Jefferson County Football League (1926-1982) Return to Area FB HOME September 24, 2006
The newspapers of the 1920s all refer to 1926 as the first year of an organized JEFFERSON COUNTY League. Before 1926 various Jefferson county schools competed for a championship - but participation varied in regard to football. The original members for football were PERRY, OZAWKIE, OSKALOOSA, McLOUTH, VALLEY FALLS, NORTONVILLE & WINCHESTER. MERIDEN added football in 1927. In 1928 OZAWKIE and NORTONVILLE had trouble fielding teams and forfeited several games in their schedules and dropped competition in 1929.
The depression of the 1930s caused a cutback for several rural schools' athletic programs. OZAWKIE tried to come back in 1931, but had to drop out in 1932 - PERRY was forced to do the same. OSKALOOSA followed these two after 1932 and that left only VALLEY FALLS, WINCHESTER, McLOUTH and MERIDEN in the football league. OSKALOOSA returned to football in 1934. VALLEY FALLS withdrew from the league in 1937 to become a member of the BIG 7.
Starting in 1937 the league went to a double round robin schedule. WINCHESTER was forced to withdraw to to lack of players, but took up a 6 MAN version of the game against smaller schools. MERIDEN discontinued the game in 1941. * McLOUTH & OSKALOOSA joined the new JDS League that year (McLOUTH won the meeting between the two and they were awarded the county cup in 1941). WW II limited their participation in the JDS to just that year. Travel restrictions affected the rural schools and McLOUTH, WINCHESTER and OSKALOOSA decided to play the 6 MAN version of the game. ** It is not clear if a champion was declared and exactly what kind of schedule format was used. Records indicate that WINCHESTER had the best record for games that could be verified.
By 1944 VALLEY FALLS had ended their BIG 7 experiment and joined WINCHESTER & OSKALOOSA in a return to 11 MAN football - they played a double RR schedule. McLOUTH had trouble finishing the 1943 schedule, sat out the 1944 games, and then returned to normal competition in 1945. Other former teams returned for football - PERRY (1948) & MERIDEN (1951). MERIDEN was in and out for football during this time. They missed 1955 and 1956, then left again after 1960 to play in a 8 MAN League. The five team line-up stayed the same through 1969 (WINCHESTER & NORTONVILLE consolidated as JEFFERSON NORTH in 1967).
Membership increased to seven in 1970 with the addition of EASTON (previously TRI-COUNTY League) and JEFFERSON WEST (consolidated from MERIDEN and OZAWKIE). PERRY continued as a consolidated school known as PERRY-LECOMPTON. Another consolidated school from Jackson County - ROYAL VALLEY (MAYETTA & HOYT) - was approved in 1971. EASTON went through consolidation in 1978 and entered that year under the name PLEASANT RIDGE. By 1980 schools began to act on concerns that school populations within the league were too varied. McLOUTH and VALLEY FALLS joined the DVL (Delaware Valley League) in 1981. Then the BIG 7 made an offer to JEFFERSON WEST and ROYAL VALLEY. They agreed to join the BIG 7 after the 1982-1983 school year. Others decided not to continue the old JEFFERSON COUNTY - PERRY-LECOMPTON moved to the KVL and the remaining members found a home in the DVL.
| 1926 | Perry | (6-0-0) | (7-0-1) | Bernard Pyles |
| 1927 | McLouth | (7-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Ira Brammel |
| 1928 | McLouth | (7-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Ira Brammel |
| 1929 | McLouth | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Ira Brammel |
| 1930 | Winchester | (5-0-0) | (8-0-1) | D.L. "Heavy" Erwin |
| 1931 | McLouth | (4-0-2) | (7-0-2) | Ira Brammel |
| 1932 | McLouth | (4-0-0) | (6-0-1) | Ira Brammel |
| 1933 | Valley Falls | (2-0-1) | (4-4-2) | Roy Ecclefield |
| 1934 | McLouth | (4-0-0) | Ira Brammel | |
| 1935 | Valley Falls | (4-0-0) | (5-3-1) | Lawrence Wesley |
| 1936 | Winchester | (4-0-0) | (7-0-0) | Dale Ridgway |
| 1937 | Oskaloosa | (4-0-2) | (6-0-2) | Arlan Wilkinson |
| 1938 | McLouth | (5-0-1) | (5-4-1) | Bales |
| 1939 | McLouth | (4-1-1) | (5-2-1) | Bales |
| Oskaloosa | (4-1-1) | (5-2-2) | Arlan Wilkinson | |
| 1940 | Oskaloosa | (3-1-0) | (6-3-0) | Arlan Wilkinson |
| 1941 | McLouth * | (1-0-0) | (3-2-0) | ??? |
| 1942 | Winchester ** | (2-0-0) | (4-0-0) | H.B. Willis |
| 1943 | Winchester ** | (3-0-0) | (4-0-0) | H.B. Willis |
| 1944 | Valley Falls | (3-0-0) | (6-2-0) | Henry Schultz |
| 1945 | Oskaloosa | (4-1-0) | (4-6-0) | Ernest Wertzberger |
| 1946 | Oskaloosa | (5-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Ernest Wertzberger |
| 1947 | McLouth | (4-1-0) | (5-2-0) | H.B. McQuiston |
| 1948 | McLouth | (5-0-0) | (6-1-1) | H.B. McQuiston |
| 1949 | Oskaloosa | (3-0-1) | (8-0-1) | Robert Dick |
| 1950 | Valley Falls | (4-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Don Julian |
| 1951 | Valley Falls | (5-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Don Julian |
| 1952 | McLouth | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Robert Powers |
| 1953 | McLouth | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Robert Powers |
| 1954 | Winchester | (5-0-0) | (7-0-0) | Virgil Thomas |
| 1955 | McLouth | (4-0-0) | (5-3-0) | ??? |
| 1956 | Perry | (4-0-0) | (5-1-1) | Ken Slabach |
| 1957 | Oskaloosa | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Don Frickey |
| 1958 | Winchester | (4-1-0) | (6-2-0) | Danny Nance |
| 1959 | Valley Falls | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Marvin Selby |
| 1960 | Perry | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Ken Slabach |
| 1961 | Perry | (4-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Ken Slabach |
| 1962 | Winchester | (4-0-0) | (5-3-0) | Dick Poage |
| 1963 | Valley Falls | (4-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Ted Jones |
| 1964 | Winchester | (4-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Keith Ostrander |
| 1965 | Perry | (4-0-0) | (6-2-1) | Dale Gilloghy |
| 1966 | Valley Falls | (4-0-0) | (7-2-0) | Harold Howard |
| 1967 | Valley Falls | (3-0-1) | (6-1-2) | Harold Howard |
| 1968 | Valley Falls | (4-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Galen Hisey |
| 1969 | Jefferson North | (4-0-0) | (6-3-0) | Keith Ostrander |
| 1970 | Perry-Lecompton | (5-0-1) | (6-2-1) | Don Benedict |
| Valley Falls | (5-0-1) | (6-2-1) | Galen Hisey | |
| 1971 | Valley Falls | (7-0) | (8-2) | Galen Hisey |
| 1972 | Valley Falls | (7-0) | (11-1) | Galen Hisey |
| 1973 | Jefferson West | (6-1) | (8-1) | Ron Hennen |
| Oskaloosa | (6-1) | (7-2) | Ronald Traul | |
| 1974 | Easton | (5-2) | (6-3) | Steve Rieck |
| Oskaloosa | (5-2) | (6-3) | Ronald Traul | |
| 1975 | Perry-Lecompton | (5-2) | (6-3) | Don Bloom |
| Oskaloosa | (5-2) | (6-5) | Ronald Traul | |
| Valley Falls | (5-2) | (5-4) | Galen Hisey | |
| 1976 | Valley Falls | (7-0) | (9-1) | Galen Hisey |
| 1977 | McLouth | (7-0) | (11-1) | Armin Landis |
| 1978 | McLouth | (6-1) | (11-2) | Armin Landis |
| Perry-Lecompton | (6-1) | (8-2) | Dale Sample | |
| 1979 | Perry-Lecompton | (7-0) | (8-2) | Dale Sample |
| 1980 | Perry-Lecompton | (7-0) | (10-1) | Dale Sample |
| 1981 | Perry-Lecompton | (5-0) | (8-1) | Dale Sample |
| 1982 | Perry-Lecompton | (5-0) | (7-2) | Dale Sample |
TDC Class B Mythical State Champion
| 1961 | Perry | (8-0-0) | Ken Slabach |