In the highest-scoring game of the week,
Neosho (Mo.) edged
Willard (Mo.) 79-72 in the second-highest scoring 11-man game in state history.
Neosho jetted out to a 52-36 lead in the first half, putting the Wildcats on pace for a 100-point outing, before posting 27 points in the second half.
Which begs the question, what is the highest-scoring half in high school football history? The answer is, we don't know for sure, but we have plenty of contenders.
One of the reasons for the mystery is that multiple teams have scored over 200 points in a game, but the breakdown of score by quarters or halves is unknown. In other cases, some of the information is available, but exact point totals are unknown.
Some of the games we have no information about halftime scores include Staunton (Ill.), which beat Gillespie 233-0 in 1923; Marion (Kan.), which beat Hillsboro 205-0 in 1922; Tamaqua (Pa.), which beat St. Clair 194-0 in 1915; Gallatin County (Mont.), which beat Sheridan 187-0 in 1924 and Spur (Texas), which beat Lorenzo 186-0 in 1930.
The following teams have all scored at least 100 points in a half.
190 — Anthony, now Chaparral (Anthony, Kan.) Opponent: Kiowa
Year: 1913
Final Score: 211-0, first half
We don't know about this one for certain. The game story says 14 players scored in the first half, some of them multiple times, and that only three touchdowns were scored in the third quarter. Nothing is mentioned about the fourth quarter, but it mentioned that the game was cut short, lasting only 40 minutes. The likely halftime total was probably less than 190, but not too much less.
134 — Haven (Kan.)Opponent: Sylvia
Year: 1927
Final Score: 256-0, first half
This total is possibly off a few points. The game story doesn't give a halftime score, but it does say that Haven scored 20 touchdowns in the first half and 18 in the second. It also says that Haven kicked 28 extra points. Cutting the extra-point total in half, it's possible that Haven had 134 points at halftime.
126 — Dobyns-Bennett (Kingsport, Tenn.)Opponent: Norton Beach
Year: 1926
Final Score: 193-0, second half
This is the highest-scoring half we definitely have documented. Dobyns-Bennett scored 12 points in the second quarter and led 67-0 at the half, but erupted for 73 in the third and 53 in the fourth for a combined 126 points.
122 — Haven (Kan.)Opponent: Sylvia
Year: 1927
Final Score: 256-0, second half
The second half of the highest-scoring game of all-time, Haven had 18 touchdowns in the second half and approximately 14 extra points.
114 — Muskegon (Mich.)Opponent: Hastings
Year: 1912
Final Score: 216-0, second half
Big Red led 102-0 at halftime, but added 114 in the second half, scoring 48 in the third and 66 in the fourth.
113 — Stigler (Okla.)Opponent: Fort Gibson
Year: 1924
Final Score: 219-0, second half
Scoring in this one was nearly even across the board with 54 points in the third quarter and 59 in the fourth. A number of touchdowns scored on returns with four on punts and kickoffs, three on interceptions and one on a fumble.
108 — Fort Smith, now Northside (Fort Smith, Ark.)Opponent: Charleston
Year: 1921
Final Score: 151-0, second half
Don't know the exact total on this one, but we can get close. The story says that Fort Smith scored 16 touchdowns in the second half and 18 extra points in the game. An estimate of 12 extra points added to the 16 touchdowns gives Fort Smith 108 points in the second half.
106 — Stigler (Okla.)Opponent: Fort Gibson
Year: 1924
Final Score: 219-0, first half
Stigler had 47 points in the first quarter and 59 in the second period to give Stigler a 106-0 lead at the half.
106 — Salem (Ill.)Opponent: Fairfield
Year: 1943
Final Score: 184-0, second half
The final score sort of wavered back and forth in newspaper accounts from 184 to 188 and back to 184. The score by quarters finally showed Salem with 106 points in the second half.
104 — Staunton (Ill.)Opponent: Gillespie
Year: 1923
Final Score: 233-0, second quarter
The problem with this game is that newspaper accounts definitely say Staunton had 104 points in the first half, but that total only accounted for the second quarter. There is no official account for the first quarter. With 129 points unaccounted for, Staunton could have had close to 150 points by the half.
102 — Muskegon (Mich.)Opponent: Hastings
Year: 1912
Final Score: 216-0, first half
After scoring 40 points in the first quarter, Big Red added 62 points in the second quarter for a 102-0 lead.
102 — Cozad (Neb.)Opponent: Overton
Year: 1921
Final Score: 201-7, first half
The seventh-highest scoring game of all-time included 99 points in the second half to go over 200 points after scoring 102 points in the first half.
101 — Eugene, now South Eugene (Eugene, Ore.)Opponent: Cottage Grove
Year: 1919
Final Score: 146-0, second half
A 45-0 halftime lead turned into a rout with a 101-0 second half by Eugene.
101 — Central (Little Rock, Ark.)Opponent: Russellville
Year: 1919
Final Score: 174-0, second half
The Tigers opened the second half with 58 points in the third quarter and added 43 points in the fourth.
