SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1958

In the annals of Hope football, no game shines brighter than the one played at Hillsdale College in 1958. In succeeding eras, rules, techniques, and equipment have changed, making comparisons difficult. However, for excitement, tension, and sheer drama, this encounter stands alone. The game, "replayed" and embellished for years, is now fraught with innocent fabrications. Ironically, as one examines the action as it occurred, there is little need to embellish.

Circumstances preceding the match-up undoubtedly increased the interest and attention it received. Hype was rampant in Holland and increased daily with the countdown. Frank "Muddy" Waters had taken over at Hillsdale in 1954 and promptly won the MIAA title with a perfect 6-0 record. In stunning fashion he had repeated the feat in 1955, 1956, and 1957. Now in 1958 the Dales had posted three more MIAA wins to extend their streak to 27. But the Dutchmen had challenged in 1957 before falling by the narrow margin of 7-6. Hope's last victory in the series had been by a 28-7 count in the 1953 championship year. The stage was set for a small-college classic, and fans would not be disappointed.

The game was played at Hillsdale's Recreation Field with kickoff at 8 p.m. A clear majority of the 2,200 in attendance had made the trip from Holland and took their place in the stands, all of which were on the home team's side of the field. Pressbox facilities were adequate for the time, but no field phones were available for the visitors' bench. Anticipating this, coaches Russ DeVette and Ken Weller could be seen prior to game time stringing wire around the field and up to the pressbox, where Weller would later take his perch.

Hope won the toss and chose to kick off for a variety of reasons. De Vette had great faith in a defensive front made up of ends Ron Bronson and Mike Blough along with linebackers Don Paarlberg, GeneVan Dongen, and Bill Huibregtse. Rounding out the unit were tackles George Peelen and Larry Ter Molen. Van Dongen, Hope's kickoff man, could put the ball in or near the end zone, while leading the first wave of tacklers was MIAA dash champion Jim Mohr. De Vette also felt that early game jitters could be handled best on defense. As the opening whistle sounded, Van Dongen lofted a boomer. The ball was fumbled by the Dales' Don Eugenio on the two-yard line and promptly recovered by the streaking Mohr. It was almost a repeat of Mohr's earlier feat against Alma. On the first play, quarterback Paul Mack sneaked into the end zone and Huibregtse added the extra point. Only 15 seconds had elapsed. Hope's 7-0 lead was a nightmare start for Coach Waters, while De Vette's decision had paid big dividends.

As the contest settled into a defensive struggle, each team had its chances and each made its mistakes. Van Dongen blocked a Hillsdale punt on the eight-yard line, but as Hope took over a mishandled snap from center was recovered by big Jim Larkin to end the threat. Late in the second quarter, the home team worked its way to the Hope 10, but Huibregtse intercepted a Chuck Redding pass and the half ended with the score still at 7-0.

There was no scoring in the third period, but in the final stanza the Dales marched 90 yards in 10 plays to tie the score. The drive featured a 30-yard run by All-MIAA halfback Walt Poe. The score came on a 13-yard pass from freshman quarterback Chuck Redding to end Jim "Jellybean" Reynolds in the corner of the end zone. Jim Dilbone's conversion made it 7-7 with 9:50 remaining in the game.

Every team has in its repertoire a few plays known as "game breakers." In 1956 Hope had been beaten 40-6 by Heidelberg College of Tiffin, Ohio. A play that did considerable damage to the Dutchman cause was a deep reverse which employed remarkable deception. De Vette was impressed enough to incorporate the play into his own system. Now, with six minutes remaining and Hope on the Dales' 42, De Vette called for the "Heidelberg." Right wingback Paul Watt would be the eventual ball carrier. Opposite Watt on defense was end "Jellybean" Reynolds, an outstanding athlete who had already scored the Dales' only touchdown. The play began as a right end sweep with the flow of backs in that direction. As Watt started back across the formation, Reynolds perceived the trickery and came hard across the line. The Hope coaches held their collective breath as Jellybean's long arm reached out for the diminutive halfback. He missed by the narrowest of margins, and from that point the play proceeded as diagrammed in the playbook. Watt was untouched around left end in a 42-yard touchdown romp. Huibregtse's PAT kick sailed wide of the mark, but the Dutchmen now led 13-7.

As time became more of a factor, young Redding showed his stuff. In a 75-yard, 11-play drive he completed nine of 10 passes. A 23-yarder to Walt Poe was a big gainer. The same combination produced the score. Poe gathered in the ball in front of the defenders three yards into the end zone. Jim Dilbone's go-ahead kick was good, but the Dales were charged with illegal procedure. Given a second chance, several desperate Dutchmen combined to block the kick. Included were Bronson, Blough, Jack Faber, and Ron Bekius. With 3:50 remaining: Hope 13 - Hillsdale 13!

The ensuing kickoff was taken by halfback Jerry Herp from tiny Hopkins High School. His return to the 31 gave Hope reasonable field position. With the game in the balance, it was once again decision-time for coach De Vette. For Hope's "last chance" he now employed a semispread formation with Bronson split wide to the left and various halfbacks in the position of wide flanker to the right. The two set backs were Duane Voskuil and Watt. Hope was not really a passing team, but Coach Waters could not take a chance. His response was a loose 5-3 "prevent" defense. This opened the door for Hope's preferred running game. On trap plays, Voskuil and Watt had runs of 16 and 13 yards while quarterback Mack mixed in just enough short passes to keep the Dales in their prevent alignment. Such procedures, however, tended to eat up the clock. As the final seconds ticked away, Hope found itself with a first down on the Hillsdale 21.

Timeouts had been expended and bedlam reigned in the Hope bench area. Seemingly, De Vette alone retained his composure and concentration. The ball was placed by the referee and the Hope players rushed to get into their offensive set.

What actually happened in those fading seconds is subject to some conjecture, but the following is gleaned from those on-hand and subsequent newspaper accounts. On the sideline DeVette decided on a field goal and nodded to Huibregtse, who raced on to the field with the kicking tee (1958 rules permitted a tee). Rotund Dick Buckley, who usually centered for kicks, started onto the field. About eight yards in he was called back by the coaches, who realized that he could not negotiate the distance in time. Mack and Faber got the picture as Huibregtse ran in. Mack moved away from his position under center and Faber took his place as the holder on the 29. Van Dongen, realizing that Mack was not in position, looked back between his legs to see the kneeling Faber. He snapped the ball on Faber's signal. A Holland Sentinel account reported that Bronson went out for a pass. As Faber placed the ball, the clock took its final tick. Huibregtse's splendid 39-yard kick sailed through the uprights and into Hope football folklore. Hope 16 - Hillsdale l3!

Several instances in the game's aftermath seem worthy of mention. As might be expected, Hope fans and players stormed onto the field in wild celebration. Huibregtse was hoisted on shoulders and general euphoria prevailed. Line coach Gordon Brewer cast dignity to the winds and danced a jig with guard Swede Olson. Faber remembers that the field lights were turned out shortly after the game ended, perhaps symbolic of Hillsdale feelings at the moment. The lights were back on in a few minutes and the revelry continued. In a show of class after a tough loss, Coach Waters made his way to the Hope locker room to offer congratulations. He was especially impressed with the performance of Paarlberg, who had played the entire 60 minutes.

The trip home included a stop at Win Schuler's Restaurant in Marshall, where the team enjoyed a post-game steak dinner. The drama and overall import of the victory was now beginning to sink-in. When the bus arrived in Holland at 3 a.m., the campus was alive with running students, who escorted the Greyhound up the winding road to Carnegie Gym. The silence of an early Holland Sabbath was shattered by a new round of celebration. An apprehensive coaching staff waited for complaints, but none were received.

Hillsdale would salvage a tri-championship and would be more than ready in 1959, but this night belonged to Coach De Vette and his team. To this day Waters maintains that Hope had more than the allotted 11 men on the field during the final play. He may have been right. He also may have been the only one counting. Did Dick Buckley make it to the sideline before the snap? We may never know. The Hillsdale game photographer ran out of film just before the final plays and thus the needed verification disappeared. Hope filmed only its home games in 1958, depending on duplicates for away contests.

Excerpted from "Journey of Hope-Names and Games Remembered" by Gordon M. Brewer, published 2002.