1971 State Championship Varsity Football Team

They’ll always remember 1971 as the year the dream came true. It all began early in June 1971, with the first of many inspirational letters from the coaching staff. Head Coach Jack Bottinger’s purpose was to instill ideas—to set self-goals, team goals, and most importantly, for the team to dream about where they wanted to be on the last day of the season, Thanksgiving Day, versus Camden Catholic. The letters included inspirational messages —“You’ve Joined the Team,” “Paul VI’s Champion,” “Team Success Creates Individual Success,” “Don’t Quit,” “Personal Satisfaction,” and “A Look in the Mirror”—all served to focus the players’ minds on the big question posed by the coaching staff: Will we be a great football team this year? The team song, “The Impossible Dream,” helped to steer them in that direction because it so clearly pointed out that dreams are reachable for those who are willing to give when there is no more to give, to strive with their last ounce of courage, to reach the unreachable star. By the start of training camp, the team was mentally ready, and the physical preparation was about to begin.

It all started at 6:00 a.m., high in the Pocono Mountains. That morning, a bunch of individuals crawled out of the rack and made their way to the practice field for a half-mile run and 40-yard dashes. After three practice sessions, Mass, a couple of meals, and two meetings, they finally began to realize what football readiness was all about. Seven days later, they left camp as a dedicated team of football players, with one objective in mind, to make this the best season in the history of Paul VI High School.

 

As they prepared for the first game of the season, against Woodrow Wilson, there were many questions about how good a football team they could be. The Courier-Post wrote, “Talent-Jack Bottinger Plays Checkers with 13 Returning Letterman.” At the start of the season, this was the team: 

Offense included quarterback Bob Jackson; fullback Mike Lyons; running backs Mike Byrne and Stan Milozewski; center Jack Kelleher; guards Jim Murphy, Joe Daniels, Chuck Doughty, Joe Malan, and Charlie Magolda; tackles Joe Locastro and Joe Orlando; tight ends Ron Hodge and Jeff Bolis; and wide receiver Tom Gain.

Defense included defensive linemen Tony (Pancho) Santangelo, Frank Delape, Mike Hansel, and Bill Bottino; inside linebackers Mike Bernert and Steve Burley; outside linebackers Dave Sherwood and Jere Lyons; and defensive backs Vince Chiaro, Bob Hinger, and Tom Gain.

 

The Woodrow Wilson game ended in a 16-6 victory for Paul VI, with a solid ball control offense led by great offensive line and fullback blocking and a smothering defensive effort led by Steve Burley’s eight solo tackles. After this victory against a projected conference power, the Courier-Post selected Paul VI as the number two team in South Jersey.

Cherry Hill East was next. A few thousand people ignored the rain and came out to see Paul VI win 14-7, with a ball control offense and a stifling defensive front four effort by Mike Hansel, Frank Delape, Tony Santangelo, and Bill Bottino.

 

The third test of the season came against Cherry Hill West. The offense came alive and blistered Cherry Hill West 44-8, with Bob Jackson running for three touchdowns and passing for two others. The defense again had an outstanding day, holding Cherry Hill West to 126 total yards.

Both the offense and the defense continued their dominance against Camden High, with a 32-0 victory. Bob Jackson paced Paul VI with three touchdowns, passed for another, and rushed for three 2-point conversions behind punishing line blocking. Defensively, a smothering Paul VI front seven led by defensive captain Mike Bernert put forth a superb defensive effort, allowing Camden only 61 total yards of offense.

 

The next opponent was Pennsauken in a game that sportswriters described as “Paul VI Dawns on Foes.” That week, the Courier-Post wrote about the team’s 6:00 a.m. practices and their cohesiveness as they slept at the school in preparation for the game. Coach Bottinger stated, “It didn’t matter if we didn’t get much accomplished at that hour ... it was the idea that the team was together, had sacrificed together, and had worked together, which was more important than any X’s and O’s drawn up for the game.” It worked because Paul VI went on to win the game 36-12.

After this victory, Paul VI achieved the number one ranking as the best team in South Jersey.

The sixth game, against Lenape, gave Paul VI its only scare of the season, but a hard-fought contest came down to a 52-yard scoring pass from Bob Jackson to Tom Gain that sealed the 12-9 victory. Because of a solid defensive effort by Paul VI, Lenape gained only 97 total yards.

Paul VI returned to its ball control offense, avenging last season’s loss to John F. Kennedy, winning 14-0. At one point in the second half, the offense put together a 9-minute-plus drive, marching 80 yards in 17 plays.

 

Billed as the battle of tackles game, Paul VI next met Bishop Eustace in South Jersey’s game of the week. Bishop Eustace was leading 2-0 at halftime but could not match the size and strength of Paul VI in the second half, falling 24-2. Down 2 points in a game for the championship, with Paul VI driving early in the third quarter, a murmur from the crowd began, and then 2000 voices joined in singing “The Impossible Dream.” It was not only the Paul VI team’s song but it had also become a favorite of the school and the fans. That day, fullback Mike Lyons played the game of his life, helping to establish an unstoppable running game in the second half. Defensively, the Paul VI front four and solid linebacking group played another outstanding game, holding Eustace to just 58 total yards of offense. The impossible dream was just one game away.

 

In a season-ending Thanksgiving game against Camden Catholic, the Paul VI team overcame the elements to complete the school’s first perfect season with a 10-0 victory. The defense led the effort all day, shutting down Camden Catholic’s offense and holding them to 33 total yards of offense.

 

“A dream comes true.” That is the way Jack Bottinger put it when he learned that a 25-man Brooks-Irvine committee voted his Paul VI Eagles as the best team in South Jersey.

Of this outstanding team, 16 players went on to earn individual honors: Bob Jackson and Tony Santangelo were selected as All-Americans. Mike Hansel, Tom Gain, Jack Kelleher, Frank Delape, Steve Burley, and Mike Bernert were selected as First Team All-Conference. Mike Lyons, Dave Sherwood, Joe Malan, Bill Bottino, Mike Byrne, Vince Chiaro, and Stan Milozewski earned Second Team honors. The Brooks-Irvine Committee selected Joe Orlando as its Unsung Hero award winner, after an early-season injury took him out of the lineup.

In summary, Fr. Eugene Pack, Principal during that 1971 season, may have said it best: "It has been said that you are probably the best high school football team in the history of South Jersey. That just might be true. However, more importantly, you have become the standard of excellence by which all subsequent football teams at Paul VI will be measured. In this you have not only fulfilled your dream but have left a dream for future athletes at Paul VI to make their reality."