Keep it simple: Flanagan football team soared to 1A state title in 1974

Keep it simple.

But winning a state football title isn’t simple ... is it?

While the 1974 Flanagan High School football team found itself in some tough spots, and in the playoffs for the first time in IHSA history, head coach Roger Zehr and the team always seemed to make the game seem uncomplicated as they finished 12-0, including winning the Class 1A state championship.

“We didn’t have any ‘look at me’ kind of guys. Everyone was truly humble and wanted to do whatever we could for the team,” said Kevin Bertsche, a senior halfback and co-captain along with Maurie Duffy. “Coach Zehr was an outstanding coach, and he always had a motto of ‘Keep it simple.’

“We didn’t really have a playbook, maybe just a couple plays scribbled on a piece of paper. We didn’t have anything too complex, but I feel what we did do, we did it pretty well. Our team was like a second family to all of us.”

Winning Illinois’ first high school state championship led to the team being honored this Friday during halftime of FCW’s 8-man homecoming football game against Peoria Heights.

“It started as 24 knuckleheads and three coaches looking forward to a football season and turned into a tiny town that was holding its breath with every single play.”

—  Jim Braksick, 1974 Flanagan quarterback

The ‘74 Falcons were coming off a 6-2 season in 1973, but returned nearly every player and starter from that squad and had the added goal of a playoff system to play for.

“At the beginning of the season, no one really knew what the football playoffs would be like, but what we did know is you had to win your conference to get in,” Zehr said. “I don’t remember really ever thinking too much about making the state playoffs before the season started, but I know we wanted to win the (Midstate) Conference, just like every other season. So I guess the one goal we wanted to reach meant we’d able to keep playing.

“I knew we would have a very good team, especially if everyone stayed healthy, but I guess I didn’t let myself get crazy thinking we were a great team until after the state semifinal. In my mind we were the underdogs in the playoffs after our opening-round game. Those next three teams were all bigger schools with bigger numbers as far as players.”

Flanagan rolled through the regular season with victories over Tri-Point (43-0), Lexington (44-8), Chenoa (60-0), El Paso (40-14), Minonk-Dana-Rutland (43-6), Woodland (68-6), Dee-Mack (22-13) and a league-clinching triumph over Gridley (29-15) to qualify for the 1A playoffs.

“We scored a lot of points, but I kept stressing all season long to anyone who would listen that it was our defense that was going to be the key,” Zehr said.

The Falcons opened the postseason with another drubbing of Tri-Point (56-0), then rolled to road wins over Stronghurst Southern (46-12) and Genoa-Kingston (37-7) to reach the championship game.

“We didn’t have outstanding athletes, at least none that went on to play Division 1 football. But what we did have was some really good athletes and a bunch of pretty good athletes that all knew what they needed to do to win,” Zehr said. “They all understood what their role was for the team and filled that role well.”

The Falcons faced another undefeated team, Concord Triopia, on Friday, Nov. 22, for all the marbles. Flanagan used a short touchdown run by senior special mention all-state quarterback Jim Braksick with 24 seconds remaining in the first half to grab the lead, 92 yards on 24 carries from all-state senior 1,800+ yard and 31 TD fullback Gregg Gundy and an opportunistic and stingy defense that only allowed 14 points in the first half all season and forced seven turnovers in the contest to earn a thrilling, 13-8 victory.

“I feel like we were a fun-loving team,” said Braksick, who threw for over 900 yards that season and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. “As the season went along, it became less about a football team and more and more about an entire community embracing a football team. Everyone in Flanagan became more and more excited about football with each passing week. It started as 24 knuckleheads and three coaches looking forward to a football season and turned into a tiny town that was holding its breath with every single play.

“When you ask about did you ever think about winning a state title in football, I guess we did. In late February in ‘74 several of the guys on the team had went to a supersectional basketball game at Illinois State. We parked on the side near Hancock Stadium, and of course being the idiots we were, we had to go down and walk on the astroturf field to see what it felt like. I remember kind of kidding around with each other about how we were going to be back there in the fall.

“I’m not sure any of us truly believed it at the time, but it happened.”

So, beyond the X’s and O’s and offense and defense, what truly made the Flanagan football team one that couldn’t be beat?

“Coach Zehr made it so everyone knew what their role was, and everyone was a part of everything,” Braksick said. “His leadership was one of the biggest keys to that season. He always, always put us in the best position to win.”

Bertsche said while he doesn’t think of those times often or remember many specifics from that season, he does remember the confidence he and his teammates had. Much of that came from Coach Zehr.

“It’s great memories, but I really hadn’t thought about it for years until this year. I know your junior year we lost two games and won six, but the two games we lost we got beat up pretty bad. But when you are a senior, you think you’re unbeatable, and I guess that is what we thought. I guess that thinking came true. ...

“If you told me there is a better guy walking this earth than Coach Zehr, I don’t know if I’d believe you. You just wanted to win for him”

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1974 Flanagan football results

Sept 13: Tri-Point W, 43-0

Sept 20: @Lexington W, 44-8

Sept. 27: Chenoa W, 60-0

Oct. 4: @El Paso W, 40-14

Oct. 11: Minonk-Dana-Rutland W, 43-6

Oct. 18: @Woodland W, 68-6

Oct. 25: @Dee-Mack W, 22-13

Nov. 1: Gridley W, 29-15

Class 1A state playoffs

Nov 6: Tri-Point W, 56-0

Nov. 9: @Stronghurst Southern W, 46-12

Nov. 16: @Genoa-Kingston W, 37-7

Nov. 22: vs. Concord Triopia W, 13-8