K-36 Football League: 1953-1980
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Update: Feb 28, 2016
The league's first football season had WATHENA, FAIRVIEW, HIGHLAND, RESERVE, ROBINSON and ELWOOD in competition. In 1956 FAIRVIEW and RESERVE withdrew from the group. TROY was admitted to the league in that same year - but also maintained membership in the BIG 7. MIDWAY (DENTON) was recruited in 1957 to bring membership back to six for football. WATHENA experimented with dual membership in the BIG 7 - they played a limited schedule in 1957 and then they were a full member of the larger league in 1958. After the 1958 season both TROY and WATHENA gave up membership in the BIG 7 and competed only in the K-36.
The next change occurred in 1961 when ROBINSON withdrew from league competition. The following year STS. PETER & PAUL (SENECA) joined the group. The league expanded in 1968 with the addition of HORTON (previously BIG 7) and CENTRALIA who had competed previously as an INDEPENDENT. STS. PETER & PAUL left for the NEMAHA VALLEY League in 1973 but JACKSON HEIGHTS (HOLTON) formerly of the MID-EAST League was added as a replacement. The last change in the league took place in 1975 when CENTRALIA joined the NEMAHA VALLEY LEAGUE.
The league folded after the 1980 season mainly due to the decision of ELWOOD, HIGHLAND and MIDWAY (DENTON) to convert to 8-MAN football. JACKSON HEIGHTS, TROY, WATHENA and HORTON decided to join the DELAWARE VALLEY League rather than try and bring in new members.
In 1964 the Topeka Daily Capital named Wathena as Mythical State Champion - CLASS B
| 1964 | Wathena | (8-0-0) | Lyle Moddelmog | ||
Year Champion League All Coach
| 1953 | Wathena | (5-0-0) | (7-0-1) | Bill Butterworth |
| 1954 | Wathena | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Bill Butterworth |
| 1955 | Highland | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | George Bistline |
| 1956 | Robinson | (3-0-1) | (6-1-1) | Duane Melvin |
| Wathena | (3-0-1) | (6-1-1) | Robert Dula | |
| 1957 | Wathena | (5-0-0) | (5-2-1) | Robert Dula |
| 1958 | Wathena | (4-0-1) | (4-3-2) | Ray Harris |
| 1959 | Troy | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Don Clark |
| 1960 | Troy | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Marion Schmidt |
| 1961 | Midway (Denton) | (3-0-1) | (6-0-2) | Doug Lee |
| Troy | (3-0-1) | (5-1-2) | Marion Schmidt | |
| 1962 | Midway (Denton) | (5-0-0) | (6-2-0) | Doug Lee |
| 1963 | Highland | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Wayne Minchow |
| 1964 | Wathena | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0) | Lyle Moddelmog |
| 1965 | Highland | (5-0-0) | (7-1-0) | Kendall Simcox |
| 1966 | Sts. Peter & Paul | (5-0-0) | (8-1-0) | Jerry Simecka |
| 1967 | Sts. Peter & Paul | (5-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Bob Hankins |
| 1968 | Sts. Peter & Paul | (7-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Bob Hankins |
| 1969 | Wathena | (7-0-0) | (9-0-0) | Barry Johncour |
| 1970 | Highland | (7-0-1) | (7-1-1) | Jerry Bruns |
| 1971 | Troy | (7-0) | (9-1) | Thomas Smith |
| 1972 | Elwood | (5-2) | (7-2) | Harry Elder |
| Highland | (5-2) | (6-3) | Jerry Bruns | |
| Sts. Peter & Paul | (5-2) | (7-2) | William Schneider | |
| Troy | (5-2) | (6-3) | Thomas Smith | |
| 1973 | Elwood | (6-1) | (8-1) | Harry Elder |
| Troy | (6-1) | (8-1) | Thomas Smith | |
| 1974 | Highland | (7-0) | (8-2) | Jerry Bruns |
| 1975 | Highland | (5-1) | (7-2) | Jerry Bruns |
| 1976 | Highland | (6-0) | (10-1) | Jerry Bruns |
| 1977 | Highland | (6-0) | (7-2) | Jerry Bruns |
| 1978 | Jackson Heights | (5-1) | (8-2) | Dave Henry |
| Wathena | (5-1) | (7-3) | Warren Sager | |
| 1979 | Troy | (5-1) | (9-2) | Frank Davis |
| Highland | (5-1) | (7-3) | Jerry Bruns | |
| 1980 | Jackson Heights | (6-0) | (11-1) | Dave Henry |