[36] At the end of the season, a nationally televised fundraising program hosted by Monty Hall was aired to raise money for the victims of the two crashes. In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, a plane carrying WSU football players, athletic staff members and team boosters crashed at approximately 3 p.m. on a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado while en route to Logan, Utah for a game with Utah State University. 10/04/1970: Wichita, KS: Southeast: 6'5" 240: 99: Alonzo Spellman: DE: 9/27/1971: Mt. The team's statistical leaders included Rick Baehr with 513 passing yards, Don Gilley with 290 rushing yards and 12 points scored, Bill Moore with 175 receiving yards. The crash site is about a 575-mile drive from Wichita and is above I-70 on the north side of the highway, sitting on public land in the Arapaho National Forest. However, the score took a backseat in this game. 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. It was shown that $24 million in improvements were needed. The stories of the people affected by the crash and its aftermath serve as a tribute to all - teammates, friends and family. (AP Photo)AP. Matthew McConaughey stars as new head football coach Jack Lengyel who was brought in to rebuild the team. 1990 Roster # Player Position Birthday Hometown High School Height Weight; 1: . The NTSB said rain and poor visibility contributed to the . Looking back on it, we probably expected the coaches to do way too much, Rhatigan said. 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. When the clock ticked off the final second, the Razorbacks exploded to midfield, Thompson wrote. Ahlberg traveled to Colorado with the families to visit survivors and identify the dead. 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. All rights reserved. . As a former starter, he asked to move to sit with his friends. Do you have a blog? (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS. And thats only because I had to. Randy Jackson, You get used to sounds in the valley. Bill Cosby, Kate Smith, Lou Rawls and Marilyn Maye performed and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes read a statement from president Richard Nixon. All rights reserved (About Us). A: The Black plane followed the original flight plan, north toward Laramie, Wyo., to gain altitude before crossing the Rockies. Those that died they wouldnt have wanted us to quit. The first official football game played by Wichita State was in 1897, when they were known as Fairmount, under the coaching of T. H. Morrison. The NTSB also cited the overloaded condition of the plane and a virtual absence of planning by the flight crew. The unfortunate loss of 31 fine individuals deserves to be remembered.. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 31 people were killed. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. Withers, according to the story, hooked up with junior defensive end Pete Naputano, who also stayed behind while nursing a biceps injury. Cheers in this stadium have turned to tears and back again to cheers and all are a part of life.. Explaining Shocker football's peculiar role in 'Ted Lasso', Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wichita_State_Shockers_football&oldid=1133405551, American football teams established in 1895, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Independent (18951923, 1927, 19401945, 1986), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Longest field goal (tied) Joe Williams 67 yards vs Southern Illinois October 21, 1978, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 16:51. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (AP Photo/Randy Snyder)AP. This week, we take a look back at Arkansas' game against Wichita State in 1970. The elevation of the site is 10,750 feet. In 2008, Howard Johnson, father of victim Ron Johnson, dedicated a stage musical called Waltzing in Heaven to the 1970 team in memory of his son. 1970-71 Men, 1958-59 Men, 2008-09 Women, 1975-76 Men, 1995-96 . So I went out back and here was this big plane flying up the canyon really low. However, the surviving members of the team voted 76-to-1 to complete the 1970 schedule. I feel badly that it happened, of course. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshall's football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. [15], In 1997, the cost was cited at $11 million to restart the football program and three other women's sports. The Shockers went 6-5 in 1972 and didnt post another winning season until going 8-3 in 1983. Understanding the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash Two planes carrying Wichita State University football players, coaches, administrators and fans refueled on Oct. 2, 1970, in. Twenty-nine died at the scene. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. This years is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday. Prior to the game, a 15-minute ceremony featuring astronaut John Swigert was held to commemorate the team's return to Cessna Stadium for its first game since the crash. Fewer people are familiar with another football tragedy that happened the month before the crash of an airplane carrying Wichita State University football players. It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. KMUW, 89.1-FM, will broadcast The Pieces that Remain: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash, at 5 p.m. Friday. 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. People can donate to the 70 Football Memorial Scholarship Fund at foundation.wichita.edu/give. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Of the 40 people on board, 29 died at the scene and two died later. Dubbed the "Second Season," Wichita State took 46 players 39 of them freshmen and sophomores to Little Rock to face No. Preview pages of the 1970 yearbook from West High School from Wichita, Kansas online. The experiment was considered a failure. Rev. [7] The Arkansas crowd cheered for the effort demonstrated by Wichita State, and Arkansas coach Frank Broyles benched his first team after seven minutes and used 61 players in the game. Thirty-one people died as a result of the crash: 14 players, 14 WSU staff and boosters, and three crew members. I feel badly that we were even flying the team that day. The brief ceremony honors WSU football players, administrators [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]. Wichita State has won fourteen conference titles. Id say Wichita State and they would say, Thats the school that had the plane crash, wasnt it? Id say, Yeah, it sure was. But nothing else, because I didnt want to talk about it. Dave Lewis, In almost every conversation, when people ask you where you went to school, they remember the crash and ask about it. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. 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.". "I look up there and think of them." Lewis could have been on the list. 1986 Football Roster; Search for: 1990 Roster. it with us, please let us know. He earned All-MVC honors as a senior and played three seasons in the NFL. Dorothy Harmon She served as interim athletic director after the crash. Marvin Brown, 19, Solomon, sophomore tailback, Don Christian, 20, Duncan, Okla., junior defensive back, John Duren, 19, Oklahoma City, sophomore end, Ron Johnson, 21, Kansas City, Mo., senior safety, Randy Kiesau, 20, Clinton, Okla., junior defensive back, Mal Kimmel, 21, St. Genevieve, Mo., senior center, Carl Krueger, 19, Chicago, sophomore tackle, Steve Moore, 21, Derby, senior linebacker, Tom Owen, 20, Temple Terrace, Fla., junior running back, Gene Robinson, 21, Dayton, Ohio, junior end, Tom Shedden, 20, Oklahoma City, junior tackle, Richard Stines, 19, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore guard, John Taylor, 21, Sherman, Texas, senior cornerback, Jack Vetter, 21, McPherson, senior tackle. Valley Conference. Wichita State cancelled its games against Utah State (Oct. 3) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 10) and moved its game against Cincinnati from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31. www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/, Those left behind mourned and built new lives, A beautiful fall day then an ominous sound, Pilot steadfast in denying fault: Someone needed to be blamed, The years drive a wedge between survivors linked by tragedy, 1970 healing process began on a Saturday night in Little Rock, Former Utah State player still feels linked to Shockers, Former WSU player Rick Stephens rides to remember friends who died, Photos: Crash survivor and friends honor victims in Colorado, Bob Lutz: Bob Seaman kept Shocker football going in the wake of 1970s tragic plane crash, Payton Tolle delivers one of the best two-way games in Wichita State baseball history, About that bloody fetus picture you found on your car . Check out the detailed 2000-01 Wichita State Shockers Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Wichita's freshman quarterback Rick Baher also threw two touchdown passes, and John Potts kicked a 47-yard field goal. The Shockers were a common opponent for the Razorbacks in those days; they played five times between 1964 and 1980. WSU players spent the night in Logan [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita State's 2017 move to the American Athletic Conference leaves it as the only full member of the conference which does not play football. The team compiled a 0-9 record , finished last out of five teams in the MVC, and was outscored by a total of 381 to 99. The Gold aircraft carried the starting players, head coach and athletic director. Radio voice Gus Grebe was supposed to ride on the Gold plane, but was late arriving and flew on the Black plane. The "Gold" plane, a Martin 404, carried 36 passengers and a crew of four. Date Original: Circa 1970. 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. With permission from the NCAA, the Shockers played seven freshmen in their starting lineup. In an annual ceremony of remembrance, a wreath is placed at Wichita State's Memorial A: Nine days after the crash, the players voted 76-1 to start what became known as the Second Season. The players said returning to practice gave them a sense of comfort and allowed them to honor their teammates. To read last week's Throwback Thursday on the previous nine times Arkansas and Texas A&M played when both were ranked, click here. Quality local journalism has never been more important. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider) Holly, NJ: Rancocas Valley Regional: . The first home game was WSU's homecoming on October 31 against the University of Cincinnati Wichita State football players arrive at their Little Rock, Ark., hotel on Oct. 23, 1970, exactly three weeks after the plane crash that killed 14 teammates and 17 others. Pennsylvania had a connection to the Marshall tragedy No. 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. Flag hangs at half staff on Marshall University campus by bust of John Marshall, for whom school named, in tribute to the 75 people, including most of football squad, who were killed in a plane crash on Saturday, Nov. 16, 1970 in Huntington. This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team, and is written by contributors. 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. [13] Hoheisel, who was described by coach Wilson in the preseason as "the heart and soul of our defense",[13] was selected as the team captain. Wichita State University 2023. "I honor their memory every day," Lewis said. A sardine dinner proved irresistible, Drunken pyros unite! Instead of hanging around campus, the two traveled to Naputano's hometown of Altoona, Pa., with Withers making a detour to visit his maternal grandparents who lived in nearby Johnstown.. On December 25, 1905, Fairmount played a game against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules. Understanding the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash. Without football, the Shockers' basketball program has become a powerhouse. Join our linker program. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. 9-ranked football team the Arkansas Razorbacks. Register for free to see them all, or buy a printed copy of yearbooks from West High School from Wichita, Kansas today. The Shockers started seven freshmen and 10 sophomores and scored five points on a 37-yard field goal by John Potts and a safety when Cincinnati quarterback Bill Carter was tackled in the end zone. A rescue worker probes though the wreckage of a plane crash in Silver Plume, Colo. on Oct. 2, 1970. The game was officiated by then Washburn head coach John H. Outland. The visiting Shockers fumbled the football an incredible 17 times, with the Seminoles recovering 10 times. [3] They followed with losses to Arkansas State on September 19 and West Texas State on September 26. The Thomas A. Reeves Memorial Scholarship honors the Wichita State trainer who died in the crash. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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 plunging the university and community into grief. The Shockers fielded a team from 1897 to 1986. He died two days later. 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. All Rights Reserved. Few times has a home crowd openly cheered for the visitors. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:41AM. And when I heard that airplane, I knew there was something different. [34] Classes at Wichita State were canceled for Monday, October 5, and a memorial service was held that evening at the school's Cessna Stadium. Members of the 1970 Wichita State and Arkansas teams will have a reunion at War Memorial Stadium this weekend for the Alcorn State game. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Trainer Tom Reeves and athlete John Taylor died later in hospitals after suffering burns. [41], On October 31, the Shockers lost by at 355 score to Cincinnati before a homecoming crowd of 27,210. 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. The event was organized by former Wichita State player John Potts and former Arkansas player Chuck Dicus, according to The Wichita Eagle. WSU lost to. Utah State placed a memorial wreath at the 50-yard line at its football stadium. Wichita State was playing its first game since head coach Ben Wilson, athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer, 14 players and 15 other people died in a plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970 en route to a game at Utah State. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Every year on Oct. 2, Wichita State University remembers the victims of the 1970 plane crash in Colorado, a tragedy that took the lives of 31 people on the trip to a football game in Utah the next day. 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. [14] Prior to the start of the season, second-year head coach Ben Wilson described his squad as a young club with good team speed, room to improve, and "a chance to surprise a lot of people."[13]. The 1970 Wichita Shockers football team was an American football team that represented Wichita State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Find out more. Last year, the Tampa Bay Times, published a story about another player, David Withers, who also was not on the plane because of an injury. Do you have a sports website? Texas A&M Sports Information. John Hoheisel, linebacker and team captain. The future of the 1970 football season was in doubt, with the decision lying in the Please consider supporting our work. Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The team's statistical leaders included Rick Baehr with 513 passing yards, Don Gilley with 290 rushing yards and 12 points scored, Bill Moore with 175 receiving yards. 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. The first game following the air tragedy was Saturday, October Mike Kennedy remembers when the paper bearing the Associated Press bulletin came over the wire in the KMUW radio newsroom on that October day in 1970. All 75 people aboard were killed. Q: How is the Wichita State crash connected to Marshall University in West Virginia? [17], In 2006, Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans proposed to use public funds to restart the football program at Wichita State. Taylor,. Two planes carrying Wichita State University football players, coaches, administrators and fans refueled on Oct. 2, 1970, in Denver. Can you list the top facts and stats about 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team? Learn more. The university had a contract with Golden Eagle Aviation to provide a Douglas DC-6B to transport the team to away games. Loria was a former teammate of Beamer. Tolle made it look like 1993 all over again at Eck Stadium on Saturday, doing his best Darren Dreifort impression.
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