News : Successful 1959 Vikings team to be honored Friday during V-S game

The 1959 Vikings were Wamac co-champs; they will be honored Friday during V-S football game.

The 1959 cheerleaders.

The 1960 Arrow was dedicated to Mike Hibbs, a football player injured in 1958.

When the Vikings host Maquoketa in Vinton Friday night, there will be extra captains on the sidelines, and possibly at midfield for the coin toss.

But they won’t be wearing pads or helmets.

The members of the Class of 1960 are returning to Vinton this weekend for their 50threunion. Among those will be many members of the 1959 team that shared the WaMaC title with vaunted rival Marion.

The Vikings that year finished with a 6-1-1 record. They secured a share of the title in with a 6-6 tie against Marion in the sixth game of the season.

The 1960 Arrow, the Vinton yearbook summarizes the successful season in one sentence:

“The Vinton Vikings, coached by Bob Higby, captured a share of the Wamac Conference Title while winning six, losing one and tying one. The title was the first in many years for Vinton. Vinton’s starting eleven was composed of all seniors and their performances will be missed sorely next year. Jack Mitchell and Major Boddicker were co-captains this past season. Gary Anderson was voted by his teammates as most valuable player.”

Along the way, the Vikings set what is most likely a couple of school records with a 70-0 win over Belle Plaine. The team was ranked 18th, but dropped out of the Top 20 after a season ending loss in heavy rain to Monticello.

Approximately 70 members of the Class of 1960 are expected to attend the reunion, said Marcia (Moody) Hite, who was a senior cheerleader and Homecoming Queen in 1959. That class graduated 91 people, said Hite; virtually all of the 68 surviving members are expected to attend the reunion. Hite believes the 91 members of the Class of 1960 was the largest in school history at that time.

On Friday, more than a dozen participants in the 1959 football team will attend the V-S game. Before the varsity game, the team members, managers and cheerleaders will be introduced. The players may be seen on the sidelines during the game, serving as honorary captains. A couple of them may also join the current Viking captains during the pre-game coin toss.

Players from 1959 who plan to attend include V-S Hall of Fame inductees Mike Hibbs, Jack Mitchell and Ron Selken. Other 1959 Vikings expected Friday are: Gary Anderson, Major Boddicker, Ron Geiger, Ken Gregory, Roger Rinderknect, Lyle “Butch” Schieb, Bob Smith, Jim Smock and Butch Tilson.

Hibbs set some school records in track before his career ended with an injury late in the 1958 football season. The 1960 yearbook was dedicated to him after the injury left him quadriplegic.

Managers from the 1959 team who will be honored Friday include Dave Henkle, Barry Lefstad and Arlie “Mac” McNeal.

The three football cheerleaders who graduated in 1960 will also be present: Marcia Moody Hite, Judy Pollock Carpenter and Mary Ann Bowman. Nelson.