Members of the 1964 Winslow High School football team will be honored on the 50th anniversary of their winning the state championship at the 2014 championship game, which will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, at North Canyon High School on Union Hills Road in Phoenix. The game will be between the winners of the Nov. 22 semifinal games, which feature Snowflake vs. Seton Catholic at Paradise Valley High School and Sahuarita vs. River Valley at Marana High School.

The team will be honored at halftime of the championship game. The Arizona Interscholastic Association is arranging the ceremony and at least one other team, thought to be the championship team from 25 years ago, will also be honored.

Retired Winslow Coach Emil Nasser spoke recently of that 1964 championship team, which defeated Flowing Wells 7-0 on its home field in Tucson. He said that practicing before leaving Winslow for the game the team was together when a flock of Canadian geese landed in their midst. Nasser said, “This is an omen from above. If we play the way we are capable of we will win a state championship.” The event proved to be prophetic.

Coach Art Griffith said that he had contacted as many of the team as he could, and that players were planning to come from all over the United States. In the 50 years since that championship year some of the players have passed away and some have just not been found. Griffith was a member of that team, and has been teaching and coaching at WHS for more than 40 years.

Any who were part of the team, relatives of team members or fans will be welcome at the game, and, if possible, may meet with team members and coaches before or after the game. Plans are being made for a get together somewhere near North Canyon High School prior to the game.

The Bulldogs of 1964 included Bill Baca, Fred Basgabl, Curtis Bardsley, manager Jim Caldwell, Bill Cherry, Ricky Donnelly, Jerry Easley, Willie Fish, Steve Garner, Artie Griffith, Butch Hardy, Bill Heath, John Hysong, Thomas Kanuho, Florentino Lopez, Mike Lopez, Steven MacArthur, Mike Madeo, Johnny Martinez, Charles Mayberry, Rusty Meikle, Mike O’Haco, Earl Owens, Mike Peart, Keith Rhodes, David Riley, Robert Short, Jim Store, Mike Sullivan, Lloyd Taylor, Walter Van, George Welch and Gary Winans.

The team was coached by Nasser and the late Carl Weatherton as assistant coach. The late Herman MacArthur was the trainer.