Football
By the Numbers
Football Through the Years
The moments that built the Braves — from the first conference crown in 1951 to the standard the program carries today.
The Battle Creek Terrors
Before they were the Braves, Battle Creek took the field as the Terrors — an 8-0 squad that won the Northeast Nebraska championship and anchored the program's earliest days.
Cornbelt Conference Champions
The Braves closed the season undefeated — seven wins and one scoreless tie at Madison, outscoring opponents 212-15. Coach Kirwan's squad claimed the Cornbelt Conference title behind 18 lettermen, including honorary captains Darrell Knapp and Dick Gall.
Second Straight Cornbelt Crown
A 25-0 win over Tilden clinched a second straight conference title — the 19th consecutive victory. A line led by Kenneth Clemens, Allan Prauner and Fred Carstens held Tilden to 156 yards rushing and never let the Brave goal line be threatened.
27 in a Row
A 19-7 win at Wakefield was the 24th consecutive victory. After losing the first two games of 1950, Battle Creek won every game since. The streak finally ended at 27 against Wisner, but the run put Battle Creek on the Nebraska football map.
The Schnitzler Era Begins
Bob Schnitzler arrives at Battle Creek. Over the decades that followed he coached football, wrestling, basketball, track and volleyball, and later served as athletic director.
Undefeated
The 1967 Braves ran the table — 9-0, Mid-State Conference champions and the No. 3 ranking in the Class C media poll. The team was inducted into the Battle Creek Public Schools Hall of Fame in the Class of 2022.
First State Championship
Wakefield, Plainview and Aquinas fell in order and Battle Creek claimed its first state football title — the standard every championship team that followed would be measured against.
The Schnitzler Brothers
Brothers Robb and Craig Schnitzler both score for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Memorial Stadium game against Illinois — the first time a brother tandem scored points in the same game for Nebraska.
A Second Title, Without a Point Allowed
Four playoff games, four wins — Neligh 64-0, Madison 39-6, Geneva 30-0 and David City 41-0 in the final. The Braves did not allow a single postseason point on the way to the second state championship in program history.
Back-to-Back
Pender, Crofton, Tekamah-Herman and North Platte St. Patrick — four more playoff wins and a second straight state championship, the third in seven seasons.
The First of Five Runner-Up Finishes
An unbeaten run to the final ended with a 22-14 loss to Sutton. It was the first of five state runner-up finishes in nine seasons — 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996 — a run of championship-level football that defined the era.
Fourth State Championship
Battle Creek captured its fourth Class C1 state football championship in 1992. Along the way, the Braves defeated Scott Frost and Wood River 67–26 in the state semifinals, before completing another championship season under Coach Bob Schnitzler.
Three Straight State Finals
Battle Creek reached the Class C1 state championship game three consecutive years, finishing runner-up in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Playing in all three championship games were future Nebraska All-American and NFL offensive lineman Dave Volk and future Husker letterwinner, the late Tyrone Uhlir.
A New Era, and a Semifinal
Andrew Carlson takes over the program and leads the Braves to the state semifinals in his first season — the start of the most sustained postseason run in the program since the championship era.
Four Straight Semifinals
Battle Creek advanced to the state semifinals in four consecutive seasons from 2014 through 2017, establishing one of the program's most sustained postseason runs since its championship era.
With thanks to our supporters
Athletes
Caleb Zohner
Led Henery
Andrew Carlson
Coach
Todd Chaney
Trent Uhlir
'24
Darrel Knapp
From the Archive
17 Football Hall of Fame inductions
Hall of Fame →