a team was ahead of who
we
really were. Thus, by 1974 the tradition and reputation
came
onto the field before we did. However, we had the
systems in
place to make everything work and the strength and speed
to
back it up. We also were blessed with greatly skilled
people on
offense and defense ... so individually we always
matched
up.
TEAM FEELINGS AND CONFIDENCE
ooking into the eyes of teammates in the huddle and
knowing that no one was going to be the one to 'mess
up' meant everything would be okay, and anything we
did would work. Thus, in a strange way the pressure was
off. So
many times we pulled games out on the last drive in the
fourth
quarter, or the Defense held, or we won on a turn-over.
I remember Coach Harring being helpless on the sideline,
but he had confidence in his players, and he let them
play.
He had a saying on Friday nights. "Well, the horse is in
the sta-
ble. All you need to do is play the way you know you can
to-
morrow." That was it. I never really heard Coach use a
lot of
pep talks before a game, as he was more business.
In the early days one could see the emotion get through
more, because I am sure he did not know how good UW-L
teams would be. He had a couple of solid years before
1971,
but that first title made a big difference. He became
more
confident as success started to build more and more each
year.
Players assumed a feeling and connected with the past
and to the future. Young players were taken care of, and
they
looked to learn from the older ones who set the example.
The
great young players now are respected, but the key on
UW-L
teams was RESPECT ... respect for one as a member of a
team.
DEMANDING COMPETITION
o get a position on a UW-L football team for most of us
was a battle each day. Competition for jobs on the
team was fierce. Poor play was not accepted. One had
to perform both in practice and in a game. I still
remember
when we had those large numbers of players, over a
hundred
besides the freshmen, and the traveling list of about
fifty was
posted, and players looked to see whether they were to
play.
It was heart-rending and sad. The pressure went from top
to
bottom.
The competition created high pressure within the team,
but
Coach Harring wanted the best people out there, and many
of us had to work our buns off in practice each day. Few
peo-
ple had a free ride, and if they did, we didn't know it.
Most of us always had a protagonist ready to take our
jobs if
we did not perform. Like any other football team, we put
up
with the pressure and feelings of inside competition for
a job,
but rather than destroying the team, as it does many
times, it
made us better ... as a team.
We also got to practice against the best in practice.
Our
performance was critiqued and evaluated weekly. Thus, we
went into a game with a razor's edge performance. There
is
no question that there was emphasis on performance and
winning. We looked at films and really studied
opponents. I
think we had a very intelligent group of players who
could not
only outplay opponents physically, but get into the Xs
and Os
of the game and know what was going on. In addition, I
think
our team members, Offensive and Defensive alike, knew
one
another.
There was a bit of a separation between O and D, because
we practiced apart, but Coach got us together, and we
tried
to bridge that most typical separation on a team. The
walk-
throughs in uniforms with no pads on Friday nights was
also a
highlight where we bonded and licked the wounds of
compe-
tition within the week and put the final polish on our
focus for
the opponent.
Coach liked to put a lot of time in the classrooms for
study
of the opponents, and we had many'skull sessions', as
they
were called, with various units and teams. Through it
all, the
good and bad, I and my fellow players learned about com-
petition and the work it takes to meet it. Such lessons
have
been valuable in my life, and I think Coach knew that,
and
that is why the game of football can be positive despite
all of
the negatives we hear today, some of which are well
founded.
Finally, we played the game for the fun of it, the
winning
and the friendships. Being drafted was never high on the
prior-
ity list, or even on it for ninety-nine percent of the
players. In
the early years, and maybe even today, UW-L football
pre-
served many of the old time values that have been lost
with
big time football that is focused on money and business.
This
is unique to many Division III schools. It is the last
place where
team is bigger than individuals, and at UW-L that was
true then
and I feel still true today. I also think Coach realized
that, and
it is one of the reasons I never went to a larger
school.
Coach Harring is one of the greatest football coaches in
the history of American football. He impressed me from
our
first meeting, when he spoke of the beauty of LaCrosse.
Only
at the end of our meeting did he start to talk about the
foot-
ball team, the needs for the upcoming 1971 season, what
he
thought the team could do, and his vision for a program
at
LaCrosse that would be the best in the conference. He
was
excited! I also liked the quality program in both
academics
and athletics, and felt at that time that academics were
not
emphasized for football players at Division I and II
schools.
Different from so many others in the football coaching
field,
Roger Harring recognized the need to develop one's
potential
beyond the game of football. To him UW-L football was a
family affair, and his players were his extended family.
This is
what drove him and was most important to him.
RECRUITING
oach Harring out-recruited all of the other coaches in
the conference and acquired many players who
could easily have played for Division I or II football
schools. We had great players at every position, and
many of
them. Numbers was a key factor. I remember going to
foot-
ball practice and seeing a line of people at one
position,
maybe ten of them, and when we circled up that classic
UW-L
circle, it was so big I could not even see players
across from
me. Coach Harring recruited top people! We had tons of
people. This was a key to success at UW-L.
TRADITION
radition needs to be built, and 1971 was the start of a
winning tradition. LaCrosse had a fine history in
football,
but it was distant, so the challenge was to begin again.
Coach Harring did that.
Tradition and belief in self can be evoked to put
pressure on
players to win, give them a psychological edge. This
feeling of
confidence and pride is hard to explain, but is that we
are La-
Crosse, and as we walked onto the field we did not fear
the
other team or think about them in the same way they
thought
about us. We were LACROSSE!
That feeling is developed over time and started with
small
accomplishments and then built upon in each succeeding
year. Tradition and belief in self has become real in
LaCrosse
football.
LaCrosse Tribune photo
Satisfying, Gratifying, Legalized Violence
Football is sweeping America, whipping drinks into
froth, turning gentle men into angry behemoths, ruining
week-ends which
once were designated as family time. Wisconsin, more so
than many other states, is being bracketed between the
Packers,
the Badgers, and in LaCrosse, the Eagles.
People are wearing footballs on their chests, their
heads, their feet and shirts. They drink from mugs
encrested with footballs,
sleep in beds covered by footballs on blankets, wrap
their automobiles in green and yellow flags, scream
football oaths out
of windows, and if they luck out, spend all day Sunday
tailgating in Green Bay. They think they're in heaven.
The football coach who can carry his team's average over
500 becomes an icon, due homage from skeptics to whom
everything must be proven. No need to prove football;
the game is the proof. For two hours the rest of the
world stops. If Iraq
wishes to conquer America, Saddam must do it on a
Sunday, when no men are readily available to defend
America.
Churches have changed their starting time to accommodate
the noon kickoff. Storekeepers hire extra people to man
the
check-outs, so the store owners may slip back home to
engage in the mass hysteria. How else could they engage
in con-
versation on Monday if they hadn't watched the game?
Men engage in vicarious violence while seated on a couch
in front of a TV. Organized mayhem is satisfying to
man's innate
aggressive tendencies, and it's legal. How else can one
man slam another to the ground. Stand on his chest, jump
with the
joy of victory, and all this with the approval of
millions of other men?
Where else can one receive the approval of the female
for being violent? They dress in ruffles and prance
around the bor-
der of the field, delighting in the roar of the crowd,
and shaking pom pons in time with the beating of drums.
Men go bananas for this sexual approval of legalized
violence. It takes them back to prehistoric days when
men fought with
clubs. It stirs their hearts with dreams of heroic
deeds. It ripples muscles rarely used. It lengthens days
into nights filled with
recounting of passing, punting, and tackling. "I could
have done that too, if only... "
No other game has the same appeal. No other game offers
the intense physical contact, the camaraderie of equally
vio-
lent companions, the brothers who will remain true in
memory forever. Poo Poo it if you will, but watch the
faces on a football
afternoon; then ridicule it if you can. It is America's
game, now and forever.
H ead Coach -iRoger Harring atUW-La Crosse.
exU V1-Year ^ L T UWL ^ O^Pi
9695 5 0 206 196
Roger Harring - 1996 I =19::0,1 , , t
,971 | I 2 0 222 ,55 I
by Todd Clark 1971 0
/1972_ 8 2 0 200 i
Roger Harring finished his 29th season as head coach of
the 2 25 165
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football program, and
his 1 974 3 0" 298.72
accomplishments during his career have put him in the
com--^- -- ^3 11j
pany of the winningest coaches in college football
history. j. . .,.... 2 -
His numbers support such a claim. Harring surpassed the
I1 ^-76 7 3 0- 275 - ^---1---^3
200-win milestone in 1993 to become the 25th coach in
col- 1 97Z67l
lege football history to do so, and only the 14th in
that catego- 19 ,* 9 2 0 ........23, 93
ry to record all his victories at one institution. 1979
i .7, ,, , . 2 0., ,, 316 1.40..
Harring's 29 seasons as a head coach is surpassed in
years 198Q0 ,8 . ,2 . 0 . , 248, 105
by only four other active NCAA II coaches. One can not
enjoy 1 .8.1 .. 6, ., 4 . ,. 15,1 1.. 30i
this longevity without being successful - very
successful. He 1i982 I 8 2 0 I ,21 7 J1 2-7i
has posted a 250-66-7 during his reign of the UW-L
football pro- 91 983* 9 3. 1 229 ,32
gram, which ranks third in total victories and sixth in
winning per- 1 .^984"' 8. 2 0 33 118
centage (.785) among active NCAA III coaches, In
addition, 98* 2 22
he ranks 1 2th on the all-time NCAA victories list. ,
'1986* 1' 0 .3601.8
"Our mental approach is that if we play well, good
things 1 -- ---- . ----
1987 6 4_ I 282 293f
always seem to happen to UW-La Crosse teams, and that
has ^
been kind of our legacy," Harring said. "Playing well,
playing 1...8*. .. .... . .............
together and having fun - that has been the legacy."
19.8. ... 2 .... 2 .... ..... 42 1.. t 243
Harring and his staff have built a program few
institutions can 1990* 9 . 2 i -Q--242 1 572
equal. The Eagles won their first NCAA III football
national 21329918.1 1 ,_. 0 2 0 328 73
! ' ll i 6 ................
championship in 1992 and added another one in 1995 to
give . 1. 992** 1 2 ,, 0 ,1 i ,,,,399 1 84
Harring his third national title during his tenure. UW-L
won the 1993* 1 1 1 , 31 60,
NAIA II title in 1985 to become the only school in
college foot- 1.994 | 8 2. 0 ..350. 1 84
ball to win an NAIA II title and an NCAA III title.
1995**^ 14 0 0 455- 1
Furthermore, the Eagles have made 11 appearances to : .
1996*:. 11.*" ' 0"""". 2 320 167i
post-season in the last 14 years, totaling 13 playoff
appear- . 1997 1 i 2 O 31 2616
ances during the Harring era. UW-L is 13-4 in NCAA
post-season 7 ... ---.--..-.---- .
play. In the 1990s, the Eagles have a 75-9-1 (.888),
making UW- 250 66 7 --- . -
L the second-winningest program in all of Division III
football.
Harring gives much of the credit for his success to a
knowledgeable and experienced coaching staff, which
guided the
Eagles to the NCAA III championship in 1992 with Harring
sidelined by the heart surgery. "When Coach Christensen
stepped
in and took the reins when I was down, he did a great
job, along with the other coaches, which shows the
stability and confi-
dence the kids had in the coaches," Harring said. "You
have to have the people on your staff who are
knowledgeable and
willing to dedicate themselves to the UW-La Crosse
tradition,"
But the winning attitude and positive approach clearly
present in the UW-L football program starts at the top
with the head
coach. "We use an upbeat, positive approach to working
with people," Harring said. "We recruit talented
student-athletes
and retain them by treating them with respect as
individuals instead of a jersey number,
"The coaching staff has made good judgments on ability
and talent rather than on superficial statistics," he
continued, "We
attract kids that want the challenge, academically and
athletically, at UW-La Crosse,"
3
Harring Is Coach, Fatl
by Jeff Brown of the LaCrosse Tribune Staff
following the 1995 season and National Championship
ow do you find a coaching leg-
end? Walk into the University of Wis-
consin-LaCrosse's Mitchell Hall,
proceed to the end of the hallway and
enter Roger Harring's office.
You've just found one.
He's not surrounded by national
championship trophies, although Har-
ring-coached teams have earned
three - in 1985, 1992, 1995. His office
is small, his desk top piled high with
papers, books and newspapers.
Almost always, there is something
else present in Harring's office: people.
Harring, the 63-year-old head coach
of the UW-LaCrosse Eagles, is an
immensely popular person. Not just with
current players, former players and
coaches, but with people on campus,
in the community and across the state.
To many, Harring is more than a foot-
ball coach who has won 232 games
during 27 seasons to leave him 15th in
career victories among those who have
ever coached college football.
He is someone who at one time or
another, has touched their lives.
"I think football is kind of a catalyst for
him to teach us about life," said Troy
Harcey, a wide receiver on this year's
Eagle team. "His ultimate goal involves
more than what happens on the foot-
ball field, To him, coaching LaCrosse
football is so much more than just a job.
He loves the people, and he loves the
game."
That love for teaching life's lessons
began well before Harring became
head coach at UW-L in 1969. A position
he quickly accepted despite the
$3,500 pay cut that came along with it.
t all began the year after his playing
career at UW-L ended in the fall of
1955. Harring, who played every
position but quarterback and center for
a UW-L team then known as the Indians,
stayed on the following season as a stu-
dent assistant coach.
"My senior year I had used up my eli-
gibility, so I stayed on as a student assis-
tant coach under Bill Vickroy," Harring
said.
"I had an incredible learning experi-
ence under Bill, who is one of the nicest
ier, Friend
people I have ever been around. That is
the reason to this day I strongly believe
in having student assistant coaches on
my staff."
Harring, at 190 pounds, was in excel-
lent physical condition and possessed
a thorough understanding of the game
for someone at a young age, said a
freshman lineman at the time, Larry
Lebiecki.
"He was very intense as a coach and
obviously very competitive," said
Lebiecki, now vice-chancellor at UW-L.
"Having been in the Marines a few years
before and having just finished his com-
petition, he was in great shape. He
would lead us in calisthenics. He was
also a very good teacher.
"He is very people oriented, and very
sensitive to the players. He also has this
innate ability to see - then teach-
how a single player fits into a team con-
cept."
Harring began teaching those lessons
- through football - at Ladysmith High
School in 1958. Before his arrival, Lady-
smith had not won a football game in
the previous two seasons.
n Harring's first year, Ladysmith won
the conference title. That was of sec-
ondary importance to Harring, how-
ever.
"The first year we had 1 7 kids out at the
beginning of the season. At the end of
the year we had 43," Harring said. "The
fourth year there, we had 1 20 out of 200
boys (in the school) out for football."
Harring has long believed in partici-
pation, in fairness and in down-and-
dirty hard work.
He believed in those things at Lady-
smith and at his second coaching stop
at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High
School. Harring did not meetwith imme-
diate success at Lincoln, however.
"My first year (1963) we won one
game, and we were not that good,"
Harring said. "We had to block two punts
and two kicks to win 21-20."
When Harring left Lincoln his teams
had compiled a 24-23-1 record in six
seasons - the first football coach in the
history of the school (at the time) to post
a career record better than .500. But
again, Harring remembers something
else as being far more important than
winning.
It seems there was an attitude prob-
lem among some athletes when Har-
ring arrived at Lincoln. It tooksome work,
Coach Harring adjusts his new National Championship cap
following the UW-L 36-7 victory over Rowan
College in 1995. This was the third National
Championship for Harring and his Eagles.
some sweat and even some tears, but
a positive environment was restored. I
have the teams make up their training
rules," Harring said. "I do that here (at
UW-L), and I did that in high school. It is
their team, not my team. In 11 years of
high school coaching, I only lost two kids
to training violations."
Harring's willingness to listen, and to
offer whatever help he can hasn't gone
unnoticed by his players or his famiy.
"I have a real deep respect for him. I
am also proud of how he has helped a
lot of kids over the years," said Harring's
oldest son, Nick, who played for his
father in 1977 and 1978 after leaving
behind a full athletic scholarship after
two years at the University of South Dako-
ta. "There were a lot of Thanksgiving din-
ners at my house with players who could
not make it home. He has helped a lot
of people in a lot of ways off the field.
That is something most people don't
know about. They look at the wins and
losses."
WIA * hen the won-loss record is
examined, 232-62-7 is hard to
W V ignore. Even more captivating is
the fact that Harring will pass former
Michigan coach Bo Schembechler
(234-65-8) on the career victory list by
winning three more games and the late
Woody Hayes of Ohio State (238-72-10)
with seven more victories.
Meaningless numbers to Harring? Not
exactly, but...
"The joy I get is from being around the
kids. When you return after a summer
off, you look into the kids' eyes and see
the excitement. I can't explain it," Har-
ring said. "We teach hard work, disci-
pline, getting along with people, and
having fun. This (football) is myvehicleto
teach life skills."
And if it means racking up an incredi-
ble number of victories, that's just extra,
Harring said. Retirement fodder, as he
puts it.
"It's not just a career for him. It's bigger
than that," Harcey said. "And people
sometimes don't realize what he means
to this program. Coach Harring has real-
ly put LaCrosse football on the map. It's
a legacy."
It's one that hasn't gone unnoticed by
another legendary coach, Ron Schip-
per of Central College in Pella, Iowa.
Schipper is currently sixth on the all-Time
coaching victory list with 280 (280-64-
3). He, like Harring, downplays his
record, Instead, like Harring, he
receives the most enjoyment when talk-
ing to his players as people, not
weapons.
"I will give you a list of 50 names (for-
mer players) - doctors, lawyers,
accountants, plant managers, teach-
ers. Write them and have them list the
three most significant college experi-
ences, and I'll bet every one of them will
say football," Schipper said.
"Xs and Os don't win football games;
people do. Society measures our suc-
cess as coaches in the win and loss col-
umn. That is a bunch of poppycock.
what happens to the young people
when they leave here, that is the real
measure."
Lebiecki agreed.
"One of the keys to Roger's long-term
success is changing with the times,"
Lebiecki said. "He tends to zero in on
what life is all about. Through the years,
he was never concerned about long
hair, short hair or anything like that. He
has a tendency to look at what's impor-
tant in life, and that is the people around
him."
arring said his greatest thrill isn't
being carried off the field after a
victory but seeing former players
come back and tell him about their
lives.
"It's neat seeing players come back.
That is what I feed on," Harring said.
"Seeing successful people come back.
When they are here, you stress the things
that you believe in, the things that will
make them successful in life.
"You tell them you have to show up for
practice every day just like you have to
show up for work every day. We tell them
everything you say, every action you
do, you are responsible."
How long will Harring continue to
teach life's lessons using the football
field as his classroom? Will he chase 300
victories - a plateau that would further
immortalize his stature?
"Coach Chris (Roland Christensen)
and I were with Woody Hayes at Ohio
State one year at spring practice," Har-
ring said. "I asked him, 'How long should
a guy coach?' He Said: 'Some people,
15 minutes. Other people should stick
with it until they drop on the 40-yard line.'
Hopefully I won't drop on the 40-yard
line."
5
Roger Harring, The Little Giant
Background
Roger Harring's life has been filled
with competitions and championships,
He has struggled and battled to obtain
a winning record in everything he has
ever undertaken, He maintains a win-
ning attitude about everything and
won't entertain a losing position. He
maintains that a positive attitude is nec-
essary to win.
In high school Roger competed in
football, basketball, boxing and base-
ball, In his brief stint at St. Norbert's Col-
lege he was part of an undefeated
1952 football team. He left St. Norbert's
to enter the U.S. Marine Corp. for two
years. During the 1955-56 school years
he was an offensive lineman and line-
backer on Bill Vickroy's Indians at
LaCrosse State College.
Harring coached at Ladysmith's High
School from 1958-63 and was 31-9 in
football, undefeated in'62 and'63. The
years 1963-68 were spent coaching
teams back to respectability at Wiscon-
sin Rapids Lincoln High School, before
he left for UW-L in 1 969.
Harring was named Wisconsin State
Pepsi Coach of the Year in 1965, Since
coaching at LaCrosse he has been
named Wisconsin State University Con-
ference Coach of the Year six times. In
1973 he was named Regional Coach
of the Year by the American Football
Coaches' Association, In 1992 and
1995 Harring was the Chevrolet Nation-
al Coach of the Year, In 1996 he was
honored by the Wisconsin Football
Coaches' Association as the Wisconsin
College Coach of the Year,
In 1989 Harring was inducted into the
UW-LaCrosse Wall of Fame, and in 1990
he was inducted into the District 14 NAIA
Hall of Fame. In 1997 Harring was
inducted into the Wisconsin Coaches'
Wall of Fame in Madison.
Various awards and honors have
come often to Roger Harring, but three
of them were proclamations by the Wis-
consin governor and legislators for
national championships in 1985, 1992,
and 1995, and were thus truly extraordi-
nary.
Harring did an unusual thing when he
accepted a coaching position in 1988
in Bologna, Italy and went undefeated.
His record overall in the Italian FIAF is 24-
6. Italian fans love him. He has been
instrumental in sending several Ameri-
can players overseas, as well as helping
American coaches to work in Italy,
In his lifetime coaching Roger's teams
have won twenty conference champi-
onships. At UW-LaCrosse Harring's
teams have been first or second 24 of
29 seasons, As a player Roger was on
four undefeated football teams and
was captain and MVP of three of those
teams.
Attitude And Personality
Coach Harring is a pleasant man,
easy to talk with, often with a slight smile
on his openly expressive face, He
moves easily and comfortably from
one person to another, seemingly
always drawing a crowd around him.
He answers questions amiably, never
appearing hasty with strangers or indif-
ferent to another's needs. He answers
even those people whose questions are
obvious and naive. A man with as much
experience as Roger Harring has seen
everything there is about football and
been asked every imaginable ques-
tion, yet he does not dismiss naivete
quickly, as one might anticipate, but
takes time, as if he realizes that the other
person is learning, and he is aware that
learning takes time, He is, after all, a
teacher. That makes him more than just
another football coach.
Therein might lie the difference
between Roger Harring and most other
football coaches in a nation where
football coaches are found on every
street corner, Roger Harring is unique.
We assume that every university cam-
pus in the same football division has
about the same quality players in the
same numbers as every other campus,
so we seekthe differences which create
a dynasty such as is now found at UW-L.
Check out the coaches!
Not only does Roger Harring inspire
loyalty in his fellow coaches and dedi-
cation and commitment from his play-
ers, but even non-playing students
enjoy his classes, and strangers on the
streettalkto him eagerly. In LaCrosse he
has become a personable celebrity.
He is sought after for personal appear-
ances at numerous gatherings, asked
to give talks to various clubs to inspire
young athletes, or simply invited to
social gatherings,
Players' Needs Are
Primary
Roger Harring puts his players' needs
before his own, and players soon realize
that Coach Harring is a friend in whom
they may confide, Players often bring
personal problems to him, and Roger
does whatever is needed, realizing that
a player must be satisfied with his per-
sonal life before he can commit himself
fully to the football field. Roger creates
a harmony within his players, a sense of
family loyalty, which matures and inten-
sifies over the years.
Many players keep in touch with
Roger long after their playing days are
over, Telephone calls, letters, Christmas
cards, invitations to weddings, and the
usual Homecoming activities are part
of Roger's life, and he thrives on it,
Acceptance into his players' lives is
important to Roger, and he looks for-
ward to these events, genuinely, not
with any dissemblance, He is always
honest with his players,
When title Nine (women's equality in
athletics) came into effect some years
ago, and then Roger was told to cut his
squad to only 100 players, he was per-
plexed. He checked, he questioned,
he sought help, but in the end he did
what hurt him more than anything else
in years, he cut players from his roster.
He apologized to his men, most of
whom accepted with understanding,
Some people thought that the UW-L
teams would now diminish in quality
and stature, but Roger wouldn't even
entertain that thought, and so his teams
continued to win championships with
the same verve as previously,
Many people over the years feared
that Roger would be lured away to a
Division I school and the big time, that
increased income, television and
scholarships would be too enticing for
him to resist, but Roger has a sense of
belonging and satisfaction that most of
us only dream about.
Rare Insight
It is a rare individual who can see
where he belongs, how his greatest sat-
isfaction
Roger Harring unabashedly rides his girl's coaster-brake
Schwinn, circa
1950, around the UW-L campus whenever the weather
permits. He lives
Only a few blacks from Mitchell Hall.
Roger Harring, in this picture from 1 995, is standing
with Craig Kusick Jr. Divi-
sion III Player-of-the-Year, winner of the
MelbergerAward. In 1 997 Kusick is play-
ing professional football with the Milwaukee Mustangs.
comes from the blend of his personal
attributes and those of the people with
whom he works. Each person fits into a
mileau of conditions to some degree of
perfection. Each individual seeks the ideal
blending. Rarely can one determine that
ideal accurately. It is all too often that a
person continues to seek, going past the
ideal, giving up the perfect fit, either
through greed, self-aggrandizement, or
egocentrism.
Not so with Roger Harring. Whether he is
smart enough to foresee the future, or
whether he is simply fortunate in recogniz-
ing his satisfaction, he remains in LaCrosse
at a Division III football school, pleasing
crowds on Saturdays in the fall, enjoying
the pleasant pace of small town living, rid-
ing his 1950s coaster brake Schwinn, and
bringing home trophies, even big, impor-
tant national trophies. It has never gone to
his head. He remains the same warm,
congenial, considerate man he has
always been.
53 UW-LaCrosse All-Americans In Brotherhood
Player
Dewey Stendahl
Byron Buelow
Jim Shattuck
David Becherer
John Stanek
Ron Myhra
Joel Williams
Nick Harring
Tim Murphy
Craig Hutchins
Craig Crest
Jim Byrne
Pos,
PK
DB
DB
DL
LB
RB
LB
OG
PK
DL
WR
DL
Tom Newberry
Bob Krepfle
Stan Johnson
Tom Sicklinger
Joe Weber
Kevin Yeske
Tom Newberry
Dale Gottschalk
Dale Lowney
Joe Mirasola
Phil Ertl
Pat Bushman
Ted Pretasky
OG
QB
WR
DE
LB
DB
OG
LB
RB
PK
DT
DB
RB
Tim Scheibe
Jerry Sydorowicz
Lee Wardall
Conrad Farner
Andy Pretasky
Fritz Leinfelder
Casey Campbell
Jon Wiltzius
John Janke
Scott Amond
Bill Schroeder
Craig Kusick
Craig Kusick
RB
CB
WR
QB
QB
Erik Halverson
OG
Mike Maslowski
Mike Maslowski
Erik Halverson
LB
LB
OG
Honor
NAIA Division I-First Team
Kodak AP Little All-American-First Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-First Team
Kodak AP Little All-America-First Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
NAIA Division I-Second Team
Kodak AP Little All-America-First Team
NAIA Division I-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division I-First Team
NAIA Division I-First Team
Kodak AP Little All-American-First Team
NAIA Division Il-First Team
NAIA Division Il-Second Team
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-First Team
NAIA Division Il-First Team
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division II Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-First Team
NAIA Division li-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-First Team
NAIA Division Il-Second Team
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division 11-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Second Team
NAIA Division 11-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division li-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
Kodak AP Little All-American-First Team
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
NAIA Division Il-Honorable Mention
Champion U.S.A. Division Ill-Honorable Men,
Kodak (AFCA Division Il)-First Team
Champion U.S.A. Division Ill-Honorable Men,
Football Gazette-First Team
Champion U.S.A.-Second Team
Football Gazette-First Team
Champion U.S.A. Second Team
Champion U.S.A. Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Third Team
Champion U.S,A,-First Team
Football Gazette-Second Team
Kodak (AFCA Division Ill-First Team
Champion U.S.A.-Second Team
Little Associated Press-Third Team
Football Gazette-First Team
Champion U.S.A.-Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Kodak (AFCA Division Il)-First Team
Champion U.S.A,-Third Team
Football Gazette-Second Team
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Football Gazette-Honorable Mention
Melberger Award/Div. III Player of the Year
AFCA All-American-First Team
Hewlitt Packard All-American Third Team
Football Gazette All-American-First Team
American Football Quarterly-First Team
Hewlitt-Packard All-America-Second Team
AP Little All-American-Third Team
Hewlitt-Packard All-American-Honorable
Men.
AFCA All-American-First Team
Football Gazette All-American-First Team
(Offensive lineman of the year)
UW-L Players Who Were Drafted Or Free Agents
Player
Dewey Stendahl
Tony Christnovich
Greg Mattison
Gary Zauner
Bryon Buelow
Dave Saeger
Bill Coleman
Tom DuFault
Jim Shattuck
Kevin Potter
Ron Myhra
Joel Williams
Mike Williquette
Bob Christopherson
Craig Chrest
Tom Brazill
Jim Kildahl
Reggie Rabb
Doug Bercu
Jim Byrne
Don Kindt
Bob Krepfle
Stan Johnson
Tom Newberry
David Carl
Ted Pretasky
Terry Strouf
Greg Daniels
Jon Lauscher
Norris Thomas
Team (League)
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Houston Oilers (NFL)
Atlanta Falcons (NFL)
New York Jets (NFL)
Houston Oilers (NFL)
Detroit Lions (NFL)
Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
Chicago Fire (WFL)
Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
Miami Dolphins (NFL)
Atlanta Falcons (NFL)
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Cleveland Browns (NFL)
Michigan Panthers (USFL)
St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)
Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
Denver Gold (USFL)
Baltimore Colts (NFL)
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Oklahoma Outlaws (USFL)
Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL)
New Jersey Generals (USFL)
Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
Oakland Invaders (USFL)
Chicago Bears (NFL)
Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
Chicago Bears (NFL)
Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Phoenix Cardinals (NFL)
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
New York Giants (NFL)
Winnipeg Jets (CFL)
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
San Diego Chargers (NFL)
Baltimore Ravens (NFL)
9
The Dynasty, The
People, including university students
are drawn to Western Wisconsin,
LaCrosse, and the University of Wiscon-
sin at LaCrosse for numerous reasons,
so it is difficult to determine exactly or
simply why UW-L should be capable of
drawing such star athletes as to create
a national powerhouse in football.
The appeal of the Wisconsin coulee
region is undeniable. The aesthetics of
Western Wisconsin are often noted in
tourist brochures and on television pro-
grams. Bluffs covered with lush trees, a
wide river with its myriad wildlife and
boating pleasures, views for miles over
a varied landscape, a seasonal beau-
ty that affects everyone, and a small
town nestled in the lap of rich growth all
add to the draw of people to the
LaCrosse panorama.
In the midst of this verdant Land is the
University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse, a
university with such appeal that several
years ago the Board of Regents put a
stop to student population growth in
order to force students to attend the
other universities in the Wisconsin sys-
tem. UW-L now remains at nine thou-
sand students, prohibited from expand-
ing with the town.
One of the strong attractions to the
university is the football team, with not
only a regional reputation, but a nation-
al reputation for quality. Head Coach
Roger Harring began in 1969 to build
onto a reputation which had been laid
during the previous two decades.
The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse
has always been noted for its program
in physical education, since its incep-
tion as The Normal School in 1909, but it
wasn't until Harring arrived in 1969 that
the powerful dynasty began to take
shape. With a modest beginning of 5-5
the first year, only the true aficionado
could detect the subtleties indicating
what was to come. Harring was to grow
along with his teams, as the school's
syndrome as a winner began to shape.
Harring Works Magic
Players are drawn by the personality
of this little giant of a man. All players are
treated as individuals, as worthy, as
quality people who might need to be
honed and polished, but who definitely
have the ability to become great foot-
ball players. This belief is instilled into
each player, and each player grows
and improves because of this belief.
Every player believes that together with
his mates, he will become a member of
a great team, someone to be remem-
bered on long winter evenings.
Harring creates within his players a
camaraderie based on caring, shar-
ing, hard work, positive stroking, and
male bonding. This works positively to
the advantage of the team and to the
detriment of his opponents. Team
members express the same attitude
found in strong families, a unity, a pow-
erful incentive to protect, an unquali-
fied brotherhood built on mutual admi-
ration and selfless love. The creation of
this positive respect for one another is
what makes the UW-L football team so
solid.
A dynasty is built slowly, carefully, pos-
itively over many years. It becomes
more than wins and losses. It exudes a
mystique, an attitude, a belief in self, a
strong confidence. Notre Dame, Ohio
state, Alabama all have it, whatever it is
in its intangibility. Each fall it can be
sensed, smelled in the air with the burn-
ing leaves. It permeates the campus
and overwhelms young men with
bulging muscles.
Never A Losing Season
Roger Harring has never had a losing
season at UW-L in twenty-nine years.
That in itself is approaching the incredi-
ble. Is there another coach, at any level
of competition, who is without a losing
season over twenty-nine years? Other
teams in the Wisconsin State University
Conference have had runs of several
years in the top half of the standings,
and all have won the conference in at
least one year, but no other team
comes close to matching Roger's 24 of
29 in first or second. To call the football
program at UW-L a dynasty is not to
overestimate its position.
That Coach Harring will become leg-
endary after he leaves the university
goes without saying. His teams will be
hashed over by fans as long as there is
football. His records will be targets for
every football player to come to UW-L.
Future coaches will hesitate before
accepting a position at UW-L because
of the Harring legend. The legacy of
winning football, national champi-
onships, NFL players, and untouchable
records will be difficult for any future
coach to match, or perhaps even
approach, while at the same time it is
certainly a sturdy foundation upon
which to build the future.
Embellishing The
Mystique
Roger Harring works easily with other
coaches. His assistant coaches stay
with him loyally for many years. Two of
his coaches, Roland Christensen,
defensive coordinator, and Barry
Schockmel, defensive secondary
coach, have been with Roger for the
entire twenty-nine years. No doubt this
continuity is part of the reason for the
great success of the football team.
One can easily surmise howthe mix of
coaching personalities becomes more
and more coordinated over seasons
together. Each knows without asking
what the other is thinking and seeking
from his players. Each coach
Legend, The Legacy
becomes more confident, not only with
himself, but with the other coaches,
more certain that each is doing his job
as expected by everyone.
Each season a few football players
transfer to UW-L from other schools,
where they were either unhappy with
the coaching or unable to play enough
to satisfy themselves. Perhaps they are
benched behind some All-American,
and the promise for them is minimal.
Some of these players give up schol-
arships at a Division I or II school to
attend a Division Ill school with a winning
reputation, just to be part of a winning
team. The satisfaction achieved by win-
ning a championship is as great at a
Division III school as it is at a Division I
school.
The dynasty is augmented and
embellished through the creation of a
network of people, mainly alumni of
UW-L, who promote UW-L as the place
for some young player to matriculate if
he wants both a good education and a
chance to play winning football. Thus,
with the passage of more years, the net-
work grows bigger and more extensive,
until it includes hundreds of schools
around the North-Central area of the
U.S. Twenty-nine years has created an
extensive network.
Even students from UW-L who go out
to teach in high schools, although they
may not have played football them-
selves, may suggest to their students
that UW-L is the place to go to combine
athletics with an outstanding educa-
tional program.
UW-L Fortunate
That unseen aura, the mantra, the
karma that surrounds a champion, that
nervous attraction to charisma is evi-
dent around Coach Harring, his coach-
ing staff, the football team, and virtual-
ly the entire university campus each fall
as leaves drift effortlessly to earth, pom
pon girls twirl with obvious joy, and foot-
balls bound crazily in different direc-
tions.
Band members play a bit more
eagerly when a winning football team is
surrounded by the raucous clamor of a
filled stadium, and moms and dads
trumpet the feats of their sons, as if they
were winning a war for the rest of the
world, as if it meant something for their
future. It does! Foryears football exploits
will be warmed over once again. It's the
great American pastime, and a univer-
sity with a dynasty, a legend, and a
11
/
A 1995 picture of Roger Harring with three National
Championship rings, from 1985, 1992, and 1995, Chances
are that before Harring is finished
coaching he will need to include his left hand in the
picture, Photo by Cathy Acherman of the LaCrosse
Tribune.
FRONT ROW: Coach Bill Collar, Coach Rick Watson, Coach
Tom Brown, Coach Roland Christensen, Head Coach Roger
Harring, Coach Bill Terry, Coach
Barry Schockmel, Coach Bill O'Neill. SECOND ROW: Chuck
Schutte, Kurt Krueger, Larry Sibley, Larry Lee, George
Gianhros, Jim Dillenbeck, Jim Regan, Gary
Zauner, Tom Wilkins, Neil McNaughton, Chuck Keller, Mark
Horey. THIRD ROW: Bill Navarre, Pat Farrell, Tom Crowe,
Greg Lamprich, Pete Jipsen, Brent
Hanson, Bob Elkington, Bob Koskey, Gary Cepek, Jeff
Patz, Rick Menard, Bruce Beighley. FOURTH ROW: Floyd
Wells, Roger Puza, Ed Kotnik, Dennis Arms,
Tom Schultz, Jerry Hendley, Dale Kolmos, Dave Weigandt,
Steve Wage, Dan Tork, Steve Fleck, Byron Buelow. FIFTH
ROW: Phil Morgan, Brian Kopecky, Randy
Trollop, John Kuhn, Don Smiley, Phil Caravello, Jim
Chossek, Jim Stoltz, Gene Fladen, Steve Titcomb, Gary
Schmidt. SIXTH ROW: Gary Klug, Tom Mancuso,
John DeMerit, Chuck Gouge, Mike Foy, Tom Goeski, Dean
Baker, Tom Gorecki, Kelly Baldridge, Bob Wuetrich.
SEVENTH ROW: Craig Kusick, Dave Nelson,
Tony Gelina, Mike Gaborsky, Harry Hoskens, Bob Blaubain,
Jim Pokorny, Dale Baker, Howard Zielke. EIGHTH ROW: Greg
Mattison, Tony Christnovich, Dave
Olson, Dan Meinert, George Grbich, Dewey Stendahl, Dave
Stefan.
1969 - Beginning Of An Era
5-5 Belies Potential - Future
Roger Harring was the losing coach
in the first game of the Harring era of
UW-L football, a 34-20 loss to St. John's
University of Collegeville, Minnesota.
An inauspicious start, but the 1969
season was even at 5-5 in what might
easily have been 7-3 except for a
missed extra point against Superior,
and a game-ending play on the two
yard line against Platteville. That's typi-
cal of the exciting football of the
Harring era over twenty-nine years.
The 1969 season must be remem-
bered for the unusual number of re-
cords set by the team, which indicates
the defensive, yet wide open, aggres-
sive style of play under Coach Harring.
Dewey Stendahl attempted a record
fourteen field goals, completing a rec-
ord nine. Quarterback Chuck Gouge
attempted a record thirty-nine passes
in one game, completing a record
twenty. Tom Gorski carried the ball a
record 185 times in the season, and a
record thirty-two times in one game
against River Falls.
The LaCrosse State Indians pulled a
surprise on the Oshkosh Titans, ex-
pected to win the conference title,
when they upset them at night by a
score of 30-18. The Indians played like
champions, scoring ten points in the
fourth quarter, to put the icing on the
cake.
The Indians also stunned the St.
Norbert Knights, ranked fifteenth in the
NAIA, by beating them 17-14 for the
most impressive win of the season.
Although Whitewater, the eventual
co-champion for 1969, did beat the
Indians, the game was notable for
Dewey Stendahl's ninth fieldgoal of
the season, which set a National Asso-
ciation of Intercollegiate Athletics rec-
ord. After the twenty-eight yarder was
kicked, they were stopped by the offi-
cials, and Harring presented Stendahl
with the game ball.
1969 - 1997
Coach Harring inherited two
coaches from his predecessor, Bill
Vickroy. Roland Christensen and Bill
Terry were hold-overs and contributed
greatly to the success of the team,
while new coach Barry Schockmel be-
gan a career which is still growing
after twenty-nine years. Bill Terry was
replaced by his son Larry Terry in 1988.
Harring, Christensen, and
Schockmel have a total of 96 years of
coaching experience at UW-L, since
Christensen started at LaCrosse with
Bill Vickroy in 1960. The impact and
importance of this type of continuity is
frequently speculated upon, with the
conclusion generally being that the
interplay of coaching methods, once
congenial, continues to improve with
the passage of years together.
The first university coaching staff assembled
by Roger Harring in 1969 included front left to
right, Tom Brown, freshmen; Roland Christensen,
defense; Bill Terry, offensive line; Roger Harring,
head coach; rear, Dick Watson, freshmen; Bill
Collar, head freshmen; Barry Schockmel, defen-
sive backs; and Bill O'Neill, defensive line.
14
185 season carries by Tom Gorski
32 single game carries by Tom Gorski
39 attempted passes by Chuck Gouge
20 completed passes by Chuck Gouge
56 career conversions by Dewey Stendahl
326 kick-off return yards by Dan Tork
314 punt return yards by John DeMerit
14 field goal attempts by Dewey Stendahl
9 field goal completions by Dewey Stendahl
51 yard field goal by Dewey Stendahl
118 yards one game punt returns by John DeMerit
21 first downs vs. River Falls
134 rushing first downs one season
158 total first downs one season
241 attempted passes one season
116 completed passes one season
1434 passing yards one season
11:
f l a
Cassell Mackbee of the Minnesota Vikings joins Roger
Harring
at a banquet sponsored by the LaCrosse Quarterback Club.
The first game under the command of Coach Roger
Harring was against St. John's University and was the
first
annual Shriner's game. The Shrine game is still
conducted,
and the burn centers in various hospitals receive part
of the
proceeds, King Michael Talle is in the center of the
picture,
and Harry Weigert, Potentate of Zor Temple is on the
right,
along with Roger Harring.
A young Roger Harring displays high emotions of frustra-
tion in a losing cause, something which happened less
and
less frequently as the years went on.
ROW 1: Trainer John Eggart, Coach Lane Goodwin, Coach
Roland Christensen, Coach Barry Schockmel, Coach Bill
Collar, Head Coach Roger
Harring, Coach Sede Pearson, Coach Dan Steffan, Coach
Rick Watson, Coach Paul Mueller, Coach Dennis Arkin,
Coach Ed Kremar; ROW 2: Harry
Hoskens, Bob Coulter, Dave Steffan, Tony Christnovich,
Bob Beaurain, Greg Mattison, Dave Nelson, Jim Pokorny,
Jim Stoltz, Tom Wilkins, Tom Du
Fault, Byron Buelow; ROW 3: John Vincent, Mark Horey,
Dean Baker, Bob Elkington, Chuck Gouge, Dale Baker, Dan
Coots, Bob Schuneman, Kurt
Krueger, Jim Regan, Gary Zauner, Roger Puza, Gerald
Hibbler; ROW 4: Bill Draxler, Mark Donahue, Bruce
Beighley, Jim Haselberger, Jerry Stellick,
Chris Protz, Bill Leis, Jim Kirking, Steve Wage, Doug
Czaplewski, Phil Morgan, John DeMerit, Mike Foy; ROW 5:
Bruce Barlow, Gary Schmidt, Roger
Buswell, Gary Schettle, Jeff Pulver, Steve Johnson, Jack
Engsberg, Northern Peppers, Paul Johnsrud, Bob Smith,
Dave Jaeger; ROW 6: Larry Seibel,
John Richmond, Bob Krumenauer, Mike Donnelly, Jim
Shattuck, Mark Reed, Jim Roessl, Dick Noggle, Steve
Fleck, Bill Kirschbaum, Chris Linzmeier,
Tom Gorski; ROW 7: Jim DeMerit, Joe Wagner, Dennis
Kruschke, Harold Hanson, Jim, Conrad Bekkum, Allan
Suchla, Mike Schultz, Bruce Steinfeldt,
Jeff Lunderville, Shely Fifarek; ROW 8: Dan Tork, Ken
Ahlmann, Mike Bloedel, Gary Cepek, Darrell Broten, Bill
Bullis.
1970 -5-4-1; All-Conference Gorski, Coulter,
Christnovich, DeMerit, Jaeger, Mattison, Stefan
The LaCrosse State University foot-
ball team played spectacularly on the
road and unimpressively at home. The
5-4-1 season placed the Indians one-
half game out of second place in the
conference.
The season began with a resound-
ing 40-0 beating of Winona State in
the second Shrine game. LaCrosse got
off to a 20-0 second period and from
there on were unstoppable. The de-
fense held the Warriors to three first
downs and set a school record by
giving up only 48 yards rushing and a
-5 passing.
Optimism was high after the Indians
defeated the Oshkosh Titans 31-14 for
their second win. However, reality set
in and things went downhill. Platteville,
the eventual season champs, de-
feated LaCrosse 57-14 and went
undefeated 10-0 and into the NAIA
playoffs, but lost 16-0 to Texas A & I.
Dave Jaeger was top rusher with
106 attempts for an average of 4.3
yards per carry. The passing game
was mediocre. Joe Wagner at-
tempted 115 but only completed 43,
with eight interceptions. Chuck
Gouge attempted 70 and completed
only 30 with 10 interceptions. John
DeMerit punted 26 times for an aver-
age of 31.7 yards. Tom Gorski scored
most team touchdowns with six and
scored the most points with 38. Doug
Czaplewski intercepted six passes for
76 yards and one touchdown. Dan
Tork returned five kickoffs for an aver-
age of 22.8 yards per return. Tom
Dewey returned five also for an aver-
age of 21.2 yards.
Tom Gorski won the Staff Loveland
Most Valuable Football Player award.
Greg Mattison won the Charlie Kearns
Top Block award. Mike Foy was
awarded the Arri Nichols Top Rock
award, while Mike Bloedel was called
the top rookie of the year.
All in all Roger Harring was finding
the WSUC a tough conference, and
the team's 10-9-1 record for Harring's
first two years proved that. However,
the twenty-eight letters awarded to
freshmen and sophomores in 1970
were a harbinger of things to come.
17
Roger Harring, in his early years in LaCrosse,
sometimes refereed and umpired sporting
events. As the university grew, Harring's obliga-
tions to the football program prohibited such
activities.
Nine outstanding senior veterans of the Indians pose in
front of Grandad Bluff. Front; John DeMerit,
Roger Puza, Marc Horey, Jim Stoltz, and GaryZauner.
Rear; Morgan, Dean Baker, Bob Coulter, and Mike
Foy,
Zauner (24) Kicked For Indians In Early '70s
1997 Special Teams Coach For Minn. Vikings
This is a 1997 photo of Roger Harring with Bill Vickroy.
Bill was head coach of the Indians in 1955-56,
when Roger played offensive line and linebacker for the
Indians. Vickroy is second in longevity to
Harring. He coached 17 years, from 1952-1968 and made an
86-61-6 record, Vickroy graduated from
Ohio State University, played on the 1942 National
Championship team, and was named to several
All-American football teams. Vickroy laid the foundation
upon which Harring built.
Tony Christnovich, shown here as he played
in 1969, is now in his tenth year as defensive line
coach for the Eagles. He was a stalwart on
defense, named First Team All-District 14, and
All-Conference Honorable Mention, and was
drafted by the Washington Redskins. He's con-
sidered one of the outstanding coaches in the
Aftwi j~~~i~~C~~~. ~WSUC.
This is a picture of the 1956 LaCrosse State College
football team. Number sixty-seven, second from left,
front row, is Roger Harring, one year out of the
Marine Corp. This team was coached by Bill Vickroy, with
assistance from Bob Batchelder and Bob Kime. These men
are all now in their sixties, a few still
in the LaCrosse area.
Stellar Future Predicted For Indians
The starting offensive unit for the 1970 Indians,
standing rear; Steven Fleck, Dave Jaeger, Joe Wagner,
and Bob Ware; Front; Dean Baker, Bob
Schueneman, Steve Wage, Jerry Grubal, Mike Schultz, Mike
Bloedel, and Steve Wollak.
Bottom Row 1 - Coach Roger Harring - Bob Coulter - Roger
Puza - Marc Horey - Dean Baker - John DeMerit Co-Capt -
Jim Stoltz Co-Capt - Gary Zauner
- Mike Foy - Phil Morgan - Coaches Roland Christensen -
Bill Collar. Row 2 - Bob Smith - Jim Haselberger - Dan
Tork - Wayne Pollnow - Bob Schuenamen
- Mike Schultz - Al Steffan - Bill Leis - Harry Hoskens
- Bill Bilot - Coaches Dan Steffen - Jim Dew - Barry
Schockmel. Row 3 - Bill Bullis - Dave Joeger - Bart
Heckendorf - Joe Wagner - Steve Wollak - Mike Bloedel -
Bill Coleman - Steve Patz - Mike Mathes - Dick Barbour -
Dennis Arms - John Richmond. Row 4
- Bill Waddell - Kurt Krueger - Bill Kraemer - Dan Coots
- Jim Shattuck - Steve Fleck - Bruce Barlow - Mark
Donahue - Bill Kirschbaum - Byron Buelow- Roger
Buswell. Row 5 - Tom DuFault - Steve Kamla - Mike Woods
- Larry Wisenewski - Mark Zarva - Chris Fortune -
Quintin Eichman - Larry Myhra - Jim Regan -
Manager Mike Shinn. Top Row - Conrad Bekkum - Mike
Curtis - Al Suchla - Al Zaspel - John Steber - Ken
Ahlmann - Tom Crowe - Bob Milkent - Bob
Kruemenauer.
1971 - 8-2 Great Year -
Co-Champions
Harring Drowns 17 Year Drought
Freshmen 4-0
The future for the Harring football
program continued to improve and
show greater promise than ever. The
freshman team went undefeated in
four games, and Buswell, Buelow, and
Coleman will still be playing next year.
LaCrosse dropped only two games,
and those by a total of only four points.
Four points from an undefeated sea-
son portends well for the future. Add to
that a freshmen team undefeated in
four starts, and the future of football at
LaCrosse looks glowing. Roger
Harring's system seems to be working
to perfection.
The Indians scored 226 points to only
51 for opponents. Defense is obviously
the name of the game. In five games
the Indians held the opponents to
zero.
Dave Jaeger scored six times in '71.
Joe Wagner, after winning the quar-
terback position, threw 155 passes,
ten for touchdowns. Byron Buelow, de-
fensive halfback won All-Wisconsin
State University Conference First Team,
NAIA District 14 First Team, and NAIA
All-American Honorable Mention.
Dave Jaeger won All-Wisconsin State
University Conference First Team Of-
fense, and NAIA District 14 First Team
as an offensive halfback. Mike Foy won
All-Wisconsin State University Confer-
ence First Team Defense. Al Steffan,
Mike Bloedel, Mike Schultz, John Rich-
mond, Bob Coulter, Roger Puza, and
John DeMerit all won Wisconsin State
University Conference Honorable
Mention.
INDIAN HONORS
Co-Captains ... Jim Stoltz and John
DeMerit
Most Valuable ... Bob Coulter
Highest Graded Defensive Player ...
Bob Coulter
Highest Graded Offensive Player ...
Mike Bloedel
Top Rock Award ... Byron Buelow
Top Blocker ... Mike Bloedel
Rookie of the Year ... Al Steffan
Mike Foy (37), Byron Buelow (34), Bob Coulter (75), and
Allan Suchla (73) prove how effective gang-tackling can
be.
Coach Harring explains mid-week strategy to Bob Coulter
and John DeMerit.
tSU
WI
Roger Harring,
1971
with the Shrine
1971
* Roger Buswell intercepted
seven passes in 1971 and sixteen in his career,
second in the history of UW-L.
Roger Buswell (21) and Bill Coler
Whitewater won 7-0.
Gary Zauner - Minnesota Vikings
Gary Zauner played football at UW-LaCrosse from 1969 to
1971 and
will be part of the Vikings training camp when it opens
July 20th in
Mankato.
As a senior at LaCrosse, Gary averaged close to 40 yards
on 66
kicks. He also played for the West Allis Spartans, led
the Central States
Football League in his punting last year with a 42.8
average.
"We were very impressed with Gary's place kicking and
punting,"
Vikings Director of Player Personnel Jerry Riechow said,
"and if he
works and develops he could become an important part of
the
Vikings. He becomes more valuable to us as he can both
place kick
and punt."
A former Milwaukee Hamilton High School graduate, Gary
was part
of an open tryout camp for kickers in April and was one
of two kickers
the Vikings asked back.
"We asked all the kickers to work back from the 15 yard
line kicking
field goals," Riechow added, "Gary missed just one kick
from the 50
yard line, but we were more impressed with the good pop,
quick
release and height he got on the ball. We will be
bringing five kickers
in camp, so Gary will get his chance."
nan (88), prepare to ground Whitewater's Bill Roper in a
game
* Coach Harring continues
game.
1972 - 8-2 Again
* Four quarterbacks, Jim Sackmaster (22), Joe Wagner
(20), Guy Arkin
(23), and Bill Kraemee (50) vie for the starting
position
More Honors
All-Wisconsin State University Conference First Team,
Bill Coleman, Dan
Tork, Byron Buelow; honorable mention, Joe Wagner, Steve
Wollak, Al
Steffen, Mike Hammes, Bob Elkinton, Mike Schultz, John
Richmond, Roger
Buswell, and Larry Wisniewski. Two were elected to the
NAIA District 14 First
Team, Bill Coleman and Byron Buelow.
Coach Harring confers with his quarterback, Joe Wagner.
n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second S *I <.01n Coneec I
An 8-2 record made 1972 another goad year for
LaCrosse football, but first place proved elusive, as
Oshkosh beat the Indians 24-14 and walked off with
the palms. The other Indian loss was to St. John's, a
perennial powerhouse.
Bill Coleman, John Richmond, and Mike Hammes
were named Wisconsin State University Players of
the week in the Whitewater, Stevens Point, and
Platteville games respectively.
Mike Hammes made a record thirty-five rushing
attempts against River Falls, and Larry Myhra ran a
punt back a record sixty-seven yards without scor-
ing against Whitewater.
Indian Season Honors
Tri-Captains ... Byron Buelow, Bill Coleman, Joe
Wagner
Most Valuable ... Roger Buswell, John Richmond
Highest Graded Defensive Player ... John Stanek
Highest Graded Offensive Player ... Al Steffen
Top Rock Award ... Byron Buelow
Top Blocker ... Al Steffen
Rookie of the Year ... John Stanek
Saeger Snags 22 For 367 Yards - 7 TDs
Jim Shattuck from Frederic, Wisconsin punted a record 58
times during the 1972 season. The reason may be that
five opponents
were ranked nationally. Harring, stressing difficulties,
said, "If our program isn't educational, we should get
rid of it."
FRONT ROW: Coach R. Harring, Coach J. Dew, S. Fleck, L.
Myhra, K. Krueger, D. Coots, D. Tork, B. Leis, R.
Buswell, T. Crowe, B. Buelow, Tri-Captain; Coach
J. Leary, SECOND ROW: Mgr. R. Barton, Coach T.
Christnovich, J. Dillenbeck, D. Arms, H. Hoskens, S.
Wollak, B. Coleman, Tri-Captain; J. Richmond, D. Jaeger,
M. Donahue, Coach R. Christenson, Coach B, Schockmel,
THIRD ROW: H. Woodard, B. Kirschbaum, D. Syark, M.
Schultz, J. Wagner, Tri-Captain; B. Kraemer,
G. Arkin, W. Pollnow, J. Grubel, L. Wisniewski. FOURTH
ROW: H. Youmans, J. Shattuck, R. Griffin, S. Kornegay,
D. Vite, B. Johnson, J. Stever, B. Elkinton, A. Steffen,
Top Blocker; J. Ming, B. Smith. FIFTH ROW: S. Kamla, T.
Dufault, B. Waddell, J. Sackmaster, C. Fortune, G.
Shettle, D. Shultz, L. Benish, B. Lechler, R. Sibley.
SIXTH
ROW: B. Milkent, G. Papapetru, R. Walmsley, J. McDowell,
D. Johnson, D. Keel, D. Coulson, B. Bray, G. Stadjuahr,
J. Stanek, Rookie of the Year. SEVENTH ROW:
A. Kasper, L. Iverson, B. Vickroy, M. Hammes, M. Curtis,
B. Barlow.
W 4
IsR !3 c31 1 P n fL r21 Aps1 n34
25
Byron Buelow - Atlanta Falcons
Senior UW-LaCrosse defensive half-
back Byron Buelow, Wisconsin Rapids,
was the first Wisconsin College player
picked in the National Football
League's player draft when the At-
lanta Falcons made him their eleventh
round choice.
Buelow, 6', 192 pounds, has played
four years at LaCrosse, earning two
All-American awards in addition to
Dan Tork, a four year starter for UW-L, gets a
breather. Although battered, bruised and
bloodied, he is undaunted.
being named All-District 14 and All-
Wisconsin State University Conference
Byron earned the E. William Vickroy
"Rookie of the Year Award" in 1969
when he intercepted four passes and
was top halfback scoring 128 points
on LaCrosse's defensive scale, which
included 27 unassisted tackles. He
also rushed 17 times for 60 yards and
caught one pass. A shoulder separa-
tion in his sophomore year sidelined
him for most of the season, but he
came back in his junior and senior
years to earn the Arri Nichols "Top
Rock Award" for his outstanding hit-
ting ability.
An Atlanta spokesman, Harold
Hayes, said the Falcons were looking
for defensive help and were im-
pressed with both Buelow's speed and
hitting ability. LaCrosse head coach
Roger Harring also had nothing but
praise for his star player, "Byron is the
best athlete I've had a chance to
coach, and I'm very pleased he will
have a chance to continue his football
with the Atlanta organization. He is a
very aggressive athlete with a good
mental attitude about competition in
professional football."
Harring was also Buelow's high
school coach. "Byron's getting quite
an opportunity considering the num-
ber of colleges and athletes that are
available for the draft. Playing pro ball
has always been one of his goals."
LaCrosse's head coach points out
that Buelow should have an excellent
change to "make it" because of his
versatility. "Byron can play the defen-
sive secondary, be a deep man on
punts, play on specialty teams, and be
an up man on kickoffs. He has
adapted quickly to defensive cover-
ages (man to man, inverted, and the
different types of zones)." Harring was
quick to point out that Byron has re-
ceived excellent coaching through
defensive backfield coach Barry
Schockmel.
Bill Coleman - Detroit Lions
Bill Coleman, a standout defensive
end for UW-L the past two years is a
6'3", 235 pound native of Indianapolis,
Indiana.
Bill received first team Wisconsin
State University All-Conference and
NAIA District 14 honors in addition to
being voted tri-captain of the 1972
LaCrosse Indian football team.
"Bill was the premier defensive line
player in the conference last year,"
head LaCrosse coach Roger Harring
said, "he has 4.7 speed, good size,
attitude and possesses all the qualities
to be great. I'm real happy for Bill that
he is getting a chance to continue in
football."
New Lions Coach Don McCafferty,
formerly with the Baltimore Colts,
plans to use Coleman as an outside
linebacker. "We were impressed right
away with Coleman's size, agility and
attitude," McCafferty stated, "he is a
very fine prospect. He likes to move, is
very agile, and looks like a very tal-
ented athlete."
Coleman was part of an indoctrina-
tion program under the Lions' new
coaching staff. They tested rookies for
speed, agility, and gave them insight
into their new system. This same type
of program will be used for the 55
veteran players.
"Bill looks like a very pleasant sur-
prise," added McCafferty. "We will
give him every shot to make it,"
Coleman will report to the Lions
training camp in July at Bloomfields
Hills, Michigan.
The 1972 graduating seniors were an unusually talented
group. Rear; Tom Crowe (51), Steve Fleck (46), Bill Leis
(64), Harry Hoskens (72), Steve Wollak
(86), Bill Coleman (88), John Richmond (60), Dave Jaeger
(35), Bob Krumenauer (89), Byron Buelow. Kneeling: Jim
Regan, Jim Dillenbeck (32), Mark
Donahue (25), Kurt Krueger (36), Conrad Bekkum (57), Dan
Tork (40), Larry Myrha (33), Roger Buswell (21), D.
Coots (82).
Kurt Krueger (36) breaks loose. Kurt scored three
touchdowns on eighty-three rushing attempts in ten games
during 1972.
27
1973-9-2-1 st Clear Title
1973 FOOTBALL SQUAD - FRONT ROW: Coach R. Harring, L.
Benish, M. Schultz, B. Johnon, D. Vite, M. Curtis, T.
Dufault, D. Krause, W. Pollnow, J, Shattuck, A. Stef-
fen, G. Elkinton, J. Wagner, J. Grubel, B. Smith, Coach
R. Christensen. SECOND ROW: B. Lindsey, S. Rhyan, W.
Vickroy, R. Griffin, H. Woodard, A. Suchla, B. Heck-
endorf, S. Patz, G. Arkin, Jim Sackmaster, L.
Wisniewski, J. Ming, T. Johnson, K. Potter, D. Becherer,
Coach B. Terry. THIRD ROW: Coach J. Dew, D. Saeger, D.
Coul-
son, M. Jelich, J. Stuhr, D, Johnson, L. Solberg, W.
Kraemer, M. Nitka, D. Schultz, T. Schoeller, T. Certain,
R. Davis, A. Kasper, Coach B. Schockmel. FOURTH ROW:
R. Barton, M. Taake, K. Morgan, J. Nania, J. Stackowiak,
S. King, S. Fifarek, D. Beadles, S. Hollmaier, R. Gould,
J. Bertolini, C. Davis, R. Sieber, J. Mcintyre, Coach
B. Leis. FIFTH ROW: Coach D. Tork, S. Servais, D.
DeMerit, L. Iverson, P. Halderson, T, Blanchard, M.
Bratsch, D. Walsch, B. Larsen, M. Riese, P. O'Brien, R.
Thomp-
son, D. Johnson, Coach P. Bauschelt. BACK ROW: D. Kelly,
L. Terry, R. Myhra, B. Freund, C. Hougen, R. Walmsley,
J. Stanek, M. Hammes, R. Dums, M. Bakalars,
W. Bray, B. Shields, R. Wells, D. Hopfensperger, Coach
J. Lafferty.
Harring Coach Of The
Year In 5th Season
Coach Harring, in his fifth year of
coaching at UW-LaCrosse, put togeth-
er a team that repeated the 7-1 con-
ference record for the third straight
year. Harring was selected by the NAIA
as the coach of the year in district four-
teen.
This season marked the first time since
1954 that LaCrosse won an undisputed
conference championship, although
they shared first place in some of those
years. The Indians captured the WSUC
title for the second time in the last three
years.
Defensively, the Indians forced 52
turnovers, (28 interceptions and 24 fum-
ble recoveries). The 28 interceptions is a
WSUC record. Offensively, the Indians
produced a balanced attack, scoring
equally well through the air and on the
ground. Coach Harring stated that the
'73 season was total team effort both
offensively and defensively.
LaCrosse's season ended with a 35-
42 defeat by Elon College of North Car-
olina. Fifth ranked LaCrosse met top
ranked Elon in the first round of the NAIA
playoffs.
By Byron Buelow
5th In NAIA
While playing football for Roger at
LaCrosse, I always felt that he was a very
caring person, and treated everyone
the same, We were made to feel as part
of his family, yet made to feel special as
individuals as well. Even when we made
poor decisions as young men, he was
able to help us learn from these experi-
ences that we could overcome them
and still move on in life.
Roger made sure that we were taken
care of. His Big Brother/Little Brother
match-up program with players instilled
a sense of belonging, security, and
responsibility in each of us through the
years. Life's problems seemed to work
themselves out as the team became
our family, and the 'Coach' was there
for each of us,
Now, as I look back on the past 24
years since graduating from college, I
realize that many of the life skills I pos-
sess today, as a teacher and coach, as
a husband and father, and most impor-
tantly as an individual, I have gained
through my relationship with this man,
Roger Harring. He will always be a part
of me.
Since 1954; Coach Of The Year
Humanistic
Approach
by Kevin Lamb of the Milwaukee Jour-
nal
Roger Harring walked through the
campus on his way to lunch and
stopped several times to chat with
persons he would see later in the day
at football practice. He also talked to
one student he wouldn't see at prac-
tice, and asked him how school was
going.
He was in a pretty serious car acci-
dent last year," Harring said. "Of
course, he can't play football any
more, but when you bring a kid here to
play, you sort of feel committed to see
that he's doing all right anyway."
When Roger Harring talks about
people he wins with, he talks about
people who have family problems or
girl troubles and people who paint
portraits when they leave the practice
field. He makes it sound as if their times
in the forty are just incidental.
"Just because a person has a physi-
cally strong body doesn't mean he's
any different from a person with a
smaller body. He has the same emo-
tions and insecurities, and he has
other interests. We try to find out more
about these."
To that end,
Harring has all his
players fill out ques-
tionnaires. He asks
them about their
hobbies, their aca-
demic interests,
their heroes, any-
thing that he would
want to know if he
were trying to know
them as friends in a
dorm. He keeps the
responses on file.
"If you know more
about a player, then
if he's down, you
can talk to him
about things that in-
terest him," Harring
explained. "Say he's
interested in math.
Then if he's down for
some reason, I get
one of the math
professors to sit
down and chat with
him. I make sure I
know at least one
person from each
department who
can do that.
You can't handle them all alike. You
no longer can approach a kid with the
kind of fear-ethic Lombardi used. They
want to be handled as individuals,
and they should be. I think everybody
has unique capabilities."
Harring's attitude carries onto the
practice field in other ways too. For
example, the only reaction many
coaches had to last week's heat was
that it would force the players to be in
better condition, although some may
have been persuaded to go easier on
them after the livestock index
reached the danger level. Harring
gave his team frequent breaks.
"You can't get something out of
players that they're not physically ca-
pable of," Harring said. "Like the idea
that players shouldn't have water dur-
ing practice. That's ridiculous. We had
three water breaks yesterday, and we
knelt and talked a lot of times instead
of trying to hit each other all day.
I think a lot of people don't realize
that some people don't participate
just because they love the game.
Some of them just like the camarade-
rie. Or some of them play because
their fathers want them to, or they get
the same pressure from a girl friend or
their peers."
Harring played for four different
coaches on undefeated teams in his
career, and two of them fit the author-
itarian, screaming and yelling mold.
He wasn't impressed.
"If you make a mistake in football, it
doesn't help for the coach to scream
and yell," he said. "If a guy drops a
punt, everybody saw that. You don't
have to point that out to him. Here's
where you have an opportunity to do
some teaching. You tell the guy he
should concentrate more, or he
should have been in a better position,
or you teach him how to pick up the
spin on the ball, but most coaches fail
to do this. They yell and scream and
take out their frustrations on the obvi-
ous."
Pom pon girls, cheerleaders, bands, costumed revelers,
and yelling fans are all part of the
exuberance that makes up football on a fall Saturday
afternoon.
First Harring Playoff Loss To Elon
Four Touchdown Passes Spell Difference
35-24 Loss - Harring: "I'd Like To Play It Over
Tomorrow!"
by Jim Pickeft,
Tribune Sports Editor
BURLINGTON, N.C. - A chance for a
national championship went out the
window here Saturday for the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-La Crosse football
team, but coach Roger Harring's Indi-
ans found out they could play with the
best of 'em,
Elon College, the number one
ranked NAIA team in the country with
an 11-0 record going into the game
took the measure of La Crosse 35-24,
It was a matter of having excellent
speed in a couple of spots and it
resulted in all five touchdowns for the
Fighting Christians. Four long scoring
passes and another long run pro-
duced all five scores.
La Crosse showed it could play and
had Elon fans concerned as the Indi-
ans dominated the game statistically,
They had a 433 to 303 total yardage
advantage, but couldn't cope with
Elon's ability to make the big play. The
Fighting Christians didn't have many
opportunities, six in all, but they scored
on five of them.
"We didn't sustain a lot of drives,"
said Elon coach Red Wilson, "but
we've been able to get the big gain-
ers all year.'
Elon's touchdowns came on passes
of 27, 29, 19 and 44 yards and on a
55-yard run. An 86-yard kickoff return
also resulted indirectly in a score.
"La Crosse is a real fine team. They
are strong and powerful. It's hard to
compare teams in different parts of
the country, but we knew they'd be
good or they wouldn't be here," said
Wilson.
Harring lamented the fact that his
team played well defensively, but five
breakdowns cost his team dearly.
"They caught us every time we made
a mistake. They ran that same post
pattern four times and scored in it
when our secondary didn't react and
then they got that long run,"
Harring commended Elon, but
wouldn't short change his own squad.
"They're real good and they've got
great speed in some spots that hurt us.
But I thought we showed a lot of char-
acter out there. We didn't quit and we
were in the ball game all the way. I'd
like to play it over tomorrow," he said.
Wilson felt Elon's goal line stand mid-
way in the first quarter was one of the
keys in the game. The Fighting Chris-
tians halted the Indians on two
straight plays on the two-yard line.
Harring was surprised at the break-
down in his team's secondary which
allowed speedy flanker Curtis Leary to
get loose for four touchdown passes.
"Our pass defense has been solid all
year. Our coverage had been good,
but we weren't where we were sup-
posed to be on those plays. It was a
major breakdown," Harring said.
Harring felt his team did everything
it had hoped to do after viewing films
of Elon. "The only thing we knew there
would be trouble with was running
outside because of their pursuit. We
were able to pass (21 completions for
255 yards) and we ran the ball inside
the tackles (178 yards on the ground).
We just didn't get the ball into the
endzone enough times. I felt we could
score as many points as we did; I just
didn't think they'd get that many,"
said the fifth year La Crosse coach.
"They are very opportunistic and very
explosive."
Wilson admitted that his team was
fortunate to escape the first half with
a 7-6 lead after his team was
outgained 178 to 90, but that he was
confident that they could come up
with the big plays to win. "We have
talented people in skilled positions.
We've been opportunistic all year," he
said.
La Crosse's offensive line did a su-
perb job throughout the day and the
effort is exemplified in the final statis-
tics. Indian quarterbacks attempted
47 passes and not once were they
decked behind the line, "I think they
came close to getting at our quarter-
back only once," said Harring. "The
line just did a super job in there, They
not only pass blocked well, but they
opened holes inside the tackles to
make our running game go,"
A crowd of more than 7,000 fans
turned out for the game in 70-degree
temperature with a gate of more than
$30,000.
Elon now looks ahead to next Satur-
day's NAIA championship with Abilene
Christian in Shreveport, La, while
Harring and his squad will make a
reevaluation and start preparations
for a return to the playoffs. "We know
we can compete; we felt we could
have won," said Harring. "It's been a
great experience and they've been
great to us during our stay here. We're
looking forward to coming back,"
by Bill Coleman
Argonaut-Lion
It was 1972, and we were at
Whitewater the year after we had
been beaten by them in LaCrosse, but
they had to forfeit the game due to
using ineligible players, and they were
mad because they had lost at least a
share of the conference champion-
ship in '71.
The crowd was hostile, the players
were threatening, and the entire situ-
ation seemed against us. Perhaps
some LaCrosse players were a bit in-
timidated.
At half-time Whitewater was beat-
ing us by three points on a weak field
goal that barely crossed the bar in the
last seconds of the first half. Most of us
were by now feeling pretty miserable
about our ineptitude. I personally was
mad as hell over the errors UW-L was
making. I was one captain, and Byron
Beulow was also a captain. He was
lying on a table with a possible con-
cussion, so I felt that I should say some-
thing.
I began to growl and rant about our
problems, and pretty soon I was stand-
ing on a table, waving my helmet
around and cussing and carrying on,
saying that I wasn't going to settle for
a baseball score. I guess I carried on
longer than planned. No coaches en-
tered, and pretty soon someone
came and got us for the second half.
It wasn't until after the game that
someone informed that Coach
Harring had been coming into the
locker room when he heard me yell-
ing, He had held back the other
coaches so as not to interrupt what he
apparently thought was a good pep
talk.
We went out the second half, and it
was a different game. We were fired
up now, and we went on to win 9-3.
Coach Harring had instinctively known
what was taking place in that halftime
locker room, and rather than impose
himself into the situation had permit-
ted the players to handle it them-
selves. Perhaps a coach doesn't learn
this. Maybe it's instinct.
I I 01"
JW
(A _~~
1973 Fitness Test Winners - Standing; Dan Coulson, Neil
Boyle, Jim Sackmaster, Jim Shattuck, Mike Schultz, Rich
Griffin. Kneeling; Brad Lindsey, Art Kasper,
Dave Krause, Mike Hammes, Ron Myhra.
1973 All-Conference - Standing; Larry Wisniewski, Joe
Wagner, Mike Schultz.
Kneeling; Al Steffen, George Elkinton, Mike Hammes.
1974- 8-2 Co-Champions Allow Only 42
Arkin, Fifarek, Saeger, Wisniewski, Stanek, Becherer
Tough 30-15 Loss To Morehead State Of Kentucky Is
Disappointment
Once again an unusually strong de-
fensive team proved the basis for an-
other WSUC championship. Forty-two
points permitted proved to be a WSUC
record in nine conference games. The
only conference loss was to eventual
co-champion Platteville by 13-10, a
disappointment in a game which
might as easily have been won.
Dave Saeger caught 53 passes to
set a new UW-L record per season, as
well as to run his career record to 118.
Eight touchdown passes for Saeger
also tied the record set by J.
Gilbertson in 1962.
Steve Terry returned five punts for
184 yards, a conference record. Guy
Arkin attempted 211 passes to surpass
Rocky Falaschi's record. The 112
passes completed by Arkin was also a
new UW-L record. Dave Becherer was
perfect at 27 for 27 PATS.
The six interceptions by LaCrosse
versus Oshkosh tied the WSUC record.
Mike Hammes led the team in scoring
with 54 points on six touchdowns, while
Dave Saeger and Ron Myhra tied for
second with 48.
UW-L ranked
District 14
15th in NAIA
Harring now 43-17-1
Co-Captains -
Mike Hammes,
Jim Sackmaster
Most Valuable Player -
Dave Saeger
Top Rock - Jerry Ming
Top Block - Rich Griffin
Rookie of the year -
Bruce Bukowski
Graduating Seniors, the backbone of the co-champions-
Kneeling; Rich Griffin, Larry Wisniewski, Mike Hammes,
Guy Arkin, Bill Kraemer, Al Suchla,
Bill Vickroy. Standing; Jerry Ming, Dave Krause, Steve
Patz, Jim Sackmaster, Bart Heckendorf, Dave Saeger.
Total Points In Nine Conference Games
All-Conference; Hammes, Myhra, Woodard Lead Rushers
Saeger Top Receiver, Larry Terry K-O-Returns, Steve
Terry P-Returns
1974 UW-LaCrosse Indians
Front Row: Roger Harring, head coach; Mike Hammes, Dave
Saeger, Bill Vickroy, Jerry Ming, Jim Sackmaster, Al
Suchla, Bill Kraemer, Steve Patz, Dave
Krause, Bart Heckendorf, Guy Arkin, Row 2: Roland
Christensen, assistant coach; John Milio, Mark Jelich,
Dennis Johnson, Bob Christopherson, Lee Solberg,
Rich Griffin, Larry Wisniewski, John Bertolini, Jim
Linneman, Mark Helmreich, Tim Schoeller, Dave DeMerit,
Jeff Mcintyre, Tim German, Al Nederloe, equipment
manager. Row 3: Bill Kane, assistant coach; Kerry Linbo,
Carl Eggebrecht, Gary Barden, Frank Martin, Kevin
Schmid, Mark Young, Shely Fifarek, Mike Nitka,
Kevin Potter, Mike Riese, Bob Silvis, Mark Richmond,
Larry Sibley. Row 4: Tim Gillespie, Charles Kubicek,
Glenn Fleck, Dale Wedig, Dennis Sweeney, Gerald
Binder, Charles Brutz, Chuck Kane, Jack Christenson,
Mike Taake, Bob Freund, Ed Witkiewicz, Greg Shillings.
Row 5: Barry Schockmel, assistant coach; Alex
McKeown, Tom Gustafson, Jeff Laschen, Ron Myhra, Roger
Wells, Steve King, Rick Ittner, Pete Vrieze, Jim
Schneider, Mike Kusick, Greg Berends, Elroy
Neuhaus, Jeff Curti, Rich Mastalir. Row 6: Bill Terry,
assistant coach; Joe Stachowiak, Dave Weinman, Scott
Hollmaier, Chris Hougen, Steve Terry, Dave
Destache, Don Liebetrau, Bob Wagner, Mark Kent, John
Becker, Renzle Crain, John Stanek, Marv Bakalars, Ron
Walmsley. Row 7: Rich Barton, manager;
Tom Potterton, assistant coach; Brian Buswell, Chris
Davis, Pat Beadles, Rich Gould, Sam Servais, Jeff
Steinbach, Russ Anderson, Leo Vander Wyst, Duane
Gray, Bruce Bukowski, Dave Draxler, Harvey Woodard, Paul
Malek, Greg Simatic.
The UW-L Veterans' Club began a
ritual this year of riding an Indian pony
around the cinder track surrounding
the football field every time the Indi-
ans scored a touchdown. This never
really became a tradition, because
the track was surfaced a few years
later and could not stand the pound-
ing a horse's hooves gave it.
33
Third Championship In Four Years
GUY ARKIN
QUARTERBACK - 5-11 - 175
WEST ALLIS CENTRAL
ALL- CONFERENCE
ALL-DISTRICT 14
An excellent field general who guided the team to a
conference championship. Set three team records in
passing . . . 211 attempts in a season ... 112 com-
pletions in a season ... 1,611 yards passing in a season
Also set school record for 1,611 yards total offense
in a season . . . Player of the Week in 45-0 win over
Northland ... Player of the Week in 40-12 romp over
Eau Claire .. .For his first year as a starter, the
"Golden
Boy" didn't do such a bad job, averaging over 160 yards
passing per game.
Although only a junior, Shely was instrumental in
La Crosse's defense, especially when the announcer
pronounced his name correctly . . . Player of the Week
in 40-12 romp over Eau Claire . . . Also conference
player of the week vs. Eau Claire . . . Returned 2
punts for 19 yards . .. Picked off two opponent passes
and returned them for 54 yards .. .Recovered three
fumbles . . . Returned one fumble for 31 yards and
a touchdown.
Harring Hones Abilities
The coach who knows human nature extracts gold
from rough ore; in the case of football players, he gets
increased productivity from normalcy or even medi-
ocrity. A true coach doesn't recruit only those players
proved gifted through formative years, but takes
those players eager but rough on the outside and
smoothes the edges and hones the blade to sharp-
ness, guiding the neophyte along the paths of foot-
ball for the game's sake.
Some coaches have insight unknown to most, an
ability to discern what is inside of a young man, a
sixth
sense grown keen through practice over the years.
Anyone can coach eleven gifted athletes; they play
almost as well without a coach as with one. They
make moves and read plays with little guidance.
Coaches drool for those men, but find few.
Roger Harring has proved through the years that he
is a man of rare insight for football potential. Harring
has trained men through the years to go beyond any
proven ability, to dig deeper than on the surface, to
blend the potential with the magical and come forth
DAVE BECHERER
DEFENSIVE END - 6-0 - 200
COLBY
ALL-CONFERENCE
In addition to his position on defense, Dave handles
the team's kicking duties. Player of the Week in 19-3
whitewash of Whitewater . . . Kicked 41 kickoffs for
1,965 yards and a 47.9 average .. . Blocked a punt
against Whitewater in crucial contest ... Hit on 27
of 27 extra point conversions for a school record in
one season.
1974 Is Year Of Outstanding Talent
Creates Keen Desire
DAVE SAEGER
WIDE RECEIVER - 6-2 - 190
with champions.
Roger is inspirational with young men with mus-
cle and size and speed. These young men begin to
believe in Roger the first year they are with him.
Perhaps they believe even before they arrive on
the UW-L campus. Perhaps that belief expands
exponentially with a bit of nurturance, with praise
and almost hypnotic persuasion, with the confi-
dence built through weeks of sweat and increased
endurance, through a coach's integrity based
upon honesty, through reassurance when one fal-
ters.
Whatever it is that Coach Harring has, he offers
it lavishly to the young giants who play for him,
knowing confidently that they will leave UW-L after
a rewarding career of football with a life-long
ability to cope, with a willingness to test and be
tested, with a desire to solve problems and to
conquer, whether the problems emanate from a
football field or from life's dilemmas. They will be
ready.
JOHN STANEK
LINEBACKER - 6-2 - 225
LA CROSSE AQUINAS
ALL-CONFERENCE
WISCONSIN RAPIDS LINCOLN
ALL-CONFERENCE
ALL-DISTRICT 14
UW-L MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
WSUC MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
NAIA ALL-AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION
AP ALL-AMERICAN HONORABLE MENTION
Dave is the best receiver in the history of La Crosse
and
the conference. He set 6 school records in receiving ...
53 passes for the season . . . 118 for his three-year
career... 811 yards in one season ... 1,917 yards for
his three-year career . . . 8 TD passes in one season .
..
22 TD passes for his three-year career ... Player of
the Week in 23-0 victory over Stevens Point .. .Player
of the Week in 13-10 loss to Platteville . . . Player of
the Week in best game of career vs. Morehead State,
Kentucky, If the football's in his vicinity, it's a
completion.. .
John has been a stalwart performer in La Crosse's
defense for the past three years. One of the best
linebackers in WSUC history . . . Possible all-American
in 1975 . . . Player of the Week in 45-0 victory over
Northland ... Player of the Week in 35-0 rout over
Superior . . . Player of the Week in season finale,
30-15 loss to Morehead State, Kentucky,
Waz had an excellent year on defense, hard-hitting,
impatient and powerful. Player of the Week in 42-0
outing on Oshkosh . . . Conference player of the
Week on defense for that Oshkosh victory ...
One of the highest graded defensive players this
season ... Scouted by several professional football
teams.
35
1975- 8-3 - 4th Championship In 5 Years
Come-From-Behind Effort Proves Capable Winners
Wealth Of Quarterbacks And Defensive Stalwarts
Lots of talented footballers gradu-
ated in 1974, and the 1975 team had
to prove itself anew. With players such
as Tim German, Ron Myhra, John
Stanek, Chris Hougen, Kevin Potter,
Larry Terry, Dave Becherer, and cap-
tains Shely Fifarek and Jeff McIntyre,
the team didn't take long to prove
itself a winner. An 8-3 record in a
rebuilding year is exceptional.
Dave Becherer continued a PAT rec-
ord established in 1974 right into 1975
right up to 34. Ron Myhra established
a new UW-L record of rushing attempts
with 189. However, Tim German rushed
for 803 yards, more than Myhra's 571.
The Indians played Upper Iowa Uni-
versity for the first time, and gained an
impressive 302 yards on the ground.
UW-L came from behind to defeat
Oshkosh and Stevens Point before los-
ing 3-0 to Lincoln University of Missouri.
Again with River Falls the Indians had
to come from behind to win.
Quarterback Chris Hougen ran for
130 yards in a 21-13 win over Eau
Claire, and the LaCrosse team again
won a championship, although it was
shared with River Falls and
Whitewater.
Dave Becherer was named Most
Valuable Player of the year, while Joe
Michalik was named Rookie of the
year. John Stanek was awarded Top
Rock, and Jeff Mcintyre was Top Block.
Tim German was named to the All-
Wisconsin State University Conference
First Team, the All NAIA District 14 First
Team, and NAIA Honorable Mention
All-American, the same as Bruce
Bukowski,
Dave Draxler, UW-L quarterback,
was fourth in conference passing with
627 yards and a fifty-two percent
completion rate,
The freshmen team won all three of
its games under coach Al Freeman. In
the final WSUC statistics the Indians
were first in total defense, giving up
only 1536 yards, an average of 102 per
game. Offensively, the Indians were
ranked second, gaining 2540 total
yards, an average of 318 per game.
FRONT ROW: Coach Roger Harring, John Gould, John Stanek,
Don Beadles, Mike Nitko, Shelly Fifarek, Jeff Mcintyre,
John Bertolini. Dave Becherer, Dennis
Johnson, Scott Hollmaier, Coach Barry Schockmel. ROW 2:
Mike Jelich, Joel Williams, Sam Servais, Kevin Potter,
Bob Christopherson, Steve King, Dave
DeMerit, Jeff Laschen, Chris Hougen, Larry Terry, Terry
Fargen, John Milio, Coach Ron Christenson. ROW 3: Alvis
Norman, Brad Lindsey, Rober Silors, Bruce
Bubowski, Duane Gary. Gerald Binder, Mark Young, Mark
Hanratty, Scott Halstead, Don Liebetrau, Tom Gustafson,
Mark McKinnon, Steve Rondeau. ROW
4: Ron Hauser, Jeff Kraczmarek, Jack Christenson, Bob
Licheler, Richard Barbour, Bob Hayes, Paul Conklin, Mike
Miyamoto, Ed Witkowicz, Dale Wedig,
Paul Herzog, John Jakel, Elroy Newhaus. ROW 5: Ron
Myhra, Tim German, Fred Nicklaus, David Destache. Mike
Kusick, Steve Terry, Doug Werner, Charles
Rauscher, Ron Geske, Bill Patza, Ken Hart, Bob Dickman,
Joe Michalik, Coach Tom Saxon. ROW 6: Coach Mike Eayrs,
Russ Anderson, Mike Riese, Mike
Malek, Tom Lichtfield, Jim Vergate, Bob Fillinger, Henry
Horn, Dave Kubing, Jay Rayan, Robert Goffman, Mike
Mathes. ROW 7: Coach Bill Terry, Jeff
Cieslak, Glenn Fleck, Kerry Linbo, Charles Kubicek, Carl
Egglebrecht, Jim Schneider, Dave Draxler, Bob Freund,
Charles Davis, Leonard Pepp.
Ron Myhra ran for 78 yards on 27 carries with one
Touchdown against the River Falls Falcons.
Coach Harring has a considerable number of
business-social events to attend concerning each
football season. Here Coach
Harring is with Charles Morris, (center) Director of the
NAIA, and Jim Harkema, (right) President of NAIA
football coaches.
37
1975 UW-L Most Valuable Player, Dave Becherer
(89) Player of the Week in 12-9 victory over Osh-
kosh, was directly responsible for all 12 points by
forcing a safety, kicking a 27 yard field goal, tipping
a pass into the arms of Bob Lecheler, who raced for
a touchdown, and kicking the extra point.
Running back, Ron Myhra, All-Conference Honor-
able Mention, in 1975, a junior, ran for over 800
yards and averaged over four yards per carry.
Running back, Tim German, NAIA Honorable Men-
tion All-American, in 1975, a sophomore from
Slinger averaged over 5.5 yards per carry and
broke the 1000 yard barrier.
1975 Graduating Seniors - Kneeling; John Bertolini (40),
Pat Beadles (24), Jeff Mcintyre (64), Scott Hollmeier
(33), Dennis Johnson (62). Standing;
John Stanek (55), Mike Nitka (39), Rick Gould (43),
Shely Fifarek (35), Dave Becherer (89).
Aggressive, Powerful, Demanding, Scintillating
1975 Fitness Winners - Kneeling; K. Potter, Robert
Silvas, Mark McKinnon, Steve Terry, Scott Hollmeier.
Standing; Al Norman, Bill Patza, Mark Young,
Sam Servais, Ron Myhra.
4 'Ai ; I
39
1976 UW-LA CROSSE INDIANS (7 Wins-3 Losses)
Front Row L-R: C. Davis, J. Kaczmarek, L. Solberg, M.
Jelich, Co-Capt. K. Potter, Co-Capt. D. Gray, B.
Lindsey, C. Hougen, M. Taake,
B. Lecheler. 2nd Row L-R: Coach Roger Harring, L. Terry,
R. Myhra, T. Gustafson, M. Riese, J. Williams, B.
Christopherson, S. Servais,
C. Eggebrecht, S. King, Coach Barry Schockmel. 3rd Row
L-R: D. Destache, D. Draxler, J. Schneider, B. Silvis,
J. Walczak, B. Dickman,
B. Liebetrau, M. Young, S. Halstead, Coach Roland
Christenson. 4th Row L-R: Coach Bill Terry, J. Michalik,
T. German, R. Anderson,
B. Bukowski, J. Binder, M. Howard, D. Wedig, G. Bergwin,
T. Sobocinski, Coach Tom Saxon. 5th Row L-R: Coach Mike
Eayrs, M.
Williquette, J. Steinbach, C. Rauscher, M. Miyamoto, D.
Kirking, J. Cieslak, D. Robinson, R. Novotny, M.
Peschman. 6th Row L-R: S.
Terry, G. Potter, T. Litchfield, R. Lecheler, T, Heitz,
P. Hauser, B. Buswell, J. Roethe, P. Johnson, Coach Pat
Meier, 7th Row L-R: S. Olsen,
J. Ritchie, D. Silvis, N. Perez, M. Burke, M. Hurlbut,
T. Wohllaber, T. Stoeger. Top Row L-R: R. Gross, T.
Stene, R. Kaiser, T. Holm, J. Kroll,
M. Keller, R. Mettlack, M. Kent, Student Coach Doug
Miller.
Kevin Potter (60), an extremely agile defensive end, was
named Co-Captain for 1976, as well as
All-Conference and All-District 14.
1976- 7-3-Harring Now 58-23-1 For .716
Eight Harring Teams Dominated 1804 To 990 Points
Errors Costly In
1976
The 1976 Indians were another
hard-driving, dominating group of
young men determined not to be left
out. They outscored their opponents
275 to 113. Their ground game was
stellar, gaining 2543 yards to only 797
for their opponents. Total offensive
yardage was 3647 to 1567.
Jim Walczak kicked-off 49 times and
averaged 50.9 yards per kick-off. Ron
Myhra scored a monstrous 102 points,
while Tim German was more normal
with 54, although he missed half the
games with injury.
Against Upper Iowa, a team really
not in the same class as UW-L, the
Indians scored 64 points, while holding
the Peacocks to zip. The Indians rolled
to an amazing 701 yards that game.
Stevens Point was a different story,
with golden armed Reed Giordana
passing for 265 yards and three touch-
downs. The Indians suffered an un-
usual humiliation, losing 31-7, for their
worst loss in six years,
Another unusual afternoon against
River Falls caused another humiliation
when the Indians fumbled eleven
times in one game. Even so they lost by
only 16-14,
Against Superior Ron Myhra carried
23 times for 144 yards, while scoring
five touchdowns for thirty points, a
new individual record for a UW-L
player. The five touchdowns is a con-
ference record already held by two
other players. For the season Ron
Myhra scored seventeen touchdowns,
another record for UW-L players.
The thirty-one extra points scored by
Jim Walczak in 1976 is another UW-L
record. In spite of all the new records
and all the great offense and stingy
defense, the Indians could only tie for
fourth place in the conference.
Individual Honors
Co-Captains - Duane Gray, Kevin
Potter
Most Valuable Player - Ron Myhra
Top Rock - Lee Solberg
Top Block - Duane Gray
Rookie of the year - Chuck Rauscher
All-Wis. State U. Conference - 1st
team
Duane Gray, Bruce Bukowski
Kevin Potter, Joe Michalik
Ron Myhra, Joel Williams
Second team, Tom Gustafson
Honorable mention, Brad Lindsey
and Steve King
All NAIA District 14 - first team
Duane Gray, Bruce Bukowski
Kevin Potter, Joe Michalik
Ron Myhra, Joel Williams
NAIA Second Team All-American
Ron Myhra
A supremely confident group of graduating seniors. Front
row: Mike Taake. Tom Gustafson. Ron Myhra. Larry Terry,
Chris Hougen.
Sam Servais, Duane Gray, Middle Row: Steve King, Jim
Kaczmarek. Chris Davis, Mike Jelich. Mike West, Carl
Eggebrecht. Top row:
Lee Solberg, Kevin Potter, Mike Riese, Bob Lecheler,
Brad Lindsey.
Ron Myhra - Perhaps the greatest all-
round football player in UW-LaCrosse history ...
Rushed, returned punts and kickoffs and re-
ceived passes for more than 4300 career yards
... Even tossed a few passes, including a 41
yard TD pass in Oshkosh game ... Finished his
career as Indian's number two all-time rusher
and scorer ... LaCrosse's all-time punt returner
... Scored a team record 102 points in 1976 ...
That mark ranked him second in NAIA scoring
... Led the conference in scoring and was
second in rushing ... Indian player of the week
five times this season ... Established ten school
records and three conference marks during his
career.
Harring Goes High-Tech For Future
Tim German (37). moves into position to protect
quarterback Dave Draxler (20) from the onslaught
coming at him.
Senior Tackle
When I reflect upon all of the prac-
tices and games during my four years
as a student-athlete at UW-L, my most
vivid memory of the unique character
of Coach Harring came from the an-
nual ritual known as the 'senior tackle'
or 'senior hit'.
This drill, which was traditionally held
on the last 'pads' practice before the
last regular season contest, was de-
signed to feature the players who
were completing their final season of
eligibility. The drill went as follows: first
the seniors would line up and individu-
ally shake hands with Coach Harring;
next, the underclassmen would form a
'gauntlet' of adulation through which
the senior player would run and un-
leash his 'final hit' on a two-man
Crowther blocking-tackling sled; and
finally, after all of the seniors com-
pleted their passes, they would jog
into Mitchell Hall as a group, while the
underclassmen would remain on the
field providing an ovation.
The most significant segment of this
ceremony for me occurred when I got
to the head of the line to shake Coach
Harring's hand. As our hands met, I
looked at Coach's face and was
struck by the fact that he had tears
streaming down both of his cheeks. At
that moment he uttered only a simple,
"Thanks, Mick," but his message spoke
volumes about who he was as a per-
son, educator, and coach. I will always
be grateful that I had the opportunity
to play for coaches the likes of Bill
Terry, Roger Jaeger, Wally Iselin, Mike
Eayrs, and, of course, Roger Harring.
Mick Miyamoto
Offensive Line 1975-78
43
1977-6-2-2-Third Place Injuries And Fumbles
UW-LaCrosse ended up third in the
conference in 1977, although after the
first four games the season looked as
though it might get away from
Harring. The record at that time was
1-1-2.
The first few games proved a case of
fumblitis, with an inordinate number
being recovered by the opposition.
Injuries this season were also unusually
numerous, with several key players
sitting out several games. Harring was
regularly utilizing third and fourth
ranked players, much to the delight of
the players, but to the consternation
of coaches and fans. Nonetheless, the
pride and heritage of Indians came
through and recorded a final 6-2-2,
not bad for a team that started so
poorly and had so many injuries.
Once again the defense seemed to
save several games for LaCrosse,
while the offense seemed so often to
sputter and die. The promise of Tim
German as the potential All-American
never came to fruition due to injuries.
The same was true of the potential at
quarterback with a Big-Ten transfer in
Steve Olson. He sat out four games. In
the Whitewater and Nebraska wins, all
21 points came from miscues on the
part of the LaCrosse offense, which
just couldn't get started. LaCrosse
fumbled three and had two passes
intercepted against Whitewater and
still only lost 14-6.
LaCrosse made up somewhat for
that humiliating defeat last year
against Stevens Point by tying them
this year, but Giordana once again
came through in the final quarter to
avoid the upset.
Beating Platteville 10-7 helped to
save a miserable year. Joe Michalik
was credited with 19 tackles, including
eight solos and three quarterback
sacks, while Bob Christopherson has
ten assists and five solos.
LaCrosse was big against Oshkosh
due to three unheralded, new players.
Mike Burke, Mark Young and Craig
Chrest all scored for the Indians.
Against Eau Claire LaCrosse was
extremely fortunate, winning by 31-21
due to two interceptions, again by
relative unknowns. Bill Freund gave the
Indians a 24-14 lead midway through
the third quarter by returning a pass
interception 29 yards for a touch-
down. Linebacker Mark Peschman put
the game into the win column with a
27 yard interception for a touchdown.
This was the second week in a row
where the Indians lost the statistical
battle but won the game.
The concluding game of the season
against River Falls seemed somehow
appropriate. LaCrosse fell 54-7, while
the Falcons rolled up 566 yards in total
offense, the most ever against a La-
Crosse team. It was the worst defeat
ever suffered by a Harring-coached
team since 1970, when they lost 54-14
to Platteville,
New Coaches
The three mainstays, Harring,
Christensen and Schockmel have
been augmented by Keith French, de-
fensive line coach, Mike Eayrs, offen-
sive backfield coach, Roger Jaeger,
offensive line coach, and Al Freeman,
now in his third year as freshman
coach.
1977 UW-LA CROSSE INDIANS (6 Wins - 2 Losses - 2 Ties)
Front Row (L-R): Coach R. Harring, J. Schneider, B.
Lecheler, B, Silvis. M. Young, S. Olsen, B. Bukowski. R.
Christopherson, G.
Binder, J. Walzak, J. Michalik, M, Howard, Coach R.
Christenson, Coach B. Schockmel, R. Anderson. 2nd Row:
R. Bloom, P.
Rayome, S. Terry, D. Destache, S. Halstead, D.
Liebetrau, C. Miller, B. Freund. C. Kubicek, P. Hauser.
P. Radcliffe. J. England,
D. Robinson, Coach K. French, D. Webster (Tr.). 3rd Row:
K. Potter, M. Reise, R. Beams, R. Hoffman, F. Parolini,
J. Roethle, P.
German, J. Cieslak, T. Sobocinski, N. Harring, D. Wedig,
C, Rauscher, M. Miyamoto, T. Weber, T. Williams, B.
Dickman. 4th Row:
D. Miller, D. Borchardt, M. Burke, M, Williquette, T.
Heitz, M. Murphy, G. Steinberg, J. Vergata, B. Gross, M.
Hanratty, P.
Kopldowski, F. Novotny, M. Peschman, T. Koeppel. 5th
Row: E. Haley, Coach M, Eayrs, G. Bergwin, P. Gauchel,
M. Muza, J.
Vahradian, J. Zurbuchen, T. Fahey, T. Holm, T. Brazill,
C. Hutchins, D. Silvis, G. Potter, C. Woodke, M. Kent.
6th Row: P. Meier,
Coach R. Jaeger, T. Juan, J, Richter, T. Hanley, J.
Lockman, D. George, F. Losinski, T. Murphy, S. Zywicki,
M. Knuth, D. Johnson,
R, Mettlach, A. Haskins, 7th Row: M. Jelich, D. Mangan,
R. Gerke, M. McDonald, J. Vogl, N, Perez, M. Durnin, B.
Haefs, S. Pagel,
B. Fillinger, C, Behnke, C. Briskie, S. Harrington, D.
Rogers, C, Wright. 8th Row: J. Sesing, J, Kroll, K.
Peterson, M. Tranel, R. Wilder,
J. Wills, L. Pavelec, S. Alwes, D. Lerum, D. Nicholson,
C, Chrest, M. Kiery, P. Clayton, T. Fladland, D. Bubolz,
9)I i
Defense Rescues Offense; Unknowns Big For Indians
I had spent a week at Peru State
College in Nebraska before I realized
that wasn't for me, and then I had
called Coach Harring to ask whether
I could still start school in LaCrosse and
play football for him. He was quite
receptive to me, although I was late in
starting, and he helped me in my
transition from Nebraska. Had he
been critical of my behavior, there's
little doubt that I would have gone
elsewhere.
It seems to me that my experience
in the football program at LaCrosse
was exceptionally good, but then so
Craig Chrest caught 1
Joel Williams
level.
He talked a lot about responsibility, how important
it was for us, the players, to take responsibility to do
the necessary things in the off-season to be success-
ful. Because we were a non-scholarship school, he
didn't believe we needed to be forced to do things.
Character was an important part of Coach
Harring's message. He shared many stories about his
own life's experiences, how tough it was growing up
Polish, his father's early death, and how he had to
assume the role as father for his family at an early
age. I think Coach Harring shared everything with us
because he was a former player and felt close to us
and similar to us. He didn't hold anything back.
We knew how much he loved his wife Mary, his
family, the university and the city. Most importantly,
we knew how much he cared about us and winning,
because he let us know.
Looking back on my experience with Coach
Harring, the lesson that stands out most is that which
he proved by the way he lives his own life, that
cultivating and valuing individual relations with other
quality people is a major key to a successful life.
While
I was a member of his teams, he brought in quality
people, got to know all of us as individuals, and cared
enough to share himself with us completely. I think
that if Coach Harring continues to do what he is
doing, his future will continue to be bright.
Crosse that perhaps the exceptional is
the rule. Every year I experienced a
team environment which had been
established many years earlier by
Coach Harring and his staff. It seemed
friendly and yet disciplined, gentle
and yet very strong and demanding.
Coach Harring was not the type of
coach I had played for in South Flor-
ida, where the coaches all wanted to
be Marine drill sargents. Coach
Harring's style was built on respect.
When he first met me, he began to
establish a relationship, as he does
with all of his players, by asking ques-
tions to get to know one on a personal
6 passes for 248 yards and two TDs in 1977.
Joel Williams
Defensive Back 1975-78
Influence Of A Coach Easy To Underestimate
I proudly wear and display my rela-
tionship to UW-L. It was the shaping of
my career and life. I believe the same
will continue to occur for others as
long as Coach Harring continues to
grace UW-L with his presence.
Two major events at UW-L account
for the shaping of my career. One was
UW-L football, and the other was TKE
fraternity, both of which at the time
were almost the same, football play-
ers.
I attended UW-L after a short career
in the U.S. Navy. My prime focus was to
get an education, and if time permit-
ted, I would enjoy playing some sports.
Coach Harring had a spring football
session every year to look at non-re-
cruited students in hopes of finding
some talent that only needed some-
one to believe in them.
Coach Harring found me, recog-
nized my name from my high school
years playing in the coulee region,
and asked me whether I would like to
visit with him about how I could man-
age both college and football, while
being productive in both. Coach
Harring recognized that education
was more important to me at that
time.
UW-L had a spring track meet,
where students could compete
against one another, as well as the
famous UW-L track team. I entered the
sprints and won the sixty yard dash.
This inspired me, and I asked Coach
Harring whether I could try out for
football in the fall. He asked me where
I thought I could play. "Wherever you
can use me," I replied.
I went to the fall training camp as a
wide receiver, and after watching the
first series of nutcracker drills, with the
likes of Mike Hanratty, Joel Williams,
Joe Mahallick and Tim German, that
displayed collisions like I had never
seen before, I was glad Coach Harring
suggested I try wide receiver.
I came to believe that I was truly a
gifted athlete. That was because, first,
Coach Harring told me so, and sec-
ondly, he believed it. I remember
some quotes from Coach Harring.
"Chrest has that third gear." "We have
95% athletes, and we have 5% ath-
letes. Craig, you are a 5% athlete." He
meant, of course, that I was one of the
few.
He also said, "You are the best at
catching the difficult ones. Don't lose
your concentration on the easy ones."
One I'll always remember is, "If I
were in a war, I'd want you on my
side," explaining a sense of confi-
dence that overtakes some people
when they are faced with almost cer-
tain defeat.
I can still recall two important les-
sons I learned from Coach Harring.
Harring said, "If you earn respect, then
you will know how to give respect." The
second lesson is, "Be a man of integ-
rity." Coach Harring was a man of his
word.
I have quoted these time and time
again to people who ask about the
disciplines that have shaped my life.
All my disciplines contain influences
from two people. They are Coach
Warren Rosin, my high school football
coach, and Coach Roger Harring.
Both men are concerned with building
men for life and instilling integrity and
respect as necessary ingredients.
Craig Chrest
Class of 1981
Running-back Pete Gauchel from
Kenosha began his career on the UW-
Lfootball field as a sophomore in 1977.
Record Shows Wins and Losses But Not Emo-
tional Highs-Lows
1977 Season Record
Opponent
Kearney State
Nebraska
WhitWter
Superior-
Stevens Point
Winona
iPlattevile l
Stout
Oshkosh
Eau Claire
River Falls
7
14
7
7
6
54
i 07i
i~i~Z,:
In the summer of 1997 Coach Christensen celebrated his
70th birthday, and a few of his former
players came for the party. In this picture Coach
Harring is with John Stanek, left, 1975 All-
Conference and All-District 14 linebacker, and Joel
Williams, center, 1978 NAIA District 14 Player of
the Year, and WSUC All-Conference linebacker.
This picture of Coach Harring giving the boys a Friday
afternoon pre-game talk was probably taken in 1976, but
many of these players were still on the
squad in 1977, and some of them still in 1978.
LaCrosse
7
6
17
7
18
10
13
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1978-9-2-On Top Again, Five Years Of Eight
Harring's Ten Year Record 73-27-3 For .730
Draxler Passes For 16 TDs In Season, 120 Completions For
1717 Yards
The first game was a walk-over, and
everyone got some playing time, even
the reserves. It was a good warm-up
for a tough season. Coach
Christensen and Coach Schockmel
had the defense in top shape and
ready for war. They proved extremely
stingy during the entire season, yield-
ing only 94 points in 11 games.
Whitewater came to play, however,
and as the season progressed proved
they were champions, sharing top
spot with LaCrosse. It was the only
game LaCrosse was to lose this season
until the play-off game against Grand
Valley of Michigan.
Fourteen of 24 starters were hon-
ored by the WSUC by being named to
all-conference teams. Joel Williams
was named a first-team All-American.
Season Honors
Co-Captains - Joel Williams and Dave
Draxler
Most Valuable Player - Dave Draxler
Top Rock - Joel Williams
Top Block - Nick Harring
Rookie of the year - Jim Pieper
All-Wisconsin State University Confer-
ence - First Team
Nick Harring, Joel Williams, Dave
Draxler, Frank Novotney
All-Wisconsin State University Confer-
ence - Second Team
Tom Sobocinski, Dick Seidel, Mike
Hanratty, Mike Williquette, Craig
Chrest
WSUC Honorable Mention - Mick
Miyamoto, Jeff England, Tom Heitz,
Paul Radcliffe, Jim Pieper
AII-NAIA District 14 First Team
Nick Harring, Joel Williams, Dave
Draxler, Frank Novotney
NAIA All-American First Team-Joel
Williams
Second Team - Nick Harring
Kodak All-American First Team - Joel
Williams
AP College Division All-American Third
Team- Joel Williams
Honorable Mention - Dave Draxler
1978 Fitness Win-
ners - Standing: Joel Williams,
Mike Jelich. Craig Chrest. Greg Pot-
ter. Kneeling: Nick Harring, Dale
Wedig, Mike Kiery.
Bottom Row - L-R; M. Miyamota, T. Heitz, M. Williquette,
D. Wedig, Co. Capt. J. Williams, Co. Capt, D. Draxler,
B. Dickman, M. Lindgren, N. Harring, T. German,
P. Radcliffe. 2nd Row - Coach R. Harring, P. German, C.
Woodke, B. Fillinger, F. Losinski, R. Anderson, T.
Sobocinski, D. Robinson, M. Hanratty, D. Borschardt,
J, England, G. Kasten, C. Chrest. 3rd Row - J. Larson,
M. Durnin, D. Rogers, R. Beams, S. Fleming, J. Sesing,
K. Ward, M. Fabich, T. Holm, J. Kroll, R. Johnson,
P. Curry, Coach R. Christensen. 4th Row- Coach M. Eayrs,
T. Hanley, T. Juan, R. Hoffman, J. Zurbachen, S. Zwicki,
C. Hutchins, P. Kopydlowski, T. Brazill, L.
Pavelec, Coach B. Schockmel, Coach W. Iselin. 5th Row -
R. Mettlach, D. Siedel, R. Gerke, G. Potter, C. Gille,
E. Neuhaus, J. Harding, F. Novotny, J. Cowden,
M. Anhalt, J. Dinegan, Coach K, French. 6th Row - Coach
D. Miller, M. Tranel, D. Moore, T. Murphy, F. Kuhrasch,
T. Weisse, G. Ashenbrenner, G. Pagel, B. Born,
M. Romas, R. Bloom. 7th Row - Mgr. D. Krautkraemer,
Equip. J. Strand, J, Holfetz, M. Kiery, G. Steinberg, G.
Bergwin, D. Jaynes, J. Pieper.
Seidel Boots 3 FGs Against Stout; 31 Extra Points In
Season
Chrest Catches 9 For 184 Yards In 1 Game; Draxler 4 TDs
In
1 Game
Craig Chrest scored 7 TDs for 42 points during the 1978
season. He totaled 38 receptions for 656
yards, 17.6 per catch, and 65.6 yards per game.
49
NAIA Playoff Loss To Grand Valley 24-14
Indians Rated 5th Prior To Playoff, 7th After
UW-L Co-Captains Dave Draxler,
left, and Joel Williams, 61, accept
the Consolation trophy from Jack
Finn, the NAIA Game Representa-
tive.
A staunch defense did all it could, but it
couldn't put points on the board. The passing
of Draxler for 211 yards surpassed Grand
Valley's 38 yards, The rushing of Pieper and
Radcliffe was more than the total Grand
Valley team, yet the score was left begging.
Radcliffe And Robinson Score Touchdowns
UW-L Won Battle Of Statistics, Lost War By Inches
1978
Jim Pieper, a freshman from Plymouth, rushed 18
times for 66 yards against Grand Valley. In the ten
regular season games Pieper carried 158 times for
788 yards, 4.9 per carry, 6 TDs, 77.8 game average.
Paul Radcliffe carried 15 times for 61 yards
against Grand Valley.
These graduating seniors will be*
hard to replace. They were among
the best in UW-L history. Standing:
Dale Wedig (50), Bob Dickman (806 ), 7
Joel Williams (61,' Paul German
(25), Mike Williquette (28), Tom
Heitz (35). Kneeling: Paul Radcliffe
(43), Mike Lindgren (59), Russ
Anderson (76), Tim German (37),
Dave Draxler (20), Nick Harring (66),
Mick Miyamoto (62), Tom
Sobocinski (74). 4 ;
Defensive Coordinators Trained
Mattison At Notre Dame
I have coached at numerous large
football programs, such as the U.S.
Naval Academy, Texas A&M, the Uni-
versity of Michigan, and most recently
at the University of Notre Dame. Need-
less to say, I have had the opportunity to
be associated with a number of great
football coaches. There is no doubt in
my mind that Roger Harring is at the top
of all the great coaches I have worked
with.
Rog has been instrumental in my
growth and success as a coach. His
coaching philosophy and relationship
with players and fellow coaches has
always been his strong point. Rog has
the ability to push an athlete or coach
to his limit, and at the time make him
feel like Rog has complete confidence
in his ability.
Coach Harring at times made one
feel as if he didn't know what he was
doing, but the final result was that he
completed his job better than anyone
else could. We used to think he was
dumb like a fox.
Coach Harring throughout his career
would'cry wolf' about the talent and
upcoming season and then go unde-
feated and win the national champi-
onship. His unassuming personality
made each player feel as if he was just
another guy until it came time to put the
pads on. Rog was a very tough, hard-
nosed coach who would fight to his last
breath of air to win.
A memory that sticks out in my mind is
seeing coach Harring ride up to Mitchell
Hall on his fat-wheeled bike. Most 'big-
time' coaches would pull up to work in a
beautiful, luxury car, but Rog would pull
up on his bike.
I also never understood as a player
where Coach Harring would go from
one in the afternoon until practice start-
ed. Finally, we found out that Rog would
go home to take a nap. If he missed his
nap, he would be worthless at practice.
Having coached with Rog one sea-
son, I also found out what made him a
great coach. He would allow his coach-
es to have full responsibility for their posi-
tions, but he would always cause con-
troversy between them. In so doing, he
would find out just how much they
believed in what they were espousing.
This would make one coach harder, so
his way of doing something was suc-
cessful.
I want to go on record as believing
that Roger has improved every year as
a coach. His first year as head coach
was myjunioryear, and I believe that he
had his most talented team in 1969, but
because we didn't totally buy into his
system, we weren't as successful as we
should have been. In watching Coach
Harring from the start of his LaCrosse era
to the present, I know that he will go
down in history as one of the greatest
coaches in college football.
Greg Mattison
UW-L class of 1970
Currently Defensive Coordinator
at the University of Notre Dame
Bukowski At Whitewater
Many people ask me what kind of
person is Roger Harring. I played for him
for four years, coached with him for a
year, and against him for over fourteen
years. I have also spoken with him at
least once a month for the last twenty
years, so I feel I know him pretty well,
and I know why he wins.
Roger Harring is not a football coach;
he is a people coach. When one talks
with Roger, he very seldom talks about
football; it's about people, especially
his former players.
He has taught me what loyalty is all
about. He is very loyal to his staff and
LaCrosse People. He makes his players
become LaCrosse People, and it is very
difficult to understand what LaCrosse
People are unless you are one. Many
coaches with whom I have come into
contact throughout my career say, "All
Under Harring
you LaCrosse grads are the same, arro-
gant, cocky, and never think anyone
can beat you." Well, they are right.
Roger teaches confidence, because
one never thinks he can lose when he
plays for Rog. Rog teaches players how
to walkwith a swagger, but to back it up.
Most of all he teaches players that they
can do anything they want in life, as well
as on the field. These are his keys to suc-
cess.
I must say that it is hard to coach
against LaCrosse, not only because of
its great tradition, but because I am,
and will always be, a LaCrosse grad, I
obviously want to beat LaCrosse in the
position I hold here at Whitewater, but it
is difficult at times.
I don't know whether Roger Harring is
the best football coach I know, even
though he has won a thousand games,
but I know he is the best people coach
I know. I am very fortunate to have had
the opportunity to play for him, but also
the opportunity to be his friend. He is
LaCrosse People, and it will never be the
same when he steps down.
Bruce Bukowski
Class of 1978
Currently Defensive Coordinator
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Nick UW-L Transfer
Father-Son Relationship
Gratifying And Rewarding
Amid the tumultuous familial patterns found today
in 1997, it's refreshing to find the kind of devotion
and
dedication, outright love, found in the Harrings. It's
the old-fashioned respect and passion lost long ago
among technological advances, fast living, and
latch-key kids. The Harrings are a unit, and that
includes Mary, the power behind the throne, the per-
son always there for her kids, and her husband,
Roger.
When Nick was only a grade-schooler, he began
playing football. He had respect for his father's voca-
tion. Nick performed at Central High School in
LaCrosse and then matriculated at the University of
South Dakota. He remained there for one and one-
half years before transferring to UW-L.
Strict Hands-Off Policy
Roger Harring admits to having wanted to coach
his sons in football, but never had the opportunity
until
Nick came to UW-L. Roger had watched Nick play in
high school, but kept a strict hands-off policy. He left
coaching his son up to the high school coach. He
knew that was the best way. He had seen parents who
interfere with their sons' lives through sports, and he
wasn't about to be disruptive. His son had to make
decisions.
"I knew he would probably come out for the team
when he came back to LaCrosse," said Roger, "but
when the team had its first meeting, and he was part
of the group, I wondered what he was doing here. I
had forgot that he was part of the team.".
No Favoritism
Both Nick and Roger agree that no favoritism was
shown to Nick. Roger informed his assistants that they
were to treat Nick just as any other player. Roger is
out
to win ballgames, not anything else.
Nick says, "He treated me like any other player. He
was maybe a little harder on me because he knew
he had to avoid the appearance of favoritism. The
first year here, the only time I saw Dad was during
practice when the entire team got together. Other-
wise I was working with the line coach."
Nick admitted that his mother was disappointed
when he went to South Dakota, and that she was
happy when he returned to play in LaCrosse. Roger
and Nick both agree that Mary is a moderating force
in discussions about football.
"My wife has good common sense. She's the set-
tling type," said Roger. "She listens to our talk, then
adds something if she wants. At games she gets
excited, because she likes football."
Nick and his father get along splendidly and today
reminisce a good deal about the early days of
Roger's career. Nick graduated from UW-L with a
Each fall one Saturday afternoon is designated as
Parents' Day when parents proud-
ly stand with their football playing sons. Mary and
Roger Harring in 1978 were as proud
as any others when they were introduced with their Nick,
degree in Marketing in 1979, and today runs a Ford
automobile deal-
ership a few miles outside the LaCrosse city limits.
Warm Relationship
Many sons don't get along well with their fathers,
promoting an
adversarial relationship rather than a cooperative mode.
This isn't the
case with Roger and his son Nick. They are good friends.
They do lots
of things together, and Mary is still chief cook and the
moderating
influence. Nick has three children of his own now, and
he's raising
them in similar fashion to his parents.
It's doubtful that Nick's children will play for
Grandpa, however,
since Roger is now in his twenty-ninth year of coaching
at UW-L, the
children are quite young, and Mary may have some input
into retire-
ment decisions. Roger refuses to discuss retirement,
saying only that
as long as he is feeling well, he will continue
coaching.
53
1979-7-2-Second, 316 To 140 Points
Freshman Rabb Leads Conference Rushing
778 Yds.
Coach Harring confers with WB Dave Robinson,
who during the year scored 4 TDs for 24 points
and caught 19 passes for 367 yards.
What at first appeared to be a first
place year in the making turned into
mediocrity for the Indians, A 7-2 year
and second place was not what
Harring figured his boys could do. This
team had experience and power to
spare. It even had a freshman in
Reggie Rabb who turned out to be the
leading conference gainer, and a
sophomore in Jeff Larson, who wasn't
far behind.
Fate took a hand and thrashed La-
Crosse 35-7 in the form of River Falls,
and then permitted Eau Claire to pull
one through the wringer by six points
for a second loss. That sealed the
Indians out of first place, but they
retained drive and pride and tied for
second by pasting Whitewater 47-28.
Coach Mike Sanders
Coach Harring had applause for his
offensive line consisting of Greg
Steinberg, Greg Bergwin, Mike
Hanratty, Dave Borchardt, and Frank
Losinski. Under the tutelage of new
offensive line coach, Mike Sanders,
these young giants have been formi-
dable.
Sanders was captain of the national
championship St. John's University
team several years ago and was line
coach at St. John's the last two sea-
sons. He has also had tryouts with the
Minnesota Vikings the last two years.
Unusual Whitewater
Game
Mike Durnin, LaCrosse's exciting
quarterback, fired the fans by com-
pleting 13 of 26 passes, six for touch-
downs, matching a conference rec-
ord held by Charnish of Platteville.
Durnin's 424 yards by air broke the
record of 280 set by Wagner in 1971.
The WSUC record of 436 was not bro-
ken.
Tim Murphy, the Indians' place-
kicker, also broke a UW-L record by
kicking five extra-points to run his total
to 35, four more than the old record
set by Dick Seidel in 1978.
Overtime Loss
The Eau Claire Blugolds turned three
of LaCrosse's five turnovers into scores,
including an interception in the over-
time to hand the Indians an unex-
pected loss and deprive them of a
championship once again. The Indi-
ans managed only 75 yards the entire
second half and couldn't maintain a
drive.
Eau Claire turned a LaCrosse fum-
ble into a tying touchdown early in the
fourth quarter. LaCrosse had three
chances to score in the fourth quarter,
but interceptions killed two attempts,
and Tim Murphy missed a forty yard
field goal attempt.
54
Durnin Records 20 TD Passes, 6 In 1
Game
Chrest Snags 30 For 513, Returns 14 KOs For
368
Quarterback Durnin hands off to freshman sen-
sation Reggie Rabb, who scored 48 points on 8
touchdowns in 1979, and caught 9 passes for
115 yards. Durnin completed 46 percent of his
passes for 1594 yards to rank third in LaCrosse
history for one season. Durnin won the quarter-
back job after a spirited contest with three other
capable contestants.
1979 UW-La Crosse Indians (7 wins, 2 losses)
Front Row: Dan Krautkramer (mgr.), John Kroll, Bob
Fillinger, Scott Zywicki, Greg Potter, Dave Robinson,
Chuck Woodke /4llI
(Co-Capt.), Mike Hanratty (Co-Capt.), Greg Bergwin, Dave
Borchardt, Greg Steinberg, Fran Parolini, Dave Leigh
(trainer). i,
2nd Row: Coach Roger Harring, Mike Fabich, Eugene Morse,
Fred Bennett, Reggie Rabb, Tom Brazill, Mike Durin, Bill
Patza, Al
Pete Gauchel, Jay Pierce, Jim Kildahl, Coach Roland
Christensen. 3rd Row: Coach Mike Eayrs, Gordy Pagel,
Russ Rydberg, I 1f
Daryl Groleau, Russ Johnson, John Woodke, Craig
Hutchins, Steve Rappley, Jeff Marek, Dave Rogers, Larry
Pavelec, Craig '
Chrest, Coach Keith French. 4th Row: Paul Kopylodowski,
Frank Losinski, Harold D. Samorian, Dave Rusch, Kevin
Sumner,
Gary Simons, Jeff Harding, Rick Ver Duin, Dale Statz,
Mike Muza, Rick Simpson, Ass't Coach Mark Young. 5th
Row: Coach j il
Mike Sanders, Jeff England, Jeff Larson, Troy Pierce,
Tony Eytalis, Dave Miller, Tony Klein, Tim Murphy, Wayne
Curtis, Torkel '
Leum, Glen White, Coach Barry Schockmel.
Jeff Larson, sophomore full-
back from Eau Claire, was All-
WSUC in 1979 while rushing for
523 yards on 104 attempts. Jeff
had nine touchdowns and
caught 14 passes for 153 yards.
There's frequently a full house at UW-L football
games. The fans are knowledgeable, colorful
and loud. They are accustomed to winning, and
the players are accommodating and apprecia-
tive.
Cheerleaders, pom pon girls, balloons, can-
nons, horses, clowns, and musicians are all part
of the football mix on a fall afternoon.
1979
Defensive back Tom Brazill intercepts a pass
intended for Winona's Dave Hanna. Brazill is a
junior from Fon du Lac. In 1979 he intercepted
four passes and returned one for a touchdown.
He's among the leaders in tackles.
Honors
AII-WSUC First Team - Dave
Borchardt, Chuck Woodke, Craig
Chrest, Reggie Rabb, Tim Murphy.
Second Team - Craig Hutchins. Honor-
able Mention - Dave Robinson, Larry
Pavelec, Jeff England, Mike Durnin,
Jeff Larson. AII-NAIA District 14 First
Team - Dave Borchardt, Chuck
Woodke, Tim Murphy. Honorable Men-
tion - Craig Chrest, Reggie Rabb. Hon-
orable Mention NAIA All-Americans -
Dave Borchardt, Chuck Woodke.
57
1980-8-2-Champs Again, 6 Of 12
Years
Hutchins, Murphy, Chrest All-American
1980 Year In Review
As victory seemed near in the final
seconds of the title game against
Stout, La Crosse Coach Roger Harring
thought back to some of the season's
happenings that placed his team in
this important game. As he looked
around at the smiles on the bench, he
recalled the long, drawn-out look only
four weeks earlier when his squad
dropped its second conference game
in four tries to River Falls. He remem-
bered the team's frustration after the
loss and the "wait till next year" atti-
tude of the La Crosse fans. Harring
knew at the time that a Wisconsin
State University Conference champi-
onship meant that everything would
have to go in the Indian's favor the
remainder of the season,
Upsets Helped
Things did. While La Crosse was re-
cording victories over Eau Claire, Osh-
kosh and Whitewater, other WSUC
teams were giving strength to the
"any given Saturday" cliche. Upsets
played the main role in a wacky con-
ference race that saw five teams tied
for the league lead in the final week of
play.
Harring felt a smile come over his
own face when quarterback Jim
Kildahl fell on the ball on the last play
of the game to insure the Indian's 10-7
win. La Crosse had beaten the skep-
tics, and along with it, owned at least
a share of the WSUC title for the sixth
time in nine years,
7 On AII-WSUC
For those La Crosse fans looking to
call their team the "best" of the four
conference co-champions (River Falls,
Whitewater and Platteville), reasons
were plentiful. The Indians were the
hottest thing going in the WSUC at the
season's end as they won four straight
conference games, including a 31-16
thrashing over Whitewater and a 10-7
decision over Stout - the number
three ranked defensive team in the
NAIA, La Crosse dominated the all-
conference team as it placed seven
on the AII-WSUC First Team and four on
the Second Team and Honorable
Mention category. Three All-Ameri-
cans were also produced in 1980 in
the names of Craig Hutchins, Tim Mur-
phy and Craig Chrest. Finally, Wiscon-
sin-La Crosse was ranked 15th in the
final NAIA national poll.
3 All-Americans
The three All-Americans, Hutchins,
Murphy and Chrest, were the major
ingredients in the Indian's success in
1980, Hutchins led the traditionally
strong La Crosse defense that gave up
only 10,5 points a game. The 6-5, 225
pound co-captain led the unit in be-
hind-the-line tackles and quarterback
sacks to tally a whopping team-lead-
ing 298 defensive points. Hutchins was
honored by being voted the Most Val-
uable Player by his teammates.
Murphy's right foot served as the
Indian's deadliest scoring threat, The
senior placekicker connected on 12 of
16 field goal attempts to set a new
school record for the most field goals
in a season. His nine field goals in
conference play tied a WSUC record.
Murphy also set a school record for the
most extra points in a career (66) and
ranked fifth in the NAIA in kick scoring.
Chrest was one who received the
most fanfare of any member of the
team, The senior split end and punt
return specialist altered opposing
team's defenses because of his disas-
trous break-away ability. Chrest was
still able to find the end zone from a
long range as evidenced by punt re-
turns of 83 and 71 yards for scores, The
6-1, 190 pounder also caught six
touchdown passes, including one for
97 yards which added to his confer-
ence record-breaking 229 receiving
yards against Whitewater,
Kildahl Quarterback
The rest of the Indian offensive at-
tack relied primarily on the arm of
quarterback Jim Kildahl and the run-
ning of halfback Reggie Rabb and
fullback Jeff Larson. Kildahl replaced
starter Mike Durnin when Durnin suf-
fered a knee injury against Superior.
The junior signal-caller responded in a
high fashion by passing for 1,350 yards
and eight touchdowns. Kildahl ranked
third in passing and total offense in the
conference and was rewarded by be-
ing named as an honorable mention
choice. Kildahl's secondary receivers
were Rookie of the Year Mark Rogness
and Larson, who proved to be a good
pass catcher out of the backfield.
When Kildahl wasn't dropping back
to pass, Rabb and Larson usually got
the call. Rabb, a sophomore speed-
ster from Baltimore, MD, rushed for 555
yards despite a nagging ankle injury.
Larson provided the "tough" yards for
La Crosse. The 195 pound junior ran for
383 yards and plunged for seven
touchdowns.
Of course, the offense wouldn't be
too effective without an offensive line.
Co-captain and all-conference selec-
tion Frank Losinski anchored the line at
tackle along with Dale Polinske at the
other tackle position and guards
Torkel Leum, Paul Kopydowski and
Mark Shupe. Todd Snyder started all
10 games at center.
England Starred
The Indian defense was led by all-
conference performers Hutchins, Jeff
England, Tom Brazill and Larry
Pavelec. England, a four-year
letterman, starred at the middle line-
backing position and was flanked by
senior Russ Johnson and junior Mike
Fabich. The defensive backfield was
headed by the play of Brazill and
Pavelec, Brazill ranked second on the
team in defensive points and led the
squad in interceptions with eight.
Pavelec recorded three pick-offs,
while cornerback Mark Gruen had five
and safety Mike Muza three. The de-
fense combined for 29 interceptions to
tie a school record. Joining Hutchins
on the line were tackles Jay Pierce
and Steve Rappley, and at the oppo-
site end, Frank Novotny. Pierce was
honored as an honorable mention se-
lection and Novotny by being named
to the conference's second team,
Dan Saftig
Clark Schafer
UW-L Sports Information
58
1980 UW-La Crosse Indians (8 wins, 2 losses)
BOTTOM L-R: Russ Johnson, Frank Novotny, Elroy Neuhaus,
Mike Durnin, Paul Kopylodowski, Craig Hutchins
(Co-Capt.), Frank
Losinske (Co-Capt.), Larry Pavelec, Mike Muza, Craig
Chrest, Tom Brazill, Jeff England, Coach Roland
Christensen. ROW 2:
Coach Roger Harring, Larry Noll, Reggie Rabb, Mark
Bohanski, Dave Meyer, Mark Gruen, Mark Rogness, Mike
Fabich, Clayton
Heath, Dale Jackson, Jim AnFang, Jim Kildahl, Tim
Murphy, Coach Keith French. ROW 3: Coach Mike Eayrs,
Dave Rusch, Gary
Kimm, Tony Savaglio, Jeff Larson, Dale Jensen, Vander
Wallace, Dan Leifer, Kevin Sumner, Al Resch, John
Patzner, Tim Harke,
Ray McArthur, Coach Barry Schockmel. ROW 4: Dan
Krautkraemer (Mgr.), Bill Weber, Walter Slater II, Rick
Simpson, Kevin
Hanegraaf, Dan Zagzebski, Jon Thomsen, Dale Statz, Gary
Aschenbrenner, Rich Herbert, Steve Berkey, Russ Rydberg,
Mike
Ramaeker (Trainer). ROW 5: Bill Hartman (Equip.), Kevin
Cappel (Trainer), Jack Ackerman, Horace Craft II, Steve
Rappley, Jay
Pierce, Steve Graf, Jim Rehberger, Kurtis Price, Wade
Martin, Pat Wolf, Mark Shupe, Scott Zywicki (Student
Coach). ROW 6:
Coach Mike Sanders, Torkel Leum, Mark Bambanek, Dale
Polinske, Don Kindt Jr., Jim Byrne, Ray Beams, Todd
Snyder, Bruce
Leberg, John Limberg, Tom Wenzlaff, Jeff Marek.
Defensive Backs Maintain UW-L Reputation-Tight
Wisconsin quarterbacks have declared La Crosse defen-
sive backs hazardous to their passing game.
The "mean maroon" has made life hard for opposing
tossing picking off 16 aerials and totalling 252 yards
in
returns . . . two for touchdowns. The quarterbacks that
have faced the Indians' secondary so far this season
have
managed only 47 completions in 133 attempts for 553
yards (just over double the Indians return yards). The
La
Crosse DB's ("Dee Bee") have been very stingy on letting
anyone catch the ball in the end zone ... giving up only
one more touchdown than they scored themselves on op-
posing quarterbacks' miscues.
Seniors Tom Brazill and Larry Pavelec, junior Mike Muza
and sophomore Mark Gruen make up the backfield that
could be called one of the hardest hitters in the con-
ference. Besides sticking to receivers like shadows, the
In-
dian DB's are earning a reputation for their play
against
the run as well. Wherever the ball is on the field, at
least
one secondary member is sure to be near, if not actually
making a crunching tackle.
Coach Roger Harring is impressed and pleased with the
backfield's aggressive hitting and ability to make
things
happen, The foursome broke open the first two games on
interceptions at key moments by Brazill and Pavelec.
Brazill has been the most consistent and successful of
the backfield standouts intercepting six passes,
returning
one 51 yards for a touchdown. The 6'1", 205 pounder from
Fond du Lac hasa "knack" for always being around the
ball,
also knocking away more than eight passes from would-be
receivers this year.
Pavelec, from Adams-Friendship, is a WSUC honorable
mention cornerback. The 61", 190 pounder picked off his
first pass of the season and sprinted for a score
against
Gustavus Adolphus. He has two interceptions to his
credit
and a "top hit" award.
The third veteran in the backfield is junior Mike Muza.
The right safety, a graduate from Oshkosh Lourdes, saw a
good deal of action last year. He has also pulled down
two
enemy aerials. Muza, Brazill and Pavelec also work
together
as a unit off the field as roommates.
Gruen is the only backfield starter who did not letter
in
'79. The 6', 175 pounder plays left corner. He has also
got-
ten a piece of the interception pie with a solo pickoff.
The defensive backs are coached by Barry Schockmel. He
is in his 12th year as secondary mentor at UW-La Crosse.
Mike Muza - 30
Junior Defensive Back
Oshkosh
Tom Brazill - 35 Larry Pavelec - 38
Senior Defensive Back Senior Defensive Back
Fond du Lac Adams-Friendship
Mark Gruen - 44
Soph. Defensive Back
Marshfield
Murphy Scores 62, 12 Field Goals, Career EPs 66
Tim Murphy
6' 0" - 180 pounds
Senior- Kicker
Appleton West
YOU can be sure that the right foot of Tim Murphy is
being pampered these days. Anc
if it isn't, it should be since Murphy's place-kicking
is a deadly threat to the Indian attack:
Through the first two games, Murphy was leading the NAIA
in kick scoring with 19
points.
Perhaps most impressive in the early going is Murphy's
field goal percentage. The se-
nior has booted six field goals in six attempts. He has
a 37 and 36-yarder to his credit.
Against Stevens Point two weeks ago, Murphy booted three
field goals to give him a
share of the WSUC record for most three-pointers in a
game.
Speaking of records, Murphy set another conference mark
last season by drilling 34
extra points through the uprights during conference
play. Not surprisingly, Murphy was
named to the AII-WSUC First Team. On the season, the
potent Indian attack allowed
Murphy to attempt 44 extra points. The Appleton native
responded by hitting 40 of
them to set a new school record and lead the team in
scoring.
Coach Roger Harring realizes the asset of having a
strong kicking game. "Any position
is important," Harring said, "But if it directly puts
points on the board it's especially im-
portant. The job of place-kicking is a difficult one
because of the pressure involved. Tim
has shown that he responds to pressure well which makes
his teammates and coaches
feel pretty confident every time he sets up to kick."
Lost in any kicker's success is the person snapping the
ball from center and the one
holding it. Harring points out the importance of each
assignment because "everything
must be handled correctly for the play to work."
Snapping the ball from center is Ray
Beams and handling it is Mike Durnin. Harring credits
Beams and Durnin for much of Tim
Murphy's success.
Versatile Chrest Reaps Honors
Steady Four Years
Everytime Craig Chrest steps lip to the line of
scrinmlnge,
he knows what awaits him once the ball is snapped and
tile
quarterback drops back to pass. He knows he will attract
company... maybe two or even three defenders. But for
the past four years now, the fleet-footed receiver has
weav-
ed his way through opposing team's secondaries to become
the premier pass catcher in the conference.
After rushing for over 1,300 yards as a senior at Black
River
Falls High School, Chrest appeared on the La Crosse
football
scene and promptly found himself in a starting position.
His duties were with catching the ball instead of
running
with it as in high school, and the 4.5 speedster
responded
by leading the squad in receiving. In the 1978 campaign
as a
sophomore, Chrest teamed up with star quarterback Dave
Draxler for an impressive 38 completions and 656 yards
on
the season ... a big reason the Indians were NAIA
play-off
qualifiers. And last season, the junior speedster earned
All-
WSUC First Team honors for his 28 conference catches, as
well as his kickoff and punt return abilities.
1980 once again finds Chrest with a different
quarterback
than the year before. Chrest has shown his versatility
by ad-
justing to four different quarterbacks in four years.
This
season, it has been the passing of junior quarterback
Jim
Kildahl that has allowed Chrest to be among the WSUC
pass
receiving leaders. But the seniors talents don't end
with
catching the ball. Chrest has been the leader in punt
returns
all season and has broken two for touchdowns.
Last week against Whitewater, Chrest had his finest day
ever. Chrest caught seven passes for 229 yards to
shatter
the old WSUC record of 205 set by Bill Newhouse of Ste-
vens Point in 1977. Included in the record-breaking
total
wis .1 pls I)lay for 97 yrrds - also a new school
record.
Chrest tops all other Indians in career receiving with
2156 yards, surpassing the mark of 1917 yards by Dave
Sae-
ger('72- 74) The 6' 1", 190 pounder needs 72 yards today
to
break the school record for most pass receiving yards in
a
season.
Craig Chrests Career Totals
NO. Of
Year Rec. Yards TD'S
1977 16 248 2
1978 38 656 5
1979 30 513 3
1980' 36 739 5
Totals 120 2156 15
Avg.
Catch
'15.5
17.6
171
20.5
18.0
' StatlStl( s not Includl g thils week s game
Honors
1978 AII-WSUC Second Team
1979 AII-WSUC First Team
AII-NAIA District 14 Honorable Mention
School Records
Most passing yards gained in one game - 229
(vs. Whitewater 1980)
Most yards returned by kickoffs in a season - 368
(1979)
Most career receiving yards - 2,156 (witn one game
remaining
Craig Chrest 1977-80
Frank Losinski, offensive line-
man, already weary from bat-
tle, waits eagerly to reenter the
fray.
61
ROW 1 - Coach Al Freeman, Dave Rogers, Steve Berkey,
Pete Gauchell, Bill Patza, Jay Pierce, Steve Rappley,
Mike Fabich, Dave Rusch, Jim Kildahl, Russ
Rydberg, Todd Snyden, Rick Simpson, Jeff Larson. Row 2 -
Coach Harring, Bill Weber, Gary Schenbrenner, Dale
Statz, John Limberg, B. J. Moore, Clayton
Heath, Dave Meyer, Jeff Marek, Steve Van Ess, Gary
Simons, Tim Harke, Horace Craft, Jr., Doug Sercu, Coach
Greg Mattison. Row 3 - Coach Keith French,
Jon Thomsen, Wilmor Gennesy. Jim Byrne, Joseh Mayers,
Kevin Hanegraaf, Larry Noll, Mark Rogness, Rick Ver
Duin, Tony Savaglio, Reggie Rabb, Mark
Gruen, Paul Banks, Coach Roland Christensen. Row 4 -
Dave Jensen, Kent Weiler, Bill Christianson, Jim
Rehberger, Tom Wenzlaff, Gary Kimm, Mark
Bohanski, Mark Shupe, Eugene Morse, Jim Schefdore, Wade
Martin, Dan Zagzebski, Coach Barry Schockmel. Row 5 -
Coach Mike Sanders, Jim Bires,
Dan Neal, Mike Jones, Jay Thorpe, Troy Pierce, Dale
Poinske, Jon Ackerman, John Anfang, Pat Wolf, Jim
Anfang, Mike Carter, Don Groshan, Student
Coach Mike Romas. Row 6 - Wayne Mleziva, Jerry
Delebreau, Greg Anderson, Dan Leifer, Gary Kastello,
David Allen, Tom Teske, Mike Topel, Bill Rosicky,
Jeff Patzner, Student Coach Russ Johnson. Row 7 *
Manager Dan Kraut Kramer, Walter Slater II, Tony Klein,
Craig Gerlach, John Hehlbrech, Bryce LaPorte,
Keith Gabrielson, Dale Gottschalk, Kurt Geissler, Al
Weidner, Anthony Brown, Alvin Hudson. Row 8 - Anthony
Marks, Willie Mallett, Kevin Yeske, Don
Scharbarth, Tim Olson, Scott Saville, Dave Kylla, Andy
Gigure, Stan Johnson, Jae Cho, Mack McClom, Jay Yde,
Russ Mann. Row 9 - Ken Van Vreede,
Steve Heim, Jeff Ruechel, Jim Olson, Joe Weber, Randy
Schrabeck, Tom Lannoy, Jeff Nack. Row 10 - Dave Butz,
Chuck Reynolds, Dave Schinneller, Jim
O'Brien, Joe Volkman, Steve Rutkowski, Ron Puent, Rich
Schmitt, Bob Krepfle, Robert King, Jr.
For the 12th straight year, the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-La Crosse football
team finished with a winning record.
The Indians' 6-4 overall mark improved
head coach Roger Harring's cumula-
tive record to 94-35-3 in his 13 years at
UW-L.
In retrospect, the 1981 season was
more like two seasons - the first half
providing thrills for Indian fans who
saw their team roll to a fast 5-0 start
and the second half being a disap-
pointment, despite a valiant near-up-
set of UW-Eau Claire in the season
finale.
The Indians began the year with a
24-7 thumping of nonconference
neighbor Winona State in a locally-
televised game at Memorial Field. The
next week, they travelled to St. Peter,
Minn., where they handed strong NAIA
Division II foe Gustavus Adolphus a
26-16 loss.
The conference portion of the
schedule began in the same manner
as the non-league games. La Crosse
staved off an Oshkosh rally to defeat
the Titans, 17-14, at Memorial Field.
Cornerback Mark Gruen tied a UW-L
record with three interceptions, in-
cluding one returned 41 yards for the
deciding touchdown. Then it was onto
Platteville for an early-season show-
down with the Pioneers. Again, the
62 Indians turned back a late comeback
effort by UW-Platteville to win a 7-3
defensive struggle in the mud and
rain.
La Crosse improved its record to 5-0
when it sank Stevens Point, 20-17, in
the annual Shrine Game. Again, the
game was played in a steady down-
pour and all the points were scored in
the first half. The win lifted La Crosse to
fifth place in the NAIA Division I poll -
the highest national ranking for a UW-L
team in several years.
The Indians took the next week off
before resuming the fateful second
half of the season. In their third straight
game on a muddy turf, the Indians
couldn't muster a consistent offensive
attack and fell to UW-Stout, 10-0, at
Nelson Field in Menomonie. It was the
Blue Devils' first win over La Crosse in
16 years.
The Indians got a break the next
week - they didn't have to play in the
rain. This time it was a blinding snow
which hampered play in the home-
coming game against River Falls. The
Falcons turned a La Crosse turnover
into a touchdown - the only score of
the game - in recording a 6-0 overtime
win. Ironically, the next week the Indi-
ans played in their best weather of the
year at usually-frigid Superior. Sixteen
fourth quarter points enabled
Harring's team to overcome the
Yellowjackets, 23-10.
In the home finale, Whitewater
stormed back from a 15-0 halftime
deficit to defeat UW-L, 25-15. Fourteen
seniors, including 10 starters, com-
peted in their last game of their ca-
reers at Memorial Field.
In the final game of the year, the
Indians fought back from a 15-0 deficit
in the third quarter to take a 19-15
lead over UW-Eau Claire. But the na-
tionally-ranked Blugolds scored late in
the game to nudge the persistent
Indians, 22-19. Halfback Reggie Rabb
rushed for 206 yards in 21 carries - the
highest offensive output of the season
for a La Crosse back.
The defense was the strong point of
the team. The Indians held opponents
to just 13 points a game and ranked
second in the Wisconsin State Univer-
sity Conference (WSUC) in total de-
fense, allowing 273 yards a game.
They were first in pass defense and
fourth in defense against the rush. Two
defensive standouts - tackle Jim Byrne
and linebacker Mike Fabich - earned
AII-WSUC and NAIA District 14 first
team honors. Byrne, a sophomore
from Brooklyn, N.Y., was also selected
to the NAIA All-American honorable
mention team. Mark Gruen was
named most valuable player for his
record-tying 10 interceptions, which
also led the NAIA Division I.
Jeff Voss
Sports Information Director
1981-6-4-4th; Harring 94-35-3 For .740
A large, loud cannon once was fired after every
touchdown made by the LaCrosse Indians. It
malfunctioned some years back and hasn't been replaced.
The UW-L defense, under coaches
Christensen and Schockmel, has been an inte-
gral part of victories for years. It is vaunted and
feared by the opponents. In this picture against
Oshkosh they go for the fumble they have
caused.
Jim Byrne (77), only a sophomore in 1981, was already an
NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. He led the team in
defensive points with 291, headed the Indian defensive
unit in
solo tackles behind the line, had the most quarterback
sacks
with nine, came up with 21 'big plays' to lead the team,
and was
chosen twice as UW-L player of the week.
Quarterback Tony Klein, only a sophomore in 1981, seems
ready for greater
things next year. This year he started two games and
completed 13 of 32 passes
for 145 yards.
1981 FOOTBALL AWARDS AND HONORS
C O -C A PTA IN S ... ............ ...
............................................
....................................Jim Kildahl, M ike
Fa bich
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
..................................... ................
.... ......... .... ........Mark Gruen
TOP ROCK AWARD
...........................................
............................... ..Rick Ver Duin
TOP BLOCK AWARD ......................................
................... ............. .. ..Clayton Heath
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ........ ......... ........
..............................................................................John
Mehlbrech
ALL-WSUC FIRST TEAM
Jim Byrne, Mike Fabich
ALL-WSUC SECOND TEAM
Dale Statz, Mark Gruen, Torkel Leum, Reggie Rabb
ALL-WSUC HONORABLE MENTION
Jay Pierce, Russ Rydberg, Clayton Heath, Jeff Larson
ALL-NAIA DISTRICT 14 FIRST TEAM
Jim Byrne, Mike Fabich
HONORABLE MENTION NAIA ALL-AMERICAN
Jim Byrne
Reggie Rabb led the Indians in rushing for the
third straight year with 766 yards on 152 carries,
a five yard per carry average. He had an eighty
yarder for a TD against conference champion
Eau Claire, and was selected as WSUC player of
the week after the Eau Claire game when he
rushed for 210 yards on 21 carries and scored
two touchdowns.
1982-Undisputed Title-7-1; 8-2 Overall
Byrne, Gruen, Leum, Ver Duin NAIA
All-Americans
Gruen 20 Interceptions In Career; Team Record 29
Interceptions In '82
The 70th season of UW-LaCrosse
football was a banner year which in-
cluded the team winning its 10th
straight season opener, posting a six
game win-streak, presenting Coach
Harring with his 100th victory, record-
ing a 7-1 log in the WSUC, and gaining
national recognition throughout the
country as a fine football team with
their 8-2 overall record by being
ranked 11th in the final NAIA Division I
regular season poll.
UW-L started the season with some
questions. Winona forced them into
overtime before succumbing, while St.
Thomas thrashed them in a rematch
of 1953. Then came the six game win-
streak which helped bolster the spirits
and confidence of the Indians.
The Indians were ranked as high as
fourth during the season, but fell
steadily throughout the season to
eleventh spot, where they ended the
year, out of the playoffs for the fourth
straight year.
The WSUC is regarded by many as
the best non-scholarship league in the
country, and unfortunately for the Indi-
ans, the wave of victories came to an
end in game number nine. The
Whitewater Warhawks used some
come-from-behind magic against the
Indians at Whitewater as they rallied
from a 14-0 deficit to win, 20-14, and
knock the Indians out of contention for
an NAIA post-season playoff berth
and drop the squad into a first-place
tie with Eau Claire heading into the
season finale.
When the smoke cleared that cold
November day, the UW-LaCrosse foot-
ball players held undisputed title to
the 1982 conference. They whipped
the Eau Claire Blugolds 14-7. The Indi-
ans had shared titles in 1974, '75, '78,
and 1980, but this one was clean,
pure, unsullied, and rightfully claimed
by a group of young men who had
played their hearts and souls out for
the pride and recognition that be-
longs to the champion.
Front Row: J. Thomsen, D. Bercu, T. Leum, G.
Aschenbrenner, Co-captain R. Ver Duin, Co-captain R.
Rabb, D.
Statz, L. Noll, D. Polinske, M. Bohanski, M. Gruen, G.
Simons, Second Row: C. Reynolds, J. Thorpe, T. Klein, R.
Parker, J. Byrne, D. Kindt, K. Hanegraaf, K. Schmidt, T.
Newberry, B. Christianson, M. Shupe, M. Topel. Third
Row:
J. LeSac, S. Graf, J. Weber, Coach Larson, Coach
Wisemen, Coach Bukowski, Head Coach Roger Harring,
Coach Schockmel, Coach Christensen, Coach French, W.
Slater, T. Winney. Fourth Row: J. Wipple, J. DeYoung,
M. Framke, M. Mahsem, J. Ash, D. Lowney, M, Harter, T.
Sichlinger, D. Scharbarth, B. Krepfle, R. Schmitt, S.
Rutowski, S. Johnson, W. Mallett, J. Gile. Fifth Row: P.
Litchfeld, D. Lorrig, K. Van Vreede, K. Yeske, J.
Jelinske,
D. Behm, C. Bennett, B. Bandoli, M. Theisen, D.
Harrington, T. Taubner, J, Wolowicz, J. Rushlow. Sixth
Row: J.
Becker, T. Harke, A, Tesch, S. Bolin, G. Gaulke, M.
Schroeder, D. Derginer, A. Richards, D. Josten, S.
Rabay, C.
Gerlach, D. Gottschalk, J. Dehn, D. Spevak. P. Gale. Top
Row: T, Hermes, S, Murphy, P. Bushman, L. Sullivan, P.
Crouse, J. Overbye, C. Davidson, S. McGarth, L. Wardall,
D. Beier, R. Johnson.
Rabb Leads Rushers 4th Year In A Row
Harring Coach Of The Year, 102-37-3 For .718
UW-LaCrosse Ranked 11th NAIA, Misses Playoff By 6 At
Whitewater
The 1982 version of the UW-L Indians
gave Roger Harring his 100th football
victory as a birthday present on Octo-
ber 23rd by defeating River Falls 38-6
in resounding fashion. This vaulted
them into first place, a position they
never gave up in the nine-team Wis-
consin State University Conference.
Harring now has a record of 102-37-
3 in fourteen years as head coach of
the Indians. He is presently the fourth
winningest coach in the NAIA with a
.718 winning percentage. The victory
total gives Harring the tenth highest
mark of all active coaches in the NAIA.
The veteran head mentor has
coached the Indians to seven WSUC
titles and three runner-up spots. His
1982 squad ranked eleventh in the
final regular season NAIA poll and just
missed a playoff spot, since the top
eight go to the playoffs.
Harring attributes much of the suc-
cess to his veteran coaching staff,
including Roland Christiansen, defen-
sive coordinator for 24 years, Barry
Schockmel, defensive backfield
coach for 14 years, Keith French, of-
fensive backfield coach for six years,
Al Freeman, head freshman coach for
eight years, and Bruce Bukowski, de-
fensive line coach, new this year.
The 1982 coaching staff included Roland Christensen and
Bruce Bukowski, rear, and Barry Schockmel, Roger
Harring, Keith French, and Al Freeman, front.
Jim Byrne (77), and Steve Graf
(49), put the pinch on the Eau
Claire quarterback.
1982
Quarterback Tony Klein held a
hot hand in 1982, throwing 185
times and completing 84 for
1080 yards and a .454 percent-
age. He also rushed 106 times
for 141 yards and eight touch-
downs.
1982 saw eleven seniors play their last game for UW-L.
They are, standing; Gary Simons (39), Dale Statz (74),
Dale
Polinske (78), Doug Bercu (23), Torkel Leum (64), G.
Aschenbrenner (94). Kneeling; Rick Ver Duin (54), Mark
Bohanski (33), Mark Gruen (80), Larry Noll (88), Reggie
Rabb
(37).
Doug Bercu urges Larry Noll through the exercise drill,
while a host of other footballers wait their turns.
69
1983-9-3-1-2nd, Reach Final Four Div. III
Tight Loss To Augustana 21-15 Is Heartbreaker
Year Promises Future Greatness, Newberry, Ertl, Lowney,
Behm,
Hermes
The 1983 football season was at times surprisingly
sensa-
tional and at times quite poor. The overall record of
9-3-1
indicates superiority, of course, but within those three
losses
was a 41-0 loss to Northern Iowa, and a 25-3 loss to
neighbor Eau Claire.
To squeeze into the playoffs again after five years,
LaCrosse had to play a great game against River Falls in
the regular season finale, and LaCrosse did just that.
Junior
quarterback Bob Krepfle, making only his third starting
assignment, completed 27 attempts out of 40 for 509
yards
and four touchdowns. The 509 yards established a state
collegiate record by four yards and came within five
yards
of breaking the NCAA Division III national record.
The 27 completions established a new single game
record for UW-L, including scoring tosses of 49, 37, 67,
and
63 yards. In his seven game appearances this season
Krepfle has completed 91 passes in 179 attempts (.508
percent) for 1359 yards and nine touchdowns.
Freshman Quarterback Oberg
Freshman quarterback Todd Oberg started for the Indi-
ans when Krepfle went down with a shoulder separation.
He completed 45 passes in 108 attempts for 489 yards and
two touchdowns in seven games this season. Oberg be-
came the first freshman to start at quarterback in the
last
twenty-five years.
Against Oshkosh, Oberg rushed for 137 yards, including
one run for 77 yards and a touchdown. That's the longest
run by a UW-L quarterback ever.
Schmidt And Byrne
Senior split end Ken Schmidt was selected as LaCrosse's
most valuable player for 1983. Schmidt caught ten passes
against Stout to tie an existing record. Against River
Falls
Schmidt caught nine passes for 170 yards and two touch-
downs.
Jim Byrne has become a three time all-American this
year and came to terms with the New Jersey Generals of
the United States Football League. In 1983, leading the
LaCrosse defense Byrne was in on 90 tackles, had 14
tackles behind the line of scrimmage, had six
quarterback
sacks, and in general was a real thorn to the opponents.
Best In UW-L History
Reaching the semifinals of the playoffs is the best UW-L
has done in three playoff appearances under Coach
Harring, and shows promise for the future of the program
as it steadily improves. LaCrosse this year is one of
the four
best teams in Division III, which has a contingent of
196.
Quarterback Bob Krepfle passes out of the
pocket in the River Falls game. In 1983 Krepfle
participated in 332 plays in 9 games for a total
of 2050 yards for a game average of 227.8.
(opposite page)
Coach Roland Christensen gives instructions
to All-American Jim Byrne during the heart of
battle. (opposite page)
Football players are always delighted to see support
from pom pon girls, and in the eighties the
girls were fantastic.
70
UW-L Defeats Occidental College 43-42
Quarterbacks Oberg And Krepfle Establish Records
TEAM MEMBERS INNUMERICAL ORDER: 20 C. Kirby; 21 B.
Krepfle; 23 M. Capsstran; 24 T. Hermes; 25 T. Oberg; 26
S. Rutkowski; 27 R. Martinez; 28 K. Yeske;
29 K. Van Vreede; 30 W. Mallett; 31 A. Youngblat; 32 R.
Parker; 33 T. Kutlowski; 34 D. Josten; 35 D. Cayler; 36
D. Behm; 37 T. Whinney; 38 R. Johnson; 39 D.
Emmerich; 40 D. Lowney; 41 W. Flores; 42 R. Puent; 43 D.
Scharbarth; 44 Da. Aamoth; 45 W. Slator; 46 P. Bushman;
47 L. Sullivan: 48 C. Tesch; 49 B. Hoesley;
50 D. Leifer; 51 T. Teske; 52 T. Schiebe; 53 T.
Newberry; 54 D. Rushlow; 55 D. Fox; 56 M. Topel; 57 J.
DeYoung; 58 P. Jastrow; 59 T. Schwantes; 60 T. Schmidt;
61 T. Taubner; 62 J. Weber; 63 B. Christianson; 64 D.
Gottschalk; 65 J. Thorpe; 66 J. Ash; 67 T. Sicklinger;
68 C. Gerlach; 69 B. Ward; 70 K. Forray; 71 P. Ertl; 72
J. Stangl; 73 D. Baker; 74 P. Crouse; 75 M. Theisen; 76
G. Rankel; 77 J. Byrne; 78 M. Bambenek; 79 B. Dietzen;
81 S. Johnson; 82 J. Jelinske; 83 K. Schmidt; 84
G. Fimriete; 85 J, Thomsen; 86 B. Thompson; 87 B.
Thompson; 88 A. Richard; 89 M. Harter; 91 R. Madison; 92
S. Rabay; 93 T. Collins; 94 J. Wolowitz; 95 M.
Mahsem.
Jim Byrne (77), a defensive tackle for UW- L takes
time to cool off during a hot game.
Coaching Was
Instrumental
In Defensive Ken Schmidt Most Valuable Player In '83
In Defensive
Tackle's Life Below, Schmidt Catches a Pass in the
Oshkosh Game.
I am currently a middle school prin-
cipal in Menasha, Wisconsin and have
held this position for the past three
years. I will graduate from Columbia
University Teachers College with a
Doctorate in Educational Administra-
tion in May of 1998.
The success experienced with the
football program at UW-L has been a
springboard for any of the personal
success I have achieved in my career.
The lessons that I have learned from
the football program, and more spe-
cifically from Coach Harring, Coach
Chris, and Coach Holland, have been
invaluable to me. I have been moti-v"
vated by these people to always strive ·
for the best results possible. I continue
to attempt endeavors that normally
would not be possible without the atti-
tude instilled in me by the coaching
staff at UW-L.
One point I continue to share with
staff, students, and parents, as well as
subscribe to myself, is from Coach
Harring. He often said, "Take care of
the things that are in your control and
don't waste time worrying about the
things you do not have control over."
I cannot help but hear Coach
Chris's voice ringing in my thoughts,
"You gotta do better than that! That's
not good enough!"
The experience that I gained from
the UW-L football program will con-
tinue to drive my career as well as my
personal life!
Phil Ertl- 1997
72 Defensive Tackle '83-'86
Oberg 1st Starting Freshman
Quarterback In 25 Years
At UW-L
Oberg was equally good running and passing.
The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse band, called the
Marching Chiefs, made a national reputation for
themselves
by participating at Packer and Viking games, as well as
performing spectacularly at Indian games.
1984-8-2-
3rd
Krepfle Sensational
The 1984 season opened with a win
over the 1983 National Champion
Northwestern College of Iowa. The
Red Raiders hadn't lost a regular sea-
son game since the fourth game of
the 1981 campaign, That was a
twenty-seven game winning streak
that the Indians broke. Two touch-
down runs by Dave Behm, and two
touchdown passes from quarterback
Bob Krepfle, one to Don Kindt and the
other to Stan Johnson, provided the
scoring.
The Indians' final three touchdowns
came in the final nine minutes of the
game. Behm led all rushers with 89
yards in 14 attempts. Krepfle equaled
his school mark of pass attempts with
44. He completed 19 with one inter-
ception. Johnson led all receivers with
nine for 135 yards.
Gustavus Canceled
A power failure at Hollingsworth Sta-
dium on the Gustavus Adolphus cam-
pus forced the game to be canceled
by mutual agreement. A main trans-
former blew out and nothing could be
done quickly to obtain lighting for the
night game.
Crushed by Warhawks
Whitewater simply crushed the Indi-
ans in front of a record 8700 fans. Dan
Lowney had to punt eleven times in
the game. Whitewater rallied from a
9-7 deficit at halftime to score ten
points in the third quarter and four-
teen more in the fourth quarter to
outclass the Indians, who couldn't get
started.
Matt Pekarske, a sophomore full-
back from Manitowoc, scored the In-
dians' only touchdown on a four yard
plunge which capped a sixty-five yard
drive.
UW-L Snows Superior
The Indians scored at will, as Quar-
terback Krepfle completed all eleven
passes for 188 yards and connected
for two touchdowns, both to Stan
Johnson. The Indians held a 35-0
halftime lead.
The Indians scored on the final play
of the third quarter as Mark Capstran
rifled a 22 yard pass to senior Bill Deno
on a fourth and fifteen, Dave Lubinsky,
a former Onalaska High School player,
ran in from one yard to conclude the
scoring. Seventy-six players got into
the game.
Blank Stevens Point
Quarterback Bob Krepfle threw two
touchdown passes to receiver Stan
Johnson, including a 98 yarder, to lead
the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse
past UW-Stevens Point, 27-0,
Krepfle, who had completed 12
consecutive passes entering the
game, connected on his first three
passes before the streak was broken
at 15, one shy of the National Colle-
giate Athletic Association Division
Three record, Lowney gained a ca-
reer-high 104 yards in 12 carries,
Anderson College
Anderson, of Indiana, proved no
competition, although they had re-
ceived votes in the NAIA Div. II poll only
one week earlier. Bob Krepfle was
uncanny in reading their defense, and
threw five touchdowns while complet-
ing 22 of 26 attempts for 284 yards.
Krepfle completed his first eight
passes, Junior end Mike Mahsem
caught three touchdown passes. The
Indians outgained Anderson 420-141
in total offense. The Ravens gained just
24 yards rushing.
Whip Platteville 31-7
This was a great Homecoming
game for LaCrosse. The most exciting
play of the game came in the third
quarter when Quarterback Krepfle
and Kevin Hanegraaf hooked up for a
70 yard touchdown strike.
The Indian defense allowed only two
of eleven passes for seven yards and
limited Platteville to 14 yards rushing in
20 carries for 21 total yards. The Indi-
ans gave up only four first downs in the
second half.
The Indians have outscored their
opponents 161-10 in the past four con-
tests.
Stomp Stout
The Blue Devils were angelic in per-
mitting the Indians to crush them 37-0,
LaCrosse is now ranked sixth in the
latest NAIA poll. Bob Krepfle again
threw for three touchdowns, and the
defense again shut the opponents
down, Behm gained 46 yards in 12
carries as the Indians gained 161
yards on the ground and 282 through
the air, The year is definitely flying.
Oshkosh Mush 31-6
LaCrosse is now ranked fifth in the
NAIA poll. In the first quarter Krepfle
threw a completion for 76 yards to
Stan Johnson, which gave Krepfle the
UW-L all-time career passing record,
surpassing the previous mark of 3870
yards established by Joe Wagner in
the early 1970s, In three seasons
Krepfle now has 4013 yards through
the air,
The touchdown also gave Krepfle
the school record for most touchdown
passes in a career. With two scoring
passes against Oshkosh, Krepfle has
now thrown for 37 touchdowns and
has 267 career completions, another
school record,
Wild Air Game
Eau Claire almost pulled it off, but
ended on the short end of 31-30. In the
last ten minutes of this game forty
points were scored. The winning
touchdown came on a 40 yard aerial
from Krepfle to wide receiver Kevin
Hanegraaf with 21 seconds to play
and capped an 83 yard drive in just
three plays with 53 seconds remain-
ing.
Hanegraaf had a career-high nine
receptions for 113 yards and three
touchdowns. Teammate Stan Johnson
caught eight passes for 163 yards and
now has 50 receptions for 902 yards
this season.
River Falls trips UW-L
A 21-7 victory gave River Falls a
share of the conference title and
dropped LaCrosse to third place, out
of the playoff picture. Stan Johnson
led the Indian receivers with seven
catches for 63 yards, and set a new
school record with 962 receiving yards
in one season
UW-L finished the season at 6-2 in
the conference and 8-2 overall. They
finished in tenth place in the final NAIA
rankings, two places out of the
playoffs.
74
Tom Newberry (75), from Onalaska, Wisconsin,
played as offensive guard for the University of
Wisconsin-LaCrosse Indians. He matured fully
only his last two years at UW-L and then led the
offense. He became indispensable in leading
plays. He went on to play professional football
for ten years for the Los Angeles Rams, then
spent one year at Pittsburg and earned a Super
Bowl ring.
Coach Roger Harring can be seen at each
game pacing the sidelines, sometimes happy,
sometimes elated, sometimes pensive and
thoughtful. He gets his team ready the best he
can and then turns the game over to them. He
accepts what they do, realizing that they are
young, many inexperienced, and most highly
excitable and eager. He exalts with them, feels
good and bad with them, but never blames
them. He knows they do the best they can, and
with proper motivation, sometimes more.
75
John Mehlbrech (45), sophomore running back from
Wisconsin Rap
ids, played in nine games and ran 45 times for 124
yards. He also had
Kevin Hanegraaf (93), Honorable Mention AII-WSUC split
end for UW-L had 27 nine for 44 ds
receptions for 404 yards during the 1984 season.
Don Kindt (89), Honorable Men-
tion AII-WSUC tight end had 16
receptions for 243 yards during
the 1984 season.
Newberry, Krepfle
All-Americans
Stan Johnson Scores 54 Points
1984
Second Team All-American
Honorable Mention From UW-L
Stan Johnson, Tom Sicklinger,
Joe Weber, Kevin Yeske
Row 1: B. Deno, S. Graf, B. Krepfle, J. Weber, B,
Conner, W. Mallett, B.
Christianson, K. Hanegraaf. Row 2: D. Kindt, T. Taubner,
J. Thorpe, S.
Johnson, T. Sicklinger, D, Leifer, C. Gerlach, G.
Rankel. Row 3: Head Coach
Roger Harring, G. Holmes, G. Anderson, J. Mallett, M.
Pekarske, T. Ebner, T.
Newberry, D. Gottschalk, J. Mahairas, S. Montgomery, B.
Thomsen, S.
Murphy. Row 4: Trainer Jim Schlimovitz, S. Replogle, S.
Slein, G. Martin, K.
Snyder, A. Youngblat, S. Wuest, S. Amato, D. Schmitt, G.
Fleischman, J.
Steiner, J. Crowns, K. Weller, T. Phillips, Coach Joe
Thompson, Coach Barry
Schockmel, Row 5: Coach Mike Topel, Coach Dan Derginer,
R. Cobb, M,
Framke, D. Lubinsky, R. Panzier, B. Cisar, D. Denamur,
J. Alba, P. Klicker, E.
Laubenstein, J. Craig, P, Bushman, J. Becker, K. Van
Vreede, Coach Roland
Christiansen, Coach Jearold Holland, Row 6: Coach Mike
Resop, J.
Lowney, R. Blohowiak, E. Guth, M. Hutchinson, C. Larson,
J. Harrison, P.
Jastrow, M. Mahsem, J. Steffenhagen, M. Capstran, J.
Mehlbrech, D.
Lowney, D. Behm, J. Ash, J. DeYoung, M. Blokhuis, Coach
Rik Parker. Row
7: Coach Mike Larson, A. Weidner, B, Schmitt, P. Mohr,
M, Wolowicz, J.
Wolowicz, D. Rushlow, K. Yeske, J. Jelinske, D.
Newberry, J. Sydorowicz, B.
Yaeggi, H. Friedrichs, A. Graff, J. Rihn. Row 8: T.
Scheibe, A. Bauer, A. Bester,
T. Swartz, J. Koepper, D. Carl, L. Wardall, B. Thompson,
M. Harding, P.
Weber, G. Fimreite, B. Folio, D. Westfall, B. Thompson,
J. Neumann, S.
Sacharske, T. Eckrote, P. Ertl.
Dan Lowney (40), drives for more yardage in his greatest
season. He had
15 receptions for 99 yards. He rushed 69 times for 349
yards. He punted 32
times and averaged 36,2 yards per punt,
Gottschalk, Newberry All-Americans
UW-L Has Heart, Determination, Skill And Will
4th Harring Playoff
By Chris Hardie
Tribune staff
Wait a minute, there must be a mis-
take.
This wasn't supposed to be the year
the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse
football team would win a national
title. After all, six starters from last
year's explosive offensive unit which
averaged 392 yards a game were
gone.
Sure, the defense would be solid
with eight returning starters, but how
would the Indians replace second-
team All-America quarterback Bob
Krepfle, tight end Don Kindt and wide
receiver Stan Johnson?
How could a team which com-
pleted its regular season with an 8-1-2
record qualify for the Division II playoffs
when last year's team, which some say
was more talented, ended its season
with a similar 8-2 record? That team
finished 10th in the National Associa-
tion of Intercollegiate Athletics final
rankings, two places out of the qualify-
ing eighth place.
How could a team which finished
second in the Wisconsin State Univer-
sity Conference win the national
championship when the league's
champion, River Falls, didn't even re-
ceive a National Collegiate Athletic
Association Division III playoff bid?
Ask UW-L Coach Roger Harring any
of these questions, and he'll tell you
this:
"I've always contended that the
WSUC is the strongest non-scholarship
conference in the country," said
Harring. "Certainly River Falls should
have had the opportunity to play for a
national championship.
"Last year we had a good team, just
like we did in 1977. Both years we
didn't get into the playoffs, and in '78
and this year we did. Our team was a
different dimension this year, more
run-oriented. We did a good job offen-
sively and did what we could with the
talent we had. The defense played
solid all year,"
The Indians began the season
ranked sixth in the Division II poll and
quickly moved up to the No. 3 slot with
nonconference victories over Winona
State, Gustavus Adolphus and St.
Ambrose.
78 But the first obstacle the Indians had
to overcome was a 35-35 tie against
Stevens Point. The tie came after the
Indians held a 35-11 lead with five
minutes remaining.
The Indians came back with con-
secutive conference victories over
Platteville and Superior, giving them a
5-0-1 record and a No. 3 ranking
heading into a crucial matchup
against River Falls.
River Falls handed the Indians their
first loss of the season - a 34-21 deci-
sion - and dropped UW-L to No. 7 in
the poll. UW-L also lost starting quarter-
back Todd Oberg to a knee injury.
But once again the Indians came
back, stopping Eau Claire, 13-10.
But against Oshkosh, the Indians'
playoffs hopes dimmed when the two
teams tied, 14-14, as reserve quarter-
back Mark Capstran threw seven in-
terceptions.
Harring was downcast after the
Oshkosh game when he said, "We had
to have a win for a playoff opportu-
nity."
In the last game of the season UW-L
squeezed out a 10-3 victory over Stout,
to give the team a shot at the playoffs.
But if the No. 5 team, Azusa Pacific
of California, hadn't lost its final game
of the season, the Indians would have
been sitting home. Azusa dropped to
No. 9 with the loss, and UW-L moved up
one notch to No. 8.
You know the rest of the story. The
Indians rolled over No. 7 Carroll Col-
lege of Montana, 24-0, in the playoff
opener. They edged Northwestern
College of Iowa, 35-28, in a triple-over-
time semifinal game and dominated
Pacific Lutheran, 24-7, in the champi-
onship game,
How did the Indians come back
from so many obstacles to win the first
national championship in UW-L foot-
ball history?
You could say it was because of the
emergence of 1,000-yard rusher Dan
Lowney, or because of the consistent
defensive play spearheaded by line-
backer Dale Gottschalk. Or you could
say the dominating offensive line led
by National Football League prospect
Tom Newberry was the reason.
But the real reason was the Indians
never gave up.
This group of athletes, probably less
talented than previous teams, made
up for that lack of talent with the
desire to play the best they could. That
desire carried them to a national
championship.
Helena, Montana- 1985
The NAIA always has a pre-game
dinner the night before a champion-
ship game. UW-L was playing Carrol
College, which had never been in the
playoffs before. To them this was the
Super Bowl of Montana.
Each coach was to rise to introduce
his coaching staff and players. I don't
remember the coach's name for
Carrol, but his head was a little swol-
len. All of his coaches were former
All-Americans, and his team was invin-
cible. He spent 35 to 40 minutes emot-
ing upon the wonders of his players. By
the time he was finished, we were all
sick of hearing about nothing short of
the second coming.
Coach Harring rose after the ap-
plause had subsided and said some-
thing like, "Let me introduce my
coaches. I'm not sure they even
played football." Most were, of course,
All-Americans, too.
"I hope we don't embarrass our-
selves tomorrow." He then very quickly
read the names of the players, without
comments about how good they were
or anything else.
I feel this shows the class of Roger
Harring. Rather than trying to outtalk
the other coach, which he could easily
have done, he was humble, and also
didn't give them any fuel for the
game. I have always remembered
such humility, especially since I am
now coaching myself.
I will always be proud of being part
of Roger Harring's coaching legacy. It
is something that I carry with me every
day and feel fortunate to have.
Joe Mirasoa
Kicker, 1985-'86
1985 NAIA Division II National Champions
Harring Coach Of The Year, Lowney MVP
'Lucky' Doesn't Play For UW-LaCrosse
By Chris Hardie
Tribune staff
"Lucky" LaCrosse had the last laugh over the Lutes.
The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse football team was
tagged "lucky" by some of the
Washington media before the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics Division II
championship game Friday. Lucky because the Indians
slipped past Northwestern
College of Iowa, 35-28, in triple overtime in the
semi-finals and lucky because they made
the playoffs without even winning their conference
title.
So what happened to lucky LaCrosse? Just before Friday's
game UW-L Coach Roger
Harring told his team, "Let's get lucky one more time,"
The result was a 24-7 victory over the Pacific Lutheran
University Lutes and the first
national title for the Indians.
Harring said although his team was physically tired,
they were ready to play.
"All along this team has had no problem getting up
mentally for the playoff games,"
said Harring. "Last week the team was beat, and we did
not practice hard at all this week.
The players had to get themselves ready - I can't be a
cheerleader. At this level the
players have to be intrinsically motivated and have to
feel good about their performance
- win or lose. They're the ones that will have the
memories."
Adding more fuel to the fire was one Pacific Lutheran
player boasting about how his
team couldn't be stopped.
The Indians took notice, said linebacker Dale
Gottschalk.
"They said they had an offense that couldn't be
stopped," said Gottschalk. "We knew
they could be stopped, and that's what we did."
The Indians' defense, which had been the most consistent
part of the UW-L team
throughout the season, forced five Pacific Lutheran
fumbles and intercepted two passes,
thoroughly frustrating the Lutes' offense.
Ken Van Vreede, who recovered a fumble and intercepted a
pass, was named the
defensive player of the game for the Indians.
"They took away our rhythm, and that was the greatest
thing we had going for us," said
Pacific Lutheran Coach Frosty Westerling. "It was kind
of like a car missing on a few
cylinders."
Westerling's prediction that the game would be decided
on the line of scrimmage
turned out to be an accurate assessment.
"Really, I don't think we lost, it was a double-win type
of game," said Westerling. "We lost
to a great team, but we had a great season. LaCrosse
controlled the line of scrimmage.
They took us out of the things we like to do. They made
the big plays and kept pressure
on us. But the big thing was the line of scrimmage.
That's where champions are made,"
Friday's game was filled with big wonders and small
wonders.
The big wonder was a 285-pound All-America guard Tom
Newberry, who rivaled William
"The Refrigerator" Perry of the Chicago Bears with an
eight-yard guard-around play. The
Indians had the ball on the Lutes' 15-yard line on a
third-and-13 situation when Althaus
took the snap and put the ball on the ground. Newberry
scooped it up, rambling eight
yards and breaking one tackle before being hauled down
on the 7.
"He almost scored on that play," grinned Harring. "We
told the officials so they knew it
was coming. I know one thing, I wouldn't want to be in
front of him,"
More characteristic of Newberry were his lead blocks on
sweep plays to the outside,
sometimes taking out three players at a time, giving
UW-L backs large chunks of yardage,
Leading the way for the Indians was fullback Dan Lowney,
who was named the offensive
player of the game for his 92 yards rushing on 25
attempts.
The small wonder as a 5-foot-6, 160-pound kicker Joe
Mirasola, who set an NAIA playoff
record with three field goals, breaking the previous
mark of two set in 1976.
Mirasola gave the Indians a 3-0 lead early in the first
quarter on a 46-yard field goal,
the longest of his career. The junior from Schofield
added a 25-yard kick in the second
quarter and a 43-yarder in the fourth quarter.
"I'm real happy," said Mirasola. "It's a great feeling
to win the championship and to be
a part of it. My parents traveled almost 2,000 miles to
watch me play, so I'm just happy
I got into the game."
Roland Christensen, who completed his 24th season as
defensive coordinator for the
Indians, said he was happy for the players,
"I'm happy for the kids," said Christensen. "They
deserved to win and they were a better
team than PLU."
Perhaps Lowney, who missed practice all week with a hip
pointer, summed it up best
when he described how he felt about winning a national
championship.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet and it probably won't
until we get back to LaCrosse," the
running back said. "Right now I'm tired, real tired. I'm
glad the season is over."
80
uvw
1 985
- LA CROSSE INDIANS
NAIA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
In 1995 the 1985 team members from the National
Championship year held a reunion at UW-L. In this
picture taken in Cartwright Center, some of the
team members surround Coaches Christensen and Harring,
who are flanking Chut Halverson, a long time supporter
of the Indians. Halverson throws a
senior banquet each year and attends as many games and
practice sessions as possible.
~ King Gambrinus from the Heileman
Brewery is joined by three seniors, Mar-
shall Wolowicz (95), Dale Gottschalk
(51), and Jay Wolowicz (94). LAbr
1985-11-1-2-Once Dreamers, Champions Forever
Matt Pekarske (32) in 1985 was in on 103 plays, rushing
for 416 yards. He
caught 4 passes for 36 yards, returned 31 punts for 294
yards, and scored 3
touchdowns for 18 points.
Ted Pretasky (34), a freshman in 1985, ran 51 times for
285 yards
and three touchdowns.
Todd Oberg (22) played quarterback in nine games and
passed
for 1094 yards in the regular season.
Co-Champs; Harring 140-45-6 For .733
3 Points From 8-0 Conference-Championship Game
1986 was an exciting season for the Indians.
Only two games were lost by a total of three
points. The national championship was within
grasp, but a few inches and a whisker kept the
Indians from their second national.
The foot of Joe Mirasola, which had won the
game at Hanover, Indiana in the last nine
seconds, also missed the right upright by eigh-
teen inches, as estimated by the opposing
coach from Baker, Kansas, and the semifinal
game was lost by two points after a hard, cold
struggle between two evenly matched teams.
It was a dramatic year in which records
were broken. Matt Pekarske ran five punts
back for touchdowns. Ted Pretasky rushed 276
times for a record 1642 yards and became an
All-American. Phil Ertl joined Pretasky on the
All-American team at defensive tackle. Joe
Mirasola, Tim Schiebe, Lee Wardall, and Jerry
Sydorowicz were Honorable Mentions on the
NAIA All-America Division II football team.
In the two playoff games Eric Guth made 17
unassisted tackles, Cirt Tesch made 14 solo
tackles, and Connie Farner made 10 solo
tackles. Todd Oberg threw for 430 yards in the
two playoff games, while Gerald Last caught
seven of those passes and Tony Reinders
caught six of those passes. Joe Mirasola made
13 points with his toe in those two playoffs,
while Phil Ertl, playing defensive tackle, was
almost high scorer with twelve points.
Pretasky scored 90 points on the year, while
Pekarske scored 48. Pekarske returned 39
punts for 648 yards during the season, while
Eric Guth made eight interceptions for forty
yards.
The River Falls game may have been the
most exciting of the year. Coach Farley called
for a run for a two point conversion rather than
an extra point for a tie, with just 48 seconds
remaining in the game.
The Baker Kick Probably the most important thing Coach
Harring ever said to me came
after the semifinal playoff loss to Baker College in
1986. That game was decided on a last
second field goal that, unfortunately, I missed.
Coach Harring called me into his office the next Monday,
and I will always remember what
he said, perhaps not word for word, but the meaning will
always ring true. He told me how
throughout life one will have highs and lows. He told me
how for the last week I had been riding
a high after making a last second field goal in Hanover,
Indiana to help get us to the Baker
game.
He said that some day I may have children and be
extremely happy, and then they may
develop a handicap or physical disability. He said that
people will be born and people will die.
The most important point he made was that without the
bad times the good times wouldn't
seem so good. I have used this advice many times since
that day.
Perhaps as important as what he said that day was the
fact that he took the time to say it.
I was a senior, and he would not have needed to take
time to talk to me to help me to deal
with what I thought at the time was a tragic situation,
but that is the type of man Roger Harring
is. He truly cares about his players, past and present.
That is perhaps part of the Harring
mystique.
I believe that by him caring and respecting his players
and treating them with class, his
players play just that little bit harder, and that may
separate winning from losing.
Joe Mirasola
Kicker, class of '86
84
1 986 UW - LA CROSSE INDIANS
WSUC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS 1 0- 2
NAIA DIVISION II SEMI-FINALISTS
Coaches Holland, Harring, and Christensen talk with
Eric Guth (37), Jim Lowney (40), and Rodney Cobb (35),
at the Hanover game in Indiana.
Reinders (29), in the Baker contest, scored on a
63 yard run. Quarterback Todd Oberg (22) adds to
the celebration.
Joe Mirasola (27) missed the potential game-winner
against Baker, after successfully kicking two extra
points
earlier,
"He's a great young man. He'll probably be our scholar-
athlete. He's the kind of guy we want out there in those
situations," said Coach Harring. Jose Alba (80) is the
holder.
Jerry Sydorowicz (43) crunches the Baker quarter-
back, causing a fumble, while Bruce Folio (56) and Phil
Ertl (71) rush to assist.
Joe Mirasola (27) waits for Coach Harring to call for
the kick.
Ted Pretasky (34) tries the high route for extra
yardage.
N·T~
Player Injuries And Infractions Are High Price
1987-5-5-5th -Not Since 1969 Has Harring Team Struggled
To
Survive
A strange season, an unusual sea-
son, and it must be considered by
LaCrosse football fans something less
than successful. Although to most
coaches fifty-fifty is considered an
okay season, about what is expected
for most teams in any sport, to UW-L
football fans, at least during the
Harring era, the last nineteen years,
fifty-fifty is unheard of, not even to be
considered at the beginning of a sea-
son.
This is what happens after a winning
coach establishes himself at a univer-
sity, whether it's Michigan, Notre
Dame, or UCLA, a mediocre season is
just not acceptable, and certainly not
anticipated. In 1987 everyone in La-
Crosse expected a Harring coached
football team to be in first or second at
the least. We are just not accustomed
to fifth place.
At the beginning of the 1987 season
the UW-L Indians were ranked third in
the NAIA Division II poll. At the end of
the season the Indians were unranked
and not even considered for a playoff
spot. With seniors Sacharski, Oberg,
Alba, Craig, Farner, Martinez and All-
American Ted Pretasky returning, fans
had a right to expect another first or
second place finish.
Letdown
There was a letdown somewhere.
Quarterback Oberg had a fair year
with 152 completions in 276 attempts
for a completion percentage of 55.
The offense scored only 282 points
while giving up 293, an unusual shift
from UW-L's normal advantage in scor-
ing.
Was this due to new coaches, and
the fact that Coach Schockmel, after
18 years, decided to take a year away
from coaching? That certainly is a pos-
sibility, since the defensive secondary
seemed out of sync all season.
Ted Pretasky made a valiant effort
to carry the team alone, but proved
only human with injuries. Every great
runner must have an offensive line to
break down the defensive line to help
him.
In 1987 Pretasky could manage only
1250 rushing yards, an acceptable
performance for most schools and
most runners, but in 1986, don't forget,
Pretasky had 1642 yards to establish a
new record. Fans expect more and
better year after year. Pretasky did
score 112 points in 1987, to establish a
new record number of points in one
season, but even so it wasn't enough
to lift the team beyond fifth place.
Jose Alba caught nine passes in the
Whitewater game for a nice 202 yards,
and in that same game Oberg threw
for 330 yards, but that was also the
same game in which Pretasky hurt his
foot and missed the second half.
Whitewater went on to smash La-
Crosse with an unheard of sixty points.
Junior quarterback Althaus tried a
bit of stunting, throwing and running,
all to no avail. The other teams were
expecting such Harring antics and
would have none of it.
On the season Jose Alba caught 31
passes for 576 yards, and Keith Dryden
punted 51 times for a 36.6 average,
but overall the season was a disap-
pointment.
Dick "The Barber" Brown, an ardent fan
of UW-L football, in 1988 noticed that the
New Orleans Saints, training in LaCrosse
during the summer, had a device for throw-
ing the football without wearying the quar-
terback's arm. He asked Harring whether
he had one. Hearing the negative answer,
Dick asked whether Harring would like one.
The response was positive, but the funds
were short. That afternoon Dick, the barber,
donated the necessary funds to UW-L. Thus,
the football players have a throwing de-
vice, and save the quarterback's arm for
games.
JW<,r" AL
,_'D iAA % A-ty
WJ ^V -
LA- &W"1
fi 91"
Started Ranked 3rd, Ended Out Of The Rankings
Oberg (Cap) Most Valuable, Farner (Cap) Top Rock,
Charles Top Block
Importance Of TEAM
I had the pleasure of being tutored
by Coach Harring for nine years, from
1965 through 1969 at Lincoln High
School in Wisconsin Rapids, and also
as a student of UW-LaCrosse from 1969
through 1973.
I also had the pleasure of student-
coaching during the 1973 football
season, helping with the defensive
secondary. Those nine years contain
many lasting memories.
Coach Harring possesses the ability
to surround himself with quality peo-
ple. He has molded student-athletes
into successful football TEAMS for
twenty-nine years. Another tribute to
him is his quality coaching staff, most
of whom have been with him through-
out his career. Everyone is a member
of Coach's TEAM.
Coach Harring was able to motivate
his teams to put forth their best efforts,
not only on the practice and playing
field, but also in the classroom. Both
were important to him. Coach's hon-
est and fair approach to coaching
helped turn the players into a TEAM.
Coach Harring taught me the im-
portance of being a TEAM player. I try
to use the TEAM idea every day of my
life, I can only hope that it turns out as
successful for me as it has for Coach
Harring.
Dan Tork, Defensive Back
The 1987-1988 LaCrosse Indians: Steve Althaus, Joe Rihn,
Todd Oberg, Rich Pangier, Preston Pointer, Harold Owens,
Sheldon Thomas, Paul Sheldon. Mike
Gorman, Tony Reinders, Tim Ebner, Scott Sackarski, Grady
Anderson, Fred Estes, Ted Pretasky, Rodney Cobb, Jim
Steiner, Ray Martinez, Jim Kraemer, Marcus
Reed, Bob Lowney, Jeff Neumann, Brad Hottman, Gerald
Last, Keith Dryden, Clint Beyer, Chris Schumacher, Tim
Crawley, Thane Eckrote, Hank Friedrichs,
Neil Sternweiss, Rich Heddins, Troy Nelson, Mike Briet,
Conrad Farner, Scott Schwants, Bob Anderson, Dan Barker,
Jason Mahairas, Joel Tralmer, Jim Craig,
Andy Graff, Steve Downey, Gary Larson, Jim Lacina, Jim
DeEmo, Tom Mahoney, Terry Strouf, Dale Westfall, Dave
Newberry, Dominic Charles, Mike Strum,
Larry Harlow, Paul Schmidt, Jose Alba, Mike Harding,
Norris Thomas, Tom Hoffman, Dan Bridges, Derrick
Campbell, Pat Nichols, John Devine, Dave Carl,
Don Bernard, Troy Bellrichard, Chris Fechner, Dean
Washington, Andy Pretasky.
III
Football Greatest Game, Prepares Men For Life-
Italy Lauds Harring
Roger Harring is father, guidance
counselor and role model. His positive
outlook on life gave me the confi-
dence to feel great about myself and
to face the new challenges that
awaited. The Eskimo theory is some-
thing I often remember. Roger said, "If
you believe it's cold, you're cold. If you
know it's cold, but don't think about it,
you'll be fine. Don't worry about things
you can't control. Deal with them!"
Football, the greatest game on
earth, prepared many men for life at
UW-L. The staff made many of us who
weren't quite sure of our next steps
achieve more than we ever thought
possible. Every time I spoke with them,
a little piece of life came together.
Coaching at UW-L from 1993 to 1996
was a life-long dream, It has guided
me in my profession as an educator
and football coach. Learning the UW-L
family value system has given me the
extra edge it takes to make young
people successful.
The time that Roger spent with me in
Italy was a real growing time as a
coach. It was my first head job. When
Roger arrived in Italy, it was as if a
burden had been lifted, a friendly,
confident face that would understand
my problems and be able to help.
He was able to watch a few games
and give me insight into what was
needed. Although he never said, "Do
this, do that", he baited the hook and
led me into some victories. He wanted
me to find the answers on my own, to
better myself as a coach.
In the football community in Italy
Roger has a presence as one of the
greatest leaders of all time. He is
talked about often.
When the opportunity came for me
to become a head coach in a high
school, it was a very difficult decision.
Do I leave UW-L having just won a
national championship (1995) and a
possible playoff berth in 1996? I wres-
tled with the decision for a long time.
Then one day I called Roger, and he
said to come over, we'll talk about it.
The whole process was over very
shortly. Roger asked, "When you came
here thirteen years ago, what was
your goal?" My goal was to coach in
a school system working with kids. My
mind had somehow switched to big-
ger and better things. Roger put all
things into perspective and made me
realize things that I had somehow for-
gotten in recent years.
I left his house that afternoon feeling
confident that my new move to
Galesville, Wisconsin was best for me.
Somehow he was right again, He did
not want to lose me as an Olive
Coach, but he had seen young men in
this situation before. His interest was in
my future, what would be best for me.
When the entire UW-L coaching staff
came to my home opener, it was a
very warm feeling. It meant a lot to see
them all in the stands. Roger Harring
has become so much more than the
coach. I have really been blessed to
know Roger wearing his many differ-
ent hats.
Jon Steffenhagen
Class of 1988
Currently Head Football
Coach of Galesville, Wis.
Quarterback Steve Althaus releases the pass.
55 is Rich Heddins, and 76 is Dominic Charles.
The coaching staff for 1987 included the main-
stays of Harring and Christensen, but Schockmel
had taken a year out. In 1997 all except
Christensen and Harring are gone, and Schockmel
is back, having returned in 1988. In the picture, rear:
Roland Christensen, defensive coordinator, Gerald
Holland, defensive line, Jerry Binder, offensive line,
Clayton Heath, Offensive line, and Curt Hughes,
student coach. Front; Greg Martin, freshman
coach, Roger Harring, head coach, Larry Mhyra,
receivers coach, now athletic director at Logan
High School in LaCrosse, Roger Buswell, offensive
coordinator, and Kevin Ward, defensive secondary.
Ted Pretasky (34) scored 15 TDs in 1987 to tie an
old record, and scored 112 points, to establish
a new record.
s ·s~~~~
Front Row. Pete Kaprelian, Paul Sheldon, Fred Estes,
Anthony Reinders, Steve Althaus, Joe Rihn, Troy Nelson,
Thane
Eckrote, Larry Harlow, Jim Weninger, Rich Heddens, Ted
Pretasky, Jim Stiener, Don Barnard, Grady Anderson.
Second
Row. Ron Markham, Fritz Leinfelder, T.J. Mictschl, Jeff
Pintar, Dan Bridges, Doug Miner, John Devine, Dominic
Charles,
Steve Downey, Dean Wagner, Garth Wicinsky, Randy
Pongratz, Bruce Hoesley, Richard Reinders, Paul Balmer,
Chris
Lueth. Third Row. John Karl (Trainer), Kathy Barritt
(Trainer), Gregg A. Everts (Trainer). Roger Harring,
Jeff Conway, Larry
Terry, Kevin Ward, James Newsome, David Carl, Gerald
Binder, Tony Christnovich, Roland Christensen, Barry
Schockmel,
Tim Ebner, Julie Kistler (Trainer), Crystel Knierim
(Trainer), Deb Densch (Trainer), Dan Bauman (Equip,
Manager), Sharon
Wolfe (Head Equip. Manager). Fourth Row: Dean Thompson,
Mike Lipsey, Jerry Melotik, Drew Goeldner, Lee Smout,
Norris Thomas, Harold Owens, Dean Washington, Preston
Pointer, Michael Koglin, Brad Pellegrino, Brian Waldo,
Pat
Ryan, Gary Larson, Tim Heyroth, John Bowling. Fifth Row:
John Mirasola, Clint Beyer, Mike Breit, Billy O'Neill,
Jamie
Nimsgren, Chris Schumacher, Dennis Goettl, Jon Lauscher,
Daniel Wojta, Charlie Beck, Jon Wiltzius, Dan Steele,
Casey
Campbell, Bob Lowney, Tim Crawley. Sixth Row: John
Sanchez, Charlie Urness, Greg Daniels, Barron Fuller,
Neil
Sternweis, Troy Bellrichard, Ken Sommers, Bill Rudrud,
Michael Sturm, Marty Zietlow, Paul Kresse. Seventh Rowv
Corey
Korn, Greg Hoier, Thomas Kingsland, Bob Anderson, Jim
Lacina, Dan Barker, Joel Tralmer, Andy Pretasky, Terry
Strouf,
Scott Olin.
Joe Rihn MVP, 6 TDs In 1 Game; Harlow Top Block,
Campbell Top Rock
1988 was another great season, ex-
cept that River Falls slipped past us
again by a meager three points.
Whitewater came up with another
embarrassment to UW-L and smashed
us 52-22. The first six games made a
nice win streak, and the Indians were
ranked third by the NAIA. By the end of
conference play UW-L was ranked
fourteenth and did manage to get
into the playoffs.
Ted Pretasky had his usual stellar
year by scoring 20 touchdowns and
126 points. He made 310 attempts for
1441 yards. He did all he could to win
the national title.
Joe Rihn came on strong this year
after sitting in the shade for three
years. He passed 295 times, com-
pleted 134 of them, for a .454 comple-
tion percentage and 2104 yards.
Fritz Leinfelder, rookie of the year,
made eight interceptions, while
Casey Campbell, Top Rock, came up
with six pick-offs.
Receptions were numerous, as Troy
Bellrichard made 37 for 512 yards,
Dean Washington made 31 recep-
tions for 515 yards, and Tony Reinders
closed out his senior year with 30
catches for 487 yards.
Against Eau Claire, with 13 seconds
left in the first half, the Indians were
losing 13-3 when Joe Rihn fired a long
bomb to Bill Rudrud who went in for six
and the momentum, which the Indi-
ans carried into the second half for a
final score of 40-13, a nice victory
necessary to carry the Indians into the
playoffs.
Chris Schumacher had an excellent
season kicking for the Indians and
scored a total of 51 points.
I
A group of elated players celebrates following the Eau
Claire game won by the Indians 40-13.
Hirf11g I ugeiISuccgss| 43*
?00 ~ ~ ~ ~ l~ EC d C- sAd 0Z :0000;If - g 1V~; If -Lgi!
W~ 0'~~l00 Ak WaS Z 1 ---
Roger Harring was becoming a bit bored with winning
championships in Wisconsin, so when he was offered the
opportunity of coaching football in Italy, it seemed
like an
ideal chance to break the routine. He packed up, took
his
wife and one son along, took a semester off from his
duties
at UW-L, and spent January to July in Bologna, Italy
coach-
ing the Bologna Doves.
They loved him! He was a winner! The Italians, as others
around the world, love winners, so when Harring arrived
and then proceeded to take the Doves to the national
championship playoffs, before losing in the semifinals,
he
became a hero.
In 1990 Roger did the same thing, except that this time
he went to Pesaro, Italy to coach the Pesaro Angels. The
Angels had not won a game in all of 1989. Roger coached
them to a 10-4 season, and again he attained instant
stardom. He took the Angels to the national semifinals,
as
he had the Doves, before again losing in the semis.
In Pesaro Harring developed a series of clinics and
demonstrations which he held in area schools and at the
University Urbino. In 1992 the Florence Apaches sent
their
entire team, all 45 players, for a two-week training
camp
at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. They returned
to
Italy filled with the sights of America, a love for
LaCrosse,
and an ability in football unmatched by many other teams
in Europe. A fairly large number of Italians have since
come
to UW-L, not only to play football or to learn from
coach
Harring, but to matriculate at UW-L and to embrace the
American lifestyle.
There are eighteen teams in the Italian League, most of
them with several American players. With the Italians
wishing to have American expertise, especially in the
special teams, it was natural that some Italian managers
would seek contacts with American players. They want to
do this through American coaches such as Roger Harring.
Roger has been responsible for about fifteen players
spending some time in Italy, many a season or two hoping
to get experience that will pay off in the NFL. Roger
has also
been the incentive for several American coaches to go to
Italy, again to obtain experience which may prove
benefi-
cial in America.
Roger says that the Italian experience is very different
from the American experience. "There is such a variety
of
Ability. One kid is sixteen years old. Then there's the
older,
275 pound linebacker."
The Italians are more casual about training. The disci-
pline is more difficult to impose. They like to party a
lot. The
communicating without the same language is also
difficult.
Harring said that two of the offensive linemen did speak
English, but that didn't help much. "The difficulties we
went
through in practice were unbelievable," Harring said.
Anyone interested in playing in Italy, talk with Roger
Harring.
93
Hot defensive gang-tackling assumes
a mashing impact by Jim Lacina (69).
Don Barnard (91), Andy Pretasky (95).
and Pete Kaprelian (74).
Linebacker Bob Lowney (40) and de-
fensive end and co-captain Jim
Weninger smother the runner and try
to pull the ball free.
Westminster 21-14 Over LaCrosse In Title Game
Defensive back Preston Pointer (26) does the old
juggling act against first round playoff oppo-
nent Valley City Vikings in North Dakota.
UW-L Whips Valley, Northwestern, Oregon Tech
Quarterback Steve Althaus (20) looks for his
receiver, as offensive tackle Dominic Charles
(76) blocks.
95
Quarterback Joe Rihn gets
off a pass.
Running back Fred Estes (33)
bulls past an Oshkosh de-
fender.
Running back Harold
Owens (25), who
scored 48 points in
1988, sticks close to
Charlie Beck (54).
Grady Anderson (32)
heads for daylight
after taking the
handoff from
quarterback Joe Rihn
(21).
Center Troy Nelson
puts the ball into
quarterback Joe
Rihn's hands,
'88 Indians Fully Recovered
Young Bulls Promise Future
Defensive tackle Terry Strouf (72) recovered the
fumble before a jubilant Dan Steele (58).
Fritz Leinfelder (43), rookie of the year, just
intercepted the pass which had just missed Mike
Koglin (42).
Indians Become Eagles, Fly 12-2-1st
Some Question Use Of
Indians As Unflattering
In keeping with the political correct-
ness movement in fashion today, the
University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse chose
to change its mascot from an Indian to
an Eagle, assuming that the birds will
not object. The student body at UW-L
had the opportunity to vote for a new
mascot, and after rejecting names
such as Mud-cats and River-rats,
chose Eagles. Do the Irish or the Vikings
or the meat-packers object to being
mascots? Do the bald eagles on the
Mississippi feel flattered to be on UW-L
helmets? Perhaps they're not bald.
What kind of eagles are these?
Typical of the defensive work which led to a
championship year is this pile-up in the playoff game
against Stevens Point. Mike Breit is 44, Jon Lauscher
is 55, Preston Pointer is 26. Shown Starks is 86, Fritz
Leinfelder is 43. Jon Wiltzius is 76. and Clint Beyer is
39.
Whipping By Westminster Whets Wailing Wall Woes
Reddy, Goettl, Owens, Washington, Schumacher Leadership
Rallies
From the first game, two sopho-
mores seemed to take over and lead
the newly named Eagles, and they led
them well enough to win a conference
championship. Dennis Goettl at quar-
terback took the reins from last year's
two seniors and passed for a fifty per-
cent completion rate in the very first
game against Winona. In that same
game the other sophomore, Kyle
Reddy from Jamesville, gained 80
yards on 21 efforts. This tempo contin-
ued all season.
Against Whitewater, Harold Owens,
senior from Milwaukee, wasn't to be
left out, and he ran 22 times for 105
yards, while Danny Bridges caught
four passes for 65 yards. The next week
against Superior, Dean Washington, a
junior from Milwaukee, caught seven
passes for 211 yards and two touch-
downs. Everything was in gear.
Against Stevens Point, Reddy rushed
for 179 yards on 22 attempts, while
Goettl completed 15 of 28 and three
touchdowns. In week five, against na-
tionally ranked St. Ambrose, Reddy
rushed for a career high 184 yards,
and Goettl completed 16 of 28 for 187
yards.
Disaster struck when Platteville up-
ended LaCrosse 34-28, but the Eagles
went on to complete the rest of the
regular season undefeated for a 7-1
season and undisputed first place in
the conference.
On the road to the championship,
Schumacher connected successfully
for four field goals and a school record
in the Oshkosh encounter.
UW-L played Stevens Point a second
time in one season when both La-
Crosse and Stevens Point made the
playoffs, and they met in the first
game. Goettl again fired fifty-fifty, 16
of 32, for 240 yards and one touch-
down.
The second playoff game was
against Nebraska Wesleyan. UW-L ab-
solutely routed them by 29-0. Owens
ran for a season high 127 yards and
two touchdowns. He was named the
game's outstanding offensive player.
Reddy added 93 yards rushing, while
Washington caught four passes for 46
yards.
The third game of the playoffs was
against Baker, the school that had
beaten LaCrosse in 1986, 16-14, to
keep them out of the title game. UW-L
avenged that loss, 21-6, with Owens
scoring two touchdowns and catch-
ing six passes.
On December sixteenth UW-L
seemed well on its way to another
national title. The Eagle offense, under
the guidance of Harring, Larry Terry,
and Rik Parker, dominated Westmin-
ster in the first quarter. UW-L, with a
powerful rushing attack of Reddy and
Owens, scored on three of its first four
possessions en route to a 17-14
halftime lead.
Westminster made some adjust-
ments, lubricated quarterback
Micchia's arm and came out for the
second half on fire. Westminster rallied
for 37 second-half points to whip the
Eagles 51-30, one of LaCrosse's worst
beatings ever. To say the Eagles were
stunned is an understatement.
1989
Banner
Year
Dean
Washington
40 rec. for 670 yds.
Dennis Goettl
23 TDs for 2986 yds.
Schumacher Credits Harring With Character-
Building
The large picture is the celebration of
the WSUC championship game in 1989. I
was fortunate to kick the winning field goal
that lifted us over River Falls on that fall
afternoon. Holding me up is Mike Breit.
Number 27 is Rick Reinders, and also seen
is Preston Pointer.
After having two extra points blocked
that day, Coach Harring did not hesitate
to send me in with less than two minutes
and the title on the line. I have him to thank
for that moment. He told me to go in there
and win the game. He instilled enough
character in me in that one instance to last
a lifetime.
I am convinced that Roger Harring is
blessed with three things that make him a
coaching legend: a genuine love and
enthusiasm for the game, the ability to get
the most of his athletes, and unparalleled
motivational power. These attributes are
the reason for his success. Coach Harring
is able to channel all these attributes into
a holistic philosophy of coaching.
Countless times he gave me feedback
that greatly affected my life. More often
than not, that feedback was not about
football. Roger would tell me how success-
ful in life I would be. He would send letters
congratulating me on having a 3.0 or
telling me to look beyond my football
years. But the best thing he did for me was to send me
back in when I was in a slump. Behind every champion-
ship team is found depth of'character. Roger Harring
builds character.
I currently am the head cross country and assistant
track coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minne-
sota, and I teach in the Physical Education Department.
Chris Schumacher
Kicker - 1989
1 989 UW-LA CROSSE EAGLES
o, ,.,_ I _ ,A
WSUC CHAMPIONS 9 -
NAIA NATIONAL PLAY-OFFS
Terry Strouf (72). 283
pound senior clears
the way for senior
Harold Owens (25).
Harold Owens scored.
58 points in 1989.
Troy Bellrichard (92) caught 23 passes for 460 yards and
was Honorable
Mention All-Conference tight end in 1989.
5th Playoffs In 1980s
3rd Title Game In 5 Yrs.
John Mirasola (51) takes down the run-
ning back and causes the fumble, while
Preston Pointer (26) and John Lauscher
(55) get ready to assist.
Harring In Hall Of
Fame
At Both UW-L And
NAIA
Kyle Reddy (34), junior running back for
LaCrosse, scored 54 points in 1989.
Fritz Leinfelder (43) was second-team All-Ameri-
can defensive back in NAIA Division II football in
1989.
103
Great 1990-9-2-2nd, Harring 169-54-6 For .738
People figured the Eagles for National Champions this
year, but fate took its usual, unpredictable toll, and
the
Eagles ended up second in the conference, and then went
to the nationals to play Peru, Nebraska, and lost badly
and
unexpectedly, 24-3.
The second game of the season against Whitewater was
the only conference loss, 14-24, and perhaps that could
have been expected with the loss of Reddy and Leinfelder
to injuries before the season even started, and a
freshman
taking over the running duties, and then Goettl having
an
average year after such a super year in 1989, and every-
one expecting even greater things this year, but it
wasn't
to be.
The year turned out much better than it might have
under the circumstances, and then getting into the na-
tional playoffs anyway, made the year a great year by
most any standards. The only better ending would have
been a couple of wins in the playoffs.
Danny Bridges, a senior wide-receiver came up big
during the season, running 19 kickoff returns back for
481
yards, as well as punt returns for two touchdowns.
Eric Jahn punted 33 times for an average of 39.1 yards,
while Chris Schumacher scored 31 points kicking. Dan
Bridges and Bruce Hoesley both scored 24 points during
the season.
John Janke was the best surprise of the year. He rushed
for 881 yards and caught 22 passes for an additional 237
yards. He offered considerable promise since he was only
a freshman.
Dennis Goettl was hot and cold during the season. He
connected on 128 of 277 passes for a 45% completion
rate.
He totaled 1740 yards and threw for eleven touchdowns.
By JEFF BROWN
Of the Tribune Staff
Roger Harring fills the head
coaches' shoes, but it's his assistants
who keep his toes pointed in the right
direction.
A winning direction.
Harring, entering his 22nd season as
head football coach at the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse, is the first to
admit that his assistant coaches are a
big reason why the Eagles have
posted a 169-54-6 record since 1969.
"When I was coaching in (Lady-
smith) high school, we had two peo-
ple," Harring said. "You had to do a lot
of things yourself. You realize in col-
lege you can't do it all yourself. That's
one of the reasons for our success.
We've attracted and maintained a
high quality staff."
Two members of the Eagles' staff,
Roland Christensen and Barry
Schockmel, have served as assistants
for a combined 48 years. Christensen,
the Eagles' defensive coordinator, has
been an assistant coach at UW-L since
1962 - seven years prior to the
Harring era.
"Teaching math, I'm cooped up all
day," said the 63-year-old
Christensen. "I just enjoy being out-
side. In my opinion, fall is the best time
of the year. And Rog has been good
about giving me a lot of responsiblity."
Fall without football wouldn't seem
right to Christensen - or Schockmel,
Schockmel, the Eagles' defensive
backfield coach, came on board
along with Harring in 1969. He has
coached every year since, except for
1987, when family commitments kept
him away.
"Barry is very meticulous and de-
tailed in his thoughts," Harring said.
"He, Chris and I have always been in
very close consultation."
Tony Christnovich, who joined the
staff in 1988, handles the defensive
line. Christensen, simply known as
Coach Chris to the rest of the staff and
to the team, concentrates on the line-
backers.
Larry Terry, a former head coach at
Ripon College, is entering his third
year as the Eagles' offensive coordi-
nator, while Rik Parker returns for his
second season as the team's receivers
coach.
Harring has spent a lot of his time
working with the offensive line, turning
out players like Pro Bowl guard Tom
Newberry of the Los Angeles Rams
and Philadelphia Eagles draft choice
Terry Strouf.
That will change this year, however.
Mick Miyamoto, a former graduate
assistant with the Wisconsin Badgers
and assistant coach for two years at
UW-River Falls, will take over offensive
line duties.
Kevin Ward will again oversee the
Eagles weight training program, but
will not assist on the field.
Of the Eagles five on-the-field assist-
ants, only two - Terry and Parker
are paid. Christensen, Christnovich
and Schockmel are strictly volunteer.
"These people have all experienced
success with the program, either as a
player or as a coach," Harring said.
"Successful people tend to stick
around."
On an average, each of the five
on-field assistant coaches spends an
average of 25 hours per week prepar-
ing for practice, coaching during
practice, and coaching during
games. It's a tremendous time com-
mitment, but Miyamoto says it's his
passion.
"A lot of guys are into hunting, fish-
ing or golf," Miyamoto said. "I enjoy
coaching football. This is not part of my
actual contract, It's my passion."
The Eagles' coaching staff, as a
whole, has a passion for winning.
What's peculiar about UW-L's football
staff is its ability to brush aside egos
and concentrate on the entire pic-
ture. This may be Harring's strongest
asset.
"Rog is a good people person,"
Christensen said. "There does not
seem to have been a whole lot of ego
involved. Rog doesn't do that and the
players don't do that.
"If some of the players do that (show
off), the others will squash that right
now."
Christensen said each coach is
aware of the other coaches' strengths
and weaknesses, including those of
Harring.
"He's got warts just like I've got warts,"
Christensen said. "(But) you couldn't
be around a guy that long if you didn't
like him. And I like to win. If we wouldn't
have won, I wouldn't be around here."
Harring, with nine Wisconsin State
University Conference titles and seven
national playoff appearances - in-
cluding a NAIA national champion-
ship in 1985 - has won. And he's done
it with assistant coaches like Bill Terry,
Jim Dew, Mike Eayrs, Keith French, Al
Freeman, Lane Goodwin, Bill O'Neil,
Swede Pearson, Greg Mattison, Joe
Thompson.
And now, Mick Miyamoto.
104
NAIA NATIONAL PLAY-OFFS 9- 1 I
Row 1: D. Bridges, R. Pongratz, D. Steele, P. Kresse, B.
Lowney, A, Pretasky, B, Anderson, D. Barker, G. Daniels,
C. Urness, M. Koglin, C.
~T'< 'ftsKSchumacher, R. Reinders, M.T. Shackelford, C.
Campbell. Row 2: S. Shankland, R. Smith, K. Chapman, P.
Sexton, J. Boylen, F. Leinfelder,
R. Harring, L. Terry, M. Miyamoto, R. Christensen, T.
Christnovich, S. Storks, D. Lerum, R. Parker, J,
Stankey, P. Kuehl, K. Pennington, S. McCoy,
Row 3: S. Davis, D. Bauer, B. Hiller, T. Leynse, T.
Talcott, P. Hightower, B. Hoesley, D. Goettl, M.
Johnson, J. Janke, M. Dzick, D. Lee, M. Aune,
B. Kelly, A. Carlstrom, D. Thompson, E. John. Row 4: J.
Alger, T. Riniker, S. Amond, T. Heyroth, T.J. Mickschl,
B. O'Neill, J. Wiltzius, J. Mirasola,
J. Lauscher, M. Lipsey, M. Birtzer, C. Adams, R.
Vuckovich, T. Labinski. Row 5: D. Minor, C. Hughes, D.
Wojta, R. Muellenberg, M. Glenn,
G. Davidson, P. Ebel, C. Galvin, G. Beck, F. Hefti, E.
Johnson, D. Miller, R. Hoppert. Row 6: J. Biermeier, K.
Sommers, D. Oomens, C. Krizizke,
W. Riniker, T. Kingsland, J. Janke, B. Pellegrino, D.
Cleary, T. Stein. Row 7: F. Zagrodnik, S. Gauthier, J.
Mayr, J. Tralmer, R. Schaff, K. Monson,
J. Richter, C. Korn, P. Klubertanz.
Rudy Vukovic (73), defen-
sive lineman, protects quar-
terback Goettl from the on-
rushing enemy.
Rick Reinders (27), running
back from LaCrosse Aquinas
does his thing.
All-Ams- Lowney, Wiltzius, Mirasola
AII-Conf- Jahn, Daniels, John Janke,
Schumacher, Andy Pretasky, Campbell
Lauscher, Tralmer, John Mirasola,
Jon Wiltzius, Bob Lowney
John Janke, a freshman in 1990, led the team in rushing
with 881 yards
and caught 22 passes for an additional 237 yards. He
scored fifty points
in 1990.
Rick Schaff (79), Corey Korn (62), and John Mirasola
(51) illustrate the proper way
to gang-tackle.
Quarterback Dennis Goettl (23) calls the signals over
center (59) Pat Ebel, as Greg Davidson (63)
waits eagerly.
Wade Riniker (93), tight end
from Sparta, played in seven
games and made four catches
for 34 yards during the 1990
season.
107
1991-10-2-1st-188-60-7 For .737 Coach Of The Year
From NAIA To NCAA Div. III;
St. John's Again
Once again an almost perfect sea-
son. It wasn't until the ninth week of the
season that the Eagles felt the sting of
defeat, and then to their credit and
determination, they immediately re-
grouped and lashed back to win the
next two games before being ousted
from the playoffs by that old nemesis,
St. John's.
There were some great games and
some great individual efforts and a
united team such as LaCrosse is be-
coming accustomed to, thanks to the
outstanding coaching of men who
have remained together for many
years, men who teach the spirit which
glues this team into a solid unit year
after year. Some of the kids call it 'the
LaCrosse magic'.
Against Winona, LaCrosse commit-
ted eight turnovers to accentuate a
ragged game, and it wasn't until near
the end of the game that the Eagles
could rest, certain of victory against
Stubborn Warriors.
In the Stevens Point game senior
linebacker Gary Beck intercepted a
pass and made a spectacular return
of 77 yards to put the Eagles up 21-6.
John Janke picked up where he left off
last year and gained 85 yards on 23
carries.
The Platteville game was high-
lighted by a blocked field goal by Jon
Lauscher and a subsequent lateral to
teammate Scott Amond. "I kept yell-
ing his name, telling him to pitch it,"
Amond said. "I was so surprised when
he did, that I dropped the ball."
Amond recovered his own fumble and
ran the remaining forty-five yards for
six points. Wade Riniker caught four
passes for 62 yards against Platteville.
Against Superior, quarterback
Dennis Goettl completed eight of thir-
teen passes for 168 yards and three
touchdowns. He threw scoring passes
to Wade Riniker, John Janke and T.J.
Mickschl.
Against St. Ambrose, a
nonconference foe which was re-
puted to be ready for LaCrosse, John
Janke scored four TDs, and most of the
first team rode the bench the last
quarter. Goettl had another outstand-
ing game with 13 of 21 completed for
217 yards.
7th Playoff, 9th Season
John Janke, still only a sophomore,
was again the main man in the back-
field in scoring and receiving. He was
durable and played in all twelve
games. He ran 236 times for 999 yards,
as well as catching 49 passes for an
additional 558 yards, phenomenal for
a second year back, Janke scored the
most points for the team, 102. The next
nearest scorer was Erik Richards with
36.
Scott Amond showed great promise
by intercepting seven passes for 137
yards. He also blocked a field goal
and added 44 yards more.
John Mirasola was the biggest gun
on defense. He had 68 solo tackles
and 28 assists for a total of 96. His
nearest co-defender had a total of 71,
Gary Beck. Jon Lauscher had 69 tack-
les on the season. Fritz Leinfelder
came back to defense after a year
away due to injury and had 57 tackles,
not quite up to his earlier years, but
good.
Goettl Records
In twelve games Dennis Goettl com-
pleted 195 of 347 attempted passes
for 2784 yards and a .565 completion
rate, with 15 touchdowns. In Goettl's
career, between 1988 and 1991, he
passed for 42 touchdowns, passed 822
times, gained 6340 yards, and com-
pleted 440 of his passes. Goettl has
had an unusually fine career and may
hold records for a long time.
Receivers
John Janke not only ran the farthest
and scored most, but also caught
more passes than anyone else. He
caught 49 passes for 558 yards. Pete
Hightower caught 41 passes for 674
yards and scored 24 points in 1991.
Jason Janke caught 40 passes for 651
yards, and Wade Riniker caught 31
passes for 551 yards. A very good
receiving corp in any league.
Seven Eagles made the first team
All-Conference. They were Wiltzius,
Lauscher, Mirasola, Leinfelder, Amond,
Klibertanz, and John Janke.
108
WSUC CHAMPIONS 9-
NCAA DIVISION III PLAY - OFFS
Row 1: Rick Muellenberg, Gary Beck, Mike Lipsey, Tim
Heyroth, T,J. Mickschl, Don Lee, Eric Johnson, Billy
O'Neill, Fritz Leinfelder, Dennis
Goettl, Eric Jahn, Andy Degnan, Tom Kingsland, Dean
Thompson, Row 2: Tom Palmer, Shayne Gauthier, Paul
Hasler, Rick Schaaf, Jason
i,~^ ,Kiu (9Gonnion, Wade Riniker, Dave Klubertanz, John
Mirasola, Jon Lauscher, Jon Wiltzius, Joel Tralmer,
Michael Shackelford, Pat Ebel, Rich
r ¢(< ~,.hw Jacquemart, Craig Kusick, Greg Natyshak,
Robert Hellendrung, Frank Zagrodnik, Andy Kohlhoff. Row
3: Sam Ramsden, Sue Shankland,
^ ..'^ *\ Pat Sexton, Dan Lerum, Randy Pongratz, Carl
Fager, Ray Martinez, Roger Harring, Barry Schockmel,
Larry Terry, Rik Parker, Tony
[ _B. :, / fi _ \ vx Christnovich, Roland Christensen,
Shown Starks, Clint Beyer, Charlie Urness, Tom Riniker,
Jennie Boylen, Heidi Stendahl, Terry Endres, Tim
^ ;,~Tll-y @^>, . Trumpke, Connie Tillmans, Chris
Peterson, Randy Schmitz, Catherine Dickinson, Jayd
Grossman, Row 4: Fred Daniels, Tom Osteen, Clay
Thomas, John Donahue, Jim Haak, Brad Pellegrino, Greg
Davidson, Chad Hoier, Knute Brye, Frank Hefti, Trent
Blumer, John Janke, Corey
Krizizke, Scott Schroeder, Ryan O'Leary, Doug Baker. Row
5: Norris Thomas, Scott Amond, Jason Janke, Rob Bean,
Sean Asp, Curt
Hughes, Stephen Jytyla, Tom Lee, Paul Kling, Matt
Anderson, Paul Wells, Jim Kuschewski, Doug Clary, Drew
Goeldner, Douglas Nelson.
Row 6: David Alexander, Mike Dzick, Mike Birtzer, Steve
Zartman, Kurt Monroe, Erik Richards, Tom Talcott, Jon
Larson, Jim Antony, Charlie
McConkey, Andy Zich, Scott Weaver, Pete Hightower. Row
7: Brian Kelly, Tyler Baseley, Jamie Stoeckly, Jason
Nehring, Matti Stimac, Tom
Devine, Craig Driessen, Gene Hoefs, Mike Geib, Jim
Rufsholm, Mark Hayford, Matt Wachtel, Dave McLaren.
Pete Hightower (87) catches one of his 41 catches this
year. He
averaged 56.7 yards per game.
John Janke is serious about moving straight ahead. At
6'3" and 210 pounds he was
hard to stop.
Jason Janke (88), along with Darnell Robinson
(29) and Chris Schaffer (48), celebrate follow-
ing the UW-L victory at Homecoming against
River Falls.
Coach Harring doesn't hesitate to get the reasoning,
assuming there is some.
Jason Gonnion is holding for kicker Eric Jahn (32). Eric
scored 33 points for the Eagles in 1991.
Quarterback Dennis Goettl could run as well as pass.
He ran 73 times in 1991 for 37 yards.
Fritz Leinfelder made a dramatic impact with his
comeback
after missing the 1990 season. He had 43 solo tackles
and 14
assists, and was named Top Rock for 1991.
I
111
During my freshman year, the fall of
1990, the weather was cold. It was
that time of year when everyone cre-
ates an excuse for everything, and
especially to get out of football prac-
tice. Well, Coach Harring had enough
of the whining about cold weather
and proceeded into his Eskimo story. It
goes like this.
You guys are always complaining
about the cold weather and how you
can't stay warm. How in hell do you
think the Eskimo survives? He survives
because he's tough, and he knows
how to relax his butt cheeks.
We all said, butt cheeks? What does
that have to do with football or us
trying to stay warm? Coach Harring
proceeded to tell us that to stay warm
one needs to relax his butt cheeks as
the Eskimo does. Once one has his
butt cheeks relaxed, the rest of the
body follows and one warms up.
From that point on, every time some-
one was cold, he was just told to relax
his butt cheeks and warm up. The
strange thing is that it works. Everyone
had the feeling that Coach Harring
was just trying to lighten the mood
and break the tension. Beyond that, as
with most times, he was teaching us a
lesson in life and how to survive in cold
weather.
Harring Motivation
One other story I want to pass on is
how Coach Harring knew how to hit
the right buttons to motivate us. My
sophomore year, 1991, we were in the
locker room under the stadium right
before kick-off. We were in front of the
door ready to run onto the field for
introductions. As always, Coach
Harring had a couple of words of wis-
dom for us before we entered the
field.
We had not had a particularly good
week of practice, and like everyone
else, Coach Harring was a bit on
edge. No one was sure what to expect
from us going into this game. Our
opponent was St. Ambrose, which we
had always handled quite well, which
was part of the reason we had such a
terrible week of practice.
Right before we left the room,
Coach Harring told us that we had
jerked around all week, warmed up as
if we didn't care, and that we de-
served nothing more than to go out
and get our butts beat. He was chal-
lenging us, and everyone knew it, but
everyone also knew that he was right
in his assessment of what was happen-
ing.
From that point on everyone took on
a new attitude, and we proceeded to
go out and whip St. Ambrose. That
included my 52 yard run on the first
play from scrimmage, and touch-
downs on our first two possessions.
It was another of Coach Harring's
motivational tactics which worked to
perfection. We were challenged, went
out and met that challenge, and pro-
duced another UW-L victory. A coach
must understand motivation.
John Janke
Bachelor of Science (UW-L, May
1995, Elementary/Middle Level
Education)
Master of Science (University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, August
1996, Sport Administration)
Running Back 1990-1993
UW-L All-Time Leading Pass Re-
ceiver
1992 National Champions
1991, 1992, 1993 All-Conference
1993 National Player of the Year
Finalist
Student Activities and Athletic Di-
rector
Midstate Technical College, Wis-
consin Rapids
Erik Richards (37) was second only to John
Janke in rushing. He ran 147 times for 764 yards.
He averaged 63.7 yards per game and had a
long run of 91 yards. He scored 36 points for the
Eagles in 1991.
1991
Derek Schaefer (84) scored a touchdown
against St. Ambrose, a game which UW-L won
39-3.
Wade Riniker (93)
caught 31 passes
for 551 yards in
1991.
T.J. Mickschl (35)
running back.
scored the
winning
touchdown for
LaCrosse in the
Homecoming
game against
River Falls. David
Alexander (95)
hoists Mickschl in
jubilation.
Jason Janke (88) caught 40 aerials for 651 yards in
1991.
Jon LAo c her Kodak Al- mri an
Pete Hightower (87) caught 41 aerials for 674 yards in
1991.
Heart Floors Harring, Returns In Pressbox
Christensen Leads Eagles To National Championship
1992-12-0-1, 1st Undefeated In 29 Years- Superior Folds
Football
It was an unforgettable champion-
ship season for the University of Wis-
consin-La Crosse football program.
The 1992 season began in much the
same way they have so many seasons
- full of promise and equipped to
challenge for another run at the Wis-
consin State University Conference ti-
tle with aspirations of another post-
season playoff berth.
But something happened along the
way which made this season different
from those in years past.
After opening the season with a
31-14 win over Winona State, UWL
notched a narrow 19-17 road win over
UW-Stevens Point - the conference
coaches' pre-season favorite to win
the league - to put the Eagles in
good position to challenge for a re-
peat title. UW-Platteville proved no
match for the Eagles the following
week, as UWL breezed to a 35-7 win.
UWL's next opponent, UW-Superior,
shocked the league by dropping its
football program a week before be-
cause of the lack of participation
numbers, leaving the Eagles without a
game to begin October.
But those headlines were quickly
upstaged on Tuesday, Oct. 7 upon the
frightening news that Roger Harring,
the long-time head coach of the Ea-
gles, suffered chest pains resulting
from multiple coronary artery block-
ages. He underwent successful multi-
ple by-pass surgery later in the week,
but the program would be without his
physical presence the remainder of
the season.
But his presence was in the hearts of
the Eagles as they resumed their
schedule against St. Ambrose. Emo-
tion propelled the Eagles to a 35-7
triumph on the road.
Game five of the season matched
the Eagles against an upstart UW-River
Falls team on its Homecoming. UWL
escaped with a 21-21 tie after the
Falcons missed a late field goal which
would have provided the upset.
The Eagles returned home the fol-
lowing weekend for a Homecoming of
their own against UW-Eau Claire. UWL
amassed a season-high 519 yards of
total offense in a 35-7 win.
UW-Oshkosh was the Eagles' next
victim. The result of the game was
never in question as UWL cruised to a
40-14 triumph, while UW-Whitewater
suffered its first defeat of the season,
putting UWL in the driver's seat for the
conference crown. But the Eagles
would have to beat the Warhawks in
game eight to clinch the title.
Turnovers hampered an Eagles' of-
fense, but the defense came up big to
give the Eagles the league title and
the inside track to an NCAA III playoff
berth with a 13-3 victory at
Whitewater.
A struggling UW-Stout team sur-
prised the Eagles with three early
touchdowns, but the high-powered
UWL offense scored a season high in
points with a 49-23 win in the final
game of the season, giving UWL its first
undefeated season in 29 seasons.
The Eagles won their 25th WSUC title
since the league began in 1913, more
than any other member institution. It
also marked the first time a team
claimed outright back-to-back
crowns since the early 60s.
UWL advanced to post-season play
for the eighth time in the last 10 years
and the 12th appearance overall, in-
cluding an NAIA II National Champi-
onship in 1985 and runner-up finishes
in 1988 and 1989.
The Eagles defeated Redlands Uni-
versity in the first round of the playoffs,
47-26. UWL advanced to play at Cen-
tral College (Iowa) in the quarterfinals,
but a snow storm in Pella, Iowa, forced
the game to be played at Iowa State
University in Ames. The Eagles found
the move to their liking, whipping Cen-
tral College 34-9, The underdog Ea-
gles returned to Veterans Memorial
Stadium to host the semi-final against
a high-powered Mt. Union squad
which ranked #1 in the Football Ga-
zette poll. Temperatures in the teens
and a big-play defense grounded the
Purple Raiders and sent the Eagles
packing for sunny Bradenton, Fla., and
the NCAA III championship.
The Eagles jumped out to 14-0 lead
over Washington & Jefferson in the first
half, but the Presidents battled back in
the second half to cut the Eagle lead
to 16-12, but the Eagles held the Presi-
dents on a late drive deep into Eagles'
territory to win the national champion-
ship. The team's success was indi-
cated with post-season honors. Seven-
teen Eagles earned AII-WSUC honors
including eight first team selections,
seven second-team selections and
two honorable mentions. Furthermore,
several individuals earned All-Ameri-
can honors as well. Senior cornerback
Norris Thomas was named to the AFCA
Kodak All-America squad. He also was
selected to the Little Associated Press
All-America third team and to the
Champion U.S.A. second team. Others
named to the Champion U.S.A. squad
were senior linebacker Mike Breit (First
Team), junior quarterback Jason
Gonnon (Second Team), senior guard
Knute Brye (Second Team) and senior
wide receiver Jason Janke (Honorable
Mention), who was also named con-
ference and team MVP.
It was the 23rd consecutive season
UWL has recorded a winning record.
According to Dennis Anderson of the
Honolulu Advertiser, the Eagles rank
seventh on the list of most consecutive
winning seasons in all of college foot-
ball.
A national championship and an
undefeated season is the perfect
memory for the Eagles, and the per-
fect compliment to the man whose
name is synonymous with UW-La
Crosse football - Roger Harring.
Todd Clark,
Sports Information Director
WSUC CHAMPIONS 12- 0 - 1
NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Front Row (L-R): Bryan Lufter, Jason Rateike, Andy
Strand, Mike Maynard, Jason Gonnion, Jason Janke, Norris
Thomas, John Janke, Brett Harper, Craig Driessen,
Brandon
Krueger, Craig Acker, Joe Stuber, Toby Krause, Tony
Jennison, Second Row: Mike Hudson, Yenti Terry, Wade
Riniker, Jim Antony, Brad Pellegrino, Stan Davis, Mike
Dzick,
Tom Osteen, Mike Breit, Frank Zagrodnik, Tim Berg, Knute
Brye, Drew Goeldner, Erik Richards, Greg Davidson, Sue
Shankland, Suzanne Klippel, Matt Bekkedal. Third Row:
Tom Devine, Fritz Leinfelder, Mark Alberg, Steve Geiser,
Pat Sexton, T.J. Mickschl, Dennis Goettl, Eric Johnson,
Coach Roger Harring, Larry Terry, Roland Christensen,
Karl
Fager, Tony Christnovich, Barry Schockmel, Ray Martinez,
Rick Muellenberg, Brian Zeller, Jay Hertel, John
Hoffman, Heidi Stendahl, Kurt Monroe. Fourth Row: Brian
Kelly,
Jim Rufsholm, Ben Murray, Matt Anderson, Tyler Baseley,
Kyle Cronan, Lucien Adams, Greg Motl, Jeff Hanssen,
Brian Plowman, Joe Rhode, Jason Nehring, Bill Gaylord,
Dave Bauer Steve Zartman. Fifth Row: Mike Tabor, Scott
Amond, Rob Morris, Tim Habben, Andy Zich, Chris Smith,
Steve Jytyla, Rick Schermerhorn, Rick Hoppert, Greg
Markham, Ben Chossek, Chris Schaffer. Sixth Row: Matt
Neal, Mark Hayford, Paul Wells, Paul Kling, Lane Braun,
Jason Last, Scott Weaver, Trent Blumer, Josh Nietz,
Dennis
Schaefer, Joe Jaehnke. Seventh Row: Paul Ackley, Ryan
Antony, John Donahue, Derek Schaefer, Tom Lee, Andy
Polhamus, Chris Woreck, Jeremy Richter, Lon Kopp,
Greg Longrie. Eighth Row: Dave Tierman, Andy Kohlhoff,
Rich Jacquemart, Greg Natyshak, Clay Thomas, Dan
Kloepping, Doug Baker, Rich Rognsvoog, Dave Bartz.
Back Row: Chris Arnett, Tyler Dillingham, Jeff Holz,
Paul Hasler, Rick Schaaf, Craig Kusick, Matt Spellman,
Scott Prusko,
ix
iV i
I !6
Brad Pellegrino (50) and Craig Driessen (47) work
in the mud of the Redlands game.
Jason Janke (88) a split end for the Eagles, was
named the WSUC MVP for 1992. He led the confer-
ence in pass receiving with 46 in 7 games. He was
a team captain and carried a 3.4 GPA. He scored
42 points for LaCrosse, while earning a spot on the
first team All-Conference.
Erik Richards (37) was named to the second All-
Conference team. He ran 85 times for LaCrosse
and made 445 yards.
I
In the Mount Union game Mike Breit
(44), Paul Hasler (82). and Rick
Schaaf (79) kept relentless pressure
on the backs.
1992 Football
Gazette All-
American Team:
1st, Scott Amond,
Norris Thomas
2nd, Jason
Gonnion, Mike
Breit
3rd, Knute Brye, TM
Rick Schaaf
HM, Jason Janke
Rough Not To Be Able To Coach: Christensen Makes All
Final Decisions
By Tom Spousta
Milw. Journ. Staff Writer
Roger Harring stood underneath the
goal posts, behind the scenes, away
from the spotlight.
It found him anyway.
"My doctor said I should be rehabili-
tating," he said into a television cam-
era. "This is the perfect place to be for
that."
The wind ruffled his gray hair. Wear-
ing glasses, a warmup jacket, dress
pants and sneakers, he looked like a
retiree out for his afternoon walk.
Anything but a football coach one
victory away from a national champi-
onship.
Roger Harring won't work the side-
lines on Saturday when his University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles play the
Washington & Jefferson Presidents in
the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. He'll be
in the pressbox, available for com-
ment, willing to assist in a game that
could become his 200th career vic-
tory.
In hindsight, he's lucky he's still
around to see it happen.
Four games into his 24th season at
La Crosse, Harring's past caught up
with him. The shooting pain, numbness
and shortness of breath were the ini-
tial pangs of a heart attack.
He underwent surgery to open six
blockages. Three were 80 percent to
90 percent clogged; three others
were partially blocked. Harring, 60,
had popped the tops on his last six-
pack.
"It surprised me. I thought I'd always
been in pretty good shape," he said.
"But my eating habits late at night ...
Too many polish sausage and
Cheetos."
Harring's words were quick. His eyes
gleamed. "It's a special moment just
being down here," he said.
It's not especially surprising that La
Crosse reached the brink of a Division
III national championship. The Eagles
won the NAIA Division II title in 1985
and finished runner-up in '88 and '89.
During his tenure, Harring's teams are
199-58-7 and have made the playoffs
on 10 occasions. They have won the
tough Wisconsin State University Con-
ference 11 times.
Success usually breeds offers - if
not restlessness - to climb the coach-
ing ladder. But Harring, an offensive
lineman in the 50s who earned his
undergraduate and master's degrees
at La Crosse, never seriously consid-
ered leaving the western Wisconsin
town of 50,000 people.
"Why would a guy want to leave La
Crosse?" he said, smiling. "Is bigger
always better? People are crazy if
they always think that."
Defensive coordinator Roland
Christensen can't argue that point.
He's been at La Crosse for 31 years. He
stepped in as acting head coach this
season and was named Co-Coach of
the Year in the WSUC.
The other honoree: Harring.
"Our staff has been together so
long, it's almost scary," Harring said.
"We almost have a mental telepathy
about what each other's going to do."
The players find themselves tuned to
the same wavelength. Especially since
Harring's heart surgery.
"When it first happened, everybody
wanted to win the next few games for
him," said safety Jim Antony. "When he
came back, it was an emotional burst
because everybody knew he was go-
ing to be all right."
"He's really been an inspiration,"
said quarterback Jason Gonnion.
"You keep him in the back of your
mind when you're out there playing
hard and trying to get better.
"He's really been our leader. He
epitomizes our tradition."
Christensen will make the final deci-
sions Saturday and determine the Ea-
gles' fate. If asked, Harring said he'll
offer input.
"It's terrible watching your team
play and not be able to coach. My
pulse was a lot faster last week when
I was watching than it ever was when
I was coaching," said Harring, who
was able to watch two of La Crosse's
three playoff wins from the pressbox.
"I'm just going to stay out of their
way. The coaching staff has done a
great job, and the kids feel real com-
fortable with them. And they're the
ones who have to win the game."
For Harring, they usually do.
117
Coach Harring's Philosophy ...
by Bob Lamb-Tribune
Mention the name Roger Harring and most local sports
fans talk about national championship rings, a winning
tradition and success.
However, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football
coach measures success quite differently from his
overall
200-58-7 won-lost-tied record, including 145-40-6 in the
Wisconsin State University Conference and 11 league
titles.
Harring believes success is not only what you do on the
field but what you do with life after football.
Maybe that's why Harring, his coaching staff and his
players have achieved so much in 24 years.
"Academics are the cake, the athletic aspect is just the
frosting," he said during a recruiting trip to Prairie
du Chien
more than a dozen years ago.
Harring's recruiting sermon hasn't changed. Today, just
as it was when he stepped onto the UW-L campus as
coach in 1969, academics are No. 1, athletics are No. 2.
"I tell recruits that they have a better chance of being
a
brain surgeon than being a pro football player," he said
recently. "I tell them if they just want to play
football, don't
come to La Crosse."
Harring means it.
He has bypassed several blue-chip football stars be-
cause they lacked a desire for the classroom.
"We put a high premium on the type of person they are.
We want kids who have goals, who want to get a degree,"
he said.
"I don't tell kids what they want to hear. I tell them
they
will get four things at La Crosse - a quality academic
program, a winning football program, they'll get a fair
chance to play, and they'll have some fun," he added.
Harring's sales pitch isn't a broken record. It's
genuine,
sincere, from the heart. He not only lands talented
players,
but retains the majority.
"Eighty percent of our players earn their degrees.
That's
not bad considering 43 percent of all the students on
campus get degrees," he said. "Last year, we had 126
players on the squad and no one flunked out."
The Green Bay native is not only proud
about his player retention but also the experi-
enced coaching staff he has kept together.
"We have a quality staff with longevity and
they know I don't like 'yes' people around me,"
he said. "To be on our staff, you have to stand
up for the kids, the program and yourself."
The Eagles coaching staff is so well-versed in
the Roger Harring School of Success, that it
directed the team to a national champion-
ship last fall while Harring was recuperating
from a heart attack and open heart surgery.
Perhaps Harring's illness affected his players
the most, yet they responded with an emo-
tional title that brought a stream of tears
down the cheeks of their "fatherly coach."
"I'll never forget the last play of the game
when we won the title last fall," said Jerry
Binder, former player, assistant coach and
present radio color commentator for the Ea-
gles. "Coach was in the press box with us.
When we won, he just sat there and watched
everyone celebrate on the field.
"He could have gone down right away and
probably stole the show but he didn't. He
waited. That's the kind of man he is," said
Binder, an assistant principal at Holmen High
School.
Binder, like many former players, has his own
Roger Harring story, one which turned his life
around in a hurry.
Binder was a freshman varsity player who showed a
promising future on the gridiron in the late '70s. But
it was
Binder's antics off the field that concerned Harring.
"Coach pulled me aside one day and said, 'Jerry, you
have two choices. You can either be the leader on Third
Street or the leader on the field.' The way he said it
really
made me stop and think," said Binder, who played three
more years, but more important according to Harring,
earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree.
Bill Coleman, who played defensive end for Harring in
1974 and 1975, remembers the night he arrived in La
Crosse by bus,
"Coach picked me up at the bus station and took me to
a small restaurant to eat a chicken dinner," said
Coleman,
a teacher in the La Crosse Public School District for
the past
141/2 years.
"We talked for an hour and a half, and I swear to God
the
first hour and 10 minutes we talked about academics," he
said. "Finally, Roger got around to football. I couldn't
believe it.
"Then everytime I turned a corner at college he was
there wanting to know how I was doing or if I was having
any problems in class," said Coleman, who also has a
bachelor's and master's degree.
Hundreds of other players who have discovered success
in education, business or even pro football, have
similar
stories about a coach they stay in touch with by phone,
personal visits or attending games.
"I enjoy being respected," Harring said. "I want my
players to know they have an adult friend they can chat
with. I may not be able to solve their problems, but I'm
willing to listen to them.
"All things we teach in football can be used in the
business world after you graduate," he said. "To be suc-
cessful you have to work hard, know your craft, get
along
with people and have fun."
118
Linebackers Jim Rufsholm (60), Frank Zagrodnik [57), and
Scott Weaver (62) leave nothing
to chance.
Defensive back Scott Amond, from Neenah;, was a great
interceptor and a surefire hit-man.
i3 XI ~H a ngi;'s ^ 9 thPl a y offs¸2 n dN a2 i o nall
Rick Schaaf (79) buries the ballcarrier, while Scott
Amond (42) and Scott Weaver (62)look
for more. ,rnsrsfl -inrv - S
119
Coach Chris talks to his charges during practice in
Bradenton, Florida.
Battle In Bradenton Bounces Pa.
Presidents
Norris Thomas holds the national championship trophy as
he returns to the University of Wisconsin-
LaCrosse with his teammate John Janke. Thomas was named
to the Kodak All-American football
team.
Coach Chris Does It
by Jeff Brown
LaCrosse Tribune
Roland Christensen,the 65-year-old
man known as "Coach Chris" to every-
one associated with the Eagles -
players, coaches, trainers - has been
the team's defensive coordinator for
most of his 31 years as an assistant
coach.
Christensen loves tough, in-your-
face, all-out defense,
And defense, UW-L followers found
out, was the deciding factor in Satur-
day's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The
Eagles' defense came up with four
interceptions to turn back Washington
& Jefferson, 16-12.
The Eagles' defensive score in the
playoffs? Fifteen interceptions, four
fumble recoveries. A turnover ratio of
20 to 8, or plus 12. The numbers of a
national champion.
"We have stepped it up a bit in the
last two weeks," UW-L cornerback
Scott Amond said. "That was a big
factor in both of those wins."
Christensen has coached outstand-
ing defensive players before - Joel
Williams, Jim Byrne, Jon Lauscher. This
team, he said, is very good but he
wouldn't call it the best.
"We've had some very good defen-
sive teams over the years,"
Christensen said. "Certainly, this is a
good team. We've gotten a lot of
turnovers all year, but people remem-
ber the last couple of games because
they are playoff games. We've gotten
a lot of turnovers in some other games,
too."
Simply because it was the national
championship was no reason for
Christensen to lose perspective, lose
control of his emotions. And he didn't.
"This has been outstanding year, but
lets not get carried away,"
Christensen said, "It's just like the thing
with Rog (Harring). I don't think I felt
any different than if Rog would have
been next to me."
Christensen has a lifetime of football
memories, and although he wouldn't
say it, there is little doubt the 1992
team will be one of his most special.
He took control of the team after
Harring, his long-time colleague and
friend, suffered a heart attack.
He was thrust into a new role with
new responsibilities. For the first time,
he had to talk to the players in the
huddle after practice and before
games. He had to deal with the media
- a job he seemed to despise at first,
then appeared to grow more and
more comfortable with. And at the
end, Christensen, surprisingly, seemed
to enjoy it.
An emotional Coach Harring is presented with the
national champi-
onship trophy surrounded by his men.
Rick Schaaf (79). Craig Driessen (47). and Paul Hasler
(82) pummel
a William and Jefferson running back in Bradenton,
Florida.
Jason Gonnion (20) is an exceptional quarterback.
Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl Brings LaCrosse 2nd National
Championship
1993-11-1-3rd Consecutive Outright Title- Not
Since 1931
Slavens To Kicker Kelly To Dillingham Becomes ESPN Play
Of
The Year
by Virgil Jones
Sports Information Student Assistant
The 1993 season started out as an
opportunity for the Eagles to defend
their national title. UW-L went through
the regular season with a perfect 10-0
record and advanced to the NCAA III
quarterfinals before St. John's ended
notions of a repeat national champi-
onship.
The season was full of individual ac-
complishments and thrilling plays, but
like any season, be it successful or not,
it had crisis and injuries which had to
be overcome.
In the early weeks of the season, the
unity within the team structure would
be tested by hungry opponents and a
new policy which forced Head Coach
Roger Harring and staff to cut 27 stu-
dent-athletes in compliance with gen-
der equity standards.
The Eagles opened the season the
same way that they have for the last
10 years - against Winona State Uni-
versity. The Warriors came out on a
mission to beat the national champi-
ons. However, the Eagles erased a
14-13 halftime deficit to defeat the
upstart Warriors 26-21 despite a rec-
ord setting performance by the War-
riors' Dave Ludy, who tied the NCAA
mark for kick returns for touchdowns
on a 99-yard return. He also added an
80-yard run.
In week two, the Eagles played UW-
Oshkosh in the home opener. Follow-
ing the controversy surrounding the
cuts, how the Eagles would focus their
energies was in question. They an-
swered the question in a 54-8 blowout,
inspired by all the players - those on
the sideline and those who were cut.
Players that suited for the game wore
the number twenty-seven on their hel-
mets and uniforms to express their
frustration over the policy. Ben Murray
rushed for four touchdowns.
In Week three, the Eagles managed
to slip and slide past UW-Platteville on
a field of mud and water, 7-0. The UW-L
defense dominated the game, not
allowing the Pioneers to get within the
Eagles' 35-yard line. However, the vic-
tory was bittersweet as Murray sus-
tained a season-ending injury.
UW-L then defeated UW-Stevens
Point 21-14 in week four, which turned
out to be the game for the WSUC title.
The game was knotted at 14-14 mid-
way through the fourth quarter when
Jason Gonnion hit Paul Kling on the
sideline and sprinted 76 yards for the
winning score.
The football gods were with the Ea-
gles in week five. St. Ambrose, who
defeated NCAA I-AA opponent West-
ern Illinois later in the season, posed
what proved to be the biggest chal-
lenge to the Eagles' undefeated sea-
son. With under two minutes to go and
the Eagles trailing 28-27. A Bill
Schroeder punt return to the Fighting
Bee 7-yard line eventually set up a
short field goal. On the attempt, the
snap was fumbled, and in a despera-
tion, Rob Slavens pitched the ball to
place-kicker Brian Kelly, who threw to
Tyler Dillingham in the end zone to
give the Eagles a 35-28 win. The play
was so unbelievable it was aired on
ESPN's Plays of the Year show.
In week six, UW-L defeated UW-Stout
24-14, and in Week seven, the Eagles
blasted UW-River Falls 42-13 before a
Homecoming crowd of over 5,000
spectators. The game featured the
emergence of Bill Schroeder, who re-
turned the opening kickoff 96 yards for
a touchdown. Schroeder provided
thrills on the special teams not seen at
Memorial Stadium since Dan Bridges.
Schroeder, in one season, became
the school's ninth leading kickoff re-
turner. His 470 yards in kick returns was
third-most recorded in one season.
In week eight, the Eagles traveled to
Simpson College and returned home
with a surprisingly easy 46-7 win.
UW-Whitewater stood in the way of
an undefeated season and a sole
possession of the conference title in
week nine. The Eagles turned back the
Warhawks 31-23 to insure at least a tie
for the league crown. It was UW-L's
26th WSUC title, the most of any mem-
ber institution. It also marked the first
time a team won three consecutive
outright titles since UW-Milwaukee did
it in 1929,'30 and '31.
UW-L won the title outright in record
fashion at UW-Eau Claire to end the
season, 42-32. The game featured of-
fense, and a lot of it. Jason Gonnion
had the best day of his brilliant career,
completing 29 of 39 passes for 462
yards and four touchdowns. His 494
yards in total offense set a new UW-L
single-game record. The 29 comple-
tions also tied a school mark.
John Janke was on the receiving
end of 11 passes, giving him 129 for his
career which established a new
school record. He also finished his fine
career as UW-L's second all-time lead-
ing rusher with 3,257 yards.
UW-L advanced to post-season play
for the 13th time and the ninth time in
the last 11 years. These post-season
appearances include a NAIA II na-
tional championship in 1985, NAIA run-
ner-up finishes in 1988 and 1989 and
last year's NCAA III national champi-
onship.
The Eagles defeated Wartburg Col-
lege handily in the first round, 55-26.
This brought their two-year unbeaten
streak to 23 games, with the only
blemish being a 21-21 tie to UW-River
Falls in 1992.
In the quarterfinals, the Eagles
hosted St. John's (Minn.) The Johnnies
were the last team to beat UW-L back
in 1991. The Johnnies spoiled the Ea-
gles' hopes of repeating with a 47-25
win with the aid of a 300-yard passing
day and a record-setting six touch-
down' passes by quarterback Willie
Seiler.
Following the season AII-WSUC hon-
ors were given to 11 players, seven
players earned WSUC first team hon-
ors, one earned second team honors
and three received honorable men-
tion. Jason Gonnion earned WSUC
Player of the Year and team MVP
honors. Roger Harring received the
WSUC Coach of the Year award.
Senior defensive lineman Rick
Schaaf was voted to the Kodak/AFCA
All-America Team and the Cham-
pion/U.S.A. All-American Third Team.
Senior center Dave Bauer was given
Champion/U.S.A. All-America honor-
able mention. Senior cornerback Scott
Amond was voted to the CoSIDA/GTE
District Five Team. Team awards went
to Dave Bauer as the Top Block, Scott
Amond as the Top Rock and Bill
Schroeder as Top Rookie.
Harring Returns For 8th Playoff
In 10 Yrs.
Harring Coach Of The Year; Gonnion WSUC-MVP
St. John's Foils UW-L Again; Amond Top Rock, Bauer Top
Block
by Tom Flaherty
Milwaukee Journal
Oct. 15, '93
Just a year ago, Harring was perhaps a
heartbeat away from spending eternity on
the underside of the grass. Days after cele-
brating his 60th birthday on Oct. 4, 1992, he
underwent multiple bypass surgery.
"You realize how fragile life is when that
occurs," Harring said.
Harring's life paused, then changed in
the early morning hours on Oct. 7, 1992.
"That particular night, I had some people
visiting from Italy," Harring recalled. "Af-
ter midnight, I went up the stairs, and I got
to the top of the stairs and I felt ... 'Geez.'
I came back downstairs and I still felt
dizzy."
He also felt a heaviness in his chest. And
he broke into a cold sweat.
Harring drove himself to the hospital.
The dizziness, the chest pain, the cold sweat
were all early signs of a heart attack.
On Oct. 9, five days after his birthday, six
arteries, including three that were 80% to
90% blocked, were corrected during sur-
gery.
"One of the things you always count on is
coach Harring is going to be out there,"
quarterback Jason Gonnion said. "You re-
ally just take for granted that he's going to
show up and be looking like himself and
acting like a head coach always does.
"Not having him around was quite a
surprise."
The 1992 football season ended early for
Roger Harring. For his Eagles, it was just
the beginning. La Crosse went on to finish
with a 12-0-1 record and win the National
Collegiate Athletic Association's Division
III title.
Roland Christensen, a La Crosse assistant
coach for 32 years, took the eagles to the
title.
"It was our championship," Christensen
said. "All of us. We think the team is bigger
than any one individual. I didn't think of it
as mine. It was our championship."
Harring couldn't be a part of the climb to
a national title, but on his way home from
the hospital eight days after his surgery, he
had his wife stop at the practice field for a
few minutes.
"When he showed up, I think you kind of
expected the Red Sea to part or something
like that," Gonnion said. "Everyone was
real concerned because we hadn't had any
real contact with him while he was in the
hospital.
"I don't know if it put a new perspec-
tive on what we were doing, but it was great
to see he was back, and he was fine."
Late in the season, he was able to watch
practice for perhaps a half-hour a day. And
he attended some of the coaches meetings.
And he sat in the press box during games.
But he couldn't pace the sideline, couldn't
call the plays, make the substitutions.
He could inspire.
"I don't think we ever went out and said,
'Let's win this one for Coach Harring,'"
Gonnion said, "but a lot of times, when
you're facing teams that are a lot better
than we were, you kind of think of the
things he tells you day in and day out about
working as hard as you can and getting the
most out of your potential."
Said defensive end Jeremy Richter, "It
really helped us pull together as a team.
When he's here every day, you really don't
appreciate him as much as when something
as devastating as this happens. That's when
you really realize how much you miss some-
body and how much he means to the team.
"It helped us pull together. And we won.
We won the whole thing."
Harring, however, had more important
things to worry about than an unbeaten
record or a national championship.
"When this occurs, you're only concerned
about one thing," he said. "That's being on
this side of the grass. Your priorities come
to, 'Hey, I want to make it to
tomorrow.' You have no thoughts about
your job.
"Then as you start recovering, you realize
the things that we all know. The important
things are your family and your friends.
Your wife and your kids, they're pretty
important.
"That was a discussion I had with the
doctor, whether I should change occupa-
tions and so forth," Harring said. "The
feeling was if it wasn't stressing me, I
should continue doing what I had been
doing."
So this fall, Harring returned to what he
had been doing - and doing very well - for
all of his adult life.
Since 1969 his teams have compiled a
204-59-7 record and have won 11 Wisconsin
State University Conference titles and two
national championships.
"It was probably more genetic than any-
thing else," Harring said. "My mom died at
age 49 of arterial sclerosis, basically.
"Being Polish, we ate too much head
cheese and czarnina, that type of thing. Diet
certainly has a lot to do with it."
His diet is different now - red meat is
only a memory - and he has changed his
approach to exercise, making sure he goes
on a long, daily walk.
"I don't get as frustrated with some
things as I may have at times in my coach-
ing career," he said. "You realize that
maybe you don't have as much control over
some of those things. Of course, you like to
think you have control over everything.
"You realize that you have great assist-
ant coaches. When I went down, they just
took a deep breath and kept going."
But on the field, he's pretty much the
same guy whose teams won all those games.
If there are any changes, they are not
obvious.
"Not really," said Jason Janke, the
WSUC player of the year last year who is
working as a graduate assistant coach this
year. "I can't say that he's softened. He
comes out here, and he's just as feisty and
sometimes as ornery as he ever was."
Janke's brother, John, is the Eagles' star
fullback.
"Obviously, with the situation he went
through, life is a little more in perspective,"
John Janke said. "He seems to be a little
more laid back. But, of course, he still gets
on us when it needs to be.
"Something like this is going to affect
him in that it makes him even more aware
of things. But he hasn't changed from a
coaching standpoint."
The UW-L football team still contributes one game per
year to the benefit of the Shrine hospitals in the U.S.
Queen Kirstin Lamb stands behind Paul Hasler (82) and
Pete Hightower (87). This was the 25th annual game.
1993 UWI
- LA CROSSE EAGLES
WSUC CHAMPIONS 10 - 0
NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Gonnion Sets Records: 29 Completions 1 Game, 494 Total
Offense
John Janke Catches New Record 129, 2nd All-Time Rusher,
3257 Yds.
Jason Gonnion closed out a spectacular career as
quarterback. In the Eau
Claire game he completed 29 passes and had 494 yards of
total offense.
John Janke wound up four record-setting years at UW-L by
catching
129 passes. He is second in all-time rushing with 3257
yards. Ted
Pretasky is first with 3877, 1985-88.
Paul Kling (85) caught 41 passes for 729 yards and
scored 48
points in the 1993 season.
Dennis Schaefer (51), Dave Bauer (55), and Scott Amond
(42) pull
down a Winona Warrior in the first game of the season.
3 Terrys Leave Mark On UW-LaCrosse
Bill Terry 1969-1997; Larry & Steve 1973-77
The three Terry men have left a mark on UW-LaCrosse, and
most of it in the game
of football. Father Bill was the offensive line coach of
the UW-lndians from 1969
through 1977, the first nine years of Coach Harring's
tenure.
In 1973 son LarryTerry matriculated at UW-LaCrosse and
entered the football pic-
ture as a receiver and running back who returned
kickoffs. He played steadily with
a good work ethic through 1976. He went on to graduate
school and began as
head coach at Ripon College in 1981 and continued
through 1986. In 1988 he
began at UW-L with Roger Harring as offensive
coordinator, He is now in his tenth
season at UW-L.
In 1974 son Steve Terry began his football career at
UW-L as a defensive back
and punt returner with considerable speed and cutting
ability. He still holds the
record of 184 yards for punt returns in one game. That
was against Stout in 1974.
Steve has been athletic director at Stout forthe last
four years, after a fourteen year
career as a coach in the track and football programs.
Bill Terry, 1995
Steve Terry in 1975 returned 18 punts for 133
yards.
Larry Terry breaks through for a long gain. In 1975
Larry returned 13 kickoffs for 195 yards, caught four
passes for 85 yards and recovered one fumble. Number
fifty on the ground is center Bill Kraemer.
This 1997 picture of Coach LarryTerry shows his
convenient mode of transportation to various
practice fields around the university. Notice the
difference between Larry's bike and Coach Har-
ring's bike. IP.7)
Paul Kling MVP- 57 catches, 14 TDs Kusick
25 TDs
Eagles Foiled By Eau Claire 13-8 In Biggest Upset In
WSUC History
by Todd Clark
The Eagles posted an 8-2 overall
record and placed second in the Wis-
consin State University Conference
with a 5-2 mark.
The season was highlighted by one
of the most explosive offenses in
school history, as the Eagles racked up
4,207 yards of total offense to average
421 yards per game,
The Eagles' first game presented a
microcosm of the entire season in a
35-12 home victory over Loras Col-
lege. The Eagles moved the ball at will,
amassing 505 yards, but turnovers
kept the score relatively respectable,
The defense, however, evened things
out with five interceptions,
Paul Kling was off to one of the finest
seasons enjoyed by any receiver in
UW-L history. He hauled in three touch-
down passes from Craig Kusick for 156
yards. Kling would go on to shatter the
school records for touchdown passes
in a season with 14 and in a career
with 24. The senior pass catcher also
set the record for receptions in a sea-
son with 57, and moved into third on
the all-time career receptions list with
106. He received AII-WSUC first team
honors and was named the Eagles'
MVP for the season,
UW-L's firepower burnt Winona State
in the second week of the season,
scorching the Warriors 49-14. The Ea-
gles had 233 yards passing and 225
yards rushing, while freshman John
Barrett sparked the special teams with
a 70-yard punt return for a touch-
down. All-American Dave Ludy was
held in check by the Eagles, manag-
ing only 45 yards rushing and 36 yards
in kick returns.
After a slow start, the Eagles kicked
it in gear to race past UW-Oshkosh in
the WSUC opener and their first road
test of the season, 45-7, The Eagles
running game took control of the
game late in the first half, and the
defense was totally dominant, allow-
ing the Titans just 155 yards of total
offense.
The Eagles thought they had an
easy win in week four after jumping
out to a 26-0 halftime lead against
UW-Platteville; however, the Pioneers
fought back with the big plays of
multi-talented wingback Brunson Par-
ish, The Eagles held on to win the
game, 46-34, sending a stunning
wake-up call to the Eagle defensive
unit, Mike Maslowski led the defense
with 13 tackles. He would go on to
lead the Eagles in tackles with 68 in
1994 and earn AII-WSUC first team
honors and the team's Top Rock
award.
Parish's performance overshad-
owed a brilliant performance by Eagle
quarterback Craig Kusick, The strong-
armed junior passed for a season high
383 yards with five touchdowns, be-
coming one of only five players in UW-L
history to throw for five or more scores
in a game, Statistically, Kusick enjoyed
the best season of any quarterback in
UW-L history, He ranked eighth in the
country in passing efficiency, setting
the school record with a rating of
157,63, He passed for a school record
25 touchdowns with only six intercep-
tions, He also broke the record for the
most yards passing in a season with
2,369, leading the WSUC in both pass-
ing and total offense en route to earn-
ing AII-WSUC first team honors.
The Eagles were 4-0 heading into
their annual early-season clash with
UW-Stevens Point. The Eagles built a
large second-half lead at 39-21 with
4:19 to go in the game, only to hang
on to a 39-36 win, Kusick again had an
outstanding game, completing 12 of
16 passes for 289 yards and three
touchdowns. On the down side, mis-
takes - the reoccurring Achilles' heel
of the season - plagued the Eagles,
A school-record 18 penalties were
called on the Eagles for 158 yards,
The Eagles' defense rebounded to
highlight a 31-9 victory over St.
Ambrose in week six, With sloppy field
conditions, UW-L allowed just 160
yards of total offense, John Barrett
gave the Eagles the momentum they
needed on the opening kickoff with a
90-yard return for a touchdown, be-
coming the first player at UW-L to re-
turn a kickoff and punt for a touch-
down in the same season,
Barrett provided the Eagles with a
dangerous return specialist possessing
the ability to score points. Barrett had
three returns for touchdowns and
ranked ninth in the nation in punt
returns at 13.6 yards per return and
13th in kickoff returns at 29.8 yards a
return, As a freshman, he earned all-
league honors as a return specialist
and was given the team's Rookie of
the Year award,
Kusick had another fine day in the
Eagles 42-28 win over UW-Stout, com-
pleting 20 passes for 298 yards and
four touchdowns, Despite allowing 331
yards passing, the defense surren-
dered just 33 yards on the ground to
control the line of scrimmage.
The rushing defense which had
been stellar all season would get the
ultimate test against UW-River Falls,
the nation's top rushing team in 1994.
The Eagles were unable to stop the
wishbone, and critical turnovers finally
cost the Eagles in the 31-20 loss to the
Falcons. UW-RF rushed for 338 yards
against the Eagles defense which
wasn't able to come up with the big
stop on numerous occasions, despite
the outstanding individual efforts of
Darin Small and Craig Driessen, who
finished with 16 and 15 tackles,
respecively.
UW-L stomped the Warhawks 35-0 at
Whitewater. The Eagles dominated ev-
ery phase of the game. On offense,
the Eagles compiled 472 yards, while
the defense shut down Spencer John-
son and the Warhawk offense, allow-
ing a mere 112 yards of total offense.
Frustrations from the sound pounding
prompted Warhawk Coach Bob
Berezewitz to claim the Eagles tried to
run up the score.
The Eagles were in the driver's seat.
A win against UW-Eau Claire in the
season finale and the Eagles win the
WSUC and go to post-season play. On
paper, the game had every indication
of an Eagle blowout, The Blugolds
were at the bottom of the league in
both total offense and total defense,
However, what happened on the field
stunned the home crowd and a televi-
sion audience, The Blugolds, winless in
the conference, stunned the Eagles
13-8 in what has been called one of
the biggest upsets in WSUC history.
More importantly, the Eagles opportu-
nity to win a fourth straight league title
and hopes of post-season play were
extinguished,
8m2
V 1994 UW-LA CROSSE EAGLES
Top Row - (L to R) Dan Kloepping, Darin Small, David
Nagel, Mike Ivey, Sam McNeely, Craig Kusick,
Tyler Dillingham, Zach Juadis, Jason Breitzman. Row 2 -
Fred Daniels, Chris Arnett, Scott Prusko, Keith
Gregorich, Chris McHenry, Jay P. Coonen, Matt Spellman,
Ryan O'Leary, Dave Bartz. Row 3 - Jeff
Peterson, Jason Trelstad, Josh Nietz, Eric Halverson,
Mike Maslowski, Chris Woreck, Jesse Miller, Chris
0 90 :9 9:0~;i: 5: :9 8i;: X&$&0$0&$ 0 X 9 9 Schultz,
Shane Solamita, Doug Baker, Rich Jazdzewski. Row 4 -
Tony Pahula, Ryan Goodno, Eric
:9 Z^: ^~ --~ d ;l': l % iS S~ & e g ^ 9Baranczyk,
Jeremy Earp, Kerry Iselin, Jeff Baker, Jason Kerkvliet,
Ryan Antony, J.J. Tischer, Jim Abrams,
:,Luke Fink, Brian Steines, Row 5 - Todd Goldbeck, Carey
Tribbett, Troy Harcey, Shawn Oldenhoff, Andy
:::::^^:^ 1994 wh l^Season ReMo e lr dgSd Alvis, Chad
Jeskewitz, Jason Tarkowski, Todd Rodal, David Gerhard,
Rob Slavens, Chris Smith, Kevin
Steltz, Dennis Schaefer, Brandon Hall, Brett Harper. Row
6 - Joe Stuber, Josh Mason, Phil Dumas, Pete
La'drse Oponet 'drrr'dMoore, Mike Deans, Joe VanDerven,
Brad Saron, Mike Tabor, Rick Skurulsky, Matt Anderson,
Ben
*^00 ~ ___~t-_t.9-d^ldsed ^ dQpmneh;'^ . d. Chossek,
Mike Stay, Erick Jenkins, Ben Murray, Tyler Baseley,
Eric Mathias, Trevor Rogers. Row 7 - John
Barrett, Manager Kristy Mack, Tom Talcott, Brian
Gutekunst, Dave Bauer, Andy Strand, Duke Scott,
3i9 Lr;si iik t XtOS ^i; i12 : Rusty Eklund, Bob
Formanek, Jon Steffenhagen, Larry Terry, Roger Harring,
Roland Christensen, Tony
49ddd glVil "< ;^ ^W5 inona 14ORg Z ^j Christnovich,
Barry Schockmel, John Janke, Paul Hasler, Jason Nehring,
John Adleman, Virgil Jones,
45 Os~g0;: 0l^hkoSh'g 'Matt Neal. Row 8 - Jennifer
Neitzel, Amy Olson, Andy Baker, Kelly Hibicke, Lori
Stauffacher, Eric
Affeldt, Charro Coleman, Tim Laurent. Kneeling - Tony
Jennison, Gaylord Saunders, Rich
0462 Pta}tfe~ll4t ;^:Jacquemart, Kurt Monroe, Scott
Weaver, Andy Zich, Thomas Lee, Paul Kling, Jim Antony,
Jim
;n gn:39dr Sd teg; <g Slvenisg F i^^ Poin 936 9Rufsholm,
Rick Hoppert, Derek Schaefer, Brian Kelly, Ross
Gliniecki, Rob Morris, Craig Driessen, Jason
3 ^1 St.W AZmd brose 9d^ ^ Veldboom.
129
Derek Schaefer, as a senior from Oregon, Wis-
consin, in 1994 caught 26 passes in the seven
conference games for 340 yards and three
touchdowns.
Harring
Compassionate
Coach Harring is a unique individual
who always demonstrated true interest
in his athletes as people. He knew
something personal about each ath-
lete and would engage them in con-
versation beyond the field of competi-
tion. This quality exists only in the highest
echelon of people in sports or business.
Whether a player was first team or scout
team, he could count on words of
encouragement, a playful 'dig' about
running, or a well timed verbal kick in the
butt to get going in the right direction.
During my junior year, I had made a
significant effort to contribute to the
team as a placekicker. My contribu-
tions as an offensive position player
were limited. As a placekicker, howev-
er, there was much potential, and
Coach Harring encouraged my efforts.
Ten days prior to our first game I ruptured
my quadricep and was unable to kick
effectively. I tried to come back too fast
and really never recovered. Coach
Harring never gave up on me. I was able
to continue as a position player,
although my worth was mainly as scout
team fodder.
He asked me to stay by his side during
games to work through offensive calls
from the press box. He sent me in on
special teams sometimes, by mistake,
and I felt valued as part of the team. I
continued to try to kick, and each week
got a little stronger, but we both knew it
was over.
During our last home game in 1979,
we were leading by a couple of touch-
downs, and Coach turned to me and
told meto get readyto kickthe next field
goal or extra point, I kicked one through
the pipes that day, because Coach
Harring had confidence in me.
Following the season, even though
we both knew I was finished, Coach Har-
ring invited me to come out and be on
the team as a position player, help as
an assistant, or do whatever I could to
participate. I will never forget that ges-
ture from his heart. I decided to support
from the stands and concentrate on
improving the health of others in Com-
munity Health Education. I earned by
B.S. in 1981 from UW-L.
Harold D. 'Sam' Samorian Jr.
Ryan O'Leary (77) from Tomah, Wisconsin was
right offensive tackle at 310 pounds. He
consistently received top offensive line grades.
Harring's Motivation For Creating Winners
Roger Harring emphasizes the posi-
tive and downplays the negative. In
fact, he rarely mentions the negative. If
a player makes a mistake or misses a
play or a kick, or forgets his role in a par-
ticular situation, Coach Harring tells him
the routine again, or suggests how he
can improve, or what he must do to be
successful, always positively, never
negatively.
The concept is psychologically
advantageous, and reestablishes the
positive or winning attitude. The young
man focuses on what will gain the win-
ning position or make more yards or
points, so that he will think of that posi-
tive attitude again next time such a sit-
uation arises.
If a coach emphasizes the wrong atti-
tude or the error or the particular posi-
tion which created the error, then the
player, the next time the situation arises,
will think again of the negative, and
probably repeat it. What Harring wants
every player to do is to concentrate on
the correct attitude, the winning atti-
tude, the positive position, how to
score.
Coach Harring creates a winning syn-
drome, a series of correct and positive
attitudes, which are emphasized again
and again over the course of a season,
until the only thing the players concen-
trate upon during a game are winning
attitudes, never negative attitudes.
When an athlete thinks of a negative
attitude, or focuses intensely upon what
will happen if he makes an error,
chances are he will make the error upon
which he is concentrating, because
that is what he is focusing upon. Never
make an athlete focus upon an error.
Anticipation of an error, or fear of mak-
ing an error, causes the error. In the
same way, concentrating upon the
correct position, the winning attitude,
doing something correctly, will cause
the correct action to be repeated.
Coach Harring knows this and empha-
sizes the positive, so that his entire cadre
of players are thinking positively every
season, every game, every play. never
think about the error; focus on the cor-
rect posture, and it will be precipitated.
131
3rd National Championship,
Perfect Season
Kusick 61.4% For 3284 Yds, 32TDs-
Harcey 80, 1180 Yds.
by Todd Clark
The Eagles dismantled Loras College with a 34-
0 win to open the season. Quarterback Craig
Kusick displayed the type of performance which
earned him the NCAA III Player of the Year Award,
completing 13-of-16 passes for 210 yards and
four touchdowns. wide receiver Troy Harcey, who
was named to the GTE Academic All-America
First Team, set the precedence for his season with
three touchdown catches.
The Eagles struggled a bit in their 31 -23 win over
Winona State in week two. The Warriors kept the
game close with a kickoff return for a touchdown
and an interception return for a touchdown.
Drake University, an NCAA I-AA non-scholarship
program provided the Eagles with a stiff chal-
lenge in the home opener. The Eagles' offense
was slowed by a swarming Bulldog defense, but
it was UW-L's defense which deserved the acco-
lades for a 1 4-7 victory. It would turn out to be the
only defeat of the season for the Bulldogs.
In week four, UW-Oshkosh didn't provide much
of a challenge for an Eagles' defense which
recorded four shutouts during the season. One
was at the expense of the Titans in a 44-0 yawner.
The Eagles compiled a season-high 511 yards of
total offense and allowed the Titans just 165
yards.
The same story script was used in the Eagles'
33-0 blanking of UW-Platteville a week later. The
Pioneers managed just 85 yards of total offense
and committed five turnovers. The Eagles cruised
to the win after building a 26-0 halftime advan-
tage. Troy Harcey caught a school record 13
passes for 1 76 yards.
UW-River Falls, a team which has given the
Eagles their toughest challenge the last several
seasons, was next. With intent to avenge a loss the
previous season, the Eagles clung to a 14-7 lead
late in the game. With a fourth down and two
yards to go from the Eagles' 30-yard line. The Fal-
cons' Adam Kowles tossed a touchdown pass to
bring UW-RF to within one with just seconds
remaining in the game. After a five-yard delay of
game penalty forced the Falcons to kick the
extra-point, defensive tackle Michael Ivey
blocked the kick to preserve a 14-13 victory.
Week seven featured the annual clash with UW-
Steven Point. Both teams came into the game
with a 6-0 record, but the Eagles continued their
mastery over the Pointers with a 25-15 win on
Homecoming. A 74-yard run in the third quarter
by Trevor Roger, who led the Eagles in rushing for
the second straight season, was the play that
crushed any Pointer hopes of an upset. UW-L built
a 25-0 cushion before the Pointers scored 15
points in the final minutes to make the score
respectable. UW-SP was the only team to out-
gain the Eagles in a game all season, but a
majority of its yards came in the final quarter
when the game had already been decided.
The Eagles could do no wrong in the 56-0
pounding of UW-Stout in week eight. UW-L scored
touchdowns on five of its first six possessions to roll
to the win. John Barrett rushed for 109 yards and
had a pair of long punt returns to lead the Eagles.
UW-Eau Claire, a program to be thanked for
teaching the Eagles a valuable lesson, was next.
The special focus the Eagles possessed through-
out the season developed following a stunning
13-8 loss to the Blugolds to end the 1994 season.
Revenge was acquired this season with a 30-13
win.
UW-Whitewater, which ranked #1 in the West
Region in the first NCAA III poll, was the only thing
standing between the Eagles and a perfect reg-
ular season. As it did a year ago, UW-L dominat-
ed its bitter rival with an easy 45-14 win.
The Eagles earned the West Region's #1 seed,
but had to travel to Concordia-Moorhead in the
first round of the playoffs because UW-L was host
to the NCAA III Cross Country Championships that
same weekend. The FargoDome provided just
the right environment as the Eagles rolled to a 45-
7 win after jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first
quarter.
Another matchup with UW-River Falls became
reality when the Falcons knocked off Central Col-
lege in the first round. However, the Falcon's
patented wishbone attackwas cracked by a stel-
lar defensive effort by the Eagles. UW-L defeated
the Falcons 28-14 to advance to the semifinals
against highly-touted, and #1-ranked Mount
Union. It featured a rematch of the two teams in
the 1992 semifinals which was one of the most
memorable games in UW-L history.
There were fireworks throughout the first half.
The Eagles and Purple Raiders moved the ball
consistently, but a circus catch in the end zone by
wide receiver Jeremy Earp gave the Eagles a 20-
1 7 advantage at halftime. Nobody would have
predicted what was to come in the second half.
Both defenses held two of the most explosive
offenses in check without a single point scored,
giving the Eagles a berth in the championship
final.
Rowan, champions of the East Region, defeat-
ed Washington & Jefferson for the right to play the
Eagles in the Stagg Bowl. The Profs drew first blood
in the first quarter following a UW-L turnover deep
in its own territory. However, the rest was all Eagles.
After a 4-yard scoring pass from Kusick to tight
end Dave Nagel and a safety by the Eagles'
defense, Kusick hit Earp with an 85-yard bomb in
the final seconds of the first half to deflate
Rowan's title dreams. Two more scoring tosses
and a 6-yard scoring run by team MVP Jason
Tarkowski in the second half gave the Eagles a 36-
7 victory and the national championship.
0 0
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1995 UW - LA CROSSE EAGLES
t! WSUC CHAMPIONS 14 - 0
1i NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The 1995 Offensive Linemen, averaging three-hundred
pounds, pose with coaches Harring, Steffenhagen and
Terry. They are Fred Daniels (58), Greg Natyshak
(65), Ryan O'Leary (77), Erik Halverson (61), Chris
Schultz (63), Chad Hoier (56), Rich Jazdzewski (68), Joe
Daniels (59), and Chris Arnett (73).
These seven receivers, Jeremy Earp (86), Dave Nagel
(92),
Brandon Hall (80), Erick Jenkins (84), John Barrett
(23), Mike
Tabor (83) and Troy Harcey (88), caught a total of 192
passes
for an accumulated 3014 yards.
Four standouts following the Concordia game
are Matt Spellman (51), Craig Kusick (24), Chris
Schultz (63), and Ken Grothe (71).
134
1995
Jason Tarkowski was UW-L MVP and AII-WSUC Second Team.
From Hartland, Tarkowski ran 165 times for 717 net yards
and
caught 34 passes for an additional 315 yards. He scored
13
touchdowns for 82 points, the most of any UW-L player.
iZ. -I"
Winning the AFCA Coach of the Year Award in 1995 earned
a
new benefit for the honorees, a trip to Hawaii for the
Hula Bowl.
Three of this past year's winners are shown at a
halftime cere-
mony with AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff: (from
left)
Bobby Wallace, North Alabama; Don Read, Montana; and
Roger
Harring, Wisconsin-La Crosse. Northwestern's Gary
Barnett
was unable to attend.
Roger Harring in 1995 was named AFCA Coach of the Year,
Chevrolet Coach of
the Year, Wilkes-Barre TD Club Coach of the Year,
Football Gazette Co-Coach of
the Year, and American Football Quarterly Coach of the
Year.
The Alonzo Stagg Bowl football game was played in Salem
Stadium in Salem,
Virginia. In front of a sign proclaiming them champions
stand from left to right:
Joe Stuber, Jason Tarkowski, Travis DeFlorian, Craig
Kusick, Chris Schultz, Craig
Driessen, Ken Grothe, Mike Tabor, and Troy Harcey.
The 1995 Alonzo Stagg Bowl was played in Salem, Virginia
against Rowan College of New Jersey and won by UW-L by a
score of 36-7. Eric Baranczyk (72) and
Erik Halverson (61) carried Coach Harring off the field
of victory.
There was time for rejoicing after the champi-
onship game. Here Chris Schultz, offensive
center for the Eagles, displays his affection for
Roger Harring and his wife, Mary.
25 Stevens Point 15
56 Stout: 0
30 Eau Clair 13
.45 ' . : ;Wh itewtr b .bf : :::;^ --14 -0
P: A !'" -^" :- ':„,**:;:Y:OF L0i: 3 * ?-.':- :;' tCoach
Harring had to give several speeches centered on the
45 Q;Concordia-MOrheod :7 Championship game.
28 River Falls -
20 :;. Mount Union
36 RowanN.J. 7
Alonzo Stagg Bowl
Salem, Virginia
The boys work hard during the games, but afterwards
there is time to party. This is following the ring
ceremony.
National
Harring Coached Both Craig Kusick Sr.
& Jr.
Craig Jr. Only UW-L Player To Win Melberger
Award
Roger Harring must feel age
creeping up on him when the son of
a former player comes onto the
team. Craig Kusick Sr. played as an
Indian during the late sixties, includ-
ing 1969, Roger Harring's first year as
coach at Wisconsin State University.
Craig Sr. did very well playing tight
end when he outscored every other
player except Dewey Stendahl. His
42 points came from catching 32
passes, seven for touchdowns. Craig
Sr. was listed at 210 pounds and 6'3".
He went on to play 12 years of pro-
fessional baseball with the Minneso-
ta Twins. Toronto Blue Jays and San
Diego Padres.
Craig Jr. is currently active in pro-
fessional football with the Milwaukee
Mustangs in the Arena Football
League. Craig Jr. is the only UW-L
player ever to win the prestigious Mel-
berger Award, which is the Division Ill
version of the Heisman Trophy.
Craig Kusick Sr. 1969 Craig Kusick Jr. 1995
Both of these pictures
were taken in 1995. The
young boy with the name
Kusick on his jacket isn't a
Kusickatall, buta nephew
named Mike Ratkovitch.
The Craigs have great
plans for young Mike.
1996-11-2-Conference Champs Again; 23 Game
Streak
Maslowski WSUC-MVP; Harring WSUC Coach Of Year, 243-64-7
For .774
by Todd Clark
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
football team provided an honorable
defense of the national title it had won
in 1995 with another conference title
and by advancing to the national semi-
finals before bowing out to the eventu-
al national champions.
Another successful season was
spearheaded by a patented UW-L
defense and an offense which was
among the nation's best throughout
most of the season. Once again, mem-
orable . plays, memorable perfor-
mances and memorable games high-
lighted the season.
If one player epitomized UW-L foot-
ball this season, it was Mike Maslowski.
The hard-hitting linebacker usually met
his targets with bone-jarring results. He
led the Eagles in tackles for the second
straight season and was named the
team's Top Rock and Most Valuable
Player. Maslowski's performances didn't
go unnoticed. He was named the
WSUC Player of the Year, the first defen-
sive player to be selected since the
mid-80s. Maslowski was also named to
the prestigious American Football
Coaches Association All-America
squad.
His leadership, along with fellow cap-
tains Chris Schultz and two-time GTE
Academic All-American Troy Harcey,
had the Eagles ready for battle in week
one of the season against river-rival
Winona State. The Eagles' offense
proved to be virtually unstoppable in a
54-21 victory. UW-L amassed 636 yards
of total offense, the second-most in
school history, and tied a school record
with 92 plays from scrimmage. In addi-
tion, the 31 first downs UW-L compiled
also ranked second on the all-time
charts.
Points were again easy to come by in
week two against Huron University, as
the Eagles noted a 52-28 win. However,
Huron's quarterback Don Fellows put on
an aerial show that will live in the minds
of the 2,167 fans that witnessed the
Eagles victory. He passed 67 times, with
37 of his tosses finding their target for
483 yards, the second-most yards
given up by the Eagles in school history.
However, a UW-L record-tying five
touchdown runs and 145 yards rushing
by Beau Coulter was too much for the
Tribe. Todd Goldbeck's 86-yard fumble
return for a touchdown, the longest in
school history, provided the proverbial
nail in the coffin. Huron recorded minus
63 yards rushing in the game, thanks to
a stellar defensive line charge led by
senior Mike Ivey, who received All-
America second team honors.
The Eagles opened the conference
slate with a 32-1 5 win over UW-Oshkosh.
The Titans kept the game close with four
interceptions; however, the Eagles'
defense came up with three of their
own to turn back the Titans.
Quick and lethal blows delivered by
the Eagles against UW-Platteville in
week four provided the means to victo-
ry, as UW-L scored all of its points in the
first half on the way to a 31 -1 2 win. Jeff
Baker completed 19-of-26 passes for
208 yards and two touchdowns to lead
the Eagles. The defense, which had
allowed a combined 782 yards passing
the previous two games, shut down the
Pioneer passing game. UW-L allowed
only 64 yards through the air and inter-
cepted three passes, including two by
AII-WSUC cornerback Ric Mathias.
Homecoming featured another UW-L
versus UW-River Falls classic. The Eagles
trailed 31 -21 to begin the fourth quarter.
But as it would prove all season, UW-L
was not out of the game. To the delight
of the 4,680 spectators, the largest
home crowd of the season, the Eagles
exploded for 21 points in the final quar-
ter to stun the Falcons 42-31. Senior
transfer Mike Bechtel's 71-yard touch-
down sprint early in the fourth quarter
proved to be a game breaker. Bechtel
received UW-L's Top Rookie Award and
was the Eagles' leading rusher.
Another unbeaten, highly ranked
team awaited the Eagles in week six.
UW-L's defense held the high-powered
UW-Stevens Point attack 151 yards of
offense in a 29-10 win. With the game
tied 10-10 early in the fourth quarter, the
Eagles scored 19 unanswered points,
with a game-clinching 38-yard scoring
pass from Baker to wide receiver Erick
Jenkins. Maslowski's interception deep
in Pointer territory led to an insurance
score.
With injuries to several members of
the offensive backfield, the Eagles
offense struggled in a 21-12 win over
UW-Stout. It looked as though the Eagles
would turn the game into a rout early,
scoring on their first two possessions.
However, UW-L did not score again until
the fourth quarter. The Eagles defense
held the Blue Devils to minus four yards
rushing.
Week eight's meeting with UW-Eau
Claire can best be remembered in two
ways. First, a sign on the Blugolds side
read "Remember '94," which referred
to the Blugolds' stunning upset over the
Eagles. UW-L players were more than
happy to remove the sign following the
Eagles' 28-6 win. Second, UW-L's total
domination in the second half. Already
leading 14-0 at halftime, UW-L orches-
trated two long, grinding touchdown
drives which combined to use up near-
ly a quarter's worth of time. The Eagles
controlled the clock thanks to the offen-
sive line's domination - led by senior
guard Erik Halverson, the Eagles' Top
Block award winner. He was named to
several All-America teams and was the
Football Gazette's national Offensive
Lineman of the Year,
The conference finale had UW-White-
water wanting a share of the league
title, but UW-L gained sole possession of
its conference-best 28th league title
with a convincing 28-16 win.
The Eagles hopes of an undefeated
season came to a halt in the final game
of the regular season with a 1 7-3 loss to
Division II opponent Minnesota-Duluth
in the Metrodome. The Eagles' offense
was out of sync the entire game. It
missed several golden opportunities to
score and managed a season-low 275
yards of total offense. The defense con-
tinued its fine play, but it wasn't enough
as the Bulldogs scored 1 7 unanswered
points in the second half.
139
Greatest Comeback Defeats St. John's In
Playoffs
UW-L Rips R.F. 44-0; Mount Union Too Much At Camp
Randall
The first round of the playoffs - the 11 th trip to
post-season play in the last 1 3
years - offered UW-River Falls a rematch. However, a
snow fall early in the week - * . --:: *:;.'..
made the field soft. The Falcons knew they were in
trouble early in the Eagles 44-0
pounding of the Falcons. The defense held UW-RF to 122
yards of total offense, 1 - -
while the Eagles' offense tripled that output. A 54-yard
fumble return for a touch-
down by Phil Dahlberg and an 84-yard scoring pass to
Brandon Hall buried the Fal-- C Op
cons in the first quarter.S^i
The Eagles quarterfinal game with arch-nemesis St.
John's proved to be one for -n::: ^^ 2:l0: . ^; i
the ages. It appeared the Eagles would again be a victim
of the Johnnies unex--
plainable mastery over the Eagles. But the Eagles
resurrected from a 31-8 deficit 2 rt
on an extremely muddy field to complete one of the
largest and most dramatic; <sos :
comebacks in UW-L history. A 13-yard pass from Baker to
fullback Ryan Shaver with ,^ l i 2
thetwo-point conversion tied the game at 31-31 with 4:48
remaining. Toby Krause's : Riea
5-yard run with 47 seconds left provided the margin of
victory. The Eagles held St. ^ii ^:t ^s
John's to minus 34 yards rushing, including 12
quarterback sacks, E.: a u CE 6^iL :
Unplayable field conditions at Veterans Memorial Stadium
forced the national ta;; 1
semifinal game with Mt. Union to be played at Camp
Randall Stadium in Madison, M-D th
Wis. UW-L took a 7-0 lead on an 11 -play, 76-yard drive
powered by the running :a s
game. The Eagles squandered two opportunities to put
points on the board in the Rivr al 0^^::-
second quarter. Mt. Union tied the game with a touchdown
just before halftime. S^i4s
The Eagles were unable to slow down the Raiders
high-scoring offense the rest of 4
the game, as Mt. Union scored on every possession it had
in the second half to i t
advance with a 39-21 win, ending the Eagles' run at a
second straight national title.
The Eagles provided a solid defense of their national
title with an 1 -2 overall
record, a conference title and the national semi-finals.
-s
Determination And Muscle Drive UW-L To 11 th Playoff In
13 Years
Running back Ryan
Shaver 1431 follows the
blocks of Erik Halverson
1611 and Brian Steines
1421 in a mud-caked
game against St. John's.
Shaver rushed 55 times
for 268 yards in 1996.
1996 UW - LA CROSSE EAGLES
; WSUC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS 11- 2 r
NCAA DIVISION III FINAL FOUR A1
rrom KOW tL-KJ: lodd Goldbeck, Toby Krause, Josh Mason,
Phil Dahlberg, Chris Smith, Kaylord Saun-
ders, Troy Harcey, Chris Schulz, Mike Maslowski, Ben
Chossek, Tony Jennison, Mike Bechtel. Second Row:
Chad Jeskewitz, Brian Steines, Eric Baranczyk, Luke
Fink, Dan Kloepping, Mike Ivey, Rich Jazdzewski, Erick
Jenkins, Chris Woreck, Erik Halverson, Chris Arnett,
Travis DeFlorian. Third Row: Thorbjorn Johansson, Tony
La Shay, Milt Hendrickson, Paul Kling, Duke Scott, Dave
Bauer, Mike Anderson, Larry Terry, Roger Harring,
Roland Christensen, Tony Christnovich, Barry Schockmel,
Craig Kusick, Walter Tenor, Mark Trampf, Brian
Gutekunst, Justin Casperson. Fourth Row: Team Manager,
Tim Laurent, Deb Hoch, Matt Paulus, Jeff Kil-
lian, Wayne Collums, Ryan Gunderson, Andrew Youngbauer,
Thad Dugan, Doug Rebhahn, Mindy Krief-
ski, Gretchen Weiberg, Beth Marty, Gail Molnar. Fifth
Row: Mike Stay, Tad Pieczynski, Jim Carriveau, Ben
Thompson, Beau Coulter, Chris Bolsoni, Nick Barbera,
John Kleinhans, Marcus Harvey, Clint Burger,
Jonathan Hughes, Ric Mathias, John Barrett, Joe Jaehnke.
Sixth Row: Dave Espelian, Mike Schreuer,
Travis Hasse, Kevin Steltz, Shawn Oldenhoff, Brandon
Hall, Andy Alvis, Rob Slavens, Mike Deans, Jeff
Baker, Ryan Larson, Scott Newton, Phil Dumas. Seventh
Row: Alan Franke, Jeff Ivey, Colin Peterson, Joe
Rivard, Dean Picotte, Pat Cull, Mike Campbell, Scott
Strutz, Jason Flanders, Bernie Domecki, Ryan
Shaver, Jeremy Earp, Jason Trelstad. Eighth Row: David
Gerhard, John Wilson, Jeff Peterson, Greg Van
Elzen, Justin Kutz, Martin Thoma, Ken Grothe, Mike
Winters, Rudi Lusa, Eric Murray, Kristoff Ausderau, Der-
rick Jenkins. Top Row: Jerry Faust, Josh Feller, Larry
Brinkman, Cory Hermann, Dave Nagel, Sam
McNeely, Jason williams, Ky Anderson, Chris Ostrowski,
Scott Fowler, Dana Bongle.
Mike Maslowski - Top Rock
Erik Halverson - Top Block
Mike Bechtel -Top Rookie
Troy Harcey - WSuc Scholar-Athlete of
the Year
Mike Ivey - Hewlett-Packard All-
American
Todd Goldbeck - GTE Academic All-
American
Jerry Faust - Football Gazette All-
American
Rich Jazdzewski - GTE Academic All-
District
Andy Alvis - GTE Academic All-District
141
At the Whitewater game the Eagles
came onto the field walking and holding
hands as a symbol of team unity and soli-
darity. Whether or not this will become a rit-
ual and accepted as manly will be deter-
mined during the next few years.
1996
Bechtel Rushes 112 Times For 620, Steines 118 For 518;
Mathias
Cops 8
In the early nineties Coach Harring began to take
pictures of some of his outstanding players in unusual
situations, such as with motorcycles and gas trucks and
cement mixers. These are overlaid with printing and
advertisements and posted around LaCrosse. Mike Ivey
(75), Todd Goldbeck (32), Chris Schultz (63), Troy
Harcey (88), Mike Maslowski (54), Erik Halverson (61),
Chris Arnett (73), and Ken Grothe (71).
The 1996 River Falls game is now
called the'mud bowl'. Following the
game some of the guys celebrated in
the parking lot with an NCAA banner.
They are from left to right, Chris Arnett
(73), Erik Halverson (61), Chris Schultz
(63), Bernie Domecki (69), and Rich
Jazdzewski (68).
Harcey Snags 70 For 775 Yds, Earp 30 For 431
Chancellor Judith Kaipers thanks Jill Thompson,
representative from the Burger King corporation, for the
ten thou-
sand dollar check for the scholarship fund for
UW-LaCrosse. It was presented in the name of Troy Harcey
(88) outstand-
ing scholar-athlete of the Eagles. Holding the check is
UW-L Athletic Director Bridget Belgiovine.
i Coaches Christnovich, Schultz and Kusick deserve a
good cigar following the St.
Johns victory.
"E~ S;::1 Xb i S:l- < ! ; l 01 i11 0 1=Maslowski (54)
and Luke Fink (87) stuff a River Falls runner.
Goodbye '96
Seniors got together for a moose feed. Rear row: Rich
Jazdzewski, Ben Chossek, Mike Ivey, Chris Arnett, Erick
Jenkins, Todd Goldbeck, Toby Krause, and Tony
Jennison. Front row: Mike Maslowski, Dan Kloepping, Mike
Bechtel, Luke Fink, Chris Schultz, Eric Baranczyk,
Travis DeFlorian, Chris Woreck, Chad Jeskewitz, Brian
Steines, Erik Halverson, Troy Harcey, Phil Dahlberg, and
Chris Smith.
Eight senior veteran players for the UW-L Eagles for
1997 are Jeremy Earp (86), Brandon Hall (80), Ken Grothe
(71), John Wilson (90), Sam McNeely (76),
Dean Picotte (77), John Barrett (23), and Ric Mathias
(44). They are featured around the newly dedicated
Hoeschler Clock Tower.
1997-Keen, Quality, Winning, Dynamic Athletes
WSUC Becomes
WIAC
The WSUC became the WIAC on July
1, 1997, when the merger between the
Wisconsin State University Conference
and the Wisconsin Women's Intercolle-
giate Athletic Conference (WWIAC)
became officially the Wisconsin Inter-
collegiate Athletic Conference,
According to WIAC commissioner
Gary Karner, the merger will provide for
greater consistency between the men's
and women's programs, and result in
significant cost savings. One athletic
director (A.D.) should now do the job
that two did previously.
Expectations for the 1997 Eagle foot-
ball team are running in high gear, with
all the coaches returning from last sea-
son, plus the addition of some fine stu-
dent-coaches to explain to the younger
players just how to get to the playoffs.
LaCrosse fans once were excited about
the possibility of winning a conference
title. Then they became excited antici-
pating a chance at a playoff game.
Now, LaCrosse fans want the whole
enchilada, the national championship.
They expect it, the players struggle for it,
and the coaches feel it's possible if
everyone pulls together.
65 Sophs And Frosh
After Coach Harring had cut seventy-
two players from the initial crew who
turned outtotryto make the 1997 Eagle
squad, sixty-five of the one-hundred
remaining were sophomores and fresh-
men. That's a lot of inexperience for one
team. It portends good things for the
future of the Eagles, but leaves Harring
with a question as to how his inexperi-
enced players can do in the tough
WIAC.
The senior corp of players numbers
eighteen, which leaves seventeen as
juniors. Each season the team depends
upon the veterans for leadership.
145
1997
Coaches
Rear: Dave Bauer, Larry Terry, Mike
Anderson. Front: Tony Christ-
novich, Barry Schockmel, Roger
Harring, Roland Christensen.
Harring, Christensen, Schockmel,
29 Consistent, Compatible Years
Christensen, Schockmel, and Har-
ring, three methodical, workmanlike
football coaches, not above driving
and pressuring and cajoling their young
wards, but heavy with the praise and
positive stroking, have together eighty-
six years of combined efforts toward
WSUC championships.
That they work well together like well-
oiled machinery is obvious, but what is
not so obvious is the respect with which
their players regard them. There are the
usual athletic jokes and nicknames
bandied about out of earshot, but it's
done with good nature and gentle
humor, not with bitterness or anger.
Even the young men cut from the
squad each year, since 1987 when
gender equity forced such a move,
speak respectfully of their coaches at
UW-L. Some of the players cut even
come out again the next year to try to
make the team. If they felt animosity
toward Coach Harring, they wouldn't
return to face the possibility of being
hurt again. They are treated with
respect by these winningest coaches.
Tony Christnovich has been associat-
ed with UW-L since the mid-1960s when
he was playing for Coach Vickroy as an
Indian. Tony had his shot at the profes-
sional football ranks with the Washing-
ton Redskins in 1970, then moved into
teaching and coaching in high schools
before coming to UW-L as defensive
line coach under Harring. He's now in his
tenth year, and he seems happy at UW-
L.
Larry Terry is another coach with long
tenure at UW-L. A starter for the Indians
in 1973 as a running back, he played his
four years, then went off to coach at
Ripon College for six years, before
returning once again to UW-L as offen-
sive coordinator for the Indians. See
page 127 for the Terry story, two broth-
ers and a father.
Mike Anderson, a former head coach
at Central High in LaCrosse, is beginning
his third year as Eagle running backs'
and receivers' coach. A graduate of
UW-Eau Claire, he can't help but feel
twinges of sympathy (empathy?) every
time he coaches against his former
school. However, that isn't strong
enough for him ever to pull against the
Eagles.
Dave Bauer is beginning only his sec-
ond year as offensive line coach of the
Eagles, including the 1992 Division III
national championship team, when he
played as the starting center. He still
feels heated brotherhood with Eagle
players and would love nothing better
than to win another national champi-
onship, this time as a coach.
1997 Assistant Coaches: Left to right, rear: Thorbjorn
Johansson,
Mike Maslowski, Mike Ivey, Mark Trampf, Ryan Steines;
front - Tony
Jennison, Ben Chossek, Justin Casperson, Ryan Gutekunst,
Scott
Ringgenberg, Jason Smith.
FRONT ROW: Justin Byers, Andrew Larson, Mike Mandich,
Joyce Viola, Tim Laurent, Lee
Kastberg, Kelly Svaton, Colleen Ryan. ROW ONE: Thad
Dugan, Dave Nagel, Brandon Hall,
Benjamin Thompson, Jerry Faust, Jeff Peterson, Mike
Stay, John Wilson, Ric Mathias, Jeff
Baker, Phil Dumas, Joe Jaehnke, Bernie Domecki, Sam
McNeely, Ryan Shaver, Jeremy Earp,
John Barrett, Rob Slavens. ROW TWO: Coaches, Hal Luther,
Mike Maslowski, Mike Ivey, Brian
Steines, Duke Scott, Dave Bauer, Larry Terry, Roger
Harring, Roland Christensen, Barry
Schockmel, Tony Christnovich, Mike Anderson, Brian
Gutekunsf, Tony Jennison, Scott
Ringgenberg, ROW THREE: Mark Trampf, Toby Johansson,
Jared Am, Richard Scott Jr, Kurt
Edinger, Justen Last, Buck Engel, Troy Coonen, Nate
Lancaster, Ryan Gunderson, Ryan
Losinski, Matt Hanson, Brian Marten, Ben Chosseck,
Justin Casperson, Jason Smith. ROW
FOUR: Chris Bolsoni, Nick Barbera, Eric Schmitz, Scott
Baranczyk, Jonathan Hughes, Bryan
Morris, Travis Hasse, Kevin Steltz, Beau Coulter, Shown
Oldenhoff, Tad Pieczynski, Scott New-
ton, Barry Oertel, Chris Schwarz, Ben Johnson. ROW FIVE:
Todd Rodal, Tom Rompertl, Adam
Johnson, Greg Van Elzen, Mike Deans, Mike Scheuer,
Kristoff Ausderau, Chad Nunemach-
er, Mike Moseler, Jason Trelstad, Jon Walters, Patrick
Cahill, Eric Goetsch, Dennis Dahike.
ROW SIX: David Espelien, Colin Petersen, Jon Davis,
Scott Strutz, Matt Walter, Nikolas Kerr,
Alan Franke, Rick Henert, Sam Will, Luke Des Jarlais,
Jason Flanders, Jeremy Unertl, Casey
Sambs. ROW SEVEN: Luis Moroney, Jim Bockenfeld, Ryan
Larson, Jason Wucki, Joe Koch,
Dana Bongle, Jeremy Roskom, Nick Wagner, Mike Winters,
Joe Rivard, David Gerhard, Alex
Wheat, Rich Rivard. ROW EIGHT: Luke Zschernitz, Ky
Anderson, Dan DeCook, Cory Her-
rmann, Matt Cramer, Jason Williams, Larry Brinkman, Jeff
Kostrema, Nick Smith, Tim Trailer,
Ben Antony.
Eagles' 1st Game A 37-14
Victory Over
Winona Warriors
Senior quarterbackJeff Baker (20) turned in an
outstanding per-
formance, completing 14 of 22 passes for 387 yards and
two
touchdowns. That's the sixth best performance ever by a
quarter-
back. Jared Am (32) scored two touchdowns, while Ryan
Shaver
(43) scored one. Am made 38 yards on nine carries, while
Shaver
made 39 yards on twelve carries. John Barrett (23) ran
fifteen times
and made 52 yards. Thad Dugan (21) scored seven points
on four
extra points and one field goal.
In the picture at right Ric Mathias (44) and Dana Ban-
gle (94) and Mike Deans (59) close in on a Winona run-
ner. Mathias had one interception in the game and four
tackles. Deans made eight tackles, and Bongle made
one. Junior DB Mike Scheuer (28) made a pair of inter-
ceptions and led the team in tackles with nine.
Senior WR Jeremy Earp (86) caught four of Baker's
passes for 123 yards and one touchdown, a 75 yarder
which is the 1 7th longest recorded in UW-L history.
The picture at left shows Mike Moseler (38) returning
the inter-
ception he made in the Winona game. It was a nice
return, but it
was nullified due to a penalty against another Eagle.
Number 56
is Kevin Steltz, a junior from Milwaukee playing
linebacker. He
made two tackles against Winona.
Brandon Hall (80), a senior from West Bend, Wisconsin,
caught a
Baker pass in the first quarter and rambled 69 yards for
the Eagles'
first score.
The 603 total yards of offense against Winona ranks
third on the
all-time list of yards in a game.
Huron Not
Competitive
UW-L took advantage of an over-
matched Huron University football
team to score virtually at will and to get
some playing time for fifty-three mem-
bers of the Eagles. It was good experi-
ence, and seven players scored points,
including Thad Dugan who kicked eight
extra points. Scoring touchdowns were
Scheuer, Winters, Baker, Shaver, Arn,
and Barrett, who scored three.
Jared Arn rushed for 102 yards, while
John Barrett caught two passes for 104
yards. Mike Winters caught four passes
for 48 yards and one touchdown, while
Ben Antony caught three passes for 84
yards.
Alex Wheat, a sophomore linebacker
from Milwaukee, rated highest on
defense with a total of seven tackles.
John Wilson and Kris Ausderau were
close behind with six tackles apiece.
The final score of 56-0 indicates an
afternoon of good exercise.
Stout Outplays UW-L 28-21 In OT
Stout lived up to its name Saturday
afternoon, and was stout in all phases of
the game of football. They punished the
LaCrosse linemen and pummeled the
backs and sacked the quarterback. The
running backs, all six of them, had a net
gain of 119 yards, less than any one of
them might have made on a normal
afternoon.
Jeff Baker could complete only six-
teen of thirty-six passes for a paltry forty-
four percent completion rate. Injuries
took a toll, but spirit was what seemed to
be lacking. The zest for winning was
gone. The one bright spot was an 81
yard punt by Jerry Faust, when the ball
wouldn't stop rolling.
The question now is clearly psycho-
logical. Can the boys return to the
'LaCrosse mystique' which often wins
mysteriously, or will they wallow in self-
pity and place blame on others rather
than regrouping and driving on aggres-
sively?
Coach Harring had a rough day.
The crowd became quiet and serious.
Beau Coulter (33) netted 75 yards on 15
attempts and scored one TD against Stout.
Coach Schockmel worked diligently to
defense a powerful Stout offense.
N
Harring 29 Years At UW-L - 29th Shrine Burn Game
Shrine Hospitals Benefit From UW-L Football
Shrine benefit games began when Roger Harring arrived at
the university in 1969. That was twenty-nine
years ago, and the Stout contest in 1997 was the
twenty-ninth football game that donated money to the
Shrine burn centers across the U.S.
Mark R. Guthrie, faculty member in Intercollegiate
Athletics, helps prepare the stadium for all games.
The identity of the eagle is a mystery.
The baton twirler with the band is Ann Hen-
drickson.
In 1989, when the Indians became the Eagles, the UW-L
Marching Chiefs became the UW-L Scream-
ing Eagles. They scream at every home football game.
Drummers shown from left to right are Keith Lar-
son, Andy Hubert, and Armand Lewis Jr.
65th Birthday Present 37-28 Win Over Oshkosh
The Oshkosh battle afforded a nail-
biting climax to an exciting Homecom-
ing weekend for UW-L alums who filled
the stands for a football game that
could have been lost right up to the
end. It wasn't until the fourth quarter
when the Oshkosh center snapped the
ball over the quarterback's head into
the end-zone where it was fallen on for
a safety and two points that the Eagles
were more than seven points in front of
an Oshkosh team determined to con-
trol their own destiny.
Oshkosh thought of LaCrosse as
beatable after Stout whipped the
Eagles the week before, but the boys in
maroon would have none of a loss and
remained in front until the final gun.
Ryan Shaver plowed into the end zone
twice, while Barrett and Arn each ran for
one TD, and Earp caught one touch-
down pass.
Mayor John Medinger is flanked by Queen Randii
Wandell and King Michael Franklin during the
Homecoming ride around the campus.
Ryan Shaver (43) bulls his way in for a touchdown,
and tight end Jeff Peterson (89) calls the resultfor the
fans.
Homecoming Gala-Hoeschler Clocktower Dedication
The Hoeschler Clocktower built in
1996 in the center of the UW-L campus,
which also houses the carillons donat-
ed by Jake and Janet Hoeschler, was
dedicated on Friday evening prior to
the homecoming football game on
Saturday. About two hundred people
turned out to watch the first lighting of
the lantern hung in the clock tower bel-
fry, an old tradition with a new location.
Chancellor Kuipers, Janet Hoeschler,
and Gary Schettle, president of the
LaCrosse Alumni Association, gave
brief talks. Afterward the UW-L band
played a few rousing selections, and
the Mdnnerchor sang as the sun set. It
was inspiring, and a tradition which con-
tinues to grow with the years.
The Hoeschlers have donated other
impressive gifts to the university over the
years. The new tower contains four
clocks, one on each side of the tower.
The traditional lighted L will continue to
reside on Grandad Bluff.
Janet Hoeschler (Bowe) grad-
uated from UW-L in 1940. Inci-
dentally, this was not the firsttime
she had to give a talk at Home-
coming, She was elected
Homecoming Queen in 1939 at
the LaCrosse school which then
consisted of two buildings.
In this picture, Janet prepares
to make a few remarks while
Chancellor Kuipers prepares to
accept the donated clock tower
for the university, Gary Shettle,
president of the LaCrosse Alumni
Association, acted as Master of
Ceremonies.
1997 Homecoming Replete With Regalia And
Fanfare
Attempt To Upgrade Parade, Floats, Queen, King,
Entertainment
Can UW-L regain the Homecoming
spirit of the good old days when the
football game was the center of the
gala week-end, but it was also sur-
rounded by exuberant students
involved in a big week-end including a
Homecoming queen with her king and
a slew of princesses introduced at a
bigtime dance with dancable music
and a late-night dinner? Can UW-L
return to a humungous pep rally with
cheerleaders leading raucous cheers
before a huge bonfire near the football
field, prior to the introduction of the
players wearing the silver L on a field of
maroon?
There's just the slightest movement in
that direction. Mayor Medinger rode in
a convertible with the queen and king
of the Homecoming, and several years
of alumni held meetings in the Cleary
Center in 1997. The parade included a
fire engine and an army truck and the
Screaming Eagle Marching Band which
paraded around the campus area prior
to the Homecoming football game. It's
a wee beginning. Perhaps Homecom-
ing will make a comeback.
Colorful Characters
Trainers today are an integral part of any football
team, They are seen on the sidelines of all games.
They massage tight muscles, tape injured ankles.
and wrap various joints to prevent harm. These four
UW-L trainers are from the rear, Joyce Viola, Julie
Hiltbrand, Kelly Svaton, and Colleen Ryan.
Terry Ziemann, CDR USN Ret. is a regular at UW-L
games.
Homecoming always brings celebrated foot-
ball players together. Coach Harring is with Reg-
gie Rabb, Tom Newberry and Joel Williams, all
former greats at the University of Wisconsin-
LaCrosse. Newberry and Williams both complet-
ed over ten years in the NFL.
Joe Bolwahn has been issuing and repairing
football equipment from 1976 to 1997.
Tim Sprain is the
young woman
known as the caped
goldilocks in the foot-
ball stands at every
home game. He
leads cheers and
leaps about with the
greatest of agility.
Here he is with the
UW-L eagle, who
apparently is a differ-
ent person from
game to game.
John Barrett (23) ran for a touchdown and 102 yards
against Oshkosh.
Jeremy Earp (86) blocks for running back Ryan Shaver
(43). Shaver scored
two TDs and rushed for 49 yards.
Odd Characters And
Entertainers
Trainers And Music
Enhance Game
Doctor Carolyn Barber, director of the Screaming Eagles,
puts them through their paces.
Jeremy Earp (86), a senior from LaCrosse Logan High
School, may
be the leader the Eagles need in the middle of a season
standing at
4-1, but a team which is struggling to become a solid
and unified
team. Earp caught six passes for 180 yards and one TD
against Plat-
teville. Earp escaped from these tacklers and scored.
Earp Cops 6 For 180 Yds.
Leads Team To 26-7 Win
The game against Platteville was another nightmare for
the
coaches, who could only stand and groan with every error
com-
mitted by Eagles with clipped feathers. The Eagles were
down
at halftime 7-6. They did everything except hand the
ball to the
Pioneers in the end zone. Passes were sent into the
turf, tackles
were missed, and five fumbles almost led to heart
attacks.
The fact that LaCrosse won the game 26-7 doesn't mean
that
the Eagles were crisp or clean. They lumbered and
blundered
through the game. If this team is going to enter the
playoffs, it
will need to gel soon. Jeremy Earp was the only
consistent play-
er around today. He caught six passes for 182 yards. He
tried to
get the team off to a fast start in the first quarter
when he caught
a seventy yard touchdown pass, but had it nullified when
one of
his teammates committed a foul.
Injuries are continuing totake a serious toll, and to
offsetthose,
new personnel will need to step forward to be counted.
Coach
Harring has some good, young players, and he better get
them
ready.
This is the rugged defense Platteville faced all after-
noon. Mike Deans (59), Phil Dumas (95), Mike
Scheuer (28), and Scott Newton (46) made 22 tack-
les between them and became a real nemesis as
the game wore on.
Beau Coulter (33), a running back from
Kewaskum, Wisconsin, has become more and
more valuable as games are played. In the first
five games Coulter has rushed 46 times for 273
yards and one touchdown.
R-F 19 Point Comeback
Permits 42-36 Triumph
A big, nineteen point, unanswered comeback by
River Falls almost led to defeat for LaCrosse. LaCrosse
put its forty-two points on the board during the first
half
and then spent the second half defensively attempting
to stop the vaunted running game of River Falls. Three
or
four River Falls runners were virtually unstoppable.
They
picked up yardage almost every time they tried.
Defensive backs Scheuer, Steltz, and Deans played
tough and repeatedly made tackles to stop the long-
gainer. They made a total of 42 between them. River
Falls ran seventy-seven times for 438 yards, and threw
the ball only seven times.
The offense was good enough to win, but why the
offense played only one half is a mystery. Baker had a
completion rate of sixty percent, which is outstanding,
but again he did it all in the first half and then
rested.
Jeremy Earp had another stellar game with five
catches for 146 yards, and along with Brandon Hall's
eight catches for 107 yards, accounted for a large
share of the Eagles' offensive yardage.
Kevin Steltz (56) smothers a River Falls runner, with
assistance from Mike
Scheuer (28), rear, and Kristoff Ausderau (35).
Mike Moseler (38) clings to the River Falls run-
ner, waiting for assistance from Mike Stay (79)
and Casey Sambs (50).
Mike Deans (59), Kevin Steltz (56), Ky
Anderson (91), Travis Hasse (53) and Mike
Stay (79) illustrate typical cooperative
effort between UW-L team members.
Baker Throws For 290,
Runs One
Shaver Scores 18 In 27-13 Win
Not such a nail-biter this time, as the players put four
good
quarters together to overcome a good Stevens Point team
and remain in contention for the conference championship
and the playoffs. Jeff Baker scored one himself and
threw one
to Shaver for another. Shaver ran the other two TDs in
to com-
plete the scoring and make him the leading contender for
scoring honors this season if he can remain on pace for
two
a t te s I mor e games.
Jeremy Earp had another stellar day with six catches for
1 02 yards, and Brandon Hall caught seven for 98 yards.
Mike
Scheuer leads the WIAC with six interceptions, while Ric
Math-
ias now has five.
Jeff Baker talks with the spotters between plays.
Baker is hit just after releasing the ball, which can be
seen in the air.
Ryan Shaver here scores the easy one of his three
TDs, a nine yard scamper relatively untouched.
W- - _
Jerry Faust, as the Division Ill scholar-athlete of the
year, receives a ten thousand dollar
scholarship fund for UW-L from Burger King. Jill
Thompson of Burger King is with Chancellor
Kuipers.
Lax Whips EC 55-40-Record
Hall 212-2TDs;
Baker 371-2TDs
Ninety-five points is the most ever scored in a WIAC
game. The teams marched up and down the field, never
slowing for four quarters, but always with LaCrosse
leading,
until it ended 55-40.
Brandon Hall's 21 2 reception yards for seven catches
was the third most ever at WU-L in one game. Kicker Thad
Dugan kicked seven of eight extra points against Eau
Claire and gave him a career record of 103, shattering
Chris Schumacher's record of 99.
Baker had another hot day and appears to be a cinch
to establish new passing records before the season is
over.
Baker is currently 4th in completions.
Jeff Baker throws one of 25 passes at Eau
Claire, surrounded by defenders Ryan Shaver
(43), Sam McNeely 1761, Bernie Domecki 169),
David Gerhard (63), and Luis Moroney 161).
Ryan Shaver goes airborne for his lone touch-
down in thirteen attempts against Eau Claire. This
was Ryan's tenth TDthis season. Dave Nagel is 92.
Jerry Faust 127) holds the ball for Thad Dugan's
103rd extra point in his career. Thad broke Chris
Schumacher's record of 99 established in 1990.
The UW-L marching band The Screaming Eagles did an
outstanding job at all four home games
this year.
Whitewater's 17-32 Victory Quashes Playoffs
For three quarters the UW-L Eagles
looked as if they were going for a cham-
pionship, and then they decided
against it. In the fourth quarter Whitewa-
ter outscored the Eagles 15-0 and
secured the WIAC championship, leav-
ing LaCrosse tied for second with Stout.
The Whitewater defense sacked
Baker six times, more than he was
sacked the rest of the season. The
LaCrosse defensive line couldn't pre-
vent the continual penetration, and the
Whitewater runners moved the ball
steadily.
Beau Coulter ran 14 times for 81
yards, and Jeremy Earp caught 8 pass-
es for 90 yards, but Baker, for the first
time in several games, was under fifty
percent proficient, only 19 of 40, and
two interceptions.
As illustrated bythis picture of Beau Coulter (33),
UW-L runners had a tough time of it all day. They
ran for only 162 yards against Whitewater's 286,
an unusual statistic for LaCrosse. Net yards for
LaCrosse was 300 to 374 for the Warhawks.
The UW-L line gets set, but in the fourth quarter UW-L
was out-manned by a stronger Whitewater team
which at times manhandled the Eagles, who seemed to
tire.
The UW-L defensive line was stalwart all year.
Against Whitewater Mike Sheuer (28) had 13 tack-
les, Colin Peterson (51) had 11 tackles, Mike
Deans (59) had 8 tackles, Kevin Steltz (56) had 7
tackles, and Ric Mathias (44) had 6 tackles, as did
Kris Ausderau (35).
1997-7-2-2nd Place Fair Year For LaCrosse
The 1 997 football season ended at 7-2, and the Eagles
tied for second with Stout.
For most teams this record would be highly satisfactory,
but for the Eagles, who are
now accustomed to going to the playoffs, it was a
disappointment.
Quarterback Baker's passing proficiency was certainly
satisfactory at 56 percent
and 18 TDs, butthe running was questionable. Baker
himself was second high scor-
er with 50 points and 8 TDs, behind Ryan Shaver who
scored 66 points on 11 TDs.
Beau Coulter was the leading rusher with 555 yards.
Barrett was second with 367
yards, LaCrosse definitely could have used a thousand
yard rusher.
A bright spot was Jerry Faust's punting. He averaged 40
yards per punt, and set
a WIAC record with an 81 yard punt.
Jeff Baker set a UW-L passing record for a season with
2508 yards, while Rob
Slavens added 114 yards passing, for a team passing
record of 2622 yards.
All in all, it was a good season with many outstanding
plays and several excep-
tional games, but no all-American quality players to
lead the team to another
championship and into the playoffs.
Top Rock - Mike Deans
Top Block - Bernie Domecki
Top Rookie - Mike Moseler
AII-WIAC
Offense, 2nd team - Bernie Domecki, Joe Jaehnke, Jeff
Baker,
Ryan Shaver, Beau Coulter, Jeremy Earp, Jerry Faust.
Honorable Mention - Sam McNeely, Brandon Hall, John
Barrett.
Defense, 1 st team - Mike Deans, Ric Mathias, Mike
Scheuer. 2nd
team - Mike Stay, Phil Dumas QB B
QB Baker MVP
Kelly Skaff is the photographer for picture day, the
Friday before the last game of the season.
Time. Time is a dimension that's diffi-
cult to grasp. Often, it seems to go by
too slowly, while sometimes it speeds by
at too fast a rate. But time also helps us
to put things into a proper perspective.
When I think of the year 1969, it seems
like ages ago, and yet part of it is clear
as yesterday. In the fall of 1969 I
became a member of the football staff
of a new head coach at UW-La Crosse.
That coach was Roger Harring. During
the first two seasons, the UW-La Crosse
football team struggled and barely fin-
ished over .500 for each of those years.
But it became obvious that the ground-
work was being laid, a small piece at a
time, which would build and develop
into a tradition of excellence in UW-La
Crosse football that is affectionately
known as the "Harring Era".
The most obvious aspect of Roger's
twenty-nine years at La Crosse is the
team's record. His 250 wins is monu-
mental at any level of football. But I feel
that Roger's approach to the game of
life is what ultimately determined his
success on the field. Much has been
said and written about the family
atmosphere and tradition that is char-
acteristic of Roger's football teams. It
took me many years to realize that
Roger's unique contributions to football
were not so much in the strategies
developed for Saturday games as in
the strategies used to emphasize the
closeness, the pride and togetherness
that exemplifies a cohesive family
group. In the love and caring for one
another, pride, character, and love are
built that result in the motivation to strive
to excel. This can be seen in how Roger
allows our staff great flexibility to per-
form our jobs in the way we feel is best.
We became responsible for our actions
and decisions. This approach certainly
has allowed us to develop a pride and
confidence in our working relationship
with him. Probably the most important
aspect of Roger's approach to the
game is that he stresses that the game
is for the athletes, not the coaches. It's
their team, and Roger is only the guid-
ing father. Ultimately, the players must
make decisions on their own, not only
about training, but decisions about life
in general. In this regard Roger is far
ahead of the rest of the field. I'm very
proud to have had the opportunity to
know him and to coach for him.
I know that many people wonder how
La Crosse has been so consistent year
after year. Many people speculate that
the only way this is possible is to bend
the rules. In this regard I can say with
absolute certainty that Roger Harring
does not cheat! He has always recruit-
ed within the intention of the rules, prac-
ticed within the state guidelines of the
rules, and played within the framework
of sportsmanship and integrity.
In my opinion the people who have
ever questioned Roger's character or
integrity should reexamine the purpose
of division III athletics. It is in the tradition
of Alonzo Stagg that Roger's philosophy
can be seen. Roger's family has always
been dominant in this life. It's easy to
see this philosophy in the football teams
he has coached and the athletes he
has guided. Roger Harring is a father fig-
ure for all of those players who have
ever worn the maroon and gray of La
Crosse. Time will speak well of the ath-
letes that Roger Harring has coached
and the lives he has influenced. No
matter how much longer Roger Harring
continues to coach, all of us who know
him and have worked with him will cer-
tainly remember with fond pride the
family time known as the "Harring Era".
The athletes that he has coached over
his career will be his testimony and mes-
sage to the future when the Harring Era
ends, and the sport of football at UW-La
Crosse continues without him.
Barry Schockmel, UW-L Eagles' Defensive Sec-
ondary Coach, has been with Coach Harring
since 1969, and has been instrumental in devel-
oping several players who continued on into the
professional ranks. In the 1997 picture on the left,
Barry can be seen in a typical teaching posture
with some of his young players.
Mathew Andy Kris
Michaela Alyssa Larry Pavelec
MikeRoger Mary BenMay
Mike Schwartz
Jenna Jeri Pavelec
SueSchwarzJosef Nicholas IV
The same attitude of love, care, and acceptance that has
won Roger Harring so many accolades on the football
field has
led to a wonderful family, a loving wife Mary, three
successful sons, two adoring daughters, and affectionate
in-laws and
grandchildren. One could do far worse than to emulate
Roger Harring both on and off the football field.
