When visitors come to the archives, seeing a tree trunk by the entrance is always a surprise. This tree trunk has quite a history, going back to 1988.

Under the leadership of Coach Todd Marble, Assistant Coach Ron Monroe, Tri-Captains Jon Kuhe ’89, Brendan McDonald ’89, and Jim Slavin ’89, the football team ended the season undefeated with a 9-0 record. The final game against Avon Old Farms (36-7) earned the team the Erickson League Championship title, which the football team had not held since 1974. The last undefeated season was in 1971. At the start of the season, Coach Marble urged his players to “commit themselves to what he called the “Three Ps”-preparation, positive imagery and perseverance.” (Kingswood Oxford Magazine Winter 1989). And that they did!

So, what about the tree trunk? The story is told that the team began the tradition of touching the trunk before each game for good luck. The scores were engraved on the trunk to preserve the memory of that outstanding football season. The players’ initials can be found on the bottom.

It was a mystery where the trunk came from for the longest time. Finally, the mystery was solved during Kingswood Oxford’s reunion in June 2019. The team was inducted into the KO Athletic Hall of Fame. Some of the 1988 Team members met in archives where Matt Levy ’89 revealed that he had picked up the trunk from the side of the road!

One of my favorite photos is the one I include here in this article of team members reuniting again that June evening. Here in archives, their stories and memories will forever live on!

UPDATE
**Thanks to Lisa Christensen Petersen ’74 for bringing it to my attention that 1974 Varsity Football was the last undefeated team before 1988, and not the 1971 team, as stated above.