The 1981 Football Team
For followers of the Lawrence University Vikings, 1981 was a watershed football season. In that dazzling autumn, the Vikings put together a 9-0 regular season and won the Midwest Conference football championship for the third consecutive season.
Lawrence became the first team in conference history to earn a berth and win a game in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Lawrence reached the semifinals that year, and those Vikings remain the only team in school history to reach a Final Four. The dream season ended ugly, with a 38-0 loss at the University of Dayton — which had been playing Division I-A football only four years earlier — in the national semifinals. However, that loss to the Flyers quickly fades from view when one looks at the stunning two-and-a-half month journey by rallying late for an 18-15 victory over Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Lawrence then rattled off seven consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents 277-49 in that stretch and moving up to fifth in the NCAA Division III poll. The regular-season finale at Ripon College was a winner-take-all game that could give Lawrence the conference title and a spot in the NCAA playoffs. With the score tied at 20-20, Kraig Krueger '84 kicked a 35-yard field goal with 25 seconds left, and the Vikings were headed to the playoffs.
The drama kept coming in the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs two weeks later against the University of Minnesota-Morris in the Banta Bowl. The game was deadlocked at 14-14 at the end of regulation, with Lawrence getting a 41-yard touchdown catch from Pat Schwanke '83 and a career-long 78-yard touchdown run from Scott Reppert '83. On a brisk, sunny November afternoon, it was time for quarterback Dean Walsh '82 and Schwanke to connect in the overtime. The ball was placed at the 15-yard line, as Lawrence went on offense. After two plays and two yards, the play call was “right 40 bootleg.” Walsh faked right and went left where he found Schwanke for a 13-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings defense, coached by Rich Agness ’67, as it had done all year, came up big again. With the Cougars needing a touchdown for the game to continue, Graham Satherlie ’82, intercepted a fourth-down pass in the end zone to end the contest.
While the season ended at Dayton in the semifinals, the Vikings left a lasting legacy. The Vikings broke or tied 32 school records en route to the greatest season in Lawrence football history.
Team Members:
4 John Streibich So., RB/WR, 6-0, 185, Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap
5 Graham Satherlie Sr., DB, 5-10, 185, Northfield, Ill./New Trier West
6 Beau Schaefer So., WB, 5-9, 145, Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville
7 Ron Roberts So., QB/K, 6-0, 185, Appleton, Wis./East
9 Kurt Parker Sr., DE, 6-3, 215, Neenah, Wis./Armstrong
10 Andy Larson Jr., DB, 5-11, 170, Waukesha, Wis./South
11 Dean Walsh Sr., QB, 5-11, 170, Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls
12 John Rees So., QB/WB, 5-11, 170, Wilmette, Ill./New Trier East
14 Dave Blowers Sr., DB, 5-9, 175, Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield
15 Gary Smith Fr., DB/P, 5-10, 170, Janesville, Wis./Parker
20 Paul Carter So., DB, 5-8, 165, Blanchardville, Wis./Pecatonica
21 Eric Ostenso Jr., LB, 5-7, 175, Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial
23 Thad Copa Fr., QB/DB, 5-10, 185, Faribault, Minn./Shattuck
25 Jack Ehren Jr., WB/HB, 5-10, 170, Kohler, Wis./Kohler
26 Jim Keith Fr., E/DB, 5-8, 155, Lincoln, Neb./Southeast
28 Shawn McIntire So., DB, 5-11, 175, Milwaukee, Wis./Pulaski
30 Greg Stevens So., RB, 5-11, 195, Anitoch, Ill./Antioch Community
31 Bob Willis Fr., RB/LB, 5-5, 165, Sheboygan, Wis./North
33 John Marcquenski So., RB, 5-7, 175, Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South
35 Scott Reppert Jr., RB, 5-8, 182, Appleton, Wis./West
38 Bill Timm Fr., RB, 5-10, 175, Winnetka, Ill./New Trier East
44 Bill Spreeman Sr., LB, 5-11, 215, Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna
47 Brian Smigelski So., DB, 5-11, 185, Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette
48 Glen Johnson Fr., DE, 6-1, 185, Andover, Mass./Andover
51 Steve Hagen Sr., LB, 6-0, 175, Palatine, Ill./William Fremd
52 Jeff DeMeuse Jr., LB, 5-10, 175, Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead
53 Dan Laurence So., C/G, 5-10, 190, Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates
54 Gene Boyle Jr., DL, 6-0, 195, Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South
55 Neil Hersh Jr., LB, 6-1, 195, Wilmette, Ill./New Trier West
56 Jeff Soderberg Fr., DE/LB, 6-2, 200, Winneconne, Wis./Winneconne
57 Don Marks Fr., DL/LB, 6-0, 215, Beloit, Wis./Memorial
58 Greg Baird Jr., C, 6-2, 210, Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West
59 Mike Allen Sr., C/G, 5-11, 175, Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South
60 Sam Levin Sr., DL, 5-8, 190, Wilmette, Ill./New Trier West
61 Chris Matheus Jr., DE/DB, 6-2, 170, Germantown, Wis./Washington
63 Kevin Zlevor Fr., G/LB, 5-10, 200, Racine, Wis./St. Catherine
64 Tom Wick So., DL, 6-0, 190, Sheboygan, Wis./North
65 Bill Lien So., G, 5-11, 195, Golden Valley, Minn./Robbinsdale
66 Ron Reising Sr., DL, 5-10, 190, Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle
67 Murray McDonough So., LB/DB, 6-1, 190, Lighthouse Point, Fla./Deefield Beach
68 Gary Van Berkel Sr., G, 6-0, 195, Appleton, Wis./West
70 Gary Zlevor So., C, 6-0, 200, Racine, Wis./St. Catherine
71 Pete Carlson Jr., T, 6-1, 225, Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam
72 Pat Grogan Fr., T/DT, 6-0, 220, Stockbridge, Wis./Stockbridge
73 Chris Tadych So., T, 6-0, 200, Appleton, Wis./West
74 Tom Kromhout So., DL, 6-0, 185, Enterprise, Fla./Trinity Prep
75 Jim McBride Sr., T, 5-11, 230, Baileys Harbor, Wis./Indianapolis Southport
77 Ken Urbanski Sr., T, 6-2, 230, Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way
78 John Linnemanstons Jr., G/T, 6-0, 205, West Bend, Wis./West
79 Mark Babbitts So., DE, 6-3, 210, Menasha, Wis./Menasha
80 Bill Nortman So., De, 6-0, 205, Elm Grove, Wis./Broofield Central
82 Doug Kaiser So., WB, 6-1, 170, Youngstown, N.Y./Ridley College
83 Greg Meyer So., DE/DB, 6-0, 185, Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County
84 Jeff Ropella Sr., TE, 6-2, 205, Menasha, Wis./St. Mary Central
85 Pat Schwanke Jr., TE, 6-1, 200, Menasha, Wis./Menasha
86 John Ide Fr., DB, 5-11, 165, Chicago, Ill./Sullivan
87 Kelly Kennedy Fr., E, 6-3, 177, Marshfield, Wis./Columbus
89 Bill Rosene Fr., TE, 6-8, 240, Minocqua, Wis./Lakeland Union
92 Kraig Krueger So., K/TE, 5-11, 200, Appleton, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran
Head Coach: Ron Roberts
Defensive Coordinator: Rich Agness
Defensive Line Coach: Mike Gallus
Offensive Line Coach: Steve Neuman
Team Manager: Lloyd Starks
