Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Reeves, inducted in 1986 to the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, is said to have helped several injured people after the crash. [2] [3] They played their home games at Cessna Stadium and were members of the Missouri Valley Conference until the program was discontinued. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The pilots of the doomed aircraft were blamed for the accident by the National Transportation Safety Board. game was to be played Saturday and placed a black and yellow wreath on the 50-yard [37], After the crash, the team's scheduled games against Utah State and Southern Illinois were cancelled. He died two days later. A list of the 31 people killed in the Wichita State football plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970. Of the 40 people on board, 29 died at the scene and two died later. Or write about sports? At Wichita State, our students are the engine of innovation, with a collaborative infrastructure that helps develop new ideas, and get new projects and businesses off the ground. 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. And thats only because I had to. Randy Jackson, You get used to sounds in the valley. [18][19], In 2012, an attempt was made to begin a club-level football team at Wichita State with hopes of eventually reviving the football program, though no official endorsement was given by the university.[20]. It was shown that $24 million in improvements were needed. Significant factors were the overloaded condition of the aircraft, the virtual absence of flight planning for the chosen route of flight from Denver to Logan, a lack of understanding on the part of the crew of the performance capabilities and limitations of the aircraft, and the lack of operational management to monitor and appropriately control the actions of the flight crew., Federal investigators take readings from the instrument panel of the DC-9 jet that crashed in Kenova, West Virginia, Nov. 15, 1970, killing all 75 occupants, including the Marshall University football team. 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. Survivors of the crash were players Mike Bruce, John Hoheisel, Randy Jackson, Glenn Dubbed the "Second Season," Wichita State took 46 players 39 of them freshmen and sophomores to Little Rock to face No. Aboard the plane were the Marshall University football team, coaching staff and boosters. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Buy 1 Month, Get 2 additional Months FREE. Find out the latest on your favorite NCAAB players on . Senior center Hayden Gillum became the first to make the leap, announcing Friday on social media that he will be back for the . A: The Wichita Eagle archives many stories and pictures from its coverage at www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:41AM. So I went out back and here was this big plane flying up the canyon really low. The event was organized by former Wichita State player John Potts and former Arkansas player Chuck Dicus, according to The Wichita Eagle. 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. All 75 people aboard were killed. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Can you list the top facts and stats about 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team? A plane was made available by Governor Docking to take university officials and family This years is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Wichita State wore black jerseys, normally reserved for home games, for all six remaining games. 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. with Utah State University. 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. 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. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. Six years later, the Shockers dropped their football program and have not played since. The official 1970 Football Roster for the North Dakota State Bison In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, a plane carrying WSU football ABC televised the event with Monty Hall as host. And for the next five minutes, players for both sides embraced, shook hands and talked about the football game.. Radio voice Gus Grebe was supposed to ride on the Gold plane, but was late arriving and flew on the Black plane. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS. Skipper. The stadium is still used by the schools track and field, soccer, and lacrosse programs. This is an opportunity to put the events in the publics mind, Stephens said in 2014. A: The Black plane followed the original flight plan, north toward Laramie, Wyo., to gain altitude before crossing the Rockies. Football players and coaches on the "Black" plane were told of the crash by Bob Seaman, assistant coach, shortly after arrival in Logan, Ahlberg traveled to Colorado with the families to visit survivors and identify the dead. Do you have a sports website? teacher and coach at Robinson Middle School, he died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer. Herald-Dispatch photo archive - Marshall University (dark jerseys) beat Morehead State (white jerseys) 17-7 in the season opener Sept. 19, 1970, at Fairfield Stadium. The Gold aircraft carried the starting players, head coach and athletic director. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Harmon, the first female member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, worked as executive secretary, fieldhouse director, academic counselor and assistant to the athletic director. That meant the Arkansas game was the beginning of what the Shockers were calling their "Second Season," in which they obtained special permission from the NCAA and Missouri Valley Conference to play freshmen, who were ineligible for varsity play back then. On Nov. 28, 1970, Levitt Arena hosted A Night of Stars benefit for the victims of the Wichita State and Marshall University plane crashes. However, the American has 11 football-playing schools, as Navy is an associate member for football only. Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. 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. 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.. The future of the 1970 football season was in doubt, with the decision lying in the We were even joking about being so close to the ground, saying things like, Look, you can see the rabbits down there. Wichita State player Glenn Kostal, When we climbed out of the plane, I could tell with one quick look that I was in about the best condition. Few times has a home crowd openly cheered for the visitors. The NTSB said rain and poor visibility contributed to the crash. President Clark Ahlberg and dean of students Jim Rhatigan The universitys leaders dealt with the crush of notifications, funerals and memorial services. Q: What is the significance of the Gold and Black designations for the planes? To read last week's Throwback Thursday on the previous nine times Arkansas and Texas A&M played when both were ranked, click here. The crash claimed the lives of 31 members of the Wichita State University football team. [4], In the 1905 season, the Coleman Company set up temporary gas-powered lighting for a night game against Cooper College (now called the Sterling Warriors). [3] They followed with losses to Arkansas State on September 19 and West Texas State on September 26. on a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado while en route to Logan, Utah for a game The Utah State football team held a brief memorial service at the stadium where the Florida State and Wichita State wallowed around in the slop looking for the football. In addition to the 14 players killed, eight other players survived the crash with varying degrees of injury: On the scheduled game day, the team held a memorial service at Romney Stadium in Logan and placed a wreath on the 50-yard line. A memorial to Wichita State University football player John Taylor lies among the remains of the tragic plane clash Oct. 2, 1970, near the Loveland Ski Area that killed 31 people. Utah State placed a memorial wreath at the 50-yard line at its football stadium. Hugh McElroy, who that week became the . This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team, and is written by contributors. 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 1970 team had a 3-6. Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. In 1986, president Warren Armstrong said the football program lost $839,000. And it was dedicated to all those guys who didnt make it.. 9 Arkansas on Oct. 24. A rescue worker probes though the wreckage of a plane crash in Silver Plume, Colo. on Oct. 2, 1970. Wichita State did not play Arkansas again until 1980, when the Razorbacks won 27-7 in Fayetteville. However, the Cardinals came back to win the game by a 3424 score.[12]. That event is the subject of the 2006 movie "We Are Marshall," starring Matthew McConaughey. Classes were cancelled Monday, October 5, and a memorial We need your support. [41], On October 31, the Shockers lost by at 355 score to Cincinnati before a homecoming crowd of 27,210. The first home game was WSU's homecoming on October 31 against the University of Cincinnati [21], Wichita State won fourteen conference titles.[22]. 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. Judy Dunn, 39, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Judy Lane, 28, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Oct. 31: Cincinnati 35, WSU 5 (moved from Oct. 17), Leading passer: Rick Baehr, 43 of 121, 514 yards, Leading receiver: Bill Moore, 12 for 175 yards, Honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference: C Kelly Cook, RB Don Gilley, DT Don Pankratz, LB George Whitfield, LB Bruce Gerleman. John Hoheisel, linebacker and team captain. All 75 on board were killed. Loria was a former teammate of Beamer. It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. A little more than a month after Wichita State's tragedy, a plane carrying the Marshall football team crashed and killed all 75 people on board, including 37 players and nine members of the coaching staff. Self Proclaimed or Named by Newspaper Champions: 1937: Pittsburg (10-1) / Bishop Ward (7-0-1) / Great Bend (9-0) 1936: Pittsburg (11-1) 1935: Chanute (8-0) 1934: Wichita North (8-0) 1933: Wyandotte (9-0) / Pittsburg (11-0) 1932: Wyandotte (8-0-1) 1931: 1930: Topeka 1929: El Dorado (8-0) / Topeka (7-0) / Independence (9-0) 1928: Lawrence (7-0) / El Dorado (9-0) 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. 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. Wichita State's game against Arkansas at War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24, 1970 was one of those times. Each year, the university holds a ceremony on campus at the Memorial 70 monument. On Friday, October 2, 1970, Wichita State traveled to Logan, Utah, in two chartered planes, designated as "Gold" and "Black" according to the school colors, for a game against Utah State. service was held Monday evening at Cessna Stadium. Tragedy struck the Aggies before the 1970 season as all-SWC defensive end Mike DeNiro died in a car crash. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Fewer people are familiar with another football tragedy that happened the month before the crash of an airplane carrying Wichita State University football players. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshalls football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. [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. Wichita State has helped me put marketing strategy in a real-world perspective. The National Transportation Safety Board issued this executive summary, The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the intentional operation of the aircraft over a mountain valley route at an altitude from which the aircraft could neither climb over the obstructing terrain ahead, nor execute a successful course reversal. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. The following players from the 1970 team were not on the plane that crashed: 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team, 1970 NCAA University Division football season, 1970 Missouri Valley Conference football standings, Wichita State University football team plane crash, "1970 Wichita State Shockers Schedule and Results", "Arkansas State too much for Wichita State, 53-14", "Shockers' 1970 Grid Future Still in Doubt", "McCoy, Shelly Unite for 6 TDs as Memphis State Routs Wichita", "Long run for the Shockers But Wichita falls, 41-24", "U of L Battles Back From 17-0 Deficit To Whip Inspired Wichita State 34-24", "Coach Claims Wichita A Possible Shocker", "Garden Plain Gridder Wichita State Captain", "Wichita Grid Plane Crashes, Kills 29 En Route to Logan", "Remembering the 1970 Wichita State football plane carsh", "Former M.A.F.C. We know you hear with us the thrill and excitement of the game. 84 defensive end Pete Naputano was a junior from Altoona who was on the injured list and not on the plane. There was talk over the summer about reviving the football program. The Shockers fielded a team from 1897 to 1986. The Shockers fielded a team from 1897 to 1986. 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. Keywords: Wichita, education, people. 9 Arkansas had the plane carrying their starters not crashed three weeks before, but it was even more pronounced with the young players they were forced to use. If you have this information and would like to share hands of the football players, university officials and eligibility rules. Wichita State University football players. [40], On October 24, 1970, the team played the first game after the crash. Current Team: Lurleen B. Wallace CC Birthplace/Hometown: Freeport, Florida Nationality: United States Height: 6-1 (185cm) Weight: 160 (73kg) Current NBA Status: Draft Eligible in 2026 Draft Entry: 2026 NBA Draft Pre-Draft Team: Lurleen B. Wallace CC (Fr) Change player? and returned to Wichita by commercial plane Saturday. As a former starter, he asked to move to sit with his friends. Its almost like another memorial to them, with all of that still up there, teammate Ed Plopa said. Trainer Tom Reeves and athlete John Taylor died later in hospitals after suffering burns. [9], On November 14, Wichita lost to Memphis State by a 516 score. In the afterglow of Kansas State's remarkable 2022 football season, some pieces are starting to fall into place for next year. A fictional version of the program is shown in the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso. Hey, theyre cheering for us, commented a Wichita footballer as the red wave of Razorback fans cheered the Wheatshockers onto the field. Find out more. Or write about sports? Quality local journalism has never been more important. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)AP. KPTS will show its 2009 documentary Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash at 8 p.m. Friday. Another 14 were university staff members and football boosters. [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. A marker on I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel is close to the crash site in Colorado. Survivor Rick Stephens, a tackle on the 1970 team, has ridden his bicyle from Wichita to Colorado to raise money for the scholarship fund. [38] The remaining portion of the schedule was designated the "second season. 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. Wichita State has won fourteen conference titles. 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. He conducted a memorial service and wrote Homecoming Prayer, which was read at the first home game after the crash. Members of the 1970 Wichita State and Arkansas teams will have a reunion at War Memorial Stadium this weekend for the Alcorn State game. Wichita Falls Coyotes State Champions: 1941 1949 1950 1958 1961 1969 1961 Schedule Record: 10-0-0 Head Coach: Joe Golding Vs Common Opponents (See All) Click on teams to see side-by-side scores. 9-ranked football team the Arkansas Razorbacks. 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. Preview pages of the 1970 yearbook from West High School from Wichita, Kansas online. When the clock ticked off the final second, the Razorbacks exploded to midfield, Thompson wrote. Outland commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes. The NTSB also cited the overloaded condition of the plane and a virtual absence of planning by the flight crew. The Arkansas players were clearly affected by the events that transpired, evidenced by a story written by James Thompson, another Arkansas Gazette journalist. Cheers in this stadium have turned to tears and back again to cheers and all are a part of life.. Joyce Series No: FBC613 Holdings: Box 1 (FBC613-1) Abilene Christian (Abilene Christian University - Abilene TX) 17 Sep 1960 vs East Texas State - 15 Oct 1960 vs Howard Payne - 29 Oct 1960 vs Mississippi Southern 30 Sep 1961 vs Lamar Tech 3 Nov 1962 vs Arlington State 26 Oct 1963 vs Trinity But I dont feel badly about anything I did. co-pilot Ronald Skipper. In his history of the sport of football, David M. Nelson concluded that "the first forward passes were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas. 10/04/1970: Wichita, KS: Southeast: 6'5" 240: 99: Alonzo Spellman: DE: 9/27/1971: Mt. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas.