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12 Days until the high school football season starts: San Manuel wins title in 1981

By Andy Morales

Posted on August 11, 2024

The 1981 “Super 11” included San Manuel head coach Damon Becker, future Wildcat Byron Evans, Jeff Heidrick of Salpointe, Craig Vesling of CDO, Phil Rogers of Amphi and Rodney Peete of Sahuaro.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 1981: SAN MANUEL 14, BUCKEYE 7

Played at Scottsdale Saguaro, San Manuel beat Buckeye 14-7 to win the Class A state championship in 1981. The Miners won the last 10 games of the season after starting out 1-2.

The Miners overcame a charter bus that was too small, an equipment bag falling out on the freeway and a flat tire to win the only state football title in school history. John Romero hit David Weisner on a five-yard pass in the second quarter and Bill Hill scored on a 65-yard run in the third for a 14-0 lead. Buckeye scored at the end of the third to cut the lead down to 14-7.

In the fourth quarter: Maurice Wahlmeier intercepted Buckeye at the 38, Paul Franco came up with a tackle on a fourth down situation at the 24 and Walter Viramontez intercepted Buckeye at the one-yard-line with 49 seconds left to preserve the victory.

We have 12 days until the high school football season gets underway in Southern Arizona and we are attempting to highlight some of the championships won over the last 112 years. The AIA started to recognize state champions in 1959 but teams like Tucson High claimed ten “mythical” state championships before then, starting in 1911 under Pop McKale.

Like last year, the season will roll out with 1A, 2A and 3A starting early on Aug. 23 and the bigger school will start a week later. Flag Football will start on Sept. 17 with Sunnyside, Buena, Tucson, Mountain View and Palo Verde playing on that Tuesday.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23

3A CONFERENCE
Coolidge at Sabino, 7 p.m.

2A CONFERENCE
Phoenix Christian at Tanque Verde, 7 p.m.
Willcox at Arizona Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Catalina at Highland Prep, 7 p.m.
Benson at Shadow Mountain, 7 p.m.

1A CONFERENCE
Lincoln Prep at San Manuel, 7 p.m.
Fort Thomas at Baboquivari, 7 p.m.
Desert Christian at Bagdad, 7 p.m.
St. David at Cicero Prep, 7 p.m.

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BY YEAR

1911: Tucson
1912: Tucson
1919: Bisbee
1929: Tucson
1937: Tucson
1941: Bisbee
1942: Tucson and Amphitheater
1943: Tombstone
1944: Tucson and Tombstone
1945: Tucson
1946: Benson
1947: St. David
1948; St. David
1949: Benson and Willcox were runners-up
1950: St. David
1951: Tucson
1952: Tucson
1953: St. David
1954: Benson and Bisbee
1955: Benson
1956: Douglas runner-up
1957: Patagonia
1958: St. David

BEGINNING OF AIA PLAYOFFS
1959: Patagonia runner-up
1960: St. David (Douglas runner-up)
1961: Pueblo
1962: Tucson and Patagonia runners-up
1963: Rincon and Patagonia runners-up
1964: Marana (Flowing Wells, Willcox and Patagonia runners-up)
1965: Tucson and Santa Cruz
1966: Tucson and Santa Cruz (St. David runner-up)
1967: Marana (Pueblo and Valley Union runners-up)
1968: Marana (Douglas and Flowing Wells runners-up)
1969: Santa Cruz (Ajo Runner-up)
1970: Tucson
1971: Tucson (Flowing Wells and Ajo runners-up)
1972: St. David (Flowing Wells and Santa Cruz runners-up)
1973: Palo Verde (Flowing Wells runner-up)
1974: Douglas runner-up (Douglas runner-up)
1975: Amphitheater and Flowing Wells (Valley Union runner-up)
1976: Canyon del Oro and ASDB (Douglas runner-up)
1977: Canyon del Oro and St. David (Willcox runner-up)
1978: Santa Cruz (Willcox and Benson runners-up)
1979: Amphitheater, Santa Cruz and St. David
1980: Santa Cruz
1981: San Manuel (Salpointe runner-up)
1982: Willcox and Suffolk Hills (Flowing Wells runner-up)
1983: Flowing Wells runners-up
1984: Sahuaro runner-up
1985: Valley Union
1986: Valley Union (Willcox runner-up)
1987: Patagonia (Valley Union runner-up)
1988: Patagonia
1990: Sabino and Santa Cruz (Amphi and Valley Union runners-up)
1991: Patagonia (Salpointe and Sahuaro runners-up)
1992: Sabino (Patagonia runner-up)
1993: Sahuaro runner-up
1994: Sahuaro (Benson runner-up)
1997: St. David (Amphi and Sabino runners-up)
1998: Sabino and St. David
1999: Sabino and Sahuaro runners-up
2000: St. David (Sunnyside runner-up)
2001: Sunnyside and St. David
2003: Sunnyside
2005: Palo Verde (Sabino runner-up)
2006: Sunnyside and Sabino runners-up
2007: Valley Union (Canyon del Oro runner-up)
2008: Santa Rita runner-up
2009: Canyon del Oro (Sabino, Santa Rita and Willcox runners-up)
2010: Canyon del Oro runner-up
2011: Cienega runner-up
2012: Ironwood Ridge
2013: Salpointe
2015: Pusch Ridge (Benson and Valley Union runners-up)
2016: Catalina Foothills and Sabino runners-up
2017: Salpointe, Pusch Ridge and Santa Cruz runners-up
2018: Salpointe runner-up
2020: Santa Cruz (Benson runner-up)
2021: Salpointe and St. David runners-up
2023: Canyon del Oro and Sabino

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Tucson High (15)
1911: (James Fred “Pop” McKale)
1912: (James Fred “Pop” McKale)
1929: (Charles McFarland)
1937: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1942: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1943: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1944: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1945: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1951: (Jason Greer)
1952: (Jason Greer)
1965: 5A (John Mallamo)
1966: 5A (John Mallamo)
1970: 5A (Ollie Mayfield)
1971: 5A (Ollie Mayfield)

St. David (13)
1947: C (Robert Bateman)
1948: C (Robert Bateman)
1950: C (Dwight Stapley)
1953: C (Lot Christenson)
1958: C (Jerry Brown)
1960: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1972: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1977: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1979: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1997: 1A (John Bryant)
1998: 1A (John Bryant)
2000: 1A (John Bryant)
2001: 1A (John Bryant)

Santa Cruz (8)
1965: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1966: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1969: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1978: 3A (Jay Denton)
1979: 3A (Eddie Jones)
1980: 3A (Jim Ewan)
1990: 2A (Jay Denton)
2020: 2A (Rishard Davis)

Canyon del Oro (4)
1976: 4A (Bob Smith)
1977: 4A (Bob Smith)
2009: 4A-I (Dusty Peace)
2023: 4A (Dusty Peace)

Patagonia (4)
1957: C (Reginald LeFevre)
1987: 1A (Bill House)
1988: 1A (Bill House)
1991: 1A (Bill House)

Sabino (4)
1990: 4A (Jeff Scurran)
1992: 4A (Jeff Scurran)
1998: 4A (Jeff Scurran)
2023: 3A (Ryan McBrayer)

Amphitheater (3)
1942: C (Ray Bradshaw)
1975: 5A (Jerry Loper)
1979: 5A (Vern Friedli)

Benson (3)
1946: Class C (Elton Harper)
1954: Class C (Jack Wilson)
1955: Class C (Jack Wilson)

Bisbee (3)
1919: B (Ed Lawerenson)
1941: B (Waldo Dicus)
1954: A (Max Spilsbury)

Marana (3)
1964: 2A (Duane Morrison)
1967: 2A (Don Hawkins)
1968: 2A (Don Hawkins)

Valley Union (3)
1985: 1A (Gary Mauldin)
1986: 1A (Gary Mauldin)
2007: 1A (Tony Luzania)

Palo Verde (2)
1973: 5A (Van Howe)
2005: 4A-II (Todd Mayfield)

Pueblo (2)
1958: 2A (Lou Farber)
1961: 5A (Lou Farber)

Sunnyside (2)
2001: 4A (Richard Sanchez)
2003: 4A (Richard Sanchez)

Tombstone (2)
1943: C (Henry Wismer)
1944: C (Henry Wismer)