College of Emporia Fighting Presbies football

Last updated
College of Emporia Fighting Presbies football
Presbie-pete.gif
First season1893
Last season1973 [1]
StadiumSchaffner Field [2]
Location Emporia, Kansas
Bowl record1–1 (.500)
Playoff appearances2
Playoff record0–2
Conference titles14
ColorsRed and White
   

The College of Emporia football team was a college football team at the College of Emporia in Emporia, Kansas. The team competed from 1893 until the college closed in 1974 and was known for its high quality play for the size of the school as well as its early adoption of modern football methods. [3]

Contents

The final coach of the program was Dan Taylor. [4]

Innovative play

The team was one of the earliest schools to regularly call the forward pass [5] and the option pass [6] under head coach Bill Hargiss and quarterback Arthur Schabinger. The school was using the forward pass as a regular play three years before Knute Rockne and Notre Dame Football. [7]

The program would regularly play games against much larger programs. In 1921, the Presbies played Oklahoma A&M to a 7–7 tie. The College of Emporia managed a all-time record of 22–20–2 ties against cross-town rival Emporia State—although Emporia State records the all-time record between the two teams as 21–21–2. [8]

The 1930 Thanksgiving Day game against Emporia State (called "Kansas Normal" at the time) resulted in tragedy when freshman George Day suffered a head injury during a punt return five minutes into the game. He was treated quickly and taken to Newman Hospital for surgery, but he died that evening. [8]

Conference play and season successes

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

The team competed in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference from 1933 until 1970. [9] The program was known for success among the small colleges which included three consecutive undefeated regular seasons (1953–1955) under head coach Wayne J. McConnell and two back-to-back undefeated seasons (1962–1963) under coach Bill Schnebel. Both coaches were recognized as Little All-American Coach of the Year. [2]

Conference championships

YearConferenceHead coachOverall recordConference recordPostseason
1913 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Wayne B. Granger 5–2–15–0–1
1918 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Gwinn Henry 6–0
1919 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Gwinn Henry 8–08–0
1925Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Harold Grant 7–07–0
1927Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceHarold Grant7–0–16–0–1
1928 Central Intercollegiate Conference L. T. Harr 8–06–0
1951 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Wayne J. McConnell 8–06–0
1953 Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceWayne J. McConnell8–07–0
1954 Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceWayne J. McConnell8–17–0Lost Mineral Water Bowl
1955 Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceWayne J. McConnell7–07–0
1959Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Bill Schnebel 9–17–0Won Mineral Water Bowl
1962Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceBill Schnebel10–19–0Lost NAIA Semifinal
1963Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceBill Schnebel10–19–0Lost NAIA Semifinal
1966Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tom Stromgren 8–18–1

[10]

Bowl games

The College of Emporia also in the 1954 Mineral Water Bowl, losing, 20–14, to Hastings, and then returned in 1959 to defeat Austin by a score of 21–20. [11]

DateResultBowlOpponentScoreHead coach
November 25, 1954L Mineral Water Bowl Hastings 14–20 Wayne J. McConnell
November 28, 1959WMineral Water Bowl Austin 21-20 Bill Schnebel

NAIA playoffs

The Fighting Presbies made two appearances in the NAIA playoffs. Their combined record was 0–2 and they would lose to the eventual national champion both times.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1962 Semifinalvs. Central State (OK) L 0–20
1963 Semifinalat Saint John's (MN) L 0–54

Notable people

Coaches

Football coaches - Horace Botsford, Henry Brock, Harold Grant, Homer Hargiss, Lem Harkey, Gwinn Henry, Steve Kazor, Wayne McConnell, Walt Newland, Vernon Louis Parrington, Bill Schnebel, Lester Selves, Tom Stromgren, Dick Banister

Players

A number of player from the College of Emporia went on to play in sports:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Emporia College Fighting Presbies College Football Scores and Schedules" . Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  2. 1 2 "College of Emporia History". Archived from the original on November 23, 2008.
  3. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-17 at the Wayback Machine College of Emporia records
  4. ↑ Lawrence Journal-World "C of E Grabs Taylor as New Grid Mentor" June 29, 1971
  5. ↑ Homer Hargiss History Definitive use of forward pass
  6. ↑ Oberheide.org Hargiss's Option Play
  7. ↑ Emporia Gazette, "The Emporia Gazette Give Credit to C. of E." by E. T. Lowther
  8. 1 2 3 4 Mlynar, Bobbi (July 6, 2016). "Success of the 'Fighting Presbies'". Emporia Gazette . Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, History". Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  10. ↑ College of Emporia Alumni Association Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine "Championship Teams"
  11. ↑ "Excelsior Springs Mineral Water Bowl". www.mineralwaterbowl.net.
  12. ↑ "Col. of Emporia: All Players". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Lem Harkey Jr". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
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