Chadron State College Athletics

In 1998, at the suggestion of Dr. Sam Rankin, then president of Chadron State, three football teams that were observing milestone anniversaries, were inducted into the Hall of Fame.    

The Eagles had a perfect 8-0 season in 1958 and frankly could have stood a lot stronger competition in most of the games. The ’58 team was just the second Chadron State football team to go unbeaten and untied.
The great season was certainly not foreseen. The previous year, the Eagles were 2-6 and only 14 lettermen returned. It looked like another long season to most observers. However, Coach Bill Baker blended some new talent with the veterans and produced a winning formula. Several valuable transfers joined the team and most of the returnees had the best seasons of their careers.
The first game was a supreme test. CSC won a difficult 26-20 decision over Southern State College at Springfield, S.D. That was the only close call. The Eagles won all of the other games by at least three touchdowns.
The remaining scores were CSC 35, Concordia 0; CSC 34, Doane 13; CSC 27, Wayne State 7; CSC 45, Dana 6; CSC 26, Midland Lutheran 7; CSC 26, Peru State 0; and CSC 32, Nebraska Wesleyan 13.
The team featured a crushing ground attack and enough passing to keep the opposition honest. The defense was overpowering most of the time.
Because of the vast amount of talent on the team, those selecting all-star teams at the end of the season had difficulty agreeing on who should be honored. Only three or four made everybody’s first team, but 14 Eagles received at least honorable mention.