Conference Affiliations

The Bettendorf Football program began in 1951 and for the  first two seasons the Bulldogs were independents and not affiliated with any  league.  However, in 1953 they became members of the newly-formed Illowa  Conference and as the name implied, consisted of both Iowa and Illinois team; on  the Iowa side, St. Mary’s of Clinton, DeWitt, and Bettendorf comprised nearly  half the league while Illinois schools Amboy, Fulton, Lyons, Morrison, Newman,  and Savanna completed the conference.

There certainly were some great  games among the Illowa Conference rivalries and in 1954 the enmity spilled from  the field into the parking lot as the Bettendorf-Amboy game was followed by an  unfortunate scuffle in which an Amboy fan died from a concussion.

For the seven seasons the  Bettendorf was a member of the Illowa Conference, five different teams won the league title while only  one school—Bettendorf—won more than one championship and did so  their last three seasons in the conference from 1957-59.  As well, Bettendorf’s  domination of the Illowa the last few seasons also marked the beginning of  Bettendorf’s First Winning Streak that would ultimately culminate in 1960.

Clearly, Bettendorf’s supremacy  in the Illowa Conference was just the beginning of the dynasty that would become  Bulldog football.

   Amboy Clippers
Bettendorf Bulldogs
DeWitt Sabers
Fulton Steamers
Lyons Lions
Morrison Mustangs
Newman Comets
Savanna Indians
St. Mary's of Clinton

 Bettendorf Bulldogs

1957, 1958, 1959
 

Lyons Lions
1953
 

St. Mary’s of Clinton

1954

Newman Comets
1955

DeWitt Sabers
1956

The Bulldogs became members of the Little 6  conference in 1960 while riding the crest of their 25-game winning streak that  occurred from 1958-60.  Bettendorf entered the 1960 season after compiling a  record of 16-0-1 over the previous two seasons and the only blemish—if one would  call it that—was a 12-12 tie during Week #5 of the 1959 season.  

Unlike the Illowa  Conference, the Little 6 consisted of schools only from Iowa and originally  included Bettendorf, Burlington, Ottumwa, Muscatine, and Keokuk.  In 1964,  Davenport Assumption joined the Little 6 to complete the six-team league.

To say the least, no  one even challenged the Bulldogs during the entire season as the 1960 squad  mercilessly outscored their opponents, 381-98, to set a still-held school record  by scoring 42.3 points per game en route to a perfect 9-0 record and  fourth-straight conference championship.  As well, Bettendorf ran its unbeaten  streak to 26-straight games and in all, seven Bulldogs earned All-State honors  by the Des Moines Register that year.  

However, the most  distinct honor the 1960 squad earned was when the United Press International  named Bettendorf as the “Mythical State Champions” of Iowa and although it  wouldn’t be until six seasons later in 1966 that Bettendorf won the Little 6  Conference, the Bulldogs added one last league title in 1968—the final year of  the Little 6’s existence—to solidify the Bulldog’s domination of yet another  conference.

   Bettendorf Bulldogs

Burlington Greyhounds

Davenport Assumption Knights

Keokuk Chiefs

Muscatine Muskies

Ottumwa Bulldogs

   Bettendorf Bulldogs
1960, 1966, 1968
 

Burlington Greyhounds
1961, 1967
 

Ottumwa Bulldogs
1962, 1963

Keokuk Chiefs
1965

Davenport Assumption Knights

1964

The Mississippi Valley Conference was formed in 1969 and  originally consisted of eight teams:  Bettendorf, Clinton, Iowa City High,  Dubuque Senior, Muscatine, and the Cedar Rapids schools of Jefferson, Kennedy,  and Washington.  In 1970, one final school—Dubuque Hempstead—joined the M.V.C.  to complete the lineup.

Bettendorf’s alliance with the M.V.C. marked the beginning of  a new era in several regards.  First, two years after it was formed, Bettendorf  assistant coach Merv Habenicht was appointed as the new head coach and he would  lead the Bulldogs for the next twenty-nine seasons while building the program  into a [sustainable] dynasty.  Second, in 1972 the Iowa High School Athletic  Organization finally implemented a playoff system that would finally end the  speculation and crowning of “Mythical State Champions” by various newspapers  which had occurred since the 1930s.  Ironically enough, the very first 4A state  champion was M.V.C. member Cedar Rapids Jefferson who defeated West Des Moines  Dowling, 6-0, in the title game.  Third, the formation of the M.V.C. would prove  to be long-lasting as even in the present day it still exists—albeit in two  divisions—of mostly the same teams as the original design.

 The 1969-77 configuration of the M.V.C. was dominated by the  J-Hawks of Cedar Rapids Jefferson and proven by their four league titles in nine  years.  However, the 1974 title was shared by three other schools and included  Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids Washington, and Dubuque Hempstead.

Bettendorf Bulldogs

Cedar Rapids Jefferson Jayhawks

Cedar Rapids Kennedy Cougars

Cedar Rapids Washington Warriors

Clinton River Kings

Dubuque Hempstead Mustangs

Dubuque Senior Rams

Iowa City High Little Hawks

Muscatine Muskies

Cedar Rapids Jefferson Jayhawks
1969, 1972, 1974, 1976
 

Cedar Rapids Washington Warriors

1973, 1974
 

Dubuque Hempstead Mustangs
1974, 1977
 

Iowa City High Little Hawks
1970

Dubuque Senior Rams

1971

Bettendorf Bulldogs

1974

Clinton River Kings
1975

 The  late 1970’s witnessed a growth in population in Iowa which caused the state’s  large metropolitan cities—Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, and Waterloo—to  expand their secondary schools which subsequently led some of them to change  their classification from 3A to 4A.  This fact mostly had positive results and  one outcome was the realignment of major conferences done so out of respect for  location and travel time—and this latter fact benefited schools based out or  near the Quad Cities and led to the creation of the Mississippi Eight  Conference.

The Mississippi Eight consisted of Bettendorf,  Burlington, Clinton, Muscatine, North Scott, and the Davenport Schools  Assumption, Central, and West.  Some of the teams such as Bettendorf,  Burlington, Clinton, and Muscatine had been playing one another for years while  oddly enough, same-vicinity teams such as Bettendorf and Davenport West had  never played one another.  However, the prospect of playing both West and  Central depended on one’s outlook as between the two schools they had won four  of the first six state championships in Class 4A:  Central in 1973 and ’76 and  West in 1974 and ’77.  To say the least, having teams with such pedigrees as  members of the Mississippi Eight Conference only bolstered its status.

 In just its first season of existence, Bettendorf  and Central tied for the conference championship and ignited a cross-town rival  that would last for the next 15 years.  However, for the eight years the  Mississippi Eight existed, the Blue Devils claimed the King of the Conference as  they won a total of four league championships while Bettendorf claimed three—and  in that time period the two schools combined for a total of seven playoff  appearances which not only included two state championships, but also a  runner-up and semifinal appearance.

Bettendorf Bulldogs

Burlington  Greyhounds

Clinton River Kings

Davenport Assumption Knights

Davenport Central Blue Devils

Davenport West Falcons

Muscatine Muskies

North Scott Lancers

  Davenport Central Blue Devils1

978, 1979, 1982, 1983 

Bettendorf Bulldogs

1978, 1980, 1981  

Clinton River Kings

1978, 1985  

Burlington Greyhounds

1984

Class 4A State Champs from the Mississippi Eight

Bettendorf  – 1981, 2nd Place in 1980  Davenport Central - 1983

Officially, the Mississippi Athletic Conference  was formed in 1986 but in reality it was just an expansion of the Mississippi  Eight league as further population growth in the Quad Cities led to the creation  of Davenport North while Pleasant Valley—who won the 1985 Class 3A state  championship—moved up to Class 4A beginning with the 1987 season.

The Mississippi  Athletic Conference is rich in tradition and known for the classic 1980’s  battles between Davenport Central and West to the most recent dogfights between  Bettendorf and Davenport Assumption.  The M.A.C. is also recognized as one of  the toughest 4A conferences in the State and annually has teams ranked in the  Top 10.  As well, numerous athletes from the M.A.C. have continued their careers collegiately and beyond.

To date, since Iowa's  1972 inception of the State Playoffs, current M.A.C. members have won a total of  twelve (12) Class 4A state championships:  Bettendorf (7), Davenport Central  (3), and Davenport West (2); historically speaking, Central and West won four of  the first six Class 4A state titles.  As well, Pleasant Valley won the Class 3A  state title in 1985.

In early 2014, the  Iowa High School Athletic Association decided to restructure how Class 3A and 4A  were structured and decided to go to District assignments which thus ended the  MAC; most notably, Davenport Assumption—a 3A school enrollment-wise who elected  to play 4A football—went to 3A and thus with former MAC schools being assigned  to different districts.

Bettendorf Bulldogs

Burlington Greyhounds

Clinton River Kings

Davenport Assumption Knights

Davenport Central Blue Devils

Davenport West Falcons

Davenport North Wildcats

Muscatine Muskies

North Scott Lancers

Pleasant Valley Spartans

Bettendorf Bulldogs
1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999,
2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
 

Davenport Assumption Knights
1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005
 

Clinton River Kings
1991, 2009
 

Muscatine
1997, 2003

Burlington  Greyhounds

1998

Pleasant Valley

1996, 2012

North Scott
2011

Class 4A State Champions from the MAC

Bettendorf - 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2007

 Rushing - 7 Conference Games
Roger Craig, Davenport Central - 1,060 yards (1978)

Rushing - 9 Conference Games
Marques Simmons, Davenport North - 1,788 yards (2000)

Rushing Average
Ed Gibson, Davenport Assumption - 12.9 yards in 88 carries for a total of 1,138 yards (1992)
Tavian Banks,  Bettendorf - 10.9 yards in 149 carries for 1,627 yards (1992)

Passing Yards
Jon Phillips, Muscatine - 2,785 yards (2007)

Passing Completions
Jon Phillips, Muscatine - 212 completions (2007)

Passing Touchdowns
Ben Stover, Muscatine - 27 touchdowns (2000)

Pass Receptions
Tony Manriquez, Muscatine - 70 receptions (2007)

Pass Reception Yards
Rick Teed, Muscatine - 1,011 yards (2007)

Pass Reception Touchdowns
Colin Sandeman, Bettendorf - 15 touchdowns (2005)

Rushing Touchdowns
Willie Argo, Davenport Assumption - 39 touchdowns (2007)

Scoring
Willie Argo, Davenport Assumption,  210 points/season in 9 conference games (2007)
ALSO:  234 points/season in 11 total games (2007) and 450 career points (2005-07)

 Dick Wagner, M.A.C. Statistician
Jerry Bretag, M.A.C. Statistician (1978-1991)