Like most great teams, the undefeated 1958 football team owes a part of its success to the football legacy started by the 1951 City Championship team and carried on by the teams to follow.
The 1958 team was largely made up of boys who played youth football for Pulver’s Drive Inn light midget division team, which ironically also went undefeated until their final game.
The 1955 team was loaded with great athletes haunted by injuries which lead to a reserve freshman named Al Fischer getting his first game experience. He made the most of it by scoring from 60 yards out the first time he touched the ball. The 1956 team broke in a new coach as Art Fredrickson made his debut at the helm with defensive coach, Norm Johnson, who was great at analyzing the opponents offense and planning a defensive scheme to neutralize it and line coach Al Banks.
The heart of the 1956 team as well as the 1957 team was Al Fischer, Mike Daggett and Larry Hartse who would star in 1958. The 1957 season ended with three wins to springboard the start of the 1958 season.
The 1958 team showed their strength against Washburn in the Preview, which was the only time they met that season. The Preview was followed by seven straight, convincing wins which set up a showdown against Roosevelt at Parade Stadium. Although Roosevelt only got into Southwest territory once by recovering a fumble, gained only 38 yards and one first down, their defense was stout. Southwest got to the Roosevelt 10 yard line five times but never scored. By virtue of going 8-0 while Southwest went 7-0-1, Washburn was voted to play in the Twin City Game.