A journey back through Ottawa vs. Streator football history, 10 years at a time

The third-oldest high school football rivalry in the state of Illinois and 40th nationally will add more memories to an already long list this Friday night when the Ottawa Pirates and Streator Bulldogs clash at Doug Dieken Stadium for the 103rd meeting between the Route 23 rivals.

Here’s a dive into history and a recounting of some of those interesting matchups in years ending with 4, viewed a decade at a time.

1894

On Nov. 3, 1894, the Ottawa and Streator high school football programs met for the first time, with Streator winning, 14-0. The two sides then played again a few weeks later on Thanksgiving Day afternoon in Ottawa, with the game ending in a 4-4 tie.

The newspaper account by the society editor of the Streator Daily Free Press after the initial matchup said, “One side stooped down and tried to hide the ball, then the other side jumped on them and all of them came kerchunk together and rolled in the mud. That didn’t last long, and they went at it again. It’s a good game for people looking for it, but pretty rough on the fellows engaged.”

Guess you could say not much has changed.

1934

After a three-year break in the series and two postponements due to inclement weather, the squads met on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at Streator’s Anderson Fields, with Ottawa snapping a seven-game losing streak to Streator by the score of 26-0. The Bulldogs had won those previous seven games dating to 1917 by a combined score of 226-0.

Pirates running back Stanley “School Boy” Sensiba (nine carries, 80 yards) scored twice from the 1-yard line and also scooped up a fumble and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown. Augie Duchala added another TD when he fell on a blocked punt in the end zone, while Jeb McKinney kicked three PATs. Armand Vicini booted an 80-yard punt. Charlie Redd led Streator with 46 rushing yards on seven carries.

1944

In front of an estimated crowd of 2,500 at Streator, coach Homer Hankenson’s Pirates posted a 12-0 victory Sept. 22.

Ottawa recovered a fumbled opening kickoff, and on third down halfback Bob Hilton raced around right end for a 27-yard TD to grab the early lead. The Pirates added a fourth-quarter score when fullback Dario “Moose” Lencioni blasted up the middle from the 2.

Streator led in total yards 215-124, the longest gain a Lou Benckendorf 22-yard run in the second quarter.

1954

Despite losing six fumbles, coach Bill Novak’s Ottawa squad defeated host Streator 26-13 on Sept. 24.

The Pirates, who outgained the Bulldogs 292-101, including 262-50 on the ground, broke a third-quarter, 13-all tie with a pair of scores.

Ottawa had TD runs from Duane Nusbaum (1 yard), Fred Martin (20), Jim Bretag (50) and Jack Meckenstock (2), with Meckenstock gaining 94 yards on 10 tries and Bretag 70 on six. Don Springer kicked two PATS.

Streator’s TDs came on a QB sneak by Ken Courey (51 yards passing) in the second quarter and a 7-yard dash by Henry Baxter in the third to tie the game.

1964

Ottawa and host Streator entered the Oct. 16 homecoming contest in front of a crowd of 4,000 unbeaten in four games apiece, but it was the Pirates who exited the game unblemished with a 20-6 victory.

The Pirates led 6-0 at halftime, as Bob Timm’s 5-yard TD run capped a 16-play, 99-yard drive. Streator’s Bob Wade returned the second-half kickoff untouched 75 yards for a TD to tie the game. From there, Timm’s 10-yard score in the third and Jim Wagner’s 25-yard interception return for a TD late in the fourth helped give Ottawa, which held a 354-177 advantage in total yards, sole possession of first place in the North Central Illinois Conference Northeast Division.

Wagner finished with 82 yards rushing on 13 tries while also catching six passes from QB Dan Battles for 111 yards. Timm posted 106 yards on the ground in 14 attempts. Wade led Streator with 84 rushing yards, while Dick Handzo added 68.

1974

Ottawa QB Brian Crowley completed 16 of 23 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the previously 0-5 Pirates to a 28-22 victory over 3-3 Streator on the Bulldogs’ homecoming Oct. 11.

Sam Murry made 10 catches for 96 yards and two TDs, while Tom Cassidy hauled in four passes for 41 yards and a score for the Pirates, who led 21-6 at halftime and held a 269-199 advantage in total yards. Running back Steve Hershey led Ottawa on the ground with 62 yards on 13 carries, including a 25-yard TD run in the second quarter.

Streator’s Paul Yeck (3 yards) and Jack Stephens (1 yard) each recorded a rushing TD, while Jim Schmitz posted 59 yards rushing on five tries.

1984

The Pirates and Bulldogs met twice, with Streator winning both contests.

On Sept. 21 in Streator, the hosts snapped an early 14-all tie to earn a 32-14 victory. For coach Mike McGinnis’ Bulldogs, John Keeley (four carries, 92 yards), Mark Teegardin (21-87) and Mark Coons rushed for scores, while QB Charlie Leonard fired TD passes to Keeley and Ross Coons. Streator held a 305-197 margin in total yards. Erik Burgwald (14-75) and QB George Johnson registered running TDs, and Randy Adrian made 16 tackles for the Pirates.

In the final game of the season Oct. 26 at King Field, Streator scored twice in the second quarter in a 14-0 win. The defensive battle saw the visitors outgain the hosts 221-110. A 37-yard pass from Leonard to Ross Coons gave the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead, and later a blocked punt by Gregg Cox led to a Sam Howell recovery in the end zone. Teegardin rushed 22 times for 128 yards to lead Streator, while Burgwald had 62 yards on the ground in 15 tries.

1994

The 1-2 ground punch of Ryan Nevins and Aaron Shea helped the Pirates top the Bulldogs 34-13 on Oct. 14 at King Field.

Nevins, who opened the game with an 80-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage, finished with 195 yards on 19 carries, while Shea ran for 131 yards on 22 tries and four TDs. All told, Ottawa ran for 379 yards and owned a 422-252 advantage in total yards. QB Grant Myers completed 6 of 9 passes for 43 yards.

Streator QB Eric Lovins, who finished 12 of 27 for 203 yards, tossed TD passes of 27 and 50 yards to wideout Chris Pfalzgraf. Pfalzgraf posted eight catches for 152 yards.

2004

Ottawa career rushing leader Garin Harcar, while nursing an injured hamstring, ran 25 times for 207 yards and a pair of TDs to help the Pirates to an 18-7 triumph Oct. 15.

Streator took the lead on a Tanner Wahl 5-yard running score and Will Gaff PAT boot early in the second quarter, and Ottawa cut the lead to 7-6 at halftime on a Harcar 5-yard TD dash. The Pirates grabbed the lead for good on Eric Schueller’s short TD run early in the fourth, and Harcar’s 59-yard score closed the game out.

NCIC leading rusher Alastair Moton ran 22 times for 87 yards for Streator.

The rivalry was paused after the 2013 season because of multiple conference realignments and departures, and there was no 2014 meeting.