Both teams will be honored on April 10 ceremony at CGHS

On Sept. 10, 1945, less than one month after the Japanese surrendered in World War II, a grand total of 82 young men turned out for the Cottage Grove Lions football team. Of those 82, six had been starters on the 1944 team that compiled a perfect 7-0 record under head coach Curt French. The ’44 team and a 1913 team, with a 5-0 record, are the only football teams in CG history to finish a season with an unblemished record.

In their perfect 7-0 season the Lions beat non-league opponent Prineville and then won all six of their Tri-County League (Lane, Linn, and Douglas counties) games against Roseburg, Reedsport, Eugene (University Hi), Springfield, Lebanon and Junction City. Only four teams in the whole state went to the Oregon state playoffs at that time. Unfortunately for Cottage Grove, the Oregon School Activities Association chose Gresham, another undefeated team, over the Lions.

The starting 11 for the 1944 team was: Jerry Mickey (left end), Ivan Hoyer (left tackle), Cork Ewing (left guard), Bob McCoy (center), Eston (Percy) Wicks (right guard), Wilbur Heath (right tackle), Don Wickendoll (right end), Harlan Chapman (quarterback), Dwayne Carpenter (left half), right half Noel Campbell and Bob Gleason (fullback).

In 1945 coach French moved on to The Dalles after his eight-year stint at Cottage Grove, where he accumulated an outstanding record of 40 wins, 16 losses, and six ties.

“Curt, we all liked him,” said Wilbur Heath. “He was tough and he was mean. He was always out there in his shorts and football shoes, no pads and he was running through there to show you how to do that and we were to tackle him. He built the team.”

Bob Dusenberry, who had been a quarterback for the Lions in the mid-1930s and had coached at Coos River High School in Oregon, replaced French.

He brought in a new offense for the Lions.

“We were the first team in the area to run the “T” and the quick pitch,” Dusenberry told The Sentinel in a 1979 article. “We were strong on that end run, with our flanker in motion. The fact that we ran the ‘T’ was to our advantage, because nobody was familiar with it. We really didn’t pass much. As long as we could run, there was no reason to throw the ball.”

All six players from that team who are alive today had nothing but positive things to say about Dusenberry.

“He was a nice guy and got along good with everybody,” said Virgil Newton. “He had Orlo Bagley helping him in the backfield. They were trying to originate plays. We held a whole lot of practices to try to perfect them.”

Cottage Grove was rated as a heavy underdog in the first game of the season against Reedsport. The Braves had beaten Myrtle Point 60-0 and Marshfield 13-0, but the Lions won 20-7. The big play of the game was Gordon don Neideigh’s 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

One of the keys to the Lions' success in 1945 was coach Dusenberry's influence in obtaining the services of the talented Neidiegh, who became the Lions' quarterback.

"Dusenberry came from Bellwood



For the complete article see the 01-27-2010 issue.

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