Every year a team from the school year of 50 years ago is chosen and honored at the annual banquet in the category of Golden Anniversary Teams. The Hall of Fame founders recognized the team concept should not be overlooked in the Hall plans, understanding that being a part of a team is one of the great benefits of high school athletics.
List of previous winners:
1995--Gothenburg
football,
1945
1996--McCook football, 1946
--and--Atkinson St. Joseph basketball, 1946-47
1997--Grand Island Senior High football and basketball,
1947-48
1998--Seward basketball, 1948-49, back to back Class B
champions.
1999--Omaha Tech football, 1949, and Lincoln Northeast basketball, 1949-50 team.
2000--Millard basketball, 1951 Class D
basketball championship team.
2001--Lincoln High football, 1951
unbeaten; Chadron Prep's basketball championships teams from the 50's: 1949-50 -- 1951-52 -- 1954-55.
Chadron Prep
Delegation at 2001 Honors Program
Picture courtesy
Chadron State College Alumni Association.
2002--Chester's Class D undefeated state basketball champions, 1953.
2003--Syracuse's 1953-54 Undefeated Class C State Champions (27-0) and Grand Island's 1953 Class A State Ratings Champion, undefeated and untied, 10-0.
2004--Lincoln High football (9-0) of 1954, coached by Bill Pfeiff; Omaha Holy Name boys basketball (23-0) of 1954-55, coached by Bob Gates.
2005--Holstein basketball teams of 1954-1955-56 that completed a two-year sweep as Class E champions. Went 27-0 in 54-55, accumulating more than half of the team’s wins during a 50-game win streak; and the first of back-to-back the Class E state championships. The 1955-56 team won all of its 28 games but was forced to forfeit five games because of an NSAA eligibility issue. Omaha Creighton Prep football team of 1955 was 8-0-1. The Junior Jays won 28 straight before playing to a 7-7 tie with Boys Town in the season finale. The team -- led by all-staters Frank Zitka, Robert Springer and Leo Von Tersch and first-year coach Don Leahy – was named the state champion after completing its third season without a loss.
2006 Recipients--A state championship team and an unbeaten-untied-unscored on football team were chosen for the 2006 Golden Anniversary honorees; Utica's Class C basketball team and Arcadia's football team. Their "year" was 1956-57.
2007--Lexington football. Undefeated (8-0) and The Associated Press Class A state champion, the Minutemen allowed only one touchdown all year. The team included three all-state starters – Dallas Dyer, Monte Kiffin and Mick Tingelhoff. Clatonia boys basketball. The only undefeated team in the 1957-58 season, Clatonia went 27-0 to win Class D while scoring 71.6 points and allowing 39.6 points per game during the season. Starter Oren Miller is the father of Angie Miller, an all-stater on Wilber-Clatonia's silver anniversary girls basketball team. See pictures of these teams.
2008--Teams from the 1958-59 school year: Lincoln High basketball 1958-59 won state championship and extending a winning streak that reached a Class A record the following year; Red Willow High School 1958-59, unbeaten in football (9-0), sate champions in basketball (27-1) and state champions in track. See pictures of these teams.
2009--Teams from the 1959-60 school year are eligible. Wish to have a team considered? Please go to the main page and find the appropriate nomination form.
2010--Teams from the 1960-61 school year are eligible. Wish to have a team considered? Please go to the main page and find the appropriate nomination form.
