A record crowd at John Wall Field looks onas halfback Tim Appleget returnsa punt in the ex - citing semi- final game against the Marion Indians. The Hawks rose victorious in the final moments, 2822, andwere on their wag to theUNI Dome! The 1981 Varsity Football tea under Head Coach Joh really did it this year! The Fightin Hawks, Oertel and assistants Dave Crisma and Ed Johnson, ended the seasc 12-0, ECIC Conference Champs, an 3A State Champions. This season the Hawks won tt crucial games. They beat Marion, wh was ranked high and an “ alway tough” Regis team. The defense shi _ out 4 of the 9 regular season o ponents. season with the best record ever Prairie, 9They finished the regulc 0. They also received the first ever 3A State playoff berth. Prairie was pitted against a strong Fairfield team in the first round d playoff action. Bad weather corn < tions and tough defense kept th game scoreless until Prairie scored yarda Scott Joens onerun with 3 seconds remaining to lock the victor] for the Hawks. “ It’ s going to be a war,” were th words of Prairie guard Sam Wilsoi before the second meeting of Prairie and Marion. This was probably th biggest game in Prairies’s history, an the most exciting. Prairie ran th score to 14-0, but Marion wouldn give up. Using trick plays, Marie® fought back and tied the score. Prairi fought back and went into halftime 22-14. A Marion TD and a Prair mistake sent the game into overtime Prairie quickly scored and it was up the Indians. Big plays by Sco Quarterback Curt Woods follows blockers Jon Shebtka and Sam Wilson for a big gain against Benton. Woods carried the ball 8 times for 61 yards. Led by Woods, the Hawks put on an offensive show, highlighted by Tim Appleget' s interception and his 99 yard touchdown return, to defeat the Bobcats, 35 - 7. Douglas and Tim Appleget gave th Hawks the win and sent them fi Cedar Falls and the 3A State chara pionship game against Harlan. The championship game pitted thi Hawks against giant killer Harlan whc had knocked off the top two rata teams during the playoffs. The gam was hard hitting with many player* sustaining injuries. It was a defensiv struggle with Prairie scoring first on i Tim Appleget 17-yard-run. That wa the only scoring of the first half. Th Hawks scored again on a Bret Wagner 20- yard- run. But the defense tool over from there, and Prairie won th first football state championship in th* school’s history, 13-7. 36 Varsity Football
39 Publizr Home