Finishing 10-0-1 the Redskins earn their 14th straight LBC title and the third title in three tries in the East Penn league. Dick Dougherty of the Courier-Times refers to Neshaminy’s football field as “Heartbreak Ridge” and it sticks. And it’s a banner season for many reasons as in one game in Allentown 14,000 people pile into J. Birney Crum Stadium to see the ‘Skins beat Allen, 19-7 (it’s the most fans to watch a Redskins game to that date). All time win number 200 was earned that year too (against LaSalle in a 7-0 triumph).

Expanding their horizons by looking for new teams to play, discussions are had with Massilon, Ohio’s Washington High School but schedules conflict and the Tigers decline. Instead, Altoona is invited to Langhorne. They accept and the Mountain Lions are routed, 27-6. Upstate New York powerhouse, the Johnson City Wildcats, also visit Neshaminy that year. Just like Altoona, they are sent home losers, 35-6. Against Easton the Redskins trail 27-19 with three minutes in the game. Neshaminy scores twice in one minute, including a 61-yard run by Colbert that dazzles the fans. They then hang on and stop the Dogs at the goal-line to preserve a 33-27 win.

The 8-0-1 Redskins also host a powerful 6-1-1 Pennsbury later that year. In another first for the Redskins, the Saturday afternoon game is televised on WFIL-TV while 10,000 plus fans pile into Neshaminy’s stadium. With the game tied 0-0 late in the 4th, Neshaminy’s Gerry Barr rips off a 48-yard run that ends with his dive for the “flag” as Pennsbury’s speedy Jimmy Neeld tries to drive him out-of-bounds. The refs signal a TD and the score propels the ‘Skins to a 7-0 win. Tape replays of the game, played on WFIL’s channel 6 the next day, lead to years of arguing over whether Neeld had actually pushed Barr out at the one-foot line. The team receives a .538 rating from Dr. Roger Saylor’s “Saylor Ratings” which is the highest ever for a Redskin team (the Uniontown Red Raiders outside of Pittsburgh come in at .571 that year which is the highest ever for any team in Pennsylvania as the high .530s and low .540s normally represents the best team each season).

Following the season Petercuskie retires after 6 years. He carved out a 59-1-5 record which included a run of 51 games in a row without a loss. Colbert is named first team all state by the UPI and 2nd by the AP. A solid passer who pitched 7 TD aerials in ’65, his running skills were also on display that season too as he rushed for over 900 yards and scored 15 TD’s on the ground. He attends Penn State but several serious injuries curtail his career with the Nittany Lions.

We want to take a moment to especially thank former players Tom Beccone and Bill Walker who were so generous in assisting us with media.