Posted: 11/22/05
'We were a teamÖ'
Former players recall 1976 championship season
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
(Note: Read about the current Warriors' team win against Hawley in the sports section of this website.)
Caledonia High School had a football dynasty in the mid-1970s.
The team finished second in the state tournament in 1974, went undefeated in 1975, and won the Class B title game in 1976.
Thatís a feat that the 2005 team will try to duplicate this Friday when they play Eden Valley-Watkins in the Metrodome in Minneapolis at 1:15 p.m.
The 1975 team was even better than the 1976 team in the view of some players. But it did not qualify for the tournament. Teams then were chosen based on a complicated point system, and Caledonia came up short.
Caledonia finished its 1976 regular season undefeated. The closest game was the last one, a 16-15 win over La Crescent on October 29. It was a controversial win because part of it was played with 12 Caledonia players on defense. It wasnít discovered until coaches reviewed a tape of the game the following Monday. The story was picked up by state and national news outlets. Keith Myhre even wrote a letter to The Argus stating he had heard the news on Armed Forces Radio in Ulm, Germany on November 3.
The win gave Caledonia the Mississippi Valley Conference title, which meant an ìintra-districtî game against the Minnesota Valley Conference winner, Montgomery-Longsdale. The game had been arranged the year before in hopes of enhancing the chances of a state playoff berth, and it worked. Caledonia beat Montgomery 22-6 on November 5 in Montgomery. The win moved Caledonia from 8th place to 4th place in Class B ranking, which meant they were in the final four of the state tournament.
In the state semi-final game on November 12 in Faribault, Caledonia came back from a 13-0 deficit to beat Monticello 16-13. It was 16 degrees at game time.
In the finals seven days later, also in Faribault, the Warriors easily beat Sartell 38-7 to win the state title.
The team had 21 seniors from a graduating class of 142: Randy Aasum, Phil Augedahl, Dean Bartelson, Charles Betz, Steve Bolduan, Tim Doering, Greg Kramer, Dan Klug, Charlie Kruse, Curt Kuecker, Wes Lapham, David Meiners, Dave Meyer, Ken Ranzenberger, Dave Renslo, LaVern Rohde, Russ Rommes, Tom Schellsmidt, John Vick, Mike Von Arx, and Tom Wagner.
On offense, the starting line was Tim Lange, a junior, at center, Randy Aasum and Charlie Kruse at guard, Greg Kramer and Mike Von Arx at tackle, and Steve Bolduan and LaVern Rohde at end. Running backs were Wes Lapham, Phil Augedahl and Dean Bartelson. Dave Meyer was quarterback. End Tim Doering and running back Russ Rommes were important offensive players too.
On defense, the line was Mike VonArx, Ken Ranzenberger, Rich Kasten, Bill Welscher, and LaVern Rohde. Linebackers were Wes Lapham, Dean Bartleson, and Greg Kramer. Backs were Phil Augedahl, Russ Rommes, and Dave Meyer,
Felix Percuoco was head coach, with Ron Moen, Dave Ellefson, Dennis Torgerson, and Ken Van Den Boom assistants.
I asked several players from the 1976 team what they remembered most about their championship season. A lot of similar thoughts emerged. The offense was well-balanced, with good running from the speedy Augedahl to Lapham, a bruiser. The backs could catch too, and the 6-6 Rohde was a good target.
The team had a lot of depth and talent, and they had commitment and togetherness. They also loved winning for Percuoco, a long-time coach who could inspire players with his New Jersey toughness and an obvious, sometimes emotional joy for the game of football.
Two players on the team have players on this yearís team. Phil Augedahlís son, Simon, is a starter, and Dan Klugís sons Kevin and Karl Klug are mainstays.
ìCoaching staff was top-notchî
Here are reflections from some of the 1976 players.
ï Dave Meyer, who teaches at Caledonia Middle School, said the players were accustomed to winning.ìIt was a group of tough kids that were willing to work hard,î he said. ìOur coaching staff was top notch. You donít get to this point without have a good coaching staff.î
The line was good too, Meyer said. ìYouíve got to have a great offensive lineî he said. ìBecause until you establish the run, nothing else is going to come about.î
Meyer felt the team wanted to win for Percuoco, especially after coming close in 1974 and getting snubbed in 1975. Percuoco was Meyerís next door neighbor in Caledonia. ìHe directed me all the way through college, matter of fact,î Meyer said.
Percuoco was tough physically and mentally, Meyer added. ìWhen youíre the leader and youíre tough, the people around you are going to be tough,î he said. Percuoco died in April 27, 1981, at the age of 57.
ìWe knew the game pretty well as a team,î Meyer said. ìAnd thatís because of our coaching staff. ìWe spent a lot of time preparing for games, watching films.î
Asked about the infamous La Crescent game, Meyer said it occurred because a player had been sick before the game and thought he was still on the squad.
The 12-man story was overblown, Meyer feels. He said it didnít last more than two or three defensive series. The extra defensive player actually hurt the Warriors, Meyer feels, because it put their players out of position. ìSo when we had the 12 they [La Crescent] moved the ball, when we had the 11 they didnít,î Meyer said. ìIt was an over-rated and over-talked-about thing.î
The two head coaches didnít see eye to eye on things, Meyer added. ìIt gave La Crescent something to badger us on,î he said. Meyer admits he is a bit biased about the whole thing.
Meyer played in four different colleges under four different coaching staffs. ìI realized that what we had here in Caledonia was something that was hard to duplicate.î
How would the 1976 team fare against this yearís team? Thatís a hard question to answer, because the team is totally different, Meyer said. ìKids are different, but some ways theyíre better and some ways theyíre worse.î
It doesnít pay to compare the two because it can only hurt feelings, Meyer said.
ìGreat fan supportî
ï Randy Aasum, Caledonia, said he thinks about the 1976 team all the time. ìEspecially right now. We played on the frozen ground too. There was no Dome.î
Aasum remembers the fantastic fan turnout. ìUnbelievable,î he said. ìYou really draw the support of a town when you do something like this.î
Aasum said there was a feeling on the team to win it for Coach Percuoco. ìHe was a great man,î Aasum said.
The La Crescent game was big too, Aasum said. He said Caledonia played with 12 men for most of the game, a point which his old quarterback will argue. But they both agree that the defense played better with just 11.
Even certain plays stand out in that game, like a screen pass that Phil Augedahl took 80 yards for a touchdown. ìIíll never forget that play. Thatís what put us over the top to go undefeated and make the playoffs.î
Phil Augedahl was the fastest on the team, Aasum said. He paused, then added, ìEverybody was good. And a lot of us seniors that year, we knew we had a team. We got in shape before the season started. We were out running all summer.î
Aasum has a good memory ñ he even recalls that his seventh grade team beat La Crescent 56-0.
ï Greg Kramer, Hokah, played middle linebacker and offensive tackle. ìI know we had probably a better team the year before that we didnít even make the playoffs,î he said.
The Warriors didnít play the right teams to get enough points to make the playoffs. ìWe kind of got ripped off,î he said.
Kramer said he remembers the closest games, like the famous ìDirty Dozenî game against La Crescent.
ìIf we didnít perform in the first half, I know Felix got a little irate. Even if we were a little ahead, he was chewing butt to get us going. It was a lot of fun,î Kramer said. ìHe was the muscle guy.î
ï Dean Bartelson, Caledonia, first recalled the cold weather when asked about the 1976 season.
ìWe basically had to practice like what theyíd be doing this evening,î he said on November 16. That was a 20-degree day with a stiff west wind and snow on the ground.
Bartelson said the team members didnít even know that they were going to state until after the day after they beat Montgomery in a so-called district game.
ìWe didnít even know it till the next morning,î he said. Thatís when he got a call from his coach saying, ìBoys, weíre practicing.î
ì[We were] Just lucky enough to go,î Bartelson said. He said he was fortunate to play with a group of individuals that really wanted the state title.
ìJust like these kids,î Bartelson said of this yearís team. ìTheir goal from day one was to get to the Dome.î
ìAnd I wore the same number of Karl Klug (40) and I tell him that quite often,î Bartelson said.
Bartelson still remembers the coaches saying that they would talk about the state championship for the rest of their lives. ìIt does linger a long time,î he said.
The coachesí goal was to make them men and good football players at the same time.
Coach Percuoco told them it would not be easy. ìYou can back down or you can stand up and pay attention,î he told the players.
ìTremendous ground gameî
ï Tim Lange, who played center, was one of four juniors on the team, along with Randy Meiners Rich Kasten, Bill Welscher.
ìWe had a tremendous ground game,î Lange recalled, and a very good offensive and defensive line.
Meyer and Augedahl were the fastest, Lange said.
About Wes Lapham, Lange said ìHeíd rather run though you than around you.î
Lange still remembers the plays, 36 power power, 35 power power. Danny Bauer used to take the brunt of Laphamís lead block in practice.
And donít forget the ìmeat grinderî in practice, where a player would have to try to run between two defenders. ìWe had a lot of fun,î Lange said.
ï Phil Augedahl, Caledonia, said the 1976 season was about teamwork. ìWe were a team. It was 11 guys. We played together,î he said. ìIt took everybody. It always does.î
The offensive linemen were not real big, but they were good and quick. ìI think our quickness was one of our better assets,î he said.
The players respected the coaches too. ìYou wanted to win for them.î
Augedahl remembers how intense Percuoco was in the championship game. ìIíve never seen him look like that ever,î he said. ìHe had that certain look in his eye, ëWeíre going to win this game, thatís it.íî
I asked Augedahl about that big screen pass touchdown against La Crescent. La Crescent got the ball on the 20 late in the game and trailing 15-8. La Crescent was blitzing a lot, Augedahl said, so Tim Lange came back to the huddle and suggested a screen pass. It was the perfect play call and went 80 yards for a touchdown. ìI turned around and all there was was black jerseys in front of me,î Augedahl said.
Caledonia still trailed by a point, but Augedahl and Meyer connected on a pass for a two-point conversion and a 16-15 win that ultimately got them into the state tournament.
Phil said he has talked to his son Simon about the 1976 team over the years, with the results you might expect from a kid who has a life and a team of his own. ìThe one basic thing is you give it all youíve got,î Phil said. ìIf you get beat youíve got nothing to be ashamed of.î
ï Ken Ranzenberger, Houston, played nose guard on defense. He recalled how cold the championship game was, and how they would win it. ìWe knew we had them,î Ranzenberger said. ìI remember telling Greg Kramer after about three plays, ëWeíve got this one. We can handle these guys.íî
Ranzenberger also remembers Percuoco. ìHe was tops you know, it was that simple,î Ranzenberger said. ìEverybody you talk to says that.î
A landmark team and season
ï Ron Moen, who still teaches at Caledonia High School, tried to explain how teams were chosen for the state tournament then. Teams accumulated points through victories. ìIt was kind of complicated because the number of points you earned were gathered by the number of victories that the opponents had and also the size of the schools that you were competing against. I donít know if any of us understood it even at that time,î he said.
The undefeated 1975 team didnít make the playoffs because it played several schools that were smaller and in Class C, such as Mabel, Spring Grove, and Houston, Moen said.
Moen said he is often asked to compare this yearís team with the one that he coached in 1976. Like Dave Meyer, he said that is hard to do. But Moen does see one big parallel.
ìAnd that is an outstanding group of kids, both athletically and in terms of quality personalities.î
Moen mentioned Mike Von Arx, Phil Augedahl, Dave Meyer, Greg Kramer, and Wes Lapham.
ìThey werenít alike, yet they all compliment what you need as leaders on a team,î Moen said.
Moen recalled how Dean Bartelson told Meyer in a huddle in a playoff game that he would give him half of a sandwich if Meyer would let him score a touchdown.
ìGreg [Kramer] could keep everybody loose [too], yet both of those guys played with a great deal of intensity. But they helped us keep life in the proper perspective.î
Moen can still remember quiet Wes Lapham coming back to the huddle and giggling because he had flattened some poor kids and walked the length of his body.
ìWhen it was time to turn up the intensity, then you have the Phil Augedahls and Dave Meyers that were all very, very serious business about winning,î Moen said. ìWe had all of those persons.î
Moen paused, then added the name of Mike Von Arx to that list. ìHe was something else,î Moen said.
ìIt takes good athletes but it takes the right team chemistry. I see this yearís having that kind of chemistry. Itís a team game to them and theyíre all doing their part.î
Moen uses the 1976 team in his American history class when he talks about what is meant by landmarks of history. ìIíve talked about the 1976 team being a landmark in the history of Caledonia,î Moen said. Heís hopeful that the 2005 team will be viewed that way at some future point.
This Fridayís game might fulfill those hopes.
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