The 1962 football season was a special one for the Coach Don Nehlen’s Canton South Wildcats as they arguably had the best team in Stark county (and some even say one of the best teams of all TIME). Two players from that legendary team, Frank Dugan and Ted Neininger, are in-studio to relive that amazing season with special guests contributing along the way!

The time machine’s first stop is game 10 of that season vs. the the 8-1 Cambridge Bobcats. A grudge match for some on the team, the stage was set for an explosive confrontation; however, no Wildcat dared to dream the outcome to follow. Amid non-stop rain and mud galore at Central Catholic Stadium (Canton South’s stadium had been condemned and this served as their temporary home), Frank Dugan scored a truly awesome EIGHT touchdowns resulting in 50 points! Teammate John Hackenberg calls in to re-live this amazing accomplishment with the guys and the memories flow like it was YESTERDAY. The resulting 64-0 Canton South victory is surely etched in the memories of all who attended even 50 years after that fateful day.

Our next stop, is game 9 (hey, no one ever said the time machine needed to make the stops IN ORDER!) vs. the undefeated Jackson Polar Bears in a match-up much hyped by the local press! Playing for the AA League Championship (The Federal League wouldn\’t come into existence until 1964), even with the star quarterback Tim Rummons, Jackson was no match for South\’s killer defense as the result was ANOTHER South shut-out. However, not to be outdone, the Wildcat offense electrified the stadium with another show stopping performance resulting in a 53-0 win (scoring more points than minutes played in the game!). When electrical problems led to the lights going out on the Jackson field with three minutes remaining in the game, a Polar Bear concession put the stunned team out of their misery!

Backtracking further, we go back to the game that started it all! The season opener vs. the mighty Lincoln Lions included a personal element as Coach Nehlen had lettered there in his own playing days; the young players knew that THAT upped the stakes! The guys detail that conflict against a team that included quarterback Chuck Lyke, Chris Vagotis, John Andreadis, and more. Ron Blackledge who was an assistant coach for the South squad (and needless to say head coached MANY successful teams following) calls in to the studio to join in on the fun and details how much this particular team meant to him personally. What made them special? Coach Blackledge tells you!

As the show winds down, our last stop is that season’s only check in the loss column as we detail game 2’s battle with the Louisville Leopards. While South would still go on to claim the county championship due to Louisville’s 0-0 tie with Minerva in game 10, there was no stopping Coach Hap Lillick’s Leopards this day as the team that included Bob Bardash, Dale Minor and running back Bob Gladieux (who delivered a STAND OUT performance) were just too much to take.

While the guys detail Frank’s many accomplishments that season of ’62 (county scoring leader, running for nearly 1400 yards, and even scoring a touchdown while wearing only one SHOE!), this show is truly a celebration of the Wildcats TEAM. This squad that ran for over 2600 yards while playing their HEARTS out included Ira Turpin, Dick Himes, Ronnie Young, Bernie Hull, Gene “Gino” Miller, Dale Hurless, Ben Elliot, Denny Thompson, Jerry McConnell, Gerry Carnes, Remus Changet, Romulus Changet, and Gary Teeple (or as Coach Blackledge refers to him as “the toughest little squirt in the world”). Many anecdotes and memories of these young men are shared – too many in fact to write out here!

The 1962 Canton South Wildcats — a team like no other, a season like no other and, definitely, an EPSIODE like no other!