The 1938 Ottawa Braves football team was an American football team that represented Ottawa University of Ottawa, Kansas, as a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) during the 1938 college football season. In their third season under head coach Dick Godlove, the Braves compiled an 8–0 record (5–0 against conference opponents), won the KCAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 134 to 18.[1] It was the first undefeated season in Ottawa football history,[2] a feat later repeated in 1960, 1961, and 1965.[1]
| 1938 Ottawa Braves football | |
|---|---|
 1938 Ottawa backfield players. Top row, left to right: Jack Ramsey, Lyle Swetnam, Roy Fitzpatrick, Don Meek. Bottom row: Oliver Smith, Lyman Morgan, Lester Taylor, Norman Gerhold | |
KCAC champion | |
| Conference | Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 8–0 (5–0 KCAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Cook Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ottawa $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bethany (KS) | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College of Emporia | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McPherson | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas Wesleyan | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baker | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | Haskell* | Ottawa, KS | W 14–0 | [3] | |||
| October 7 | at McPherson | McPherson, KS | W 7–0 | [4] | |||
| October 14 | William Jewell* | Ottawa, KS | W 13–6 | [5] | |||
| October 21 | Kansas Wesleyan | Ottawa, KS | W 12–6 | [6] | |||
| October 28 | at Bethel (KS)* | Newton, KS | W 20–0 | [7] | |||
| November 4 | Bethany (KS) | Ottawa, KS | W 13–6 | [8] | |||
| November 11 | College of Emporia |
| W 28–0 | > 2,900 | [9] | ||
| November 18 | at Baker* | Baldwin City, KS | W 27–0 | [10] | |||
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Roster
edit- Lester Adams, tackle/end, 225 pounds
- Elvis Berger, guard, 170 pounds
- Roy Fitzpatrick, back, 170 pounds
- Norman Gerhold, back, 175 pounds
- Eugene Harding, end, 185 pounds
- Leonard Hofstra, tackle, 225 pounds
- Kenneth Hough, guard, 175 pounds
- Bill Mattis, back, 175 pounds
- Don Meek, back, 170 pounds
- Lyman Morgan, back, 160 pounds
- Phillip Palmer, back, 180 pounds
- Jack Ramsey, back, 160 pounds
- Walter Reames, tackle, 170 pounds
- Oliver Smith, back, 165 pounds
- Lyle Swetnam, end, 155 pounds
- Lester Taylor, guard, 160 pounds
- George Von Arb, end, 175 pounds
References
edit- ^ a b "Ottawa (KS) Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ "Ottawa Braves Undefeated, Untied". The Morning Chronicle. Manhattan, Kansas. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa 14, Haskell 0". The Emporia Gazette. October 1, 1938. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa Wins, 7-0". The Wichita Eagle. Associated Press. October 8, 1938. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa U. Beats William Jewell". The Wichita Eagle. October 16, 1938. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa Ekes 12-6 Win From Wesleyan". The Hutchinson News. October 22, 1938. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bethel Is Blanked by Ottawa Club". The Wichita Eagle. October 29, 1938. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa Defeats Bethany, 13 to 6: Gains Undisputed First in Kansas Conference as C. of E. Is Beaten". The Wichita Eagle. November 5, 1938. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Presbys Are Swamped by Ottawa, 28-0". The Emporia Daily Gazette. November 12, 1938. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa Remains Unbeaten by Win: Defeats Baker, 27 to 0, to Win Kansas Conference; Meeks Scores Twice". The Wichita Eagle. November 19, 1938. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ottawa Prepares For Haskell Game: Coach Dick Godlove Sends Squad of 38 Through Stiff Scrimmages". The Wichita Eagle. September 22, 1938. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.