By Chris Foster, Intern

During Ballard High School's homecoming next week, the Ballard athletics booster club will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1951 football team, who went 8 and 0 en route to winning the state championship.

The 1951 state championship team featured one of the most dangerous duos on offense to date in quarterback Mel McCain and fullback Arleigh Hiersch, who were both All-American nominees. McCain was named the league MVP, and seven of the team’s starters were named to the All-City 1st team, while another seven made honorable mention.

McCain, Hiersch, and tight end Russell Quackenbush were selected to play for the Tri-city team at the end of the season. Coach Henry Bendele was chosen to coach the team, and half back Mickey McKinnon was chosen as an alternate.

Along with the potent offense—which featured the top rushing attack, second ranked passing attack and the top two scorers in the league (McKinnon at 45 points and Hiersch at 43)— the ’51 Beavers boasted one of the leagues best defenses as well. While ranking second in the league in team defense, Ballard allowed opponents to score only 8 points during the regular season.

The championship game was one to remember, as the Beavers took on the Bremerton Wildcats. The game, which took place on Thanksgiving day at Memorial, was played in front of a crowd of 11,000, and was broadcast live on King 5.

Late in the third quarter, the Beavers were down 13 to 0. After the Wildcats second scoring-drive, the Beaver offense caught fire with a 3-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a 4 yard touchdown run for McKinnon. After trading series late into the fourth, the Beavers stopped the Wildcats with just over 3 minutes remaining. On the very first play of Ballard’s following drive, Hiersch broke off a 47-yard touchdown run. McCain hit Tom Fish in the endzone for the extra point to put the Beavers up 14 to 13. The rest is history.

The team will be honored with a series of festivities starting with a luncheon at the Anthony’s at Shilshole on Friday, October 7. The luncheon will go from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and is followed by the homecoming pep rally, where the team will be introduced to the students at the high school.

On Saturday, October 8, the booster club will host a tailgate party and barbecue at the school’s parking lot from 4:30 to 6:30, where the Ballard community is invited to come out and meet the ’51 champions.

The homecoming game will be against Garfield at 7:30 at Memorial Stadium, and the team will be honored on the field during half time.

Contact Sue Verduin at jsverduin@comcast.net for more details.