1961-62 Varsity Football Team

The 1961-62 OTHS Pirate football team ended their season with a perfect record of 9 wins 0 losses and 0 ties, the second unbeaten season in OTHS history. At the time there were no state playoffs and all schools were in a single competition class. The Pirates first broke into the Associated Press rankings at number ten, before finishing 6th in the final state rankings. The 1961-62 Pirates averaged 28.8 points per game to their opponents’ 8.4, scoring a total of 260 points to their opponents’ 76. The Pirates gained 3,014 total yards to their opponents’ 1,955, with their number one rusher, Harold “Tyke” Burgwald, rushing for 970 yards at 7.2 yards per carry and scoring 13 touchdowns, and their number one scorer, Clarence Wilson, rushing for 738 yards, 7.7 yards per carry, and scoring 14 touchdowns. Quarterback Dick Raber was the team MVP and co-captain along with Jim Welch. Harold “Tyke” Burgwald was an honorable mention selection to the National High School All-America team as well as an All-State selection. Dick Raber and Clarence Wilson each were awarded All-State special mention, and Wes Hermann, Ray Makeever, Jim Welch, and Rick Worden were All-State honorable mention selections. Selected for the All-Area team were Harold “Tyke” Burgwald, K.C. Clark, Wes Hermann, Ray Makeever, Dick Raber, Jim Welch, and Clarence Wilson; for the All-Conference first team, Harold “Tyke” Burgwald, Wes Hermann, Dick Raber, Jim Welch, and Clarence Wilson; for the All-Conference second team, Art Barth and Ray Makeever; and All-Conference honorable mention, K.C. Clark, Dave Hermann, Bill Poutre, and John Price. Team members as shown in photograph: (Seated L-R) Pete Cunningham, Bob Midnight, Clarence Wilson, Rick Worden, Blake Hennessy, John Price; (Second Row L-R) Manager Rick Less, Mike Babcock, Dick Raber, Bill Poutre, Head Coach Bill Novak, K.C. Clark, Jim Welch, Harold “Tyke” Burgwald, and Manager Dave Woodyer; (Third Row L-R) Assistant Coach Dean Riley, Dave Hermann, Gary Rutherford, Wes Hermann, Bill Bragg, Ray Makeever, Alan Dahl, Ken Clapper, Assistant Coach Ralph Nelson; (Fourth Row L-R) Mike Parks, Phil Springer, Art Barth, Gerry Cross, Tom Reynolds, Dick Dodd, and Manager Dennis Bute; (Not pictured) Robb Martin