SOME LCC FOOTBALL HISTORY

[CoachGallogly]

On 11/27/2023 at 10:11 AM, foxbat said:

Really, only up until recently, LCC's been a feast-or-famine kind of team when it comes to post season ... although folks have always thought of them as dominant since inception.  Looking at Harrell's, from 1976, in the run-up to the 4-peats which kind of kicked off the "modern history" of LCC mythos, LCC's post-season was:

• 1976 - State champ
• 1989 - Sectional champ
• 1999 - State champ
• 2005 - Sectional champ

I ran some back-of-the-napkin calculations and, prior to the 1983 season, LCC was sporting just under a 54% win-rate.  The win-rate since the first youth program kids hit their senior year has been a tad over 71%.  Probably of greater interest to the LCC faithful, is that LCC's post-season has been less feast-or-famine.  Since the end of the four-peats, 2009-2012, LCC's post season has been:

• 2014 - 2A Regional champ
• 2015 - 1A State champ
• 2016 - 1A Sectional champ
• 2019 - 1A State champ
• 2020 - 1A Regional champ
• 2021 - 2A Sectional champ
• 2022 - 2A Sectional champ
• 2023 - 2A Regional champ

LCC has certainly had an up and down history, but is currently on an exceptionally long run of good-great seasons.   
 

Interesting note future University of Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster was just 11-11 at LCC. 

[Tippy]

Tim Brewster was Head Coach at LCC for the 1987 and 1988 football seasons.  I thought he did a good job of getting the LCC football program back on the right track.  6 of those 11 losses were to West Lafayette, McCutcheon and Harrison.  I wonder if what happened at Seeger in 1988 was one of the reasons he left LCC?

 

LCC 1987 Football Season

Friday Aug. 28, at LCC

LCC  33    0-13-7-13

Benton Central  7    0-7-0-0

 

Friday September 4, at West Lafayette

West Lafayette  31    13-0-15-3

LCC 13    0-0-13-0

 

Friday September 11, at LCC

McCutcheon  20    7-0-6-7

LCC  19    7-12-0-0

 

Friday September 18, at Twin Lakes

LCC  28    8-8-0-12

Twin Lakes  27    7-8-6-6

 

Friday September 25, at LCC

LCC  50    14-20 -8-8

Seeger  26    8-0-12-6

 

Friday October 2, at Delphi

LCC  18    0-12-6-0

Delphi  14    0-14-0-0

 

Friday October 9, at Riverton Parke

LCC  58    12-30-16-0

Riverton Parke  0    0-0-0-0

 

Friday October 16, at LCC

LCC  8    8-0-0-0

Harrison (wL)  34    0-14-13-7

 

Friday October 23, at Caston (Sectional)

LCC  44    14-18-0-12

Caston  14    0-0-7-7

 

Friday October 30, at LCC (Sectional)

LCC  44    16-14-0-14

Tri-County  22    0-8-8-6

 

Friday November 6, at LCC (Sectional Final)

LCC  0    0-0-0-0

Frontier  42    7-13-15-7  (Frontier was 10-0 when they played LCC)

[Ballhawk]

14 hours ago, foxbat said:

Fr. Dudzinski's brother is also a priest!

 

There's also a guy on that list, who is very modest and would hate to have his name mentioned, that spent LOTS of time ... 25 years, even before he had kids of his own ... with the youth program and was responsible for getting me involved all the way back in 2002.  His efforts went way beyond the LCC program and helped with youth football across the area and touching several counties around here. 

Three of the brothers are priests - Ted, Andrew & Brian (St. Maria Goretti Parish in Westfield).

[Tippy]

Central Catholic football talk in September 1989!

Rick George became the head Coach at LCC in 1989.  LaRocca retired after the 1976 season, and 6 men have coached the Knights since.  LCC's varsity football record from 1980 through 1988 was 32-60.  The talk included questions like, Yes, LCC is good this year, but will they have enough numbers to field a team in 1990?  The 1989 roster had 28 players of which 10 were Seniors.  There were 4 juniors, 6 sophomores  and 8 freshmen on the 89 team.  One of the freshmen was 5 foot 4 and 140 pounds.  There were six 8th graders playing junior high football in 1989, there was no freshman team at LCC, and the JV had a 5 game schedule.  The 7th and 8th graders combined on one team.  Athletic director Dave Worland said LCC had 19 7th graders playing football and that its Little Gridiron program for 5th and 6th graders soon would make it possible for the Knights to field a 7th grade team, an 8th grade team, a freshman team and a JV team.

[Tippy]

LCC Football Captains for the 1971 Football Season!

Rob Reuzenaar

Mark Stodgell

Chico Hatke

 

Mitch Clayton rushed for 2473 yards and scored 49 td's to help LCC win state in 1999.  Eric Anthrop was the QB on that 1999 team.

 

Central Catholic dropped out of the Hoosier Conference after the 1975 season, and rejoined the Hoosier in 1980.  The Knights severed ties with the conference due to the fact the other schools were all Class AA in football and wanted the Knights to declare as Class AA

[Tippy]

Central Catholic Broke the Law on Friday November 3, 1989.  The Knights shutdown Brett Law (Indiana's leading rusher) and beat Sheridan for the Sectional Championship 17-7.  LCC's first sectional Championship since 1976.  Sheridan was ranked #1 in Class A at the time.  LCC went 4-4 during the regular season.

LCC  0-10-7-0

Sheridan  7-0-0-0

 

Sheridan scored on their first possession of the game.  LCC blocked a punt with 4:39 left in the first half and Scott Ebershoff picked the ball up and scored to tie the game at 7.  Knights QB Craig Ebershoff was taken to the hospital with a shoulder injury in the 3rd Q and Ed Bogan took over for the rest of the game.

[Tippy]

The Sectional Championship game of November 5, 1993 at LCC.

The Knights are playing North Miami.  LCC it up 20-0 at the half and everything looks good.  North Miami returned an LCC fumble 45 yards for a td in the 3rd to make the score 20-14.  LCC had the ball at the NM 16 yard line with 2:59 left, but did not score. North Miami won the game 22-20, and went on to win the 1A State Championship 37-16 over West Washington.  LCC was left thinking about what might have been.

LCC  0-20-0-0

NM  0-0-14-8

[CatholicFootball10]

This all much appreciated and great to read about. Thanks Tippy!

[Tippy]

LCC was readmitted to the Hoosier conference in 1980 after a 4-year stint as an independent.  One of the criteria the conference set for LCC being readmitted to the conference was that it change its football status from Class A to Class AA.  LCC applied to the IHSAA for the change in status, but it was learned early in October 1980 that LCC was still on record as being a Class A School.  The IHSAA allowed a status change only in odd-numbered years, thus LCC's opponents in 1980 received 1 playoff point for a victory over the Knights instead of 2 had the Knights been a Class AA school.  It was the Conference's opinion that LCC made a legitimate mistake, and they understood.

[foxbat]

14 minutes ago, Tippy said:

LCC was readmitted to the Hoosier conference in 1980 after a 4-year stint as an independent.  One of the criteria the conference set for LCC being readmitted to the conference was that it change its football status from Class A to Class AA.  LCC applied to the IHSAA for the change in status, but it was learned early in October 1980 that LCC was still on record as being a Class A School.  The IHSAA allowed a status change only in odd-numbered years, thus LCC's opponents in 1980 received 1 playoff point for a victory over the Knights instead of 2 had the Knights been a Class AA school.  It was the Conference's opinion that LCC made a legitimate mistake, and they understood.

Interesting.  Is that part of the old cluster system ... the points per class?

[Tippy]

50 minutes ago, foxbat said:

Interesting.  Is that part of the old cluster system ... the points per class?

No, they only used the cluster system in 1983 and 1984.  Most people didn't know that LCC was very close to being moved up a class in 1980.

[Tippy]

1 hour ago, foxbat said:

Interesting.  Is that part of the old cluster system ... the points per class?

The biggest inequity before 1983 was that an unbeaten team could miss the playoffs because of the format for selecting district champions.  It was based on a point system with more points awarded for beating schools in higher enrollment classes.

Under the Cluster System, each school was required to play every school in its cluster- and only those games would count toward qualifying for the playoffs.  Thus if a team beat every opponent in its cluster, it automatically got into the playoffs.  You could go 4-6 and still get in the playoffs.  LCC didn't have to worry about the Cluster System because they didn't beat anybody in 1983 and 1984.

[BendNotBreak]

18 hours ago, Tippy said:

The biggest inequity before 1983 was that an unbeaten team could miss the playoffs because of the format for selecting district champions.  It was based on a point system with more points awarded for beating schools in higher enrollment classes.

Under the Cluster System, each school was required to play every school in its cluster- and only those games would count toward qualifying for the playoffs.  Thus if a team beat every opponent in its cluster, it automatically got into the playoffs.  You could go 4-6 and still get in the playoffs.  LCC didn't have to worry about the Cluster System because they didn't beat anybody in 1983 and 1984.

 

Luers can go 4-6 and win State... Before 83... was more like an early attempt at using a SAG type solution to qualify for the tourney that incorporated the SOS factor into the selection process... Using Poll Rank and Geography to determine hm field. Had the ISHAA expanded the tourney then to include half of the field, it might be still in use today... with the yearly sounding of the trumpets to then seed it.... Or, you could just say.. no worries ur All IN ...

[Tippy]

When the cluster system went in effect in 1983, the state's 319 football teams were divided by enrollment into 4 classes.  The 4 classes were based on male enrollment in grades 10-12.  The 80 largest schools, all of which were Class AAA in 1982 were now AAAA.  The next 79, more than 50 of which were Class AA in 1982 were now AAA.  The next 80 schools, consisting mainly of former Class A and AA teams but also with a number of parochial schools that were AAA, were in the new Class AA.  The 80 with the smallest enrollment-including one former AAA team, Mishawaka Marian, and one AA team, Lafayette Central Catholic- were in the new Class A.  It looks like LCC was in Class 2A in 1981 and 1982. LCC didn't make the playoffs during those years, so it didn't make that much difference.  

[Donnie Baker]

I haven’t had a downvote lately. This should change that. I noticed Mudas hasn’t listed his favorite LCC memories yet. I swear to God he hasn’t. 

[Muda69]

9 minutes ago, Donnie Baker said:

I haven’t had a downvote lately. This should change that. I noticed Mudas hasn’t listed his favorite LCC memories yet. I swear to God he hasn’t. 

Be my guest, Donnie.

[Donnie Baker]

1 hour ago, Muda69 said:

Be my guest, Donnie.

Never forget!🤣

[BendNotBreak]

Tippy.. u should clear that up if ur gonna do a history thread. Miss Anthrop would not approve.. lol.  It would b a surprise to learn that Lcc was ever anything other than class A... i believe enrollment was in decline.. n headed for the chopping block...  Mish Marion is special.. I beleve they petioned all the way up to 3A from 1A.. perhaps they fell back in line with their enrollment when 4A was introduced??

[Tippy]

1 hour ago, BendNotBreak said:

Tippy.. u should clear that up if ur gonna do a history thread. Miss Anthrop would not approve.. lol.  It would b a surprise to learn that Lcc was ever anything other than class A... i believe enrollment was in decline.. n headed for the chopping block...  Mish Marion is special.. I beleve they petioned all the way up to 3A from 1A.. perhaps they fell back in line with their enrollment when 4A was introduced??

Miss Anthrop would probably give me an F for lack of clarity.

Fact:  LCC was in 2A in 1981 and 1982.  In 1975 the Hoosier conference wanted LCC to move up to 2A so the teams that beat LCC would get 2 points instead of 1 playoff point.  The other teams in the Hoosier were all in 2A.  LCC said no and they left the conference.  In 1980 LCC had a new coach and wanted back in a conference.  The Hoosier Conference said they would only let LCC back in if they moved up to 2A.  LCC said ok and they moved up to 2A.  When the Cluster System went in effect in 1983, LCC went back down to 1A.

[BendNotBreak]

59 minutes ago, Tippy said:

Miss Anthrop would probably give me an F for lack of clarity.

Fact:  LCC was in 2A in 1981 and 1982.  In 1975 the Hoosier conference wanted LCC to move up to 2A so the teams that beat LCC would get 2 points instead of 1 playoff point.  The other teams in the Hoosier were all in 2A.  LCC said no and they left the conference.  In 1980 LCC had a new coach and wanted back in a conference.  The Hoosier Conference said they would only let LCC back in if they moved up to 2A.  LCC said ok and they moved up to 2A.  When the Cluster System went in effect in 1983, LCC went back down to 1A.

Lcc petioned up to 2A for 81 n 82 Really??   I only heard of MM and Scenia doing that on their own... hmmm.. nice catch!

[BendNotBreak]

So.. the HC gamed the system getting an easy 2pts for adding a winless Lcc in 81 an 82... oh my

[Tippy]

31 minutes ago, BendNotBreak said:

Lcc petioned up to 2A for 81 n 82 Really??   I only heard of MM and Scenia doing that on their own... hmmm.. nice catch!

They petioned up in 1980, but in October 1980 they found out they were still in 1A because the IHSAA only moved teams in odd numbered years.  The other teams in the HC were not happy about that but they understood.

[Tippy]

22 minutes ago, BendNotBreak said:

So.. the HC gamed the system getting an easy 2pts for adding a winless Lcc in 81 an 82... oh my

Yes, they did!  They didn't want to play LCC and only get 1 point.

[BendNotBreak]

1 hour ago, Tippy said:

Yes, they did!  They didn't want to play LCC and only get 1 point.

Oh My... so HC member McCutchen made the playoffs in 82.. n got blasted by Franklin in the finals... some say that was there best team ever..... it was their 76 team.... jmho. hmmmm

[Tippy]

1 hour ago, BendNotBreak said:

Oh My... so HC member McCutchen made the playoffs in 82.. n got blasted by Franklin in the finals... some say that was there best team ever..... it was their 76 team.... jmho. hmmmm

Kevin O'Shea was the QB on that 1982 McCutcheon team.  McCutcheon beat LCC 47-13 that year.  Franklin Central beat McCutcheon 40-13 in the finals, but FC only beat Crawfordsville 9-6 in the Sectional playoff game in 1982.

C'ville  0-0-6-0

FC       0-3-6-0