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1966 NHS Season Statistics--S.I.A.C. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Evansville Courier & Press Newspapers ALL CITY/METRO Selections

RESULTS

SCORING

PASSING

Individual stats for rushing and receiving are unavailable at this time.

Highlights included: With a strong offensive line featuring returning Associated Press Junior All-State linemen George Conley and Ron Jesop, the Huskies were confident they'd be able to run the ball well in 1966.  What no one knew in August was that this club of 'gamers' would display the courage of lions as they overcame fourth quarter deficits throughout the season to win a Southern Indiana Athletic Conference championship.

Trailing Harrison 7-0 with 4 minutes to play on opening night, North had the ball and momentum rolling as they moved toward a tying score.  Disaster struck when the Warriors picked off a pass and ran it all the way back for a touchdown.  No one knew at the time that it would be the last game the Huskies would lose all season long.

When QB Ron Eaton hit split end Eddie Crowe with a 73 yard scoring pass against Vincennes, North's potent office was put on display.  Racking up 263 yards on the ground and over a hundred through the air, the 24-12 win was just a glimmer of things to come.

North ended Terre Haute Wiley's long winning streak when RB Doug Atherton took off on scoring runs of 53 and 70 yards.  Newspapers recount how DB Eddie Crowe shut down Wiley's all-conference wide receiver, only allowing him a single reception all night.  The 130lb Crowe made the Red Streak receiver pay for his accomplishment as Crowe hit him hard enough after the catch to force a fumble which Crowe then recovered.  The 33-7 pasting of a tough ball club set the tone for the following week's matchup with Bosse.

On a sloppy Bosse Field turf, the Husky defense shut out the Bulldogs 27-0.   Eaton again found Crowe on a scoring pass and FB Dave Bridges made it his third consecutive game with a touchdown.  WB Dave Senning's 69 yard TD reception was the night's most exciting play.

It was against Memorial that North began it's epic string of comebacks.  The Tigers had come out of the locker room ready to play and were up 14-0 before 5:50 was gone in the game.  Instead of panicking, North methodically drove its way back into the ball game.  With the defense stiffening, QB Ron Eaton hit Dave Senning with a 39 yard pass to close the gap.  Late in the half, Eaton found RB Doug Atherton open for a 28 yard score.  Tied 14 apiece at the break, Riley Stansberry blocked a third quarter punt that DT Ron Jesop recovered for a TD to give the Huskies the lead.  When Dave Bridges added his fourth TD in as many games, the Huskies lead lengthened.  It took DB Eddie Crowe, however, to preserve the victory as he picked off a Memorial pass in his own territory with 10 seconds to play to preserve the 26-23 victory.

In spite of a 32 yard touchdown run on the game's opening possession by RB Doug Atherton, North trailed Mater Dei 13-7 as the game neared halftime.  The defense, however, had yielded their final point and when Bridges made it his fifth consecutive game with a touchdown, the Huskies were tied.  QB Ron Eaton then ran one score in himself in the second half and hit sophomore Dan Franklin with a scoring pass to handily defeat the Wildcats 27-13.

When North trailed Reitz 14-0 with after only 11 minutes of play, it appeared the win streak was doomed.  It wasn't until Scott Lomax blocked a punt and alert DT Ron Jesop recovered it for a touchdown that the Husky faithful began to get their hopes up.  When North forced the Panthers to go three and out on the next possession, big FB Dave Bridges showed some of the power that would produce 97 yards rushing on 19 carries this night.  When he drove in from the four yard line, North converted the extra point and tied the game at 14.  It extended Bridges remarkable string to six games and the Huskies had momentum on their side.

To start the second half, RB Doug Atherton began to atone for first half fumbles which had led to the early deficit.  With North running 6 of 9 plays behind Jesop's tackle position, the Huskies moved 54 yards.  While the drive ultimately stalled, it set the tone for the ball control offense that North would display in the game's final two periods.  Atherton would carry an amazing 37 times in the game and rush for 225 yards including the game winning touchdown with 7:36 remaining.  The victory wasn't sealed however until DB Dave Senning intercepted a pass on his own 37 yard line which enabled the Huskies to run out the final four minutes of the clock.

The last second heroics continued versus Rex Mundi as North trailed 10-0 entering the final quarter of play.  With their conference title hopes on the line, the Huskies handed the ball time and again to RB Doug Atherton who responded with big gains.  He ran 54 yards to the Monarch 4 yard line to start the 4th quarter, but the drive stalled there.  The defense forced Rex Mundi to punt from deep in their own territory and on the ensuing 14 play 54 yard drive Atherton carried 5 times for 34 yards.  When QB Ron Eaton hit End Dan Franklin with a 5 yard TD pass and K Riley Stansberry nailed the extra point, the Huskies had pulled within three points.

It was a familiar face on defense, however, who provided the game winning score.  DB Dave Senning stepped in front of a Monarch pass and scooted 56 yards for a touchdown with 6 minutes to play.  The Huskies' win streak had reached seven games and only 13 point underdog Central remained between them and a championship.  Of course, that's why they play the games. 

The Bears came out fired up and took a 13-0 lead late into the third quarter.  Central drove the ball to the North one yard line in the closing minutes of the period and threatened to go up by twenty points when the defense held on a dramatic goal line stand.

QB Ron Eaton then directed a 99 yard drive that was aided more than once by penalties against the Bears and ran in the Huskies' first score from the 2 yard line.  When the defense again stalled a Bear drive, Eaton then found RB Doug Atherton for a 42 yard pass to move the ball deep into Central territory.  FB Dave Bridges capped off the 6 play 82 yard drive with a 20 yard touchdown run.

On the ensuing kickoff, Gary Witham recovered a Bears fumble on the one yard line and Eaton dove in for the game winner on the next play.  Completing a miraculous comeback in a span of eight minutes, the 1966 Huskies would stand as the last North team to threaten to win a city or conference title for eleven years.

RUSHING

RECEIVING

DEFENSE--2 pts each for solo, cause or recover fumble, sack, int, blk kick; 1 pt each for assist and tackle for loss

No Defensive Statistics are available at this time.

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