By the numbers. It wasnt a great team to begin with. On September 12, Wichita State opened its season with a 4114 loss to Gene Stallings' Texas A&M Aggies before a crowd of 30,006 in College Station, Texas. A: The Gold plane carried the starters, coach Ben Wilson and athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer. The "Gold" plane carrying the first-team players and staff crashed in Colorado's Loveland Pass. The 1970 Wichita Shockers football teamwas an American footballteam that represented Wichita State Universityas a member of the Missouri Valley Conferenceduring the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. [11], In the final game of the season, the Shockers took a 170 lead over Lee Corso's bowl-bound Louisville Cardinals. List of Wichita . . 1970 Wichita State Shockers Roster | College Football at Sports-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1970 Wichita State Shockers Roster Previous Year Next Year Record: 0-9 (123rd of 123) ( Schedule & Results ) Conference: MVC Conference Record: 0-4 Coach: Ben Wilson (0-9) Points For: 99 Points/G: 11.0 (116th of 123) Points Against: 381 Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita State wore black jerseys, normally reserved for home games, for all six remaining games. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. | Opinion, Rare critter eluded Kansas biologists for years. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. But, the DC-6 was damaged so the aviation company opted to use two Martin 4-0-4 aircraft. Wichita State University 2023. "I honor their memory every day," Lewis said. A: The Wichita Eagle archives many stories and pictures from its coverage at www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. And it was dedicated to all those guys who didnt make it.. Withers, according to the story, hooked up with junior defensive end Pete Naputano, who also stayed behind while nursing a biceps injury. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. I headed down the mountain to get help and a pickup came and took me up to a construction site where we called for help.". Caden Henderson NCAA Stats Splits: Stat Type: Pace Adjusted Season View He conducted a memorial service and wrote Homecoming Prayer, which was read at the first home game after the crash. Or write about sports? If you have this information and would like to share Eight players and the co-pilot survived. Of the 31 people killed, 14 were Wichita State football players. at the scene. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Taylor,. A marker on I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel is close to the crash site in Colorado. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Wichita Falls Coyotes State Champions: 1941 1949 1950 1958 1961 1969 1961 Schedule Record: 10-0-0 Head Coach: Joe Golding Vs Common Opponents (See All) Click on teams to see side-by-side scores. Dubbed the "Second Season," Wichita State took 46 players 39 of them freshmen and sophomores to Little Rock to face No. According to history.com, on the plane were 37 football players, head coach Rick Tolley, team doctors, the university athletic director and 25 football boosters from the Huntington, W.Va. community. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshall's football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. The Shockers voted 76-1 to continue the season against Arkansas in Little Rock. and supporters who died in a plane crash Friday, October 2, 1970. Facing an Arkansas team ranked No. John Hoheisel, linebacker and team captain. The two planes traveled to Denver, Colo., to refuel. Wichita's freshman quarterback Rick Baher also threw two touchdown passes, and John Potts kicked a 47-yard field goal. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Herald-Dispatch photo archive - Marshall University (dark jerseys) beat Morehead State (white jerseys) 17-7 in the season opener Sept. 19, 1970, at Fairfield Stadium. really had to, essentially, trust myself. Hugh McElroy, who that week became the . The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. There was talk over the summer about reviving the football program. He earned All-MVC honors as a senior and played three seasons in the NFL. No plans have been made for the construction of a new multi-purpose athletic facility to replace the decrepit stadium. On May 16, 2009 the Wichita State University alumni association held an all football players reunion at Cessna Stadium. ON THE MORNING of Oct. 2, 1970, 21-year-old Malory W. Kimmel drove away from Wichita State University's Jardine Hall, heading for the Field House nearby. Maybe they should leave it just the way it is.. "[7] The Los Angeles Times reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."[8]. However, the Cardinals came back to win the game by a 3424 score.[12]. Homecomings are exciting times, Father, whether it be a homecoming with you when the game of life is over or whether it be a grand homecoming with this tremendous crowd today at Wichita State University. In his history of the sport of football, David M. Nelson concluded that "the first forward passes were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas. Radio voice Gus Grebe was supposed to ride on the Gold plane, but was late arriving and flew on the Black plane. This week, we take a look back at Arkansas' game against Wichita State in 1970. We know you hear with us the thrill and excitement of the game. The only time I ever have is in the (NFL). The first year of Wichita State Shockers football was in 1895. (AP file photo) This Oct. 2, 1970, file photo shows wreckage of a plane that carried members of the Wichita State University football team, in Silver Plume, Colo. Rusted and ragged pieces of . [12], On December 2, 1986, Wichita State President Warren Armstrong announced that the university would no longer sponsor football due to the financial strain the program placed on the university. Wichita waving white flag on Fourth of July skyrockets | Opinion, Wichita man sentenced for murdering 19-year-old who tried to steal $450 worth of marijuana, Kansas State at West Virginia could have major Big 12 Tournament seed implications, AAC tournament seeding on the line for Wichita State basketball: a look at tiebreakers, The bizarre stats the Wichita State basketball team finished with in loss to Houston, Turnovers spoil valiant road effort for Wichita State basketball in loss to No. To read last week's Throwback Thursday on the previous nine times Arkansas and Texas A&M played when both were ranked, click here. We will use old editions of the "Arkansas Recruiting Report" compiled by Otis Kirk during the 1990s, as well as newspaper reports accessed via microfilm, oral stories and other sources. On Saturday, Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying members of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team and coaching staff crashed in West Virginia killing all 75 people on board and. Find out more. In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, a plane carrying WSU football All 75 people aboard were killed. John Duren, 19, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sophomore TE, Randy Kiesau, 20, Clinton, Okla., Junior CB, Mal Kimmel, 21, St. Genevieve, Mo., Senior C, Carl Krueger, 19, Chicago, Ill., Sophomore DE, Tom Owen, 20, Temple Terrace, Fla., Junior RB, Gene Robinson, 21, Dayton, Ohio, Junior TE, Tom Shedden, 20, Oklahoma City, Okla., Junior OT, Richard Stines, 19, Kansas City, Kan., Sophomore G, Jack Vetter, 21, McPherson, Kan., Senior DT, Bert Katzenmeyer, 52, Elwood City, Penn., Athletic Director, Ray Coleman, 45, Wichita, Kan., Shocker Club Chairman, Minority Owned Businesses & Cultural Opportunities in the AAC, Wichita State Crash Survivor Relives Details, Crash site an important memorial for 'Gold Plane' family, Triumph and tragedy: Scotties grad Barkell starred at Wichita State, recalls plane crash, Forgotten tragedy: Survivors' quest to keep memories of 1970 Wichita State crash from fading, Daughter of WSU plane crash victim never knew her 'Da-da', 1990: Those left behind mourned and built new lives, Three generations later, the secrets of Wichita State's devastating plane crash are still unfolding, Wichita State plane crash killing 31 in 1970 revisited Saturday, Youve got to go on: Children of Wichita State crash victims share a 50-year bond, Wichita State marks anniversary of 1970 football team plane crash - Wichita Eagle, Overshadowed: The Wichita State Football Crash, Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash, Surviving Oct. 2nd: Remembering the Fallen with Rick Stephens, 'Gold Plane' & Silver Plume: the Wichita State Plane Crash Revisited, A Look at the WSU Plane Crash's Aftermath, Crash Site an Important Memorial for 'Gold Plane' Family, Former Utah State player still feels linked to Shockers, Shocker Summer: 1970 healing process began on a Saturday night in Little Rock, Shockers forever: Area graduates were part of Wichita State program when plane crash killed 31 in 1970, Greg Hansen: Remembering the Wichita State plane crash, 50 years later, The Valley of No Return: The Story of the Wichita State University Football Team Plane Crash, Wichita State University Football Team Airplane Crash Collection. The first home game was WSU's homecoming on October 31 against the University of Cincinnati The tragedy-ridden Wichita State football squad looked for all the world like kids just out of high school as they warmed up Saturday night to face the nations No. Date Original: Circa 1970. [14], In 1992, a study was done on Cessna Stadium to comply with I-A football standards. Ahlberg traveled to Colorado with the families to visit survivors and identify the dead. Information and quotes from this compilation gathered from stories published by The Wichita Eagle. Judy Dunn, 39, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Judy Lane, 28, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Oct. 31: Cincinnati 35, WSU 5 (moved from Oct. 17), Leading passer: Rick Baehr, 43 of 121, 514 yards, Leading receiver: Bill Moore, 12 for 175 yards, Honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference: C Kelly Cook, RB Don Gilley, DT Don Pankratz, LB George Whitfield, LB Bruce Gerleman. Quality local journalism has never been more important. The two schools shared in the proceeds from the A Night of Stars benefit at Levitt Arena. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. The future of the 1970 football season was in doubt, with the decision lying in the service was held Monday evening at Cessna Stadium. He would subsequently drop the plan weeks later. People can donate to the 70 Football Memorial Scholarship Fund at foundation.wichita.edu/give. The "Gold" plane, a Martin 404, carried 36 passengers and a crew of four. President Clark Ahlberg and dean of students Jim Rhatigan The universitys leaders dealt with the crush of notifications, funerals and memorial services. A longtime P.E. [40], On October 24, 1970, the team played the first game after the crash. The NTSB also cited the overloaded condition of the plane and a virtual absence of planning by the flight crew. The team compiled a 09 record (04 against conference opponents), finished last out of five teams in the MVC, and was outscored by a total of 381 to 99. [15] Thirty-one persons were killed in the crash, including the following 14 players:[16][17], The fatalities also included head coach Ben Wilson (and his wife Helen), athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer (and his wife Marian), team manager Marty Harrison (age 19), team trainer Tom Reeves, admissions director Carl Fahrbach, ticket manager Floyd Farmer, Shocker Club chairman Ray Coleman (and his wife Maxine), Kansas state representative Ray King (and his wife Yvonne), the plane's pilot Dan Crocker, and two stewardesses.[17][24]. Please consider supporting our work. A little more than a month after Wichita State's tragedy, a plane carrying the Marshall football team crashed and killed all 75 people on board, including 37 players and nine members of the coaching staff. Former T. C. Williams High School football coach Herman Boone, who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the film Remember the Titans, compared Jeffriess hiring to that of Jackie Robinson signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Portrait of John Yeros near the site of a plane crash near Loveland Pass, Colo., on Thursday, August 27, 2010. The Shockers only points were scored in the first quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tom Owen to Eddie Plopa. We do not have detailed roster information for this Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). and returned to Wichita by commercial plane Saturday. teacher and coach at Robinson Middle School, he died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer. Could have been on Rusty Featherstone's list. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Out of that great loss came a strength that was given to each survivor, to each member of the athletic administration, she said. had no objection of using freshman in the remaining games; neither did the Missouri As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Without football, the Shockers' basketball program has become a powerhouse. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. This story was originally published October 1, 2015, 12:36 PM. [11], When Willie Jeffries became Wichita States head coach in 1979, he became the first African-American head coach of a Division I-A football program. [38] The remaining portion of the schedule was designated the "second season. Another 14 were university staff members and football boosters. After starting all 14 games for Michigan in 2021 and injuring his knee three games into 2022, Cade McNamara looks at his move to Iowa as a fresh start. Trailing 216 in the fourth quarter, Wichita's freshman quarterback Tom Owen threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wingback Tim Thissen to narrow the score to 2112. Rev. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider) A memorial to Wichita State University football player John Taylor lies among the remains of the tragic plane clash Oct. 2, 1970, near the Loveland Ski Area that killed 31 people. 10/04/1970: Wichita, KS: Southeast: 6'5" 240: 99: Alonzo Spellman: DE: 9/27/1971: Mt. Utah State placed a memorial wreath at the 50-yard line at its football stadium. I [16], In 1998, an advisory committee at Wichita State recommended reinstating the football program at Wichita State after a 15-month study for $70,000. 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team, 1970 NCAA University Division football season, 1970 Missouri Valley Conference football standings, Wichita State University football team plane crash. According to several newspaper accounts, the. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. I just knew he was going to be in trouble. Mary Lou Rutherford, witness, We just assumed thats the way it was when you fly in the mountains. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The team was headed to Logan, Utah, for a game the next day against Utah State. Florida State and Wichita State wallowed around in the slop looking for the football. That meant the Arkansas game was the beginning of what the Shockers were calling their "Second Season," in which they obtained special permission from the NCAA and Missouri Valley Conference to play freshmen, who were ineligible for varsity play back then. Tolle made it look like 1993 all over again at Eck Stadium on Saturday, doing his best Darren Dreifort impression. FILE - In this Oct. 3, 1970, file photo, a charred Wichita State University football helmet is shown amid the wreckage of a plane that crashed in Silver Plume, Colo. Six weeks later, on Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying members of the Marshall football team crashed. A plane was made available by Governor Docking to take university officials and family And for the next five minutes, players for both sides embraced, shook hands and talked about the football game.. The football players decided to continue the season, which was later designated as . Bert Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, athletic director, Marian Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, wife of athletic director, Marty Harrison, 19, Argonia, team manager, Carl Fahrbach, 50, Wichita, dean of admissions, Floyd Farmer, 35, Wichita, ticket manager, Ray Coleman, 45, Wichita, chairman of Shocker Club, Maxine Coleman, 43, Wichita, wife of chairman, John Grooms, 42, Wichita, won membership drive, Etta Mae Grooms, 38, Wichita, won membership drive, Yvonne King, 41, Hesston, wife of state representative. Sports Reference Baseball; Football; Basketball; Hockey; Calcio; Blog; Stathead . When the clock ticked off the final second, the Razorbacks exploded to midfield, Thompson wrote. Steam floated off their sweat-drenched heads, and a holler could be heard for the water boy. Do you have a blog? Thirty-one people died as a result of the crash: 14 players, 14 WSU staff and boosters, and three crew members. Joyce Series No: FBC613 Holdings: Box 1 (FBC613-1) Abilene Christian (Abilene Christian University - Abilene TX) 17 Sep 1960 vs East Texas State - 15 Oct 1960 vs Howard Payne - 29 Oct 1960 vs Mississippi Southern 30 Sep 1961 vs Lamar Tech 3 Nov 1962 vs Arlington State 26 Oct 1963 vs Trinity Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. I feel badly that it happened, of course. However, at that point on the flight path, the crew would have been unable to see that the valley ended at Loveland Pass, and thus they proceeded into an area from which an escape was not possible. NTSB report, I feel I did everything that I could have done in the situation.