TIGER COUNTRY
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Timeline (1940-1943) War clouds were gathering in the fall of 1940 as Gene Haylett greeted a small squad. The boys were required to register for the draft and some took up flying lessons at the local airport. Leonard Gerner, nicknamed “Wings”, had to lose weight to fly, causing much hilarity among the team members.
2009 OUTLOOK
Mooberry was injured and missed the whole year, but newcomer Marshall Neihart gave the offense a shot in the arm. His pass to Bigelow was the only Doane score in the 20-6 loss in the opener at Peru. Jim Mather was most of the show for the winners. Names that were to become familiar were just starting to creep into the headlines. York fell 26-0 with touchdowns scored by Rozdalovsky, Bob Craven, Frankie Juarez and Neihart. The Tigers were out of their class the next week as South Dakota U. trounced them at Vermillion, 25-0.
THE TIGERS
But this light and small team went undefeated the rest of the season. Neihart-Boo Grosscup passes found their mark against Bethany College in a 25-7 win. It was 6-6 against Hastings at Homecoming as late Bronco field goals were foiled. Nip Wesleyan Neihart’s place kick was the difference in the 10-7 conquest of Wesleyan, but Burlington Junior College was swamped 25-6 in the rain. They took their revenge on Midland the final week, 13-0. Holes opened by Ogden and Melichar gave the Tiger backs running room.
2008 REVIEW
Again Doane tied for the NCAC crown. Making the all-conference team were Neihart, Belka and Bob Ogden with Bigelow, Juarez, Ragatz and Edzards getting attention. By the fall of 1941, the draft was getting to be a problem, but some how Haylett would produce his second straight 5-2-1 record. The starters against Peru: ends Wayne Weber and Les Rozdalovsky, tackles Gene Zajicek and Albert Holk, guards Jerry Hallas and Leonard Melichar, center Marion Kohel and backs Frank Juarez, Razz Mooberry, Leonard Gerner and Floyd Bigelow.
HISTORY
After the 34-7 disaster, some new faces made the lineup: Vern Loetterle, Boo Grosscup, Norm Stastny and Eugene Schleufer. The transfusion must have worked, because next week York fell 37-6. Scoring were Bigelow, Stastny and Gerner. A big Wayne team used a 50-yard pass to counteract a Gerner touchdown and the game ended 6-6. Bigelow scored on the first play as Tarkio went under, 20-6. Homecoming Postponed Hastings had a big edge in the statistics in the 0-0 tie that year. The Tiger roared at Homecoming as Wesleyan was tumbled, 31-0. It was a
Monday night game, postponed from Friday because of snow. Bigelow and Rozie led the way in that fifth straight win over the Methodists. Gene Bowker added his name to the scorers with an end run against Burlington JC as Doane won, 20-0. A novelty of that game was Melichar romping for a touchdown on a special guard reverse play. The last game at Midland saw a bus of Crete fans see that game in the afternoon and the Crete-York contest that night. Once more Midland had the upper hand, 14-6, with Ramon Little scoring both touchdowns for the Warriors. The Tigers finished second in the league.
Loetterle missed the last of the season, having entered the service. Getting all-conference mention were Tigers Weber, Reuben Schleifer, Hallas and Rozie.
From the 1941 team, Melichar, Razdalovsky and Wayne Weber were accorded all-conference status.
Navy Arrives The Navy arrived at Doane in the summer of 1943; more than 300 sailors came to the campus under the V-5 and V-12 programs. The war had a much sadder impact, too. Fourteen-letter winner Don Kristufek (‘38) died in the North African campaign that year; soon the roster of Doane men killed in the war would include “Doc” Tobiska, Bob Craven and others.
New Coach Then the curtain dropped on peacetime America and most of those familiar faces on campus were in the service. By the time the fall of 1942 came around the squad was down to 12 lettermen and no coach, since Gene Haylett entered the Navy.
Perhaps Doane football was given special attention that war year of 1943 because fans sought an escape from the war news. The Tigers were easy to follow that year, as athletes in Navy blue came from the University, Creighton, Greeley State, Denver, Omaha U. and Southern California.
An old knee injury caused Jim Dutcher to be discharged that summer, and Doane was fortunate to have him accept the coaching position just two years after his graduation. Another name out of the past, Harry Johnston (‘16) filled in as Crete High coach that fall.
Jim Dutcher’s 1943 squad made a bid to become the best ever on the hill. When he realized how good his material was, his tentative schedule included Kansas State, Washburn, Drake and the famed Iowa Seahawks.
Peru continued its mastery over the Tigers with a 6-0 win in the opener. A RozdalovskyGrosscup passing attack threatened, but the inexperienced Bengals couldn’t muster a scoring punch. This starting lineup brought an 18-13 conquest of York: linemen Weber and Grosscup, tackles Holk and Schleiger, guards Hallas and Deselms, center Loetterle and backs, Johnson, Juarez, Bowker and Rozie. That fall Bill Sonday took over management of the campus hangout, Tiger Inn, and fans hoped the return of injured Frank Shipman would help the Doane attack against Wayne. But the decision went to the Wildcats, 6-0. Share Title It was the same story the next week when Tarkio posted an 18-0 win. But the offense came alive against Hastings to the tune of 21-7 as Rosie’s passing and running made Merrill ring. Wesleyan fell 14-3 and Doane had a piece of the NCAC title again. The Tigers trailed 3-0 at the half but Frankie Juarez upset things by running from a punt position. That drive resulted in a Rozie-Weber pass for a score. Vern Loetterle went 80 yards with an interception for the final tally. Fairbury JC was the next victim, 12-0, setting
DOANETIGERS
the stage for the annual Midland battle. It was 6-6 with 3:30 left when little (5-4) Bobby Betts connected with Shipman for a 35-yard score, and Juarez kicked the point. The Warriors, led by Chrisman, came back to make the final 1312, Doane.
Loaded Roster Ends were Glewick and Joy, tackles Chet Thompson and Bucheit, guards Howe and Peterson, center Smith, quarterback Dick Thompson, halfbacks Hale and Craig and fullback Debus. Bennie Dannels and Wayne Weber also saw plenty of action. But scheduling was a problem. None of the traditional rivals wanted to test this loaded Doane team and travel was limited. Peru also had a naval unit, so they found their way into the slate on two occasions. The opener here went to Doane 31-0 over Peru as little Dickie Thompson ran and passed. On the receiving end of his aerials were Weber, exHusker Creighton Hale and former Creighton U. gridder Irwin Joy. Howie Debus showed them how he used to run at Lincoln High and the University, too. A tentative game was set up with the Seahawks of the University of Iowa. They had just defeated Illinois and Iowa State and were willing to try these upstarts from Doane College. At the last minute the Des Moines game was cancelled because of Navy ruling prohibited games played at neutral fields. The next victim was Maryville Teachers, 18-14. Debus and Thompson ran up the score with Hale and Joy grabbing passes. But things turned sour the next week in the 20-12 win over