Nevada High School celebrates Wall of Fame induction

By Eric Wade

Nevada Daily Mail

According to many, the 1975 Nevada Tigers football team was one of the best the school has ever seen. A 12-1 record and second place finish in the Missouri State Championship that was only bested one time in school history when the Tigers won the title in the 1966 season are just a couple of the things head coach Shane Cavanah's team accomplished.

A 36-22 victory over rival Webb City added to 14- and 26-point victories over today's perennial powerhouses Carthage and Cassville catapulted the '75 Tigers to a 10-0 record in regular season play and a Big 10 Conference championship. That was just the beginning of one of the greatest single-season runs in school history as the Tigers went on to host two playoff games in which they defeated Mountain Grove, 7-6, and kicked a field goal on the game's final play to beat Marshall, 16-13, earning them a trip to the state championship game.

"It was a fun ride," Cavanah said. "I guess one of our biggest claims to fame, at least compared to the present, is that we beat the tar out of Webb City!"

The Tigers finished the 1975 season with their toughest opposition of the season as they took on the Bruins of Rock Bridge High School, in Columbia, Mo. The Bruins were the only team to get the better of the Tigers that season, winning that contest by a final score of 10-0 to take the state championship.

"I inherited a great team from Coach Osborne from '74. They lost to Webb City and I think that was their only loss," Cavanah said. "I came in to Nevada under a great cloud of pressure due to the number of returning starters and lettermen. It was the only team I had over my 35 years as a head coach that had 22 different starters. Eleven on defense and 11 different starters on offense."

On Sept. 10, the 1975 Nevada Tigers football squad is set to add yet another item to its list of accomplishments: Nevada High School Wall of Fame induction. The Tigers will be honored prior to the Nevada-East Newton football game at Logan Field. A reception is planned in honor of the team that will be open to the public in the Nevada High School Commons area at approximately 5:45 p.m., Nevada High School athletic director Kevin McKinley said.

"I am really looking forward to seeing these gentlemen, their coaches and the radio crew on Sept. 10, at the induction," McKinley said.

For more information on the Wall of Fame induction ceremony or the rest of the night's festivities, contact McKinley at (417) 448-2020 ext. 5050, or by e-mail at kmckinley@nevada.k12.mo.us.