Muskegon Heights football ruled the area – and the state – for an unforgettable 27-game stretch from Sept. 22, 1945 to Nov. 15, 1947. During that magical run, no team, not even the mighty and hated Muskegon Big Reds, could match the Tigers’ wrecking crew under Coach Okie Johnson. Led by all-state selections Jim Dotson, Ed Petrongelli, Sonny Grandelius, Jim Howell, Tom Johnson, Frank Howell and Bob Stibitz, the season-ending battles with Muskegon were classics. The 1945 finale matched two unbeaten squads in a showdown for the state’s mythical state crown. The 7-6 win by the Tigers was witnessed by a crowd of 13,500. The Tigers of that era were known for defense, especially the 1945 team, which outscored its nine opponents by a combined score of 189-44 – allowing an average of less than five points per game, including four shutouts. The 1946 team had more close calls, outscoring its opponents 162-68 to capture its second consecutive state title. The amazing Tigers completed three years of perfection in 1947, outscoring their nine opponents, 147-54, earning a third successive championship.
1945 Muskegon Heights Tigers – Front Row (L to R):Dick Ghezzi, John Dudzik, Bob Ribesky, Doug Premo, Charles Votaw, Ed Petrongelli, Don Bartels. Second Row: Dorr Grover, Ray McLean, Bernard Timmer, Louis Kollar, Richard Kreifeldlt, Neil Frick, Everett “Sonny” Grandelius, Ron Zoratti, Ron Kinsman, Jim Norris. Third Row: Coach Oscar E. “Okie” Johnson, Joe Koteles, Stanley Elliot, Gerald Langlois, Robert Engel, Russell Malone, Eugene Hillard, Don Dahlquist, Robert Blackmer, Al Kushner, Ken Graves, Edsel Erickson, Assistant Coach C.P. Ziegler. Back Row: John Bollenbach, Kayle DePoy, Jim Dotson, Wilmer Williams, Bill Wansten, Paul Hulka, Robert Taylor, Jim Howell, Richard Hagen, Ed Sanocki, Larry Boone.
1946 Muskegon Heights Tigers – Front Row (L to R): Bob Johnson, Norbert Strobell, Robert Crevier, Shelly Baldwin, Herman Ivory, Bernard Timmer, Robert Graff, Ken Drake, Alan Courtright, Vern Plichta, John Campbell. Second Row: Jim Howell, Ray McLean, John Bollenbach, Ken Benson, Bill Wansten, Paul Anderegg, Everett “Sonny” Grandelius, Jim Norris, Earl Beam, Allan Kushner, Kayle DePoy. Third Row: Coach Oscar E. “Okie” Johnson, Bob Stibitz, Bob Blackmer, Jerry Heaton, Fred Moeller, Al Cater, Neil Frick, Bob Ribesky, Harold Hansen, Stanley Elliot, John Krol, Rudolph Shepherd, Assistant Coach Ernie Dahlberg. Back Row: Percy Stratton, Bill McGahee, Ray Carslake, William Cook, William Caughey, Art Craymer, Tom Johnson, Eugene Fisher, Robert Mitchell, Robert Flowers, Ken Graves, Clayton Borgman. Not Pictured: John Dudzik.
1947 Muskegon Heights Tigers – Front Row (L to R): Percy Stratton, Ray Carslake, Robert Mitchell, Al Cater, Art Craymer, Fred Moeller, Harold Hansen, Tom Johnson, Clayton Borgman. Second Row: Assistant Coach Del Firme, Herman Ivory, Shelly Baldwin, Robert Crevier, William Cook, Ken Drake, John Campbell, William McGahee, Bob Stibitz. Third Row: Coach Oscar E. “Okie” Johnson, Doug Jacobson, Bob Johnson, Vic Lane, Olis Hunter, Robert Sietsema, Don Kline, Lyle Shaw, Charles Zorn, Jack Bramble. Fourth Row: Bert Johnson, Don Cook, Frank Howell, George Rostar, Don Walters, John Nedeau, George Jurkas, John Gibbons, Dan Elliot, Carl Wright. Back Row: William Ostradick, Jack Venne, Clarence Schmidt, Doug Burns, Richmond, Harold Seegar, Robert Winteringham, Arnold Penn. Not Pictured: Lee Hartman, Ivan Plichta.
