Greatest on the Gridiron: ’69 Temple vs. ’81 St. Aloysius
Published 12:05 pm Monday, July 6, 2020
The second of three consecutive undefeated Temple teams that were part of a 39-game overall unbeaten streak, the 1969 Buccaneers might have been the best. With nearly the same roster as the 1968 team, they went 10-0-1 for the second year in a row and won the Negro Big 8 Conference championship.
“People remember the 1970 team, but we played them in a scrimmage when we were seniors and beat them 37-0. They don’t like to talk about that,” former Vicksburg High head coach Alonzo Stevens, an offensive lineman on the 1968 and ’69 Temple teams, recalled with a laugh.
(2) 1969 Temple vs. (7) 1981 St. Aloysius
- 1981 St. Aloysius (54%, 81 Votes)
- 1969 Temple (46%, 69 Votes)
Total Voters: 150
In 1981, the St. Aloysius Flashes reached the state championship game in the first year the MHSAA playoffs came into existence. They posted five shutouts during a nine-game winning streak to start the season and won the Class B, District 6 championship.
The Flashes’ run ended with a 26-13 loss to Sturgis in the Class B title game, and it would be 33 years before another St. Al team went that deep into the playoffs.