Monday, September 7, 2020

Football: 1961 Auburn Knights

Coach: Joe Venturi
Record: 8-0-1 (later changed to 0-9)
Note: Auburn went 8-0-1 in its second season, becoming the first Rockford Public Schools team to go undefeated over a full season since 1910. But in January, the IHSA ordered that the team must forfeit all nine games for using an ineligible player.

The player, Alonzo Lewis, started at offensive end and scored two touchdowns. Lewis was just a junior and transferred to Auburn from West that year, but the IHSA ruled that he violated a rule that a player is only eligible for eight consecutive semesters from the beginning of 9th grade. Lewis spent three semesters in 9th grade and had stopped going to school for a period of time, exhausting his eligibilty. Auburn appealed the ruling but was denied. Officially, East Rockford won the Big Eight football title.

Auburn 20, Harlem 12
Sept. 15
Aub. Har.
First downs 9 9
Yards rushing 172 106
Yards passing 18 91
Passes, completed 5-2 13-3
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Punts, average 5-37 5-23
Fumbles, lost 3-2 3-2
Penalties, yards 4-44 2-10
SCORING SUMMARY
Auburn ... 7 0 7 6 - 20
Harlem ... 0 0 6 6 -12
Auburn - Frint 10 yard run (Venturi run)
Auburn - Alberts 9 yard run (Hardnett run)
Harlem - Marinelli 9 yard run (kick wide)
Harlem - Marinelli 17 yard run (kick blocked)
Auburn - Hicks 2 yard run (run failed)

Auburn 33, Hononegah 13
Sept. 23
Hon. Aub.
First downs 7 14
Yards rushing 24 267
Yards passing 80 0
Passes, completed 18-7 2-0
Passes intercepted by 0 3
Punts, average 5-29.2 2-43
Fumbles, lost 4-3 5-4
Penalties, yards 4-60 8-85
SCORING SUMMARY
Hononegah ... 0 0 13 0 - 13
Auburn .......... 14 7 6 6 - 33
Auburn - Foster 27 run (Foster run)
Auburn - Frint 19 run (Venturi run)
Auburn - Foster 5 run (Hardnelt run)
Auburn - Alberts 43 run (run failed)
Hon - Buckwalter 7 pass from Johnson (Hill kick)
Hon - Carroll 44 run with blocked kick (kick failed)
Auburn - Foster 25 run after interception (run failed)

Auburn 12, East Rockford 6
Sept. 29
Aub. East
First downs 10 9
Yards rushing 154 83
Yards passing 41 51
Passes, completed 6-3 11-4
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Punts, average 6-26.6 3-28.6
Fumbles, lost 3-1 2-1
Penalties, yards 5-35 3-15
SCORING SUMMARY
Auburn ... 0 6 6 0 - 12
East ....... 0 0 0 6 - 6
Auburn - Lewis 9 pass from Venturi (run failed)
Auburn - Hardnett 10 run (pass failed)
East - Streid 3 run (kick failed)

Auburn 20, West Aurora 13
Oct. 7
Aub. W.A.
First downs 15 14
Yards rushing 247 236
Yards passing 28 36
Passes, completed 5-2 6-2
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Punts, average 3-23.7 3-35
Fumbles, lost 3-1 1-1
Penalties, yards 4-26 3-15
SCORING SUMMARY
Auburn ...... 0 0 14 6 - 20
W. Aurora .. 0 6 0 7 - 13
W.A. - Groninger 4 run (kick failed)
Auburn - Foster 60 pass interception (Venturi run)
Auburn - Frint 40 run (Frint run)
Auburn - Foster 60 run (run failed)
W.A. - Beck 6 run (Galbreath kick)

Auburn 13, Elgin 13
Oct. 13
Elgin Aub.
First downs 12 18
Yards rushing 226 298
Yards passing 0 77
Passes, completed 1-0 14-7
Passes intercepted by 0 0
Punts, average 2-40.5 0
Fumbles, lost 2-1 5-3
Penalties, yards 3-35 4-40
SCORING SUMMARY
Elgin .......... 7 6 0 0 - 13
Auburn ...... 0 6 0 7 - 13
Elgin - McGhie 10 run (McIntyre kick)
Elgin - Lenart 26 run (kick failed)
Auburn - Alberts 24 pass from Venturi (run failed)
Auburn - Miller 4 run (Venturi run)

Auburn 19, LaSalle-Peru 12
Oct. 20
Aub. L-P
First downs 16 8
Yards rushing 243 118
Yards passing 17 12
Passes, completed 7-2 2-1
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Punts, average 1-46 4-30.5
Fumbles, lost 4-2 3-1
Penalties, yards 6-28 1-12
SCORING SUMMARY
Auburn ........... 7 6 0 6 - 19
LaSalle-Peru .. 6 6 0 0 - 12
L-P - Ivlow 2 run (kick failed)
Auburn - Foster 5 run (Frint run)
L-P - Ivlow 1 run (kick failed)
Auburn - Alberts 1 run (run failed)
Auburn - Venturi 2 run (run failed)

Auburn 27, Aurora East 0
Oct. 27
Aub AE
First downs 17 6
Yards rushing 314 67
Yards passing 57 49
Passes, completed 8-5 12-3
Passes intercepted by 1 0
Punts, average 1-24 2-35
Fumbles, lost 2 3
Penalties, yards 60 15
SCORING SUMMARY
Auburn ........... 0 13 7 7 - 27
Aurora East ... 0 0 0 0 - 0
Auburn - Alberts 3 run (Foster run)
Auburn - Alberts 5 run (run failed)
Auburn - Frint 2 run (Alberts run)
Auburn - Hicks 4 run (Hicks run)

Auburn 20, West Rockford 6
Nov. 5
West Aub.
First downs 7 12
Yards rushing 33 196
Yards passing 16 66
Passes, completed NA NA
Passes intercepted by 0 2
Punts, average 13-31 4-24
Fumbles, lost 2 2
Penalties, yards 4-50 10-101
SCORING SUMMARY
West ........... 6 0 0 0 - 0
Auburn ....... 0 20 0 0 - 20
West - Holby 2 run (kick failed)
Auburn - Alberts 2 run (Hicks run)
Auburn - Frint 3 run (run failed)
Auburn - Frint 5 run (Hicks run)

Auburn 20, Freeport 6
Nov. 10
Free Aub
10 12
Yards rushing 138 242
Yards passing 46 41
Passes, completed 11-4 9-4
Passes intercepted by 1 2
Punts, average 2-23.5 3-19
Fumbles, lost 3 1
Penalties, yards 3-18 5-25
SCORING SUMMARY
Freeport .... 0 0 6 0 - 6
Auburn ....... 0 7 6 7 - 20
Auburn - Lewis 3 pass from Venturi (Miller run)
Freeport - Kuhlmeier 2 run (run failed)
Auburn - Miller 4 run (run failed)
Auburn - Alberts 7 run (Venturi run)

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