A look back 50 years ago- Decorah Viking football players, cheerleaders and coaches gathered near Viking Stadium earlier this fall during Decorah High School Homecoming to commemorate the 1974-75 football team and their memorable Class AAA State Football Championbship victory from 50 years ago. The trophy from back in the day was also on display during the reunion. (Photo by Roz Weis)
By Roz Weis,
It was big news back in the fall of 1974 when the Decorah Vikings football team made it to the state playoffs (and beyond). Spoiler alert: They won the championship in a big game on the Iowa State University campus in Ames in late November of 1974.
Here’s a small sample of the “big news story:” “There is no greater thrill in sports than doing the best you possibly can – and the Decorah Vikings can now sit back and relax, satisfied with the knowledge they are the best in Class AAA. What a pleasure it was to be a part of Decorah’s State Class AAA football championship at the Iowa State University Clyde Williams Field in Ames. A Decorah crowd estimated at about 2,000 was excited and happy over the way the local Vikings dominated the Atlantic Trojans in the title game, posting a decisive 23-6 victory. Once again, Tom Hovey was the bread-and-butter runner of the Viking attack! Quarterback Paul Bruemmer showed he can pass when he wants!”
The newspaper published volumes about the grand celebration welcoming the Vikings home after the victory. Coaches, players and cheerleaders were given rousing praise at the “Welcome Home” event, which was held in the high school gymnasium. Decorah’s mayor, Chamber of Commerce president and other dignitaries were on hand to congratulate Coach Dick Wuest and the team. Coach Wuest was awarded State Football Coach of the Year honors later that academic year.
Teammates from that era joined coaches and cheer squad at a gathering this past fall during DHS Homecoming Weekend. They waved to fans along the parade route and gathered near Viking Stadium to share fond memories from that memorable season.
Here are more headlines from the past:
80 YEARS AGO – 1944: A peeping tom who had been bothering some folks in West Decorah has been accosted. The local police hope for some peace in the future. Officials noted they believe the menace will be cured for some time.
…FDR has won the election and Dewey conceded. Winneshiek County voters gave Dewey a margin of 740 votes over Roosevelt.
…That famous jalopy “Deacon’s Shay” owned by E.Y. Youman, was used in transporting some newlyweds on a rough ride down Water Street the other day. It was quite a noisy ride for the local couple.
…Decorah is now boasting the largest number of Girl Scout Troops in the history of that organization. There are now 11 troops in the community.
70 YEARS AGO – 1954: Two young boys were seen shooting their .22 rifles at tombstones at Phelps Cemetery recently. There also have been other acts of vandalism reported at the cemetery in recent weeks.
…A barn raising took place recently at the farm of Albert Nesvik, situated two miles south of Ridgeway.
…Carl “Pete” Ingvolstad, an Explorer Scout of Troop 68 here in town, was selected as a finalist to represent the area at a Boy Scout meeting in Washington, D.C.
60 YEARS AGO – 1964: There is some big news to report from the sports pages. The Decorah Viking cross country team has captured the State Class AA Championship title at a meet in Des Moines. The Vikings, who were not even rated an outside chance before the meet began, left the experts second-guessing themselves, as the team finished nine points in front of second-place Red Oak. Top individual runners from Decorah were Greg Gilbertson and John Sheridan.
…Anyone in Iowa applying for a driver’s license for the first time will now receive a one-year “temporary” permit instead of a regular license. The new law is intended to reduce teen driving violations, because one conviction of a single moving violation will invalidate that temporary license.
…The annual Decorah Chamber of Commerce Halloween Costume Parade drew nearly 1,000 children.
50 YEARS AGO – 1974: Voters have approved a $850,000 bond issue for a 62-bed addition to the Winneshiek County Care Center near Decorah. The addition should be completed within the next year. The referendum earned overwhelming approval by county voters.
…The Decorah Board of Adjustment recently denied several requests for sign variances for local businesses. The board said they believe signs must be smaller than 50-square feet in size and less than 25-feet high.
40 YEARS AGO – 1984: The Decorah Vikings lost their 3-A football playoff game to Oelwein by a score of 28-27 in two overtimes. All-conference recognition honors were awarded to Scott Spilde, Vernon Stoskopf, Mike Ashbacher, Mike Bockman, D.J. Friest, Greg Akre, Randy Vine and Eric Sorum.
30 YEARS AGO – 1994: Laura Hoeg, a local celebrity known as “The Nisse Lady,” has passed away. She is remembered for her rosemaling and design of the wooden “Nisse,” Norwegian elves found in windows of hundreds of area homes.
…The Decorah Viking football team takes a run for their 5th 3A State Football Title this month. They defeated Hampton-Dumont 32-15 to advance to the play-offs. Their next game will be against Waverly-Shell Rock. The Vikings are making their 11th tournament appearance this fall.
20 YEARS AGO – 2004: A record number of Winneshiek County voters turned out for the November 2004 election. Winneshiek County Auditor Georgiann Schweinefus reports there were 10,849 votes cast. A record 3,323 absentee ballots were included in that total.
…While the national economy chugs along, Decorah ranks No. 1 in retail sales among 15 Iowa towns of similar size. The announcement was made by an ISU Extension Specialist from a study by Dr. Ken Stone.
…The Decorah City Council has been made aware of a growing deer population in town. Council member Steve Matter said a lot of folks near Phelps Park can’t have a garden and are losing shrubbery to the deer. There is some talk of shooting the deer or issuing bow licenses for taking deer within the city limits. The council has decided to refer the matter to its public safety committee.
10 YEARS AGO – 2014: The No. 3 South Winn Warriors football team has advanced to the Class 1A quarterfinals at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. The South Winn team will do battle with district foe No. 10 Dike-New Hartford for the second time in four weeks.
…For the 3rd year in a row, the Decorah Viking Girls’ Cross Country team has finished on top in the state. The team earned the class 3A State title in Fort Dodge, with 66 points. They edged Gilbert with 69 points to earn the top honors.
Submit A Comment
Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.