Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
As in all walks of life, not many athletic teams have a perfect season. There’s only been one perfect season in the National Football League — the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
In high school and college team sports, we see teams go through the regular season and win a championship with a perfect record. Not a lot, but there have been a few which have achieved perfection.
Working on the story about the Newton High School 1966 Central Iowa Conference championship football team, I heard stories from some of the players who were on the team. The Cardinals went 7-1 in 1966 with a 5-0 CIC record. Their only loss was to Des Moines Roosevelt, which I was told was a state powerhouse program in the 1950s and 1960s.
The four former NHS players I interviewed for the story each told me the team didn’t play very well against Roosevelt. Newton gave up a long touchdown run early in the game then settled down defensively. The Cardinals turned the ball over several times that night at home, losing 14-0.
“But we went to work again on Monday because we knew we had more games to play,” Dave Clement said. “It was always about the team. We wanted to be successful as a team. We worked together.”
Three games remained on the 1966 schedule for Newton. The Cardinals won all three. From what I gathered from these former players, they chased perfection in their work ethic as teammates during practices and on game nights. They caught excellence as a team.
Several of the players from the 1966 CIC championship team will be attending a reunion Friday. Newton High will honor the team on the 50th anniversary of the title run between the freshman and varsity football games at H.A. Lynn Stadium.
Newton’s 2016 football team is 4-0 in its first year back in the state’s Class 4A ranks in a few years. The Cardinals are one of six undefeated teams standing in 4A heading into district play. Top-ranked West Des Moines Valley, which is in 4A District 4 with Newton, is 4-0.
Newton takes on Marshalltown, (1-3) while Valley hosts Fort Dodge, which is 3-1, on Friday. Indianola (2-2) plays at Southeast Polk (1-3) in the other District 4 game.
Posting a perfect record this season might not be possible for Newton. These Cardinals are going to go for it no matter what. In the mold of the 1966 Newton football squad, the current NHS players are all about the team.
There’s another perfect team in the area right now. Lynnville-Sully’s football team is one of nine Class A teams undefeated after four weeks of action. The Hawks are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Class A District 6 play. New London (3-1) is also 2-0 in District 6 play.
I’ve never been perfect in any endeavor. I strived for it when I was playing my trumpet, and there were times I was very good but never perfect in my performances. I strive to be perfect in each story I write and with every photo I take, but alas, perfection eludes me.
As with the 1966 Newton players, I go back to work. There are more stories to tell and more moments to capture with my camera. I’ll chase perfection, and maybe just maybe, I’ll catch excellence. I wish the same for all area student athletes and to all who are reading this column.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
jsheets@newtondailynews.com