The High School Hall of Fame came very close to choosing the entire Lexington High School’s athletic program for 1973-74 as the winner of the Silver Anniversary award, an honor planned for an outstanding team in the school year 25 years ago.

The school had one of the greatest years for any school of its size, winning two state championships and two state runner-up trophies plus having highly competitive teams in practically every sport they tried.

Alas, the Silver Anniversary award eventually focused on the two state champions, football and boys track and field, and the Hall of Fame proudly adds this group to the list of annual winners.

The football team had a 10-0 record in 1973, averaging wins by the score of 40-7, in the days prior to the football playoffs when the football championships were determined by newspaper ratings. The schools had back-to-back unbeaten teams under Coach Noel Martin and the 1973 team pushed its winning streak to 25, which was the best in the state at the time.

Back Ted Harvey won all-state honors and the Southwest Conference rewarded this powerhouse with nine spots on its all-conference team: Harvey, Mark Bappe, Jeff Richardson, Craig Ferguson, Tom Robinson, Mike Adams, Greg Bacon, Fred Knapple and Pat Hodges.

The track team shattered all opposition in its undefeated season, winning its school’s first boys track and field state championship, by doubling the score on the Class B state meet field.

At the 1974 state meet, Lexington won five events, two gold medals and state record performances from Bryan Steadman (6-6) and Pat Hodges (1:55 half-mile). School records also were set by Ted Harvey (100, 220), Hodges (440), Steadman (triple jump, long jump), by Harvey-Hodges-Fred Knapple-Brent Matz in the 440 relay and Steadman-Matz-Harvey-Hodges in the mile relay.

1973-74 Lexington Players:

?Mike Adams 12, tr
?Tim Anthony 11, fb/tr
?Greg Araujo 11, tr
?Greg Bacon 11, fb/tr
?Mark Bappe, 12, fb/tr
?Mike Berke 10, fb
?Scott Bice 12, fb
?Steve Bice 10, fb
?John Boyd 11, fb
?Andy Brown 11, fb
?Jeral Bullins 12, fb
?Tim Cantrell 10, tr
?Matt Dannehl 10, fb
?Larry Davis 11, fb
?Jeff Doerr 12, fb/tr
?Scott Falkinburg 10, fb
?Jeff Fedderson 10, fb/tr
?Bill Fellers 10, fb/tr
?Craig Ferguson 12, fb/tr
?Mitch Folkers 9, tr
?Mike Gerken 10, fb
?Mike Gierhan 11, tr
?Jack Gleason 11, fb/tr
?Steve Hampton 10, fb/tr
?Roger Hanson 12, fb
?Dan Harmon 11, tr
?Ted Harvey 12, fb/tr
?Jim Hawks 11, fb/tr
?Larry Hill 11, fb/tr
?Pat Hodges 12, fb/tr
?Dave Hofferber 11, fb
?Kent Hofferber 10, fb
?Mike Holbrook 10, fb/tr
?Rodney Jacobsen 10, fb
?Dan Jensen 11, tr
?Dale Johnson 11, fb
?Joe Kelly 12, fb
?Mike Kitsmiller 10, fb/tr
?Kim Kitzing 11, tr
?Fred Knapple 12, fb/tr
?Brian Kopf 12, tr
?Brad Lahm 10, tr
?Brian Lahm 11, fb/tr
?Chuck Leininger 10, fb/tr
?Reggie Malcom 10, fb
?Mark Mandelko 11, fb
?Brent Matz 10, fb/tr
?Tim McGuire 11, fb
?Mark McKee 12, fb
?Ray Meyers 12, tr
?Steve Nelson 10, fb
?Mark Newton 11, tr
?Mike Nichelson 10, fb
?Ken Norseen 11, tr
?Mark Olsen 10, fb/tr
?Carl (Paul) Meakins 11, tr
?Keith Pearson 10, fb
?Dan Phillips 10, fb/tr
?Mark Prosser 11, fb/tr
?Jerry Pruitt 12/ tr
?Jeff Richardson 12, fb/tr
?Steve Roberts 11, fb
?Tom Robinson 12, fb/tr
?Elpidio Rodriquez 10, fb
?Mark Rodriquez 12, tr
?Dave Rose 11, fb
?Lonnie Ross 12, fb
?Wayne Shackleton 10, fb
?Doyle Shea 10, fb
?Mike Small 11, fb
?Nick Smets 10, fb/tr
?Bart Smith 10, fb/tr
?Steve Smith 12, fb
?Mark Stamps 11, fb
?Bryan Steadman 12, tr
?C.L. Stevenson 10, fb
?Pat Strohmeyer 11, fb/tr
?Clark Walter 10, fb
?MarkWhite 11, fb

??Head Coaches:
?Noel Martin, football
?Don Bader, track

?Assistant Coaches:
?Russ Eisenhart, fb
?Roger Hanson, fb
?John Higgins, fb/tr
?Dick Hollinger, fb/tr

?Managers:
?Rick Barmore fb, John Boyd tr
?Larry Brittenham fb, Kevin Ingraham fb
?Kevin O’Donnell fb, Steve Tallon fb
?Dennis Wallace fb, Dale Wenberg tr
?Jeff Young fb

??Football Season:

?Game by Game
?Omaha Cathedral 46-7
?Minden 35-14
?Broken Bow 47-0
?Ogallala 35-0
?McCook 35-0
?Gothenburg 41-0
?Kearney 48-6
?Holdrege 34-6
?Ord 48-6
?Cozad 28-14

??Track Wins:

?Meet by Meet
?McCook Relays
?McCook Dual
?Ogallala Invitational
?Ord Invitational
?Central City Invitations
?Dawson County Championships
?Lexington Invitational
?Kearney State Invitational
?Southwest Conference
?District Meet
?State Meet