DHS' Best Football Teams Of All Time

A while back, the Dorchester Times ranked the best high school football teams DHS has ever produced. What made our effort credible is we relied on the expertise, input, and collective memories of former athletes and long-time DHS sports fans. The ranking was compiled over a year's time.

To be sure, this was no easy task. There have been some solid Dorchester High School teams over the past 70 years or so.  

Complicating our effort was the fact that DHS football has come in three different formats over six decades. 

In the early 1960s, DHS went from six-man football to eight-man. In 1969, DHS converted to the 11-man game, which it played for 22 seasons; in the fall of 1991, the school reverted to eight-man; and in 2018, after a few seasons without a DHS football team, the school revived the six-man game.

Let's not forget that in the fall of 1949 DHS' football program was restarted after years of not playing the game -- idled by the death of a player in the 1930s.

Despite the challenges, we did our best to objectively rank the Longhorn football teams of the past by paying special attention to the the talent of opponents they faced and the class of ball in which they played. Below is our top 10 list. (NOTE: The years we cite represent the autumn of that school year. For example, 1961 represents school year 1961-62; boys who were in the Class of 1961 would not have played on that team.)

Beginning with the best two DHS football teams of all time, here's our list:

1.)  (tie) 1961: Undefeated and perhaps the most talented bunch at every position.  Names like Tesar, Guggenmos, Axline, Sysel and August dominated the opposition with stellar offense and defense.

1.)  (tie) 1979: Also undefeated, this team was touted as one the best Class C-2 teams in Nebraska by many, including Lincoln and Omaha sportswriters. The group certainly claimed the best skill-position players DHS has ever seen on one team. The DHS scoring explosion!

3.)  1971: This DHS team was also undefeated. Many in the area still claim this was the best Class D team in all of Nebraska that particular year. (As a side note, former DHS coach Jack Guggenmos' four years at the helm produced a 29-5-2 record.)

4.)  1977: Ranked No. 7 in Class C-2 by the Lincoln Journal and No. 5 by the Omaha World-Herald at season's end, this group claimed the Pioneer Conference champion trophy. "The hardest hitting team ever to wear the DHS uniform," one local expert said.

5.)  1986: This team was ranked No. 8 in Class C-2 by the Omaha World-Herald at season's end. State qualifier. Also, the only DHS team we know of who had a member, Bob Zoubek, shatter a helmet on an opponent. Led by the classes of 1987 and 1988, both blessed with skill and size.

6.)  1987: The group was ranked No. 9 in Class C-2 by the Lincoln Journal and No. 5 by the Omaha World-Herald at season's end. State qualifier. Led by the classes of 1988 and 1989, two classes with deep talent.

7.)  1978: Ranked No. 5 in Class D by the Omaha World-Herald at season's end, the group was champions of the Pioneer Conference. This group gave fans a preview of the successful 1979 team.

8.)  1958: This was one of DHS' first great football teams according to every Longhorn fan who saw them play. The squad finished the season ranked No. 2 in six-man by the Omaha World-Herald. Older fans say DHS never looked better than in the fall of '58.

9.)  1976: Ranked No. 5 in Class D by the Lincoln Journal and No. 7 by the Omaha World-Herald at season's end, this group was in the midst of the mid-to-late 1970 glory days for DHS football. Pioneer Conference champs.

10.)  1999: This team had a 7-1 regular season record, with the state's second-leading rusher in Jed Burkey, and was ranked much of the season. A late season injury at QB likely prevented this team from reaching at least the quarter-finals in the Class D-1 playoffs.

***** Honorable Mention *****

• 1959 -- Ranked No. 8 in six-man by the World-Herald.
• 1994 -- State qualifier. Only team to lead No. 1 Falls City Sacred Heart that season.
• 2006 -- State qualifier in eight-man.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Phil And Bernice Weber Celebrate 70 Years

Webers Celebrate 70th Wedding: Dorchester's Phil and Bernice (Abrahams) Weber were married July 8, 1956 in Utica and are celebrating their 70th anniversary this week. They have three children: Larry (and Faye) Weber, Dorchester; Lyle (and Cathy) Weber, Dorchester; and (Ron and) Lori Schultz, Lincoln. The Webers also have nine grandkids and 13 great-grandkids. To help Phil and Bernice celebrate, cards may be sent to 419 County Road 1400, Dorchester, NE 68343. 

Lola Sue's, Dorchester's New Coffee Shop and Bakery, Is Open: For those who haven't yet tried it, Dorchester's newest business is Lola Sue's Coffee Shop & Bakery at 102 East 8th Street on Main Street (Washington Avenue). Serving food, specialty drinks, and impressive lineup of baked goodies, this family-owned business lives by this motto: "Bites of happiness, sips of joy — coffee, desserts, breakfast & lunch at Lola Sue’s." Call 402-366-5098 for details and more information.

Saline County Is No Longer in Drought: The latest University of Nebraska Drought Monitor map shows 100% of the county is no longer in drought conditions or even abnormally dry. Recent rains have removed event the "abnormally dry" shadings from the map. Meanwhile, most of Nebraska's panhandle is in extreme or exceptional drought following months of no to little precipitation.

Funeral Services for Larry Kahle, July 18: Dorchester's Larry J. Kahle, 83, passed away on June 28 in Crete. Larry spent his life farming and trucking. He enjoyed going to and competing in tractor pulls, hunting, watching local races and Nascar races on TV. He married Jean Justa in 1972, and helped her raise her two children, Candy and Wes. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. at the Dorchester Community Cemetery followed by lunch at the Dorchester American Legion. See Larry's full obituary.

Dorchester's Annual Rib Cook-Off Is Aug. 15: Get ready for summer BBQ. On Saturday, Aug. 15, the Dorchester Community Foundation Fund will host its first annual rib cook-off, or "Ribfest," and street dance. This event, which will be held at the Dorchester American Legion building, will feature some of the area's best cooks as they vie to be named the rib cook-off champ. More information will be coming soon.

Dorchester United Methodist Church's Vacation Bible School, July 27-30: Dorchester United Methodist Church will host its annual Vacation Bible School at the church from July 27-30. This year's theme is "Surprise Party VBS." Bible school begins on Monday, July 27, with registration (for all area children) from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. RSVP by July 13 to get a t-shirt. All are invited to attend. Contact Hannah Railsback at 402-335-0361 for more information or to register.

OUR VIEW: Remember True Significance Of July Fourth

It's time to celebrate another Fourth of July. But this year will be different.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, we want to pay tribute to the history and exceptionalism that make our country the most successful experiment in human history.

We also want to make this simple plea: Even in an era of divisive politics, exacerbated by uncivil comments on social media, let us unite around the ideals enshrined in our Declaration and the vision of our 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence who had the courage to sign what amounted to their own death warrant. Most of these men sacrificed their fortunes, their livelihoods, and, in some cases, their families and personal safety for the cause of liberty.

 

Two hundred and fifty years later, we know it was worth the sacrifice. At the time, these patriots had no way of knowing that their bravery would establish the greatest nation in the history of mankind.

One of our favorite reminders of America's greatness came from President Ronald Reagan during his farewell speech in 1989. He said: "Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: 'We the people.' 'We the people' tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. ... Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which 'We the people' tell the government what it is allowed to do."

In 2026, more of our politicians and wanna-be politicians (at all levels) are doing all they can to grow the power of government. They are attempting to take an ever-larger "fair share" of what others have earned. It's clear they've either forgotten or are ignorant of the Spirit of 1776.

For generations, we have been warned that the failure to appreciate the values embodied in the Declaration could result in an erosion of the American spirit and the values that led to our independence. Unfortunately, those warnings have turned prophetic in some cases.

Too many Americans have never learned the story of the American Revolution or been adequately taught about the revolutionary thought and sacrifices of our Founders. Two or three generations of Americans have been indoctrinated by modern education, entertainment, and news media.

As we celebrate America 250, we recall another important reminder voiced by President Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” 

Let's renew our American spirit by re-examining the words of our Declaration of Independence and remembering the true significance of the Fourth of July. 

 

God bless America.

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IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes ... But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies ...

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved ... And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.